We've now had more Sunday nights since the finale of the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms than Sunday nights when the show was actually airing, and fans are beginning to miss the series. While audiences are clamoring at the edge of their seats for any news of the upcoming second season, its 2027 release date still feels too far away for comfort.
As such, now might be a good time to revisit some episodes from the first show in the franchise, Game of Thrones, which feel the most like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Because the two shows sport such different tones, these episodes may feel few and far between. However, revisiting a handful of Game of Thrones episodes after A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms can reveal some unexpected similarities.
1. "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things"
The tournament scenes from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms proved to be an early highlight of the series. The horseback action comes across as equal parts fun and deadly, and helps introduce audiences to major characters such as the villainous Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett).
"Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things," the fourth episode of Game of Thrones Season 1, also follows a tournament, namely the Hand's Tourney, a King's Landing celebration in honor of Ned Stark's (Sean Bean) appointment as King Robert Baratheon's (Mark Addy) Hand. The jousting sequences help introduce many prominent characters to the franchise, including Ser Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones) and the Clegane Brothers, Gregor, a.k.a. the Mountain (played here by Conan Stevens, with Ian Whyte and Hafþór JúlÃus Björnsson later assuming the role) and Sandor, a.k.a. the Hound (Rory McCann). The Hound appears in previous episodes, but it's not until the tournament that we truly get a feel for the character as he clashes with his vicious older brother.
2. "The Bear and the Maiden Fair"
Part of the charm of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is how unlikely of a duo the story follows. On paper, Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) has no business with Prince Aegon "Egg" Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell), but their lack of similarities make them an even more endearing pair. Both protagonists learn from each other throughout the season, emerging as stronger characters by the end.
Similarly, Dunk's descendant, Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) finds herself with an unlikely companion throughout Game of Thrones: the whiny, highborn knight Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Their first adventure together comes to its climax in Season 3, Episode 7, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair." Here, Jaime, after developing a begrudging respect for Brienne, saves her from a humiliating death in a bear pit, satisfyingly completing both characters' arcs for the season.
3. "Two Swords"
To fans who just watched Game of Thrones without reading any of George R. R. Martin's Westeros books, Ser Duncan the Tall might not have been a very familiar name before starting A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Dunk is only mentioned a handful of times in Game of Thrones, once very early on, in "Lord Snow," when Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) refuses to hear a story about him from Old Nan (Margaret John), and again in the series finale, "The Iron Throne," with his name appearing in text in the background of a scene.
Dunk's most prominent mention in the original series takes place in the premiere of Season 4, "Two Swords." There, King Joffrey (Jack Gleason) taunts Jaime for his lackluster page in the Kingsguard's Book of Brothers. He negatively compares him to Ser Duncan the Tall, whose deeds took up four entire pages of the book. This line may hit differently after seeing some of Dunk's great deeds on screen.
4. "The Gift"
While two of Egg's brothers, Aerion and Daeron (Henry Ashton), appear as major characters throughout A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, his third brother is nowhere to be seen. At one point, he is mentioned to be studying at the Citadel, but he never physically appears during the season.
This brother is, of course, Aemon Targaryen, aka Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughn), who appears as a recurring character throughout Game of Thrones. In Season 5, Episode 7, "The Gift," Aemon sadly passes away of old age, muttering "Egg, I dreamed I was old" before his death. This is, of course, a reference to his younger brother Aegon, a line that hits harder after seeing some of Egg's adventures.
5. "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"
Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 2, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," shares more than just a title with its eventual spinoff. The episode, which takes place just before the climactic clash against the forces of the undead, focuses on what it means to be a knight of Westeros.
A Knight of the Seven Kingoms (the series) leaves some ambiguity as to whether or not Dunk has actually been knighted, but also emphasizes that it doesn't matter. The strength of his character makes him a true knight, a quality he shares with Brienne. As such, watching Brienne officially receive the honor of becoming the first female knight in the history of Westeros makes for an even more satisfying moment after watching a series placing the notion of knighthood front and center.
Of course, any fan who misses A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms can always rewatch the series, which is now streaming in its entirety on HBO Max.