A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Delivers the Franchise's Best Joust Scene

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 2.As the third show set in Westeros, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has a lot to live up to. Not only are both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon wildly popular, but their epic fight scenes have left fans in awe. When it came to following up the original series, House of the Dragon built on the legacy of complex politics and massive battles, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms isn't trying to follow that example. The new series is only just beginning, and with a more limited scope, it will not have the same scale as the previous series.

Yet, even with the constant, nagging comparison to the franchise's first spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has already proved superior in one area. Both spin-offs feature a joust early on, and though House of the Dragon provided an impressive spectacle, it's just not as good as the one fans just got. Season 1, Episode 2, 'Hard Salt Beef," finally starts the tourney that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been leading to, and though Dunk (Peter Claffey) himself has yet to participate, the first joust is the best in the entire franchise.

'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Provides the Biggest Tourney in the Franchise

Tourneys have long been a memorable part of the franchise, with several appearing in the early seasons of Game of Thrones before the full-scale battles overpowered the knightly contests. Yet, with House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, this was something to improve upon. In the first episode of House of the Dragon, Daemon (Matt Smith) and Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) participate in a joust that helps to establish their characters. With the massive budget, the scene is thrilling, yet A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms goes even further.

The latest prequel spends all of Season 1 focused on the tourney, so it makes sense that the opening joust would turn into a great spectacle. Near the end of Episode 2, the games begin, literally as Dunk and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) watch the first joust, which consists of five sets of knights charging simultaneously. In this scene, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms captures the brutal chaos of the event better than other series in the franchise. Throughout the sequence, the action never slows as horses are knocked over and people are injured. The sheer scale of the joust makes it unparalleled in the franchise, which is a feat of its own.

'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Puts Dunk and Egg in the Chaos

Unlike House of the Dragon, none of the main characters ride in the joust, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms keeps Dunk and Egg in on the action. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' perspective on the event places the audience in the middle of the action as the main duo watches from the middle of a jostling crowd, only a few feet from the knights. This is a distinct change from House of the Dragon, where fans are with Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) watching from the royal box while the political tensions rise and fall, which is fitting for the show. Dunk and Egg's proximity places the focus on the joust itself, not its political ramifications, making the action that much more intense.

It's important to note that these two jousts have different purposes in their respective series. While both perform the task they were designed for, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has an edge. House of the Dragon uses the scene to introduce characters and compare the gory practice to Aemma's (Siân Brooke) experience in childbirth, highlighting the different dangers that men and women face in Westeros. This is a theme that is continued throughout the series, but it requires the joust to be structured so the bloody comparison is clear.

However, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is all about knights, particularly Dunk, so the joust is personal to him. Having placed all his hopes in his success, the brutal events of that first joust intimidate Dunk, causing him to lose faith in his skill. Egg has a similar moment as he watches the squires passing up weapons that are bigger than he is, inspiring concern. With the direct personal implications to the main characters, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' joust elevates the tension. Though each series uses the jousts in a way that serves the story, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms easily earns the title as the most epic.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming on HBO with new episodes on Sundays.