The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: A Westeros tale that focuses on character over chaos

The Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms felt like slipping back into Westeros through a side door you had forgotten was there.

It was the same world, with the same dust, danger and unspoken rules, but the tone was completely different.

Where Game Of Thrones thrived on shock, scale and ruthless ambition, this story slowed things right down. It let moments land. It trusted character over chaos.

At the centre of it all were Dunk and Egg, and the series was wise enough to build everything around them.

Peter Claffey’s Ser Duncan the Tall was all broad shoulders and quiet doubt, a man trying to be good in a world that rarely rewarded it. Claffey played him with warmth and restraint, never chasing heroics, always grounded.

Alongside him, Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg was an absolute joy. For such a young actor, his performance was remarkably assured.

He brought sharp intelligence, mischief and genuine heart to the role, never tipping into smugness or parody.

The chemistry between Claffey and Ansell was instant and believable. You felt their bond grow scene by scene, like two people slowly realising they needed each other.

The humour was one of the show’s great strengths. It was dry, gentle and character-driven.

Dunk’s earnest seriousness, Egg’s quick tongue and the constant mismatch between how Dunk saw himself and how the world saw him created moments that were quietly funny and deeply charming.

It was the kind of humour that made you smile rather than laugh out loud and it gave the story a warmth that set it apart from the rest of the franchise.

The supporting cast added real depth to the world. Bertie Carvel was excellent as Baelor Breakspear, bringing authority, calm and a sense of decency that lingered long after his scenes ended.

Finn Bennett’s Aerion Targaryen was unsettling and volatile, a reminder that madness and cruelty still lurked beneath the surface of this gentler tale.

Even the smaller roles, played by innkeepers, hedge knights and nobles on the margins of power, felt purposeful. No one was there just to fill space. Each performance added another thread to the tapestry, making Westeros feel lived in and real.

What stood out most was the restraint across the entire cast. No one was trying to steal the spotlight. Performances were understated and confident, recalling a more traditional style of television storytelling where patience was rewarded and subtlety mattered.

If Game Of Thrones was about the corrupting weight of power, The Knight Of the Seven Kingdoms was about decency, companionship and the quiet choices that shape a life.

It was smaller, gentler and in many ways braver. By stripping Westeros back to its bones, it found something rare. A story that made you care less about who would win, and far more about who these people were becoming. A five out of five from me.

The full first season is now streaming on HBO Max.