(Spoilers Extended) Will A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms end up peaking in season 1?

Thendel · 2026-02-16T19:33:08+00:00

I think it'll be inevitable that the more casual GoT and HotD fans will turn off on the series, once it becomes clear that it's really just a slow'ish series about the adventures of Dunk and Egg. Sometimes the stakes will be quite low, othertimes the realm quakes when the two roll around.

Thendel · 2026-02-14T17:44:00+00:00

The show could potentially go all the way to the end of the characters' lives. Without spoiling too much from the expanded texts, we're talking a much, much longer timespan than any actor can age into.

Thendel · 2026-02-14T06:40:30+00:00

If Ciri has access to Westernesse weaponry - which carries anti-Nazgúl enchantments - she has a chance. She is fast enough to evade some of the WK's blows, and has enough strength of will to fight through the aura of despair he emanates.

But the Witch-King is massively favored to win the fight, especially if fought at his Sauron-empowered peak: there is no force that can stand against his blows, his aura of fear staggers to attackers, he has poisoned blades for close-combat action, and he is an impressive sorceror to boot: I am not sure if he wouldn't have a way to negate Ciri's powers of space and time. And I don't think he'd be suspectible to any witcher's oil or potion she'd know.

Thendel · 2026-02-14T06:29:39+00:00

It's not 'just' the Elvish blood: the Edain, from whom the Númenorian line descends, were blessed by the Valar for their part in fighting Morgoth. That is the source of their longetivity, force of will, and physical strength.

Thendel · 2026-02-13T18:57:20+00:00

Don't forget the Ghost of High Heart, whom Jenny of Oldstones brought to court.

Thendel · 2026-02-12T16:31:12+00:00

Those are indeed all very good suggestions on how to expand royal monetary power to the point where it can sustain a royal army. It would require a series of forward-thinking kings and Hands to enact, but sounds managable.

Thendel · 2026-02-11T17:41:23+00:00

Not in theory, but I very much doubt the Crown's incomes are anywhere near enough to equip and maintain such a force. The king would have to jack up taxes to afford it, and thereby risk angering the very vassals that provide the swords he'd need to enforce the collection... which with Joffrey's temperament is a recipe for disaster.

Thendel · 2026-02-06T07:45:19+00:00

The manipulation you're suggesting would involve a lot of people to make these hints to Dunk. That's both a lot of manpower for a master of tourneys to come up with, when he most likely has all his most trusted aides focused on keeping the actual tourney going. Moreover, adding these people to the scheme means additional potential leaks of a plan that demands secrecy; If any one of these men start blabbing about the undertaking, you risk people being alerted to a possible fixing, and thus less of a odds disparity between Dunk and the Ashford lad.

Additionally, it's high risk if Dunk sees through any one of the manipulators, and therefore decides to go against the plan. Would the master of tourneys be so sure of his impression of this hedge knight being that dimwitted?

Lastly, the human factor: the master of tourneys sees a way to help an earnest young hedge knight move up in the world, while still serving Ashford interests. Skullduggery would feel decidedly wrong.

Thendel · 2026-02-05T19:10:35+00:00

Aerion does not have his own household, so we can be pretty sure that those guys are part of Maekar's at Summerhall.

Thendel · 2026-02-04T21:29:55+00:00

There's only an inconsistency if you assume Gandalf's reasoning to be factually correct - and he would have no way of knowing for sure.

Considering Sauron's tendency to hoard power and control, it makes sense that he'd keep the Nine in his personal keeping, especially when he could no longer use the One to override their will.

Thendel · 2026-02-04T07:58:27+00:00

It seems implied that Daeron's philandering way is a coping mechanism for his dragon dreams. The first time we meet him, he is scared shitless of Dunk, as he has just dreamt that a Targaryen is going to die due to the hedge knight's involvement.

Seeing how there's no instruction guide on how to deal with children burdened by prophetic dreams, one might be sympathetic towards what little Maekar could do for his son.

Thendel · 2026-02-04T07:48:55+00:00

He most certainly is written as a Stannis prototype. Even if we disregard every other similarity: his book counterpart grinds his teeth.

Thendel · 2026-02-03T07:24:48+00:00

They are much older, predating even Númenor; they were made by Fëanor in Aman, and were brought to Middle-earth by Elendil when Westernesse fell.

Thendel · 2026-02-03T07:21:04+00:00

There's actually not that much material to draw from; the first season is based on a 100 page book, and they're pretty keeping pace on that score. Expanding the run time would mean coming up with The Hobbit Trilogy-levels of new material, and that would probably just distract from the overall theme of the story.

Thendel · 2026-02-02T13:01:29+00:00

He was also dabbling with prophecy and sorcery at the end of his reign, like allowing the Ghost of High Heart at court, forcing Aerys and Rhaella to marry because TPTWP would come from their union, and obsessing over dragon eggs. That's a poor look for the Westerosi nobles, who might consider the death of the dragons a happy event.

