Following its debut on January 18, 2026, HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has surged to the #1 spot on HBO Max in the U.S., outperforming shows like The Pitt, Heated Rivalry, and Industry. This lighter Game of Thrones spinoff, set about 80 years before the original series (roughly 100 years after House of the Dragon), delivers comedic mishaps and humble adventures in its first episode, as previously previewed.
Building on the grounded premise introduced in prior coverage—where hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) inherits his mentor's sword after burying Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb) and heads to the Ashford Meadow tournament—the premiere episode adds humorous twists. Dunk suffers a comedic bout of diarrhea en route and meets Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), a clever boy from King's Landing who becomes his squire despite initial doubts.
At the tournament, Dunk faces skepticism over his unorthodox knighthood, encountering timid Raymun Fossaway (Shaun Thomas) and boisterous Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings). Returning to camp, Dunk finds Egg has prepared a fire and fish. The episode closes with a shooting star, which Egg hails as good luck, prompting Dunk's wry "So the luck is ours alone?"
The show's smaller scale—no dragons, focus on everyday Westeros—has resonated, propelling it to the top of HBO Max charts per FlixPatrol. New episodes continue Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and Max, with Season 2 planned for 2027.
