‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’: The 20 Best Quotes From The Acclaimed ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel

Set in the Game of Thrones (2011-2019) universe, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2026) has been captivating viewers with its delightful and loathsome characters, jaw-dropping jousting matches, and memorable quotes galore. All without fire-breathing dragons too!

Based on George R. R. Martin’s charming Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas set about 100 years before Games of Thrones, the 6-episode medieval drama follows the adventures of humble hedge knight, Ser Duncan “Dunk “ the Tall (played by Peter Claffey) and his young squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

Created by Martin and American producer/screenwriter Ira Parker, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is also filmed in Belfast and hence it was a thrill to see familiar locations such as the tree-lined avenue Dark Hedges, famously used as the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones.

Season 1 adapts the first Tales of Dunk and Egg novella, The Hedge Knight, and stays close to the source material. However, it reveals earlier than the books that Egg is actually Prince Aegon Targaryen, fourth and youngest son of Prince Maekar “The Anvil” Targaryen (Sam Spruell) and grandson of reigning monarch King Daeron II “The Good” (not featured).

Still, this change heightens dramatic tension in the show which, though there are a few nasty bits, is certainly more light-hearted than fellow prequel, House of the Dragon (2022-present).

Season 2, based on the second novella, The Sworn Sword, is in production and expected to arrive in 2027. A potential Season 3 will adapt The Mystery Knight.

Meanwhile, here are the 20 best quotes from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1.

(Needless to say, SPOILERS ahead.)

20 Best Quotes in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Season 1

1. “He charged me to be a good knight. To defend the weak and the innocent. Served the realm with all my might. And I swore that I would.”

—Dunk to Plummer (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor,) informing the Tourney Master and steward of House Ashford that he lives by the knightly code of chivalry and honor as taught by his master Ser Arlan of Pennytree in Episode 1, “The Hedge Knight”.

2. “It’s like a knight, but sadder.”

—Prostitute Red (Rowan Robinson) to fellow co-worker Beony (Carla Harrison-Hodge,) explaining what a hedge knight is upon meeting Dunk in Episode 1. (Red would become Lady Rowan Fossoway by the final episode.)

3. “The sevens above gave you tallness. So be tall. Or I will name you a heretic and burn you.”

—Ser Lyonel "Laughing Storm” Baratheon (Daniel Ings) to Dunk, advising the big fella not to slouch at the House Baratheon heir’s pavilion in Episode 1.

4. “A falling star brings luck to those who see it.”

—Egg to Dunk, as both lie under the stars and an elm tree after the former becomes the latter’s squire in Episode 1. Dunk would later choose an elm and a shooting star set against a background the “color of sunset” for his sigil. (In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Brienne of Tarth uses a shield with a similar sigil that she saw in her father’s armory in House Tarth, a hint that Dunk and Brienne may be related.)

5. “His father owns half the crabbing fleets in Westeros!”

—A mystified Egg to Dunk, when the latter smugly declares that Kingsguard Sir Donnel of Duskendale is but “the son of a crabber” in Episode 2.

6. “You shall be king, and die in a hot fire, and worms shall feed on your ashes. And all who know you will rejoice in your dying.”

—Fortune teller (Jenna Boyd) to Egg, foreshadowing that the bald-headed boy, who will become King Aegon V Targaryen in the future, will die in flames at the Tragedy of Summerhall, in Episode 3, “The Squire.” (Boyd also plays the innkeeper in the first episode.)

7. “They’re incestuous aliens, Duncan! Black magickers and tyrants who’ve burned our lands, enslaved our people and dragged us into their wars without a mote of respect for our history or our customs!”

—Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas) to Dunk, the cousin and squire to Ser Steffon telling the hedge knight what he really thinks of the Targaryens in Episode 3.

8. “My dreams are not like yours. Mine come true. An impressive talent for an unimpressive man.”

—Prince Daeron Targaryen (Henry Ashton) to Dunk, informing the latter that he dreamt of the hedge knight, a fire and a dead dragon in Episode 4, “Seven.” Egg’s eldest brother’s dream would come true in Episode 5.

9. “In the name of the Warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just. In the name of the Mother, I charge you to protect the young and the innocent.”

