The world premiere is now behind them, and HBO is inviting viewers back to a quieter and more intimate period of Westeros history. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on HBO Max on Sunday, January 18, 2026. This represents the first true departure the series has taken from the apocalyptic themes and dragonfire action and is instead centered on dusty roads and the fragile notion of “honor” within a realm attempting to heal.
Based on George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk & Egg series of novellas, it’s intended as a bridging story, both in terms of tone and timeline, between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. To appreciate just how different a time this is, and perhaps one of the most pivotal in Westeros’ history, it’s crucial to understand just where it fits within that timeline.
How it fits into Westeros’ history
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place in the year 209 AC (After Aegon’s Conquest). In terms of chronology, this series takes place some 78 to 80 years after the Dance of the Dragons, the civil war that is the focus of the TV series House of the Dragon, and 90 years before the start of the Game of Thrones series in the year 298 AC.
By this stage, the dragons are long extinct, the last dragon having died in the year 153 AC, and the ruling dynasty, House Targaryen, finds itself bereft of the living weapons that once assured their dominion over Westeros.
Power is no longer a function of fire and fear but rather a product of blood, alliances, and the tenuous legitimacy of the Iron Throne.
The Seven Kingdoms are ruled by King Daeron II Targaryen, who is known in history as “Daeron the Good.” King Daeron II rules during the aftermath of the First Blackfyre Rebellion that took place in 196 AC. It is a civil war that broke out between King Daeron and his half-brother, Daemon Blackfyre. Although this event happened more than a decade ago, its ideals are still fresh in the minds of the knights and lords that the audience meets during the Ashford Tourney that kicks off the series.
At the very core of the series are two travelers. These are Ser Duncan the Tall, an orphan boy from the lowest parts of Flea Bottom and a hedge knight, and his squire Egg, who will later become King Aegon V and the grandfather of the Mad King Aerys II and the great-uncle of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen.
The dragons are simply not there, which completely changes the world in which this show exists. This means that without “magical nukes,” battles are more local, more person-to-person, and often end in steel, reputation, or compromise. According to showrunner Ira Parker, the world they’re in is more like ‘14th-century Britain,’ in which chivalry is still in play—but already unraveling at the edges. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fills Westeros’ “missing middle age,” tracing the gradual unraveling of a dragonless empire into the chaos of Game of Thrones. Already greenlit by HBO for a second season based on The Sworn Sword, it’s clear that this show will stand not as a footnote but as a key chapter in the epic history of Westeros itself.
