A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 captured the hearts of die-hard Westeros fans across the world earlier this year, when the newest Game of Thrones spinoff finally hit HBO Max. The series is set to adapt George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, with each season focusing on a different adventure from the titular duo.
In addition to the adorably affable series leads, Ser Duncan the Tall, also known as "Dunk" (Peter Claffey) and his young squire, Prince Aegon "Egg" Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell), the season's supporting cast made their mark on Westeros television forever. Among the many seasonal standouts is Daniel Ings' Ser Lyonel Baratheon, better known as "The Laughing Storm." Ings took a relatively minor character from Martin's original text and transformed him into an unforgettable figure across Dunk's on-screen journey. His character's effortless charm made him impossible to ignore.
However, as with the rest of the season's supporting cast, Ser Lyonel never returns in any Dunk and Egg novella after "The Hedge Knight," which served as the basis for season 1. That said, HBO's A Song of Ice and Fire shows have become infamous for not sticking too closely to the source material, which could leave the door open for a Lyonel return down the road. Ings himself recently weighed in on if fans will ever see Ser Lyonel return to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, or if he's yet another one season wonder.
Will the Laughing Storm strike again?
In a recent interview with Radio Times, in which Ings discusses his role in Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen series, he responds, when asked about potentially returning as Lyonel, with the following:
"Oh, man, I’d love to! Unfortunately, he’s not in any more of the stories that George R.R. Martin has written so far, and our showrunner, Ira Parker, is sticking closely to those. There is a famous duel in the future. Maybe I’ll be 60 by that time! Whatever happens, I’d love to put in Lyonel’s little dangly earring again because he’s such a fun character."Daniel Ings
While Ings' response lacks a definitive yes or no answer, his willingness to return to the role comes as no surprise. Ings confirms that he had fun playing the character, which any A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms audience member could already clearly tell.
Unfortunately, despite his desire to come back, it does not seem as though he's currently slated for an appearance for any future A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms seasons. Still, Ings' enthusiasm for the character, along with his status as a fan favorite, could result in Ser Lyonel's grand return somewhere down the road.
The future of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Ings' quote also reveals a few key hints for how A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will proceed. First, he confirms that showrunner Ira Parker intends to stick as close to the source material as possible. Season 1 ultimately felt very loyal to the "Hedge Knight," though it included a few notable additions, such as the character of Lady Rowan (Rowan Robinson), and changes, like Egg officially becoming Dunk's squire without the knowledge of his father, Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell).
Still, with Game of Thrones concluding before its book counterpart, thus having to forge ahead with original material for its final few seasons, and House of the Dragon tweaking things left and right, it seems as though A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' relatively faithful style is here to stay. This will ultimately feel refreshing, especially in contrast to the constant changes the rest of HBO's Westeros shows have been making.
Additionally, Ings' use of the phrase "so far" when discussing Martin's published Dunk and Egg novellas could indicate that the iconic writer has some future stories up his sleeve. If Parker hopes to remain faithful to the books, and he's already adapted one third of them, then Martin will likely need to release more novellas for the sensational showrunner to bring to life. While Martin's fans have become notorious for looking far too deeply at every quote, interview, and blog post to speculate about when the next book may release, perhaps Ings is teasing that he knows something his audience does not.
Finally, Ings mentions a "famous duel" later in Lyonel's life. He is referring to the clash between Lyonel and Dunk, after Egg's eldest son and heir, Prince Duncan Targaryen, breaks his betrothal to Lyonel's daughter. The Laughing Storm feels his house's honor has been slighted, so he leads a rebellion which ultimately ends when he yields to Dunk in the previously mentioned duel, a trial by battle. While Lyonel's Rebellion takes place far after the events of most Dunk and Egg adventures, since Egg is on the throne at the time and Lyonel, as Ings teases, is much older himself by then, perhaps this storyline could be in the cards for a much later season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
To see more of the Laughing Storm, make sure to stream A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 on HBO Max.
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