Who is on the Iron Throne in 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms delivers a first for HBO. It's a Game of Thrones spin-off without the Iron Throne.
In both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, characters want nothing more than to park their butts in that spiky chair so they can rule the Seven Kingdoms — and they're willing to start brutal wars to get there. But in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, there is no war for succession. There isn't even a shot of the Iron Throne!
Instead, the series focuses on a time of relative peace for Westeros, when hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his new squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), venture to a tournament at Ashford Meadow. At first, most of the people they'll cross path with are smallfolk, none of whom have the kingly or queenly aspirations of Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon's leads. Instead, they're most concerned with making coin and enjoying the tournament.
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However, it's not long before the Targaryens enter the fray. Now dragon-less, Westeros' favorite incestuous family still rules the Seven Kingdoms. But which member of the family sits atop the Iron Throne?
Who is the king in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
The current Lord of the Seven Kingdoms in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is Daeron II Targaryen, who doesn't actually appear in the show. He's presumably off in King's Landing while his sons Maekar (Sam Spruell) and Baelor (Bertie Carvel) head to Ashford Meadow.
To put King Daeron in the context of other Targaryens you may be familiar with, he's the great-grandson of House of the Dragon's Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). He's also the great-great-great-grandfather of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).
But just because King Daeron doesn't make an appearance in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms doesn't mean he's not interesting in his own right. George R.R. Martin's The World of Ice & Fire lays out key elements of his rise to power and his rule.
King Daeron had a contentious relationship with his father, King Aegon IV. While the latter wanted to go to war with Dorne, which was not yet a part of the Seven Kingdoms, the former encouraged peace.
Aegon began to sow rumors that Daeron was not his legitimate son, and was instead the product of an affair between his wife (and his sister) Naerys and their brother Aemon. While he never formally disowned Daeron as his heir, Aegon did legitimize all his bastards on his deathbed in the ultimate "screw you" to his son. His bastard sons with noble mothers came to be known as the Great Bastards, and they went on to cause major drama. But then again, would we expect less from the Targaryens?
One of the Great Bastards, Daemon Waters, dubbed himself Daemon I Blackfyre and made a claim for the Iron Throne. So began the First Blackfyre Rebellion, which tore across Westeros and lasted from 195 AC (After Aegon's Conquest) to 196 AC. Daemon and his sons perished by the end of the rebellion, and Daeron retained the Iron Throne. That would be the last major point of conflict during his reign, although it wouldn't be the last Westeros saw of the Blackfyre Pretenders. (After all, it's the "First" Blackfyre Rebellion for a reason.)
Outside the Blackfyre Rebellion, Daeron's reign was a peaceful and important one. He managed to do what Aegon the Conqueror and several of his descendant could not: incorporate Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms, all without bloodshed.
Before Daeron even became a prince, he married Princess Myriah Martell as part of a peaceful pact with Dorne. Once he became king, he negotiated with Prince Maron Martell of Dorne to bring Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms.
For his kindness and wisdom, King Daeron became known as Daeron the Good, making him a massive step up from most of the other Targaryens we've met across Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. And while we won't meet him in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, you can thank him for the peaceful version of Westeros we witness in the series.
Seven knows we won't be getting that level of peace in House of the Dragon Season 3, that's for sure.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
Belen Edwards is an Entertainment Reporter at Mashable. She covers movies and TV with a focus on fantasy and science fiction, adaptations, animation, and more nerdy goodness. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Television Critics Association, as well as a Tomatometer-approved critic.
