A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Timeline, Key Dates, and Historical Context?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms does not function as a direct prequel to Game of Thrones nor as a continuation of House of the Dragon. Its place in the Westeros chronology is more precise and, therefore, more revealing. The series is set in an intermediate period, when the Targaryens still rule the Seven Kingdoms but have already lost the resource that sustained their rule for generations: dragons. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place at an intermediate point that explains much of what that world was and what it still is not. Placing this story in the timeline allows us to understand what type of Westeros the series proposes: a stage of fragile stability, crossed by recent wounds and conflicts that are no longer resolved with fire.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Timeline, Key Dates, and Historical Context?
To understand the history of Dunk and Egg, it is worth drawing the complete timeline: from the fall of Targaryen power during the Dance of the Dragons to the years preceding Game of Thrones. The universe of Westeros continues to expand with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, an adaptation of The Hedge Knight by George RR Martin. The chronology can be confusing for those who have only seen the main series, since this story is set in an intermediate period: approximately 75 years later from the events of House of the Dragon and about 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones. In this article, we explain how the series is located in the timeline and what the key facts are that mark this stage.
131 AD – End of the Dance of the Dragons (House of the Dragon)
The civil war known as the Dance of Dragons marks a definitive turning point in the history of Westeros. With the death of almost all dragons and the extreme weakening of the Targaryen House, power stops relying on absolute military superiority and begins to rely on alliances, lineage, and political control. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms develops 75-80 years after the central conflict of House of the Dragon and directly inherits this world. A unified kingdom, but marked by that war: without dragons, with a weakened dynasty, and with magic reduced to myth. Dunk and Egg belong to a generation that did not see dragons fly, but still lives under the symbolic weight of what they were.
157 AD – The Death of the Last Dragon
The definitive disappearance of the dragons consolidates a new stage. The myth persists, but the real threat is extinguished. For Dunk and Egg’s generation, dragons are a blurry memory, a story repeated by others. Westeros enters a more earthly phase, where conflicts are resolved without supernatural intervention, and chivalry regains prominence as a symbolic institution.
196 AD – The Blackfyre Rebellion
The Darkfyre Rebellion openly confronts rival branches of House Targaryen itself for the first time. Although it is defeated, it leaves deep consequences: distrust, internal surveillance, and an obsession with legitimate lineage. When it starts, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms– this war is still present in the collective memory and explains the political tension surrounding even seemingly minor events.
The world that Dunk travels through is a world tired of recent conflicts, where order is maintained more by inertia than by consensus. No armies are marching, but there is constant vigilance over any sign of defiance of the established power.
209 AD – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1
The events of the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are located in the year 209 AD (After the Conquest of Aegon). To understand what that date means, it is worth going back a little.
The official Westeros calendar begins in 1 BC, when Aegon Targaryen conquers and unifies the Seven Kingdoms. From there, the great milestones in history are ordered in relation to that founding moment.
In 209 BC, the Iron Throne is occupied by Aerys I Targaryen, a distant king, little interested in ruling, who delegates much of the power to his hand and his family. It is a time without open wars, but marked by latent tensions, especially after the Blackfyre Rebellion, which occurred just thirteen years earlier.
A tournament is held in Ashford Meadow that brings together wandering knights, minor nobles, and members of important houses. It is not a decisive event for the kingdom, but it is a crossing point where hierarchies, abuses, and inequalities are exhibited. It is in this context that Dunk introduces himself as a knight and begins his journey.
Members of houses such as the Targaryens, Baratheon and Fossoways coincide there, at a time when hierarchies seem clear but are beginning to show fissures.
210 AD – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2
After the events of Ashford, the story moves towards a minor territorial conflict between impoverished houses. Dunk and Egg become direct witnesses of how the kingdom’s politics translate into local disputes, where oaths outweigh the law and violence is a common solution. This stage deepens the view of the power exercised away from the court.
If the series maintains the adaptation plan of the original stories of George RR Martin, the timeline will continue to advance gradually.
