A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Trailer Reveals a New Piece of the Game of Thrones Legend (With a Big Change)

The Game of Thrones franchise will expand with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in 2026, and a new trailer for the spinoff digs deeper into this moment in Westeros’ history — and confirms a big shift from the original series. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg stories, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will follow the hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), and his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), a hundred years prior to the events of Game of Thrones. With the show focusing on an ordinary man rather than royalty, it’s bound to be a change of pace from its predecessors.

And HBO‘s latest trailer confirms just how different A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be tonally, as the series looks to embrace humor more than Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. While the original show isn’t completely lacking comedy — Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) makes sure of that — the banter between Dunk and Egg looks to ramp it up in the new prequel. The first trailer for the spinoff was released during New York Comic-Con, and it revealed Ser Duncan’s motivations for becoming a knight. However, it doesn’t capture the more lighthearted tone nearly as well as this latest look.

Watch the new trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms below:

While the ending of the footage still teases life-or-death stakes for Ser Duncan the Tall — and more questionable antics from House Targaryen — it promises plenty of laughs, mostly at the expense of Claffey’s character. Egg is already shaping up to be a fan-favorite, with his note that Dunk could use a squire “more than most” landing perfectly. The line about a hedge knight being “like a knight but sadder” is also great. Plus, Dunk and Egg’s exchange at the very end teases great chemistry between the leads. The quippy dialogue promises to balance the more serious plot points well. If the entire show is like this, it could rejuvenate the franchise in a really exciting way.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Tone Change Could Be What Game of Thrones Needs

Although House of the Dragon is one of the more successful fantasy series to emerge since Game of Thrones ended in 2019, the prequel has been met with plenty of criticism, especially on the heels of its second season. Even George R.R. Martin himself had complaints about the adaptation of Fire & Blood, but the author has been vocal about his confidence in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Looking at the trailers, it’s easy to see where that comes from. The spinoff could be exactly what the franchise needs, rejuvenating it with something fresh rather than rehashing political narratives already seen in the original story.

Of course, the focus on the Targaryens will also offer a snapshot of Westeros’ history at this point in time. And having us step into a new perspective — Ser Duncan is from Flea Bottom, not a great house of Westeros — will also set the story apart from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. The franchise has always been great at exploring how inequality interacts with the political tides of Martin’s world, but this project will be able to go much deeper. It will also serve as a bridge of sorts between Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, shedding light on how we get from one to the other.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will premiere on HBO on January 18, 2026.

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