At a Glance
- HBO’s next Westeros tale, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, debuts January 18
- Season 1 adapts George R.R. Martin’s The Hedge Knight novella across six episodes
- Episodes release weekly at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max
- Why it matters: Fans hungry for more Thrones lore get a grounded, small-folk perspective instead of royal politics
Westeros is open for business again. HBO’s latest prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, arrives January 18, bringing a lighter-but still dangerous-flavor to the realm.
Meet Ser Duncan the Tall
Peter Claffey headlines as Ser Duncan the Tall, a self-described “hedge knight.” The show’s own trailer jokes that a hedge knight “is like a knight, but only sadder.” He roams the countryside with his squire, Egg, long before dragons return to the sky.
Source Material
The season lifts directly from Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg, starting with the first novella, The Hedge Knight. Showrunner Ira Parker told Entertainment Weekly in October 2025 that this “totally different version” of the known world appealed to him because “magic once existed” and the land still bears scars of dragon fire.
Episode Count
Season 1 runs six episodes, each dropping weekly. Ryan Condal-co-creator of House of the Dragon-originally pitched the concept, calling Dunk and Egg a “wonderful counterpoint” to stories about kings and queens. Parker, a House of the Dragon writer, took the reins as writer and executive producer.
Release Schedule
Mark your calendar:
- Jan. 18 – Episode 1: “The Hedge Knight”
- Jan. 25 – Episode 2: “Hard Salt Beef”
- Feb. 1 – Episode 3
- Feb. 8 – Episode 4
- Feb. 15 – Episode 5
- Feb. 22 – Episode 6
All episodes premiere at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and stream same time on HBO Max. The pilot runs 45 minutes.
Where to Watch
Cable subscribers catch HBO’s linear feed; cord-cutters stream on HBO Max. No extra tiers or delays-episode availability is simultaneous.
Key Takeaways
- Less palace intrigue, more roadside adventure
- Six-episode sprint keeps stakes tight
- Weekly release model fuels water-cooler chatter through February
The Seven Kingdoms may feel familiar, but this knight’s journey starts at ground level.