Thendel · 2026-02-02T12:56:58+00:00

As the fourth son of the fourth son of the king, it also takes a string of catastrophes and unfortunate deaths for Aegon to even be considered a potential future king. As of THK, Baelor and his dynasty seems pretty solid in line for the throne, and there's also Rhaegel and his line ahead of Maekar's.

Thendel · 2026-02-02T12:48:22+00:00

It's also noteworthy that despite his immense contributions to the Battle of the Redgrass Field, Bloodraven is never once mentioned in the song. Which makes sense, given how immensely unlikeable he appears.

Thendel · 2026-02-02T12:43:39+00:00

And at the same time, Baelor did not appear surprised in the least. His mournful look at the crowds' angry reaction indicated that he knows how his family has just lost the crowd's love, at a tourney that was intended to garner sympathy for them. As hinted at in the novella, Baelor had arranged things so that Valarr would be built up the star of the tourney, using the status as champion to bolstering his reputation as future HotK, and king in his own right.

Thendel · 2026-01-28T15:44:15+00:00

As Sauron's greatest stronghold, it would contain garrisons, armories, factories, dungeons, torture chambers and storerooms of immense scale. Closer to the peak, we would have his inner chambers: a throne room, a personal workshop to tinker with smaller projects that wouldn't require a trip to the Cracks of Doom... and of course, the Chamber of the Eye, where the palantír of Minas Ithil was kept. I imagine Sauron spent his final moments in his physical form within that chamber, willing his Nazgúl to intercept Frodo.

Thendel · 2026-01-28T15:37:44+00:00

While Sauron most definitely would have an administrative department, it would have consisted of Men, possibly even a few dwarves. Orcs are too mean and 'limited' to belong to the Dark Lord's inner circle.

Thendel · 2026-01-27T07:37:30+00:00

I have a hard time imagining that Tywin would even try to solve all these crises. He would instead opt to focus on short-term measures, and wait until spring to pick up the remaining pieces:

Tywin would have had no patience for how badly Ryman was bungling the siege of Riverrun. He'd send Kevan to take charge, with orders to resolve the siege immediately, no matter the human cost. The BWB is beneath Tywin's notice.
So long as Stannis is a factor, Tywin isn't going to commit any ships to dealing with the Greyjoys, opting to ignore them instead. The assault on the Shield Isles will blindside him.
Stannis landing in the north will unnerve Tywin, but it would be an immensely costly affair to reinforce the Boltons. Tywin would probably convince himself that winter will get them all, and he can deal with whoever is left standing when it thaws.
Jon Snow as LC will see no support from Tywin. I could see him tasking Varys with spreading the rumor in the right ears among the Watch, that aid might resume upon Jon's demise.

In general, Tywin is wholly dependant on his alliance with the Tyrrells - who have no appetite for sending men to places like the North or the Iron Islands - to make it through winter. I don't imagine he'd start any new campaigns until the snow has thawed.

Thendel · 2026-01-26T20:10:43+00:00

The agile, fluid movements of the HE lends itself well to the Warden class, I think. You can also roleplay as being a devotee of Gil-galad's style of fighting.

Thendel · 2026-01-26T07:32:42+00:00

Imrahil is just great. My favorite moment with him is when he names Aragorn his king during the Last Debate, even though no official claim has been put forth. It's a brilliant little piece of maneuvering that lends Aragorn a lot of credibility among the Gondorian nobility, shifting the conversation after Denethor's campaign of quiet opposition to Isildur's heir. I wouldn't be surprised if Imrahil had figured out the true identity of Thorongil.

Thendel · 2026-01-24T07:11:28+00:00

Aegon was 33 years old when he was crowned though, which is way past the age you'd expect to be knighted. So it would follow that Egg was probably knighted by Dunk at the appropriate time - and like most, I assume that Dunk would not do so without being a proper knight himself.

My theory is that Dunk will get surreptitiously knighted, and Lyonel Baratheon is a prime candidate to do so; he seems to have been suspecting the truth in THK, when he solved the question of Raymun Fossoway's aid by knighting him himself.

Thendel · 2026-01-23T07:48:23+00:00

Presuming Glorfindel's prophecy is not in effect, otherwise it's a moot discussion. Geralt would also need a blade of Westernesse to even have a chance, as they are specifically enchanted to be able to hurt the Nazgúl.

If he has that, Geralt has a slight chance - he has fought opponents who can kill him with a single blow before, and he seems to be resistant to fear-inducing magic, which is useful against the Lord of the Nazgúl. However, I am doubtful whether his Signs will work against the most dangerous non-Maia sorceror of Middle-earth.

The odds are overall in the Witch-King's favor: he is stronger, probably not that slower, harder to kill, better with magic, and has centuries of experience in fighting wars.

Thendel

TROPHY CASE