A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Showrunner Explains How GOT Spinoff Series Is About Family

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Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which premiered on January 19, introduced viewers to Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a hedge knight trying to make a name for himself at the Ashford tourney. Trying to find purpose after his master Ser Arlan of Pennytree’s (Danny Webb) death, Dunk meets a young bald boy named Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) who somehow becomes his squire. The HBO series, helmed by showrunner Ira Parker, follows the adventures of Ser Duncan and his squire Egg. Already renewed for a second season, Parker shares why A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is actually about brotherhood and family.

Showrunner Ira Parker on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ core themes

At a press conference ahead of the release of the HBO show attended by us, Parker shared that the characters of Dunk and Egg are quite lonely when they first meet one another. After the death of his mentor, Ser Arlan, Dunk is trying to carve his own path.

The co-creator stated, “We find Egg in a different sort of loneliness by himself. He's been a bit abandoned [and] aimless. There's something unconscious about the reason that they seek each other out. Really, this whole story is about family, and about the different nature of how families are made. This relationship is, at its core, a knight and a squire, but that's also a mentor and mentee, a master and apprentice.”Parker revealed that the late Ser Arlan was a father figure to Dunk, and their relationship was complicated. Now, Dunk feels protective of the prickly little boy who has attached himself to his side. The orphan knight has been alone for a long time and begins to form attachments and friendships at the Ashford tourney.

He added, “And Egg, in a very unspoil-y way, also had complicated relationships with his family and is seeking out that connection that was never given to him that a lot of us are lucky enough to have in our home units.”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms connection to Game of Thrones

The six-part series also introduces a family Game of Thrones fans have been waiting for. Bertie Carvel is Prince Baelor Targaryen, the heir to the Iron Throne, and a surprising ally to Ser Duncan. Sam Spruell plays Prince Maekar Targaryen, Baelor's younger brother, who is out hunting for his missing sons who have yet to arrive at the tournament.

This mystery will be solved in future episodes. The second episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on January 26 on JioHotstar.