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The lanky guy is Ser Duncan the Tall—or Dunk, the name he’s still more comfortable with as he adjusts to his new life as a hedge knight. The kid with the shaved head is Egg, who decides he’s going to be Ser Duncan’s squire and will not take no for an answer. These are the main characters (played by Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell) we’ll be spending time with in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which hits HBO in just over a month and will return us to George R.R. Martin’s Westeros, but in a way we’ve never seen it before: from the point of view of regular folks, instead of the highborn types trying to steal the Iron Throne from each other.
We get a fresh look at the land of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon in the final A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms trailer, which just arrived today.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place 72 years after House of the Dragon but 100 years before Game of Thrones. (So, no dragons flying around.) The first season will adapt The Hedge Knight, the first of three Martin stories about Dunk and Egg’s adventures. The show’s already been renewed for a second season, good news for fans of The Sword Sword—now we just need The Mystery Knight, maybe the most thrilling tale of the bunch, to get its own season locked in. But even without knowing we’re getting more, The Hedge Knight promises to be a delightful ride.
Years before we meet him in the story, our very tall hero was saved from an unsavory life in Flea Bottom by a kind (if dirt-poor) aging knight who took him under his wing—and knighted the lad just before he passed. Now it’s up to Dunk to make his own way in the world, and he figures entering a local tournament (with plenty of jousting) will be a way to earn some money as well as some reputation-building attention.
Of course, things go awry faster than you can say “I was just watching the puppet show,” and we meet a colorful array of characters, including knights both scrappy and snooty and lords both corrupt and righteous.
It’s a scaled-down story, but there’s a larger canvas afoot as well. Martin paints a picture of what life is like for the non-castle dwellers in Westeros, while also weaving in plenty of intrigue that shows how the whims and clashing loyalties of the ruling classes affect everyone across the entire country—even a humble knight just trying to make a name for himself.
And if you know Egg’s little secret already, don’t spoil it for anyone in the comments! Let them enjoy the moment when A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms arrives on HBO starting January 18.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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