The story known as The Loyal Sword (The Sworn Sword), intended as a basis for the second season already confirmed, is located approximately at 210–211 BC, just over a year after the initial events. There, the focus shifts from the tournament to a minor territorial conflict, which reinforces the local perspective of the series.
212 AD – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 3
An eventual third season, based on The Mysterious Knight, would take place in 212 BC, in a context where the political consequences of previous events are beginning to be more visible.
In a new tournament, held a few years later, the latent consequences of the Blackfyre Rebellion resurface. Old loyalties and thinly veiled conspiracies reveal that the kingdom’s apparent stability is fragile. For Dunk and Egg, this moment marks the end of initial innocence and confirmation that the path they travel is traversed by the greater history of Westeros.
233 AD – The Coronation of Aegon V Targaryen
Decades after the initial events of the series, Egg ascends the Iron Throne as Aegon V. His coronation closes the historical arc that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms begins to trace: the passage from a wandering boy to king, and the attempt to reform a deeply unequal feudal system from within.
297 AD – The Beginning of Game of Thrones
The main story of Game of Thrones begins almost ninety years later. By then, House Targaryen has been overthrown, and the world changes again. Locate A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. This timeline allows us to understand the series as a key piece to understanding how Westeros got to that point.
Game of Thrones starts in the year 297 BC. That means that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set about 90 years earlier than the story of Ned Stark, Robert Baratheon, and Daenerys Targaryen.
The difference is not just chronological. In the time of Dunk and Egg, magic has almost completely disappeared from the world. Dragons are distant memories, and the supernatural threat does not yet exist. Westeros functions as a classical feudal system, with no active prophecies or moving mythical forces.
What Are the Connections Between Game of Thrones and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
Although it takes place almost a century before, the series establishes direct links to Game of Thrones. The squire Egg is actually Aegon V Targaryen, ancestor of characters like Aerys II (the Mad King) and, therefore, Daenerys Targaryen. This makes the story a fundamental piece to understand the decline and eventual fall of the Targaryen dynasty. Furthermore, Dunk’s values as a knight contrast with the corruption and chaos that will dominate Westeros in the era of the Starks and the Lannisters. Recurring themes such as betrayal, the struggle for power, and the fragility of alliances are also anticipated, elements that connect directly with the intrigues that will dominate the Game of Thrones narrative.
What Relationship Exists Between House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
The series is set after the Dance of the Dragons, the civil war that marked the end of the era of dragons. In this period, the Targaryens rule, but without the power granted to them by their winged beasts. The relative peace that exists is a consequence of post-war political agreements, such as the integration of Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms through marriage alliances. Thus, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms functions as a narrative bridge between the House of the Dragon epic and the beginning of the intrigues that will lead to Game of Thrones. Additionally, the series explores how decisions made in the age of dragons reverberate decades later, showing that the consequences of war never completely disappear.
One of the most relevant events of this period is the Darkfire Rebellion, which originated from the king’s decision, Aegon IV, to legitimize their bastard children. This dynastic conflict divided the kingdom and marked the perception of bastards as treacherous, a theme that resonates even in Game of Thrones with characters like Jon Snow.
What Can We Expect From The Second Season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
HBO now confirmed a second season for the series, with George RR Martin as co-creator and executive producer, along with Ira Parker and Ryan Condal. This ensures continuity in the exploration of this stage of Westeros and will allow delve into the adventures of Dunk and Egg, as well as into the political tensions that anticipate future conflicts. The confirmation also reinforces HBO’s commitment to expanding the universe with more intimate, character-centered stories, away from massive battles. Additionally, the second season is expected to explore in greater detail the repercussions of the Darkfyre Rebellion and how these will mark the fate of the Targaryens in the years to come.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set in a key period in Westeros: without dragons, with the Targaryens still in power, and with political tensions that anticipate future wars. Its connection with House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones makes it an essential piece for understanding the evolution of the continent.