—Ser Lyonel knighting Raymun before the Trail of Seven after Dunk could not bring himself to do it in Episode 4. Some fans took this as Dunk has never really been knighted by Ser Arlan. The scene was also reminiscent of the poignant knighting of Brienne of Tarth by Ser Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”.

10. “You best be here when I’m back. Rob me and I will hunt you down with dogs.”

—Dunk to Egg, before the Trial of Seven begins at Ashford Meadow in Episode 4, using the same words he said to his squire in Episode 2 albeit in a gentler, sadder tone.

11. “Are there no true knights among you?!”

—Dunk to the noble houses of Westeros at the Tourney, desperately needing another champion after Ser Steffon ditches him to make up Prince Aerion Targaryen’s numbers in Episode 4.

12. “This man protected the innocent. As every true knight must. Let the gods decide if he was right or wrong.”

—Prince Baelor "Breakspear" Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) to Maekar, after his younger brother asks if the heir to the Iron Throne has taken leave of his senses for taking Dunk’s side in the Trial of Seven in Episode 4.

13. “No one forgets sh*t. You hurt someone, they hurt you back.”

—Fleabottom urchin Raye (Chloe Lea) to a young Dunk (Bamber Todd), giving her friend sound advice on how life really is in Westeros during a flashback in Episode 5, “In the Name of the Mother.”

14. “Get up, Ser! Get up, Ser Duncan! Get up!!"

"(Sir Arlan) Get up.”

—Egg to Dunk, desperately urging a down-and-out Dunk to arise before the hedge knight is eventually awakened by the mentor's voice in his subconscious to "get up" in Episode 5.

15. “My visor’s cracked. My fingers feel… they feel like wood…”

—Baelor to Ser Raymun, not realizing the serious injury he has before the latter and blacksmith Steely Pate remove his visor-less helmet in Episode 5. (The prince was wearing his son Valaar’s armor.)

16. “I fought for you! (Ser Humfrey) Hardyng, (Ser Humfrey) Beesbury, that f**king apple boy (Raymun) - we fought for you! Your prince fought for you against men who swore to protect him. He risked nothing!”

—An angry Lyonel to Dunk, after the latter tells him to show respect to Baelor's name as the Targaryen prince “fought and died for me” in Episode 6, “The Morrow.”

17. “Some men will say that I meant to kill my brother. But the gods know that’s a lie. But I will hear the whispers till the day I die.”

—Maekar to Dunk, before reminding the latter that he too will be haunted by whispers for life as the hedge knight who caused Baelor's death in Episode 6.

18. “A true knight always finishes a story.”

—Ser Arlan (Danny Webb) to Dunk, who woke up suddenly from the dead but still not answering his squire’s question of why he has never knighted him during a flashback in Episode 6. Besides insinuating again that Ser Duncan was never truly knighted, other observers believed this was a dig at George R.R. Martin as he has yet to finish the last two books of his intended 7-novel saga, A Song of Ice and Fire!

19. “Perhaps the seeds of madness are sown in the womb, as the maesters say.”

—Daeron to Dunk, emphasizing the “reputed” madness that runs through Targaryen blood before claiming that younger brother Aerion was “quite a glad child once” in Episode 6.

20. “I hear they have good puppet shows in Dorne.”

—Egg to Dunk, suggesting that they could meet puppeteer Tanselle at southernmost Westeros in the season finale, indicating where the duo will end up at in Season 2 of A Knight of the Seven (or Nine, according to Egg) Kingdoms.

SPECIAL MENTION: When No Words Speak Volumes

Seeing a seethed Egg bringing a knife to Aerion’s bed as his nasty brother recuperates from his Trial of Seven injuries before his father Maekar stopped him, without saying a word as well, was absolutely chilling in the season finale.

Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is on HBO and HBO Max.

Read also:

* ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season One: The 20 Best Quotes From The ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel

* ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season 2: The 20 Best Quotes From The ‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel Series' Second Season

* 'Game Of Thrones' Season 8 Episode 6: The 20 Best Quotes From the Series Finale, “The Iron Throne”

* ‘Game Of Thrones’: The 12 Best Quotes From The Season 8 Premiere

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