Yesterday HBO dropped the good news that it had renewed both A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon for an additional season each. Fans can watch both Game of Thrones prequel shows in 2026 content in the knowledge that there will be more ahead. For House of the Dragon, that means we'll be rolling into a fourth season sometime in 2028, which may or may not mark the end of the series. For A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it means we'll see another adventure for Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his diminuitive squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) sometime in 2027.
So what's in store for our venerable hedge knight and his squire? If you've read the Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas by George R.R. Martin, you probably have a pretty good idea. If not, strap in for some MILD SPOILERS ahead, because we need to talk about what to expect in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2.
What will happen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2?
To date, George R.R. Martin has written three novellas in his Tales of Dunk and Egg series: The Hedge Knight (1998), The Sworn Sword (2003), and The Mystery Knight (2010). The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will adapt the first book,The Hedge Knight. The second season will presumably tackle the second book, The Sworn Sword.
Of all three novellas, The Sworn Sword is the most different by far. Both the first and third books take place at a tourney, while The Sworn Sword take place out in the countryside of the Reach during a terrible draught. It's all about the political back-and-forth between two nobles who live in neighboring castles and each lay claim to the same river, with Dunk caught squarely in the middle.
The fact that The Sworn Sword eschews the tourney grounds is but one thing that sets it apart from the other Dunk and Egg novellas. It also vastly broadens the scope of Dunk and Egg's world, introducing a ton of important historical elements which are key to understanding the political and social landscape of Westeros during this time period. That includes a lot of explanation about the first Blackfyre Rebellion, when a faction of Targaryen bastards tried to claim the Iron Throne, and how the fallout from that civil war lingers still in living memory for many of the older denizens of the Seven Kingdoms who picked a side. If A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms goes on to film a third season, all that lore about the Blackfyre Rebellions will be important to have established.
There's also a terrible plague which swept the Seven Kingdoms between the events of The Hedge Knight and The Sworn Sword, known as the Great Spring Sickness. Expect that to get some attention during the season as well.
But at the heart of The Sworn Sword is the power struggle, with Dunk bouncing back and forth between castles as he tries to get to the bottom of the feud and find a resolution with minimal bloodshed. This story introduces a bunch of memorable character on all sides of the conflict, especially Lady Rohanne Webber, the Red Widow. I don't want to give too much away, but the red-haired leader of House Webber makes quite an impression on our knight Ser Duncan the Tall, and has a tongue sharp as most knights' swords.
Beyond the characters and the conflict, The Sworn Sword is also a slightly bleaker story than its counterparts. Dunk and Egg retain their easy rapport, with the squire mouthing off as much as ever, but the world of Westeros is reeling from the Great Spring Sickness and hardship is prevalent. This should be an interesting transition to see on screen after the brightness of the tourney in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1.
We're a ways out from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2, but I have a feeling the wait won't be too painful. Season 1 premieres on January 18, 2026. It will be followed by House of the Dragon season 3 in summer 2026, before Dunk and Egg return to the screen sometime in 2027. Finally, we're getting back to only a one-year wait between seasons!
If you can't wait that long to find out more about The Sworn Sword, the best way to read it is in George R.R. Martin's book A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which collects all three Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas into one volume. Signed copies are available from Martin's bookstore Beastly Books.