One of the stars of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is fueling the rivalry between the Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings fandoms with a comment he made about the franchises at New York Comic Con.
The world of fantasy has its various fandoms, who can often have (let’s be fair) spirited debates on their favorite properties. For years, such a rivalry has been between Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings fans. While both are landmarks for fantasy fiction that spawned hit film adaptations, there is a clash between those who enjoy the classic fantasy of LOTR and those who prefer the gritty and dark nature of GOT.
This has been popping up with the recent shows The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon. It’s likely to come up again with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff set a century before the original series. It follows the knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as they embark on a variety of adventures.
The show will take place in a different era yet the same kingdom of Westeros where bloody conflict is more common than magic. That will likely add to the debate between fandoms on whether Westeros or Middle-Earth is the more enthralling fantasy world to watch.
At this year's New York Comic Con, Claffey himself weighed in on how the shows will have a major difference in the definition of knighthood.
“This world that George has created, there are a lot more sinister and adult themes that are presented," he said. "A lot of treachery and backstabbing, and it's hard to find your way. And for a lot of people in this world, it pays off; it did for Petyr Baelish for a long time. For somebody to have the actual knightly valor in that world is something to really look up to, especially in the world of Westeros. So I really adore Dunk’s need to maintain the morals that knighthood has probably forgotten in Westeros through his journey in Ashford. I think it takes a lot more to be a knight than it does in Middle-earth.”
Those words seemed to cause some buzz among those watching, because Claffey returned to them later to try and clarify things better.
Claffey clarifies honor and knighthood
Speaking to Polygon after the panel, Claffey clarified how he wasn’t trying to start a conflict between fandoms, but rather comment on how the two worlds are so vastly different that it’s natural knighthood and honor are as well.
“There is so much more honor present [in Middle-earth] because of the adult themes in Game of Thrones and George’s world. People get so far in positions and status by doing hideous things and stabbing people in the back, literally and figuratively," he explained. "With the glorious trilogy that is The Lord of the Rings, you see so much more honor, and other than Morgoth or Sauron, those pure evils, [LOTR] is a lot more like fairy tale evil."
This is a good summation of how different these worlds are, thanks to their creators. J.R.R. Tolkien was influenced by his experience in World War I and a time when honor was considered a major thing, which rubbed off on his work.
Meanwhile, Martin took a more modern approach, and much of Game of Thrones is about how sticking to a code of honor can be detrimental in a world where everyone is out for themselves. It’s a fascinating contrast that highlights the way both stories work in the world of fantasy.
Claffey did make clear one other point: he has no illusions about Dunk’s chances against a certain Lord of the Rings hero. "Aragorn beats Dunk’s ass any day of the week. I’d say George probably agrees," he said.
While Claffey didn't mean to start a fandom debate, his words provide a good look at how these fantasy franchises differ.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres January 18, 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.