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Based on George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the second Game of Thrones spinoff for HBO. The first episode of the show’s inaugural season premieres on Sunday, January 18, but reviews are now available online. The series follows a fledgling knight as he aims to prove himself in a jousting tournament in Westeros, and it’s not like other adaptations in the franchise, for better or worse. It’s less epic and serious. Still, Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell as Dunk and Egg are said to be an undeniable pairing.
Here’s what critics are saying about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms:
Is this a very different kind of Game of Thrones series?
Opening with a poop joke… establishes itself as quite different from the adaptations that preceded it: intimate as opposed to epic, far more lighthearted in nature.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
If Game of Thrones pointedly ran counter to certain tropes, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is outright irreverent.
— Alison Herman, Variety
The second Game of Thrones prequel… is essentially a retort to its predecessor, House of the Dragon.
— Craig Mathieson, Sydney Morning Herald
This might as well be the palate cleanser we all needed — or, at least, those of us left with a bitter aftertaste by its grittier, more cynical, increasingly extravagant predecessors.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
This show feels hopelessly simplistic and out of place when compared with what’s previously been produced.
— Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz
Will Game of Thrones fans still like it?
It’s still Game of Thrones, so human bodies are still squishy and prone to being killed in brutal ways.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Seven Kingdoms offers a fresh take on Game of Thrones. It won’t make new fans, but it may well satisfy old ones who’d grown restless.
— Craig Mathieson, Sydney Morning Herald
As always, the dividing line comes down to what each individual personally wants out of a franchise like this.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
It follows a single character whose entire universe feels far too simple to unpack and not at all worthy of association with this typically awe-inspiring franchise… Preexisting fans of this world will almost certainly be underwhelmed.
— Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz
(Photo by Steffan Hill/HBO)Could its distinction be put into Star Wars terms?
Just as The Mandalorian is to Star Wars, this is a sweetly enjoyable bite-sized alternative to a franchise’s unwieldy mothership.
— John Nugent, Empire Magazine
If this is Game of Thrones’ Mandalorian, then it’s also Game of Thrones’ Andor.
— Dais Johnston, Inverse
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms positions itself as the Game of Thrones franchise’s answer to Andor.
— Alison Herman, Variety
How does it look?
Production-wise, every effort has been made to match the preceding Game of Thrones series in terms of look and feel.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
The production value, overseen by directors Owen Harris and Sarah Adina Smith, remains sky-high; even lower-lift Game of Thrones involves hundreds of extras in convincingly grimy period garb.
— Alison Herman, Variety
When it comes time to ramp up the action, directors Owen Harris and Sarah Adina Smith combine visual clarity with a grounded perspective that makes every major sequence pop.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
While some Thrones fans might miss the sweeping canvases and palace intrigue of the other shows, it remains splendidly and handsomely shot; the muddy helmet-eye-view camera angles of the jousting scenes in particular prove a highlight.
— John Nugent, Empire Magazine
Does it do a good job adapting the books?
With its tighter narrative and dedication to its source material, the series is undeniably the most faithful adaptation of Martin’s work to date.
— Kaiya Shunyata, RogerEbert.com
Ira Parker wears his love of the original novella on his chest, faithfully translating entire conversations, speeches, and even inner monologues practically word-for-word.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
Is there enough going on for six episodes?
The narrative feels a little thinly spread out… That said, the lack of plot could be seen as a feature, not a bug, as it allows Martin and co-creator Ira Parker to keep things focused on the trials and tribulations of its core characters.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
It feels like series creators Ira Parker and George R.R. Martin drag the novella past its limits, even given how brief the series is.
— Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture
On the rare occasions where the source material proves lacking, Parker and co-writers Aziza Barnes, Hiram Martinez, Annie Julia Wyman, and Ti Mikkel actually improve what’s on the page with original scenes, new characters, and a knack for capturing the spirit and tone of the book above all else.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
In the show’s first two episodes, there’s so little happening that audiences are treated to Dunk both urinating and defecating on screen.
— Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz
Is it funny?
In a valiant commitment to [its] tonal shift, there is at least one piss, s–t, or fart joke per episode.
— John Nugent, Empire Magazine
A grounded droll vibe shines through here, more often than not, in between the battle scenes — you only hear the classic Game of Thrones theme twice over the course of these six episodes, and the first time it’s the set-up for a joke.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
This often feels more like a comedy than a drama, but the tone balance is far from the tightrope that Game of Thrones walked with dark humor to underscore its very vicious and bloody plot.
— Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz
It’s filled with far more attempts at potty humor and Family Guy-esque cutaways… [but] many jokes unfortunately fail to land.
— Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture
How is the dynamic between the two leads?
Fortunately, Claffey and Ansell have immediate brotherly chemistry, with Dunk’s often sweet nature a nice counterbalance to Egg’s precociousness.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Claffey and Ansell share a chemistry that becomes the primary reason to keep watching, with both emerging as terrific discoveries.
— Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture
It’s Dunk and Egg’s odd-couple relationship and shared green-gilled innocence which anchors this low-stakes, high-reward show.
— John Nugent, Empire Magazine
They’re the heart and soul of this adventure, and both actors instantly rank among the best castings of any of the three shows thus far.
— Jeremy Mathai, Slashfilm
Claffey and Ansell are the show’s beating heart, allowing Dunk and Egg to become one of the most fascinating and tender friendships this universe has put to screen.
— Kaiya Shunyata, RogerEbert.com
They’re both trying hard enough, and Ansell is a particularly impressive find at just 11 years old, but the writing offers them very little.
— Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz
Do any other performances stand out?
There are some great supporting characters peppered in here — best among them Daniel Ings, magnetically brilliant as a boozy, braggadocious Baratheon.
— John Nugent, Empire Magazine
Making a huge impression is Daniel Ings as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, who likes to party and dance and otherwise live up to the Baratheon reputation for having a good time.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Finn Bennett plays Aerion with a controlled madness that simmers under the surface of each glare, quickly proving himself to be a fascinating villain whose desperation for war isn’t suited for the peacetime that Westeros has fallen into.
— Kaiya Shunyata, RogerEbert.com
What about female characters?
Female characters are largely left on the sidelines (or more accurately, the brothels), but Tanzyn Crawford does stand out as a puppeteer whom Dunk crushes on.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Does it leave us excited for another season?
Even if it ultimately lives in the shadow of its more dramatic predecessors, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has enough charm to leave audiences eager to follow the future adventures of Dunk and Egg.
— Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture
The fact that this show received a second-season renewal several months ago only suggests that future iterations will be equally aimless and uninspired.
— Abe Friedtanzer, Awards Buzz
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Season 1 premieres on HBO on January 18, 2026.
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