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The biggest differences between A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and George R.R. Martin's The Hedge Knight (so far)

The first of George R.R. Martin's Dunk & Egg novella, The Hedge Knight, is the basis for HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, season 1. But how close an adaptation is it?

A new television adaptation of a beloved fantasy book is here, and as is custom, the internet is buzzing with one question: What changed?

Well, we have to admit - not much. Thus far, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season  is extremely faithful to The Hedge Knight, the first novella in George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones prequel series, The Tales of Dunk and Egg. But that doesn't mean there are no changes between The Hedge Knight and its onscreen translation, which is measuring up to be the most unique Game of Thrones spinoff yet, in terms of tone.

So if you'll give us just a second, Popverse will provide you with the biggest differences between A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 and The Hedge Knight below.

Key Differences: Ser Duncan the Not Quite as Tall

Don't get us wrong - not only has actor Peter Claffey proven his acting chops as the series titular role, but he's also clearly fitting the physical part, standing at least a head taller than most of the folks with whom he shares the screen. However, the ex-rugby star is actually shorter than the Dunk that George R.R. Martin created for his Song of Ice and Fire prequel - with Ser Dunk standing at 6'11" and Claffey standing at 6'5".

I'll be damned if he doesn't nail the character, though.

Key Differences: No horny dance moves. Sorry, antlery dance moves

 

This is just my opinion, but the best moment in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1 is the dance-off between Ser Dunk and Ser Lyonel Baratheon, played by Daniel Ings. Not only is it a great character moment for Dunk, it's also maybe the first time that Dunk sees himself as having an ally - so it may surprise you to learn, dear reader, that this moment isn't in The Hedge Knight at all.

We're pretty happy the writers included it, though.

Key Differences: Meet Red & Beony

Two folks who definitely don't come off as allies of Tall Mr. Dunk (but who we suspect might be, down the line), are the personal prostitutes of Ser Manfred Dondarrion - Red & Beony. Portrayed by Rowan Robinson and Carla Harrison-Hodge respectively, this pair of clever courtiers is Dunk's introduction to not just the unreliable Ser Manfred, but in a way, to all the courtly traditions and wealth that his humble origins kept him from. Since this is clearly vital to the character's journey, you can see why the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms writers chose to invent this duo for the screen.

With more episodes yet to come, the Popverse gang is going to be updating the major changes between A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 and  The Hedge Knight as they appear, so keep an eye on this page for updates. And in the meantime, don't forget to play your own game of spot-the-difference by watching A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, new episodes of which stream Sunday nights on HBO Max.


A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has brought Westeros back to HBO Max, and Popverse has got more Game of Thrones articles than could fit on a spiky chair. We've got everything you need to dive into the series, including:

Plus much more coming as it gets announced!

 

Grant DeArmitt

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.

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