A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Defies a Core Game of Thrones Tradition — The Creator Explains Why

Westeros is getting a new show, and it is already breaking one of the franchise's sacred traditions. The next Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is tossing out the big, elaborate opening credits. Yes, the map. The theme. All of it.

No giant map, no swelling theme

Showrunner Ira Parker told Entertainment Weekly that the series will skip the franchise's signature, epic title sequence to match the point-of-view of its lead, Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) — better known as Dunk. The idea is simple: Dunk is a straightforward, no-frills guy, so the show adopts that energy, even up top. Parker contrasted the grand openings of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon — all sweeping visuals and Ramin Djawadi's large-scale orchestral theme — with Dunk's more grounded MO. Less flash, more getting on with it.

It was probably the most stressful decision I made on this. It was not entered into lightly, but it serves our show.

Inside baseball, but this is a pretty gutsy move. Those main titles are practically a character in these shows. Ditching them is a statement.

What you need to know

• Premise: Based on George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas, the series follows a young, brave-but-green hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his sharp squire Egg — who, twist, is actually the future Prince Aegon Targaryen — as they roam Westeros during a time of major change.
• Timeline: Set roughly 90–100 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The Targaryens still sit the Iron Throne, and the era of dragons is recent enough that people still remember it firsthand.
• Cast: Peter Claffey plays Dunk. Egg is along for the ride under his not-so-secret alias.
• Release window: Slated for January 2026 on HBO/Max.
• Episodes: George R.R. Martin says he has already seen all six episodes (the last two in rough-cut form).
• Source material: This first season adapts The Hedge Knight, the initial Dunk and Egg novella.

Martin is happy (and oddly specific)

Back in January, Martin blogged that the adaptation is about as faithful as he could reasonably hope for. He says he loved what he saw, praised the leads, and called out the broader ensemble too. He even teased a couple of fan-pleasing arrivals by name: the Laughing Storm and Tanselle Too-Tall. If you know, you know.

All in, I get the no-frills opening. If this story is about a grounded knight and his scrappy squire hustling across a changing Westeros, cutting straight to the point fits. We will see how it plays when A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms lands in January 2026.