With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO continues to build out its roster of Game of Thrones spin-offs. But as its slate of Westeros-set series grows more crowded, so, too, does the Westerosi timeline.
So, how does A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fit into the history of Westeros? Let’s break it down, from the basic timeline to the exact dates for all you history hounds out there.
When does A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms take place?
In the simplest terms, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place in between the events of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. As a bridge between the two series, it offers up a new onscreen perspective of Westeros. The other shows see the Seven Kingdoms at war for the Iron Throne. Here, though, the Targaryens rule during a time of relative peace.
It’s during this peace that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on the Dunk and Egg novellas by George R.R. Martin, unfolds. Season 1 adapts the novella The Hedge Knight, which tells the tale of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his new squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as they venture to the tourney at Ashford Meadow to earn coin and glory.
Good to know, but what are the exact dates for each Westeros show?
To get more granular with it, HBO’s current selection of Game of Thrones spin-offs span a little under two centuries.
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House of the Dragon is first up in chronological order. It details the war for succession between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and her half-brother Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), which became known as the Dance of the Dragons. That civil war lasted from 129 to 131 AC (after Aegon I Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros).
Next up in the timeline is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The novella The Hedge Knight takes place in 209 AC, so 78 years after the end of the Dance of the Dragons. A lot has happened in Westeros since then, but the most crucial thing to know is that there are officially no more dragons. The last Targaryen dragon died in 153 AC, and with its loss, the ruling family’s revered, almost god-like status as dragon riders has faded.
Last but not least is the show that started it all: Game of Thrones, which begins in 298 AC. That means A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place a little under a century before Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) begins her quest to take back the Iron Throne.
Despite the many decades between A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Game of Thrones, their stories may share some overlapping characters. Prince Aemon Targaryen (Peter Vaughan), the Wall’s Maester in Game of Thrones, is serving at the Citadel in Oldtown during the events of the Dunk and Egg novellas. And Brynden Rivers, also known the Three-Eyed Raven, makes an appearance in the third Dunk and Egg novella, The Mystery Knight.
These overlaps likely won’t come up in Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but they are helpful when putting together the puzzle pieces of the wide world of Westeros.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
