This week, HBO gave Game of Thrones fans an early Christmas present by releasing a bounty of beautiful new images from its upcoming spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The pictures gave us plenty more glimpses at our stalwart hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his diminutive squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), but the most exciting thing to me was all the characters we hadn't previously seen. From Ser Steffon Fossoway and his nephew Raymun to the blacksmith Steely Pate, this batch of images filled out the cast with important characters from the George R.R. Martin's novella, "The Hedge Knight."
However, there was one image in particular that really caught my attention, because it signals a small but important change from the books. All signs seem to point to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms being a very faithful adaptation of Martin's work. The author certainly seems very happy with it, and showrunner Ira Parker has spoken about his dedication to creating a season that would please Martin. So unlike, say, House of the Dragon season 2, I'm really not expecting many big changes in A Knight of the Seven Kingdom's first season. But this image that caught my eye does mean that the show will be changing some things — or at the very least, taking liberties in how it tells the story.
I'm talking about Ser Arlan of Pennytree, played by Danny Webb. Check out this first look image of him, then read on for a mild spoiler breakdown of why it's so interesting.
Ser Arlan of Pennytree will appear alive in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
The very first scene of "The Hedge Knight" begins with Dunk burying his former master in the ways of knighthood, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, on a hill beside an oak tree. We've seen glimpses of this scene in trailers for the show, so A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will obviously be adapting it. But seeing Ser Arlan on his feet in the above image represents a change from the source material on its own, because we never actually see Ser Arlan of Pennytree alive in the book. Instead, Dunk buries him, and occasionally reflects on lessons and anecdotes from the old knight throughout the tale.
The fact that we see Ser Arlan alive in the show doesn't necessarily mean it's taking major liberties, but it is a notable change. Perhaps the series will actually show Dunk and Ser Arlan speaking, as a way to dramatize the small moments where Dunk reflects on the knight's teachings which were covered by internal monologue in the book.
The other option is that the show may even start a little earlier than the first scene of "The Hedge Knight," showing how Ser Arlan fell ill and died while on the road with his oversized squire. Dunk thinks back on how Ser Arlan died as he's burying him; by rewinding just a little bit, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could give us a brief little introductory montage showing Dunk and Ser Arlan that ultimately ends with the sad turn of his death as a way to kick off the show.
Ultimately, I'm just speculating here about the ways Ser Arlan could appear. But we do know he's appearing alive and well in at least one scene thanks to this image, and that is worth theorizing about.
Who is Ser Arlan of Pennytree and why is he important to Dunk?
Ser Arlan of Pennytree is a hedge knight, which means that he owes allegiance to no lord. His personal sigil is a winged chalice, which we can see on his shield in the picture HBO released. Ser Arlan often regaled Dunk with tales of his upbringing, so we know he was born in the small village of Pennytree in the Riverlands, as well as little details like that he saw the last dragon of the Targaryens in King's Landing before it died. As for his age, Dunk reflects in the book on how Ser Arlan is "closer to sixty than fifty" when he died. The knight led a long life and died of a chill in his old age, which is much more than most people in Westeros can say.
Ser Arlan found Dunk as an orphan in Flea Bottom when he was still a child, and took the boy under his wing as a squire. Everything Dunk knows of honorable knighthood is thanks to Ser Arlan of Pennytree. Considering how much of The Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas revolve around Dunk refusing to compromise his knightly honor, that makes Ser Arlan's presence far more important than his time on the page alone. I'm looking forward to seeing what the show does with the character in this new medium!
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres January 18, 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.