Commentary: ‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Channels A ‘Game Of Thrones’ Video Game

Because Game of Thrones focuses on the big players, it’s often lost on the audience just how wide and expansive the drama of its universe really is. Of course, there are the kings and queens who determine the future of Westeros. But the realm is vast and filled with everyday people just living their lives. Even though it features a lot of influential princes, at its core, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is about these everyday figures who are just trying to survive in a land prone to violence. Because of this approach, it is very similar to the Game of Thrones video game developed by Telltale Games.

AKOTSK follows the story of Ser Duncan (Peter Claffey) — aka Dunk. He begins as a street orphan just trying to scavenge enough food to survive. Through a twist of fate, he is saved by a hedge knight named Ser Arlan (Danny Webb), who initially has no interest in the boy. Duncan continued to follow Arlan until the knight took him on as a squire. After his mentor died, Duncan sought to become a knight of a great house, but over the course of the first season, he realizes he’s better off as a hedge knight, living amongst the people as he travels the many roads of Westeros.

The backdrop of the show is a tournament, where knights get to prove their prowess amongst each other. Many houses are involved in this tournament, not just the most notable ones such as the Baratheons and Targaryens. In the Telltale Game series, the main focus is on a very minor family named Forrester. They have a long-standing feud with another minor house by the name of Whitehill. Even though this house is never featured in the main series, the tension between the two is very palpable and plays out over the course of the timeline of the main show. It’s an example of how there are conflicts all over Westeros, not just those of the main players. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms also reminds us of this fact.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO Max.