Fans are already eagerly waiting for season 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but one key character is not likely to return. The Game of Thrones spinoff grew the franchise in interesting and bold ways, including with its entertaining new characters. There are already some exciting new characters joining A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2.
While the show focuses mainly on the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall, a.k.a. Dunk, and his squire Aegon Targaryen, a.k.a. Egg, the supporting cast was just as important for bringing the story to life. However, the show has already seemingly confirmed that one character won't be back, and they did so in a way you might have missed.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms suggests Ser Arlan's story is done
While not the most central character on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Ser Arlan of Pennytree's presence was felt throughout the entire first season. That is impressive given the fact that he died before the show even started. The first scene of the series finds Dunk burying the old knight and starting his own journey as a knight.
All we see of Ser Arlan is in flashbacks, where the extent of how important he was to Dunk gradually shines through. While these memories help to shape Dunk's journey in the first season, Ser Arlan's final moment in the season 1 finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms hints that Dunk is letting his mentor go and striking out on his own path.
The scene comes as Dunk and Egg head off on horseback on their adventure as a hedge knight and his squire. As the camera pulls away, we see that Ser Arlan is riding alongside them, before turning off and heading out into the field on his own. It is a moment that shows Dunk has grown on his own, while also hinting that Ser Arlan's time on the show has come to an end.
Showrunner Ira Parker more or less confirmed this in an interview with IGN. Parker suggested that Dunk has stepped into the knight role on his own, explaining, "Ser Arlan is allowed to go rest. He has done his job with Dunk. Dunk is now a knight and he's heading off to [...] have his own journeys with his own squire.” However, he did suggest that there is room for Ser Arlan to appear again at some point.
Ser Arlan was pivotal to the themes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Despite his brief screen time, Ser Arlan was one of the most important characters in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and one who spoke to the themes of the story. From the very first scene, Ser Arlan highlighted how sometimes the stories of knights in Westeros are more romanticized in the stories than in reality.
We see that Ser Arlan often hit Dunk, sometimes for no reason, and that he was not the most impressive of knights, even though Dunk seems to imagine he was in his own head. However, as we see more and more of Ser Arlan, we see the bravery he had and even that he could fight. He also taught Dunk the valuable lesson that, when beaten and down, you still have to get up.
He was an imperfect knight, and that is what the whole show is about. Dunk wants to be a great knight of Westeros, but he first needs to realize that there are ugly aspects to the job. Season 1 certainly taught him that much, and now he feels ready to go learn new lessons and make new mistakes without his mentor to guide him.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 is streaming on HBO Max. Season 2 is currently in production, and is slated to premiere sometime in 2027.