A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Jon Snow Replacement Confirms the Sequel Cancellation Was Right

Seven years after Jon Snow went back beyond the Wall, the Game of Thrones franchise has found a new replacement for Kit Harington’s hero. By Game of Thrones‘ ending, it was clear that Jon, even more than Daenerys Targaryen, was the show’s main character and final, ultimate hero, having helped defeat the White Walkers and then killed Dany herself after her villainous turn. For the past couple of years, there has been a surprising amount of talk about Harington returning for a Jon Snow sequel show: it was put into development and later shelved, but HBO still hasn’t given up on it. However, it now has something better.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms introduces viewers to Ser Duncan the Tall, aka Dunk (played by Peter Claffey), and he carries some similarities with Jon Snow. Both men are from more lowly origins than some of the other noble characters: Dunk is an orphan from Flea Bottom, and Jon is a bastard (or so he thinks, and is thus treated as one). And yet both, far more than men of a higher standing, understand what it takes to be honorable, decent, and try to uphold the values instilled in them by their mentors, even when it comes at a price.

Dunk finds himself at odds with his own heart at times, because doing the right thing and doing what’s best for himself aren’t always the same, and that’s a similar conflict we saw with Jon as he was tested by his loyalty to his family and to the wildlings. That’s not to mention both being skilled warriors, but it’s their more intrinsic morality and honor that makes them linked in the Game of Thrones franchise, with Dunk a hero worth of taking on Jon’s mantle as the saga’s new main character, in contrast to the more gray figures of House of the Dragon.

Dunk Proves There’s No Need For Jon Snow’s Game Of Thrones Return

Dunk, and really A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as a whole, proves there’s so much more to Westeros than what we’ve seen in the other two shows. They’re both great and that more epic fantasy has its place, but it’s refreshing to explore a different side of the Seven Kingdoms, and characters for whom the stakes are lower than the fate of the entire realm. But crucially, it can still find room to explore similar themes and arcs within that, as we see with Dunk and Jon. And if it can achieve that while also offering something new, then there’s little need to bring Snow back.

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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Darkest Reveal Pays Off a Horrifying Game of Thrones Season 1 Line

The Jon Snow spinoff was always a tricky prospect, and remains as such (since, like Jon himself, it seemingly won’t stay dead). There’s potentially something interesting in exploring his trauma, but the recently revealed story idea for it – which not only had him struggling with PTSD, but living in isolation and, most egregiously, having sent Ghost away (even after the Season 8 controversy!) – sounds, well, pretty miserable to be honest. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brings something tonally very different to the franchise, further highlighting just how rich this world is, even with some similar characters.

Of course, Dunk is not simply a Jon Snow redux. There are similarities with other Game of Thrones characters in there as well: Brienne of Tarth is the obvious one, given not only their height, but their decency and values as knights. Even someone like early Sansa Stark, with an earnest belief in the stories and songs told of great, true knights, before learning what the harsh reality is, carries through. But Dunk is also his own man, one who had to grow up fighting to survive in a very different way, and a fascinating character in his own right.

New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release Sundays at 10pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.

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