Every Episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Ranked

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 has come to an end, and the Game of Thrones spinoff’s first six episodes get it off to a strong start. Indeed, the best of them will go down in Game of Thrones history. Based on the Dunk and Egg novellas written by George R.R. Martin — specifically The Hedge Knight — A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 follows Ser Duncan the Tall as he attempts to join a tourney at Ashford Meadow. However, the hedge knight’s travels spiral into something more sinister when he finds himself at odds with Prince Aerion Targaryen, resulting in a Trial of Seven deciding his fate.

As you’d expect, the life-or-death stakes result in an outing of television that gets increasingly more intense — even if it’s not quite as epic or dramatic as Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. For that reason, the later installments stand out as the strongest. Here’s how all six of them rank, based on everything from action and suspense to writing and cinematography. Warning: SPOILERS ahead for all six episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

6) “The Hedge Knight” (Episode 1)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ premiere, “The Hedge Knight,” is by no means a weak start to the spinoff, but it does rank the lowest, as the series takes time to find its footing. A large part of the show’s charm is the relationship between Ser Duncan the Tall and Egg, which isn’t yet developed in Episode 1. For that reason, it’s missing something, especially upon a rewatch. There are some great moments, like the hilarious treatment of the Game of Thrones theme and Dunk’s trip to Lyonel Baratheon’s tent. However, all the setup here pays off in more worthwhile ways in the later chapters.

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5) “Hard Salt Beef” (Episode 2)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms really starts to hit its stride in Episode 2, “Hard Salt Beef,” which begins to flesh out Dunk and Egg’s bond. It also introduces the most prominent members of House Targaryen, laying the groundwork for major story beats like the show’s Egg reveal, Trial of Seven, and Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen’s death. There’s a lot of talk about honor and knighthood, which thoroughly establishes the series’ themes. And there’s a good mix of humor, heartfelt character moments, and action via the final joust. It’s all fairly tame compared to what comes later, but it picks up the pace after the premiere.

4) “The Squire” (Episode 3)

“The Squire” serves as a turning point for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, delivering a major twist and fully throwing us into the story’s life-or-death stakes. Its opening is charming, considering. It gives Egg a chance to be a kid and endears the audience to him further (as if we weren’t sold already). One this chapter picks up, there’s jousting, which proves more gripping than in the prior installment, thanks to Prince Aerion’s horrid antics. And the ending is the true highlight, revealing that Egg is actually Aegon V Targaryen and pushing Dunk into a terrible predicament. It strikes a good balance and changes everything going forward. However, as a turning point, it lands solidly in the middle of this ranking. The fallout of the events here proves more interesting, and that’s exactly how it should be.

3) “The Morrow” (Episode 6)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ finale follows in the early seasons of Game of Thrones‘ footsteps, quietly wrapping up the characters’ storylines after all that’s happened. There’s a lot of talking in rooms, yet “The Morrow” feels nearly as tense and gripping as the chapters that come before it. That’s a testament to the character writing, as we’re properly invested by now — which makes us all the more interested in what comes next. Of course, it helps that “The Morrow” packs an emotional punch. From Dunk’s grief over Baelor, to Egg’s emotional moment of temptation, to that stunning final shot of Dunk, Egg, and Ser Arlan, it’s difficult to remain dry-eyed throughout this chapter.

Every scene is hard at work, and that final Egg reveal is a fun parallel to the likelihood that Dunk himself is lying about his knighthood. Their send-off in Season 1 sets the stage for another fun adventure, delivering the anticipation a finale should. Its intensity isn’t on par with the previous two episodes, but even without much action, it comes close.

2) “Seven” (Episode 4)

“Seven” kicks off after Dunk’s confrontation with Prince Aerion, and even the scenes of him sitting in a cell and confronting the Targaryens are well wrought. The tensions are palpable as Dunk’s punishment is decided, and every actor brings their all to these moments. Once the Trial of Seven is decided on, we get some great characterization for minor players, like Raymun Fossoway and Lyonel Baratheon. The height of “Seven” is, of course, its ending though. Peter Claffey nails Dunk’s speech, Baelor’s decision is as thrilling as it should be, and the Game of Thrones theme playing underscores how epic things are about to get. This entire chapter is masterfully pieced together, and it’s close to being the best. However, “In the Name of the Mother” is just as well made and slightly more exciting.

1) “In the Name of the Mother” (Episode 5)

“In the Name of the Mother” stands out as the highlight of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and it’s already cemented itself as one of Game of Thrones‘ strongest battle episodes. Dunk’s Trial of Seven may not be on the same level as a conflict like the Battle of the Bastards. However, it’s cleverly shot and gripping throughout. The performances from Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell are incredible, and the flashback sequence successfully adds to the present-day battle, though it could have come off as distracting. When the fight really gets going, the choice to put viewers directly in Dunk’s head proves one of the coolest things a Game of Thrones show has done. It really drives home the disorientation and pain he’s feeling. And Baelor’s death is also a shock (unless you’ve read the novellas), though it’s fitting given the brutality of Westeros and price of doing the right thing.

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