A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the latest Game of Thrones spin-off from HBO, but it’s a drastically different show compared to anything we’ve seen before. Based on The Hedge Knight, a series of novellas written by George R.R. Martin, the series tells a much smaller and more focused story about Ser Dunk the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), with season one faithfully adapting the first novella, 1998’s The Hedge Knight, into six 30-minute episodes that offer a glimpse into the rich history of Westeros during an era we’ve never seen before.
As you follow Dunk and Egg’s misadventures and their exploration of knighthood and its moral complexities, you might find yourself wondering where their story falls within the Game of Thrones timeline, and what the great houses are up to at this moment in history. If so, you’ve come to the right place.
When does A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms take place in the Game of Thrones timeline?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 is set roughly 89 years before the beginning of Game of Thrones and 77 years after the season 2 finale of House of the Dragon. In terms of chronological order, House of the Dragon takes place first during 129 and 131 AC (that’s short for After the Conquest, aka, Aegon I Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros). During this time, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and her half-brother Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) are both vying for the throne in a fiery civil war that came to be known as the Dance of the Dragons.
After that, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the next show in the timeline, the first season taking place in 209 AC, 78 years after the Targaryen civil war. Although a lot of stuff took place before this, the most important thing to know is that dragons are extinct, with the last one dying in 153 AC. So don’t go expecting some flashy finale filled with CG creatures.
As a result of the lack of dragons, the Targaryens have lost their mystical allure in the eyes of the public. Life is much more grounded (and peaceful) in this era under King Daeron II Targaryen’s rule — until things take a turn, that is.
Finally, Game of Thrones begins in 298 AC, slightly less than a century after A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. This is when the first dragons in 145 years are born, and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) starts her quest to take the Iron Throne.
What are the main Westeros houses up to during A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
During this time, many of the Great Houses are in their own domains, managing their respective territories. The only family to suffer any massive upheaval in this era is the Targaryens.
House Targaryan: The dragon-riding family no longer has dragons, which have been extinct for nearly a lifetime. The Targaryans still rule Westeros and have ushered in an era of peace under King Daeron II. However, the family has a rather eventful year, as seen this season in Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will disturb the Targaryen status quo.
House Lannister: Damon Lannister, also known as the Grey Lion, serves as the lord of Casterly Rock and manages the territory. For those who don’t recall, this is the stronghold fortress of the Lannisters, which Tywin rules until he becomes Hand of the King to his grandson, Joffrey I Baratheon, in Game of Thrones.
House Baratheon: The Baratheons ruled the Stormlands from Storm’s End, having replaced the former Great House Durrandons during Aegon’s Conquest, and were usually wedded to Targaryens to establish the House. Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) is heir to Storm’s End and befriends Dunk during the Ashford Meadow tourney. Lyonel’s father, Symeon Baratheon (great-grandfather of of Robert, Stannis and Renly Baratheon) would have been Lord of the Stormlands at this time.
House Stark: The Starks during this time were busy upholding their territory (aka, all of The North) and, much like their future successors, doing everything they could to stay out of the affairs of the rest of the kingdom and King’s Landing to maintain peace in their own land. It’s not clear exactly who was heading up House Stark at this time; Lord Cregan Stark, who appears as a young man in House of the Dragon, became Lord of Winterfell in 126 AC and lived a very long life, eventually becoming known as “The Old Man in the North.” His exact date of death is unknown, though it’s possible he lived until as late as 209 AC, which is when this story begins.
