Who’s on the Iron Throne in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms delivers a primary for HBO. It is a Recreation of Thrones spin-off with out the Iron Throne.

In each Recreation of Thrones and Home of the Dragon, characters need nothing greater than to park their butts in that spiky chair to allow them to rule the Seven Kingdoms — they usually’re prepared to start out brutal wars to get there. However in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, there isn’t any warfare for succession. There is not even a shot of the Iron Throne!

As a substitute, the sequence focuses on a time of relative peace for Westeros, when hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his new squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), enterprise to a match at Ashford Meadow. At first, the general public they will cross path with are smallfolk, none of whom have the kingly or queenly aspirations of Recreation of Thrones or Home of the Dragon‘s leads. As a substitute, they’re most involved with making coin and having fun with the match.

Nevertheless, it isn’t lengthy earlier than the Targaryens enter the fray. Now dragon-less, Westeros’ favourite incestuous household nonetheless guidelines the Seven Kingdoms. However which member of the household sits atop the Iron Throne?

Who’s the king in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

The present Lord of the Seven Kingdoms in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is Daeron II Targaryen, who does not truly seem within the present. He is presumably off in King’s Touchdown whereas his sons Maekar (Sam Spruell) and Baelor (Bertie Carvel) head to Ashford Meadow.

To place King Daeron within the context of different Targaryens it’s possible you’ll be acquainted with, he is the great-grandson of Home of the Dragon‘s Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). He is additionally the great-great-great-grandfather of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).

However simply because King Daeron does not make an look in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms does not imply he isn’t attention-grabbing in his personal proper. George R.R. Martin’s The World of Ice & Hearth lays out key components of his rise to energy and his rule.

King Daeron had a contentious relationship along with his father, King Aegon IV. Whereas the latter wished to go to warfare with Dorne, which was not but part of the Seven Kingdoms, the previous inspired peace.

Aegon started to sow rumors that Daeron was not his official son, and was as a substitute the product of an affair between his spouse (and his sister) Naerys and their brother Aemon. Whereas he by no means formally disowned Daeron as his inheritor, Aegon did legitimize all his bastards on his deathbed within the final “screw you” to his son. His bastard sons with noble moms got here to be often known as the Nice Bastards, they usually went on to trigger main drama. However then once more, would we count on much less from the Targaryens?

One of many Nice Bastards, Daemon Waters, dubbed himself Daemon I Blackfyre and made a declare for the Iron Throne. So started the First Blackfyre Revolt, which tore throughout Westeros and lasted from 195 AC (After Aegon’s Conquest) to 196 AC. Daemon and his sons perished by the tip of the rebel, and Daeron retained the Iron Throne. That might be the final main level of battle throughout his reign, though it would not be the final Westeros noticed of the Blackfyre Pretenders. (In spite of everything, it is the “First” Blackfyre Revolt for a cause.)

Exterior the Blackfyre Revolt, Daeron’s reign was a peaceable and vital one. He managed to do what Aegon the Conqueror and several other of his descendant couldn’t: incorporate Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms, all with out bloodshed.

Earlier than Daeron even grew to become a prince, he married Princess Myriah Martell as a part of a peaceable pact with Dorne. As soon as he grew to become king, he negotiated with Prince Maron Martell of Dorne to carry Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms.

For his kindness and knowledge, King Daeron grew to become often known as Daeron the Good, making him a large step up from most of the opposite Targaryens we have met throughout Recreation of Thrones and Home of the Dragon. And whereas we cannot meet him in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, you may thank him for the peaceable model of Westeros we witness within the sequence.

Seven is aware of we cannot be getting that stage of peace in Home of the Dragon Season 3, that is for certain.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.