A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brought back a historic Game of Thrones rule after both seasons of House of the Dragon broke that rule. Fans have praised A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that it felt like the early seasons of HBO's Game of Thrones. Throughout Thrones' lifetime, the series established different traditions, rules, and unwritten guidelines that each season followed.
Many fans will remember that Game of Thrones followed a specific format when it came to the main conflict being resolved in each season. Specifically, that conflict, whether it be a huge battle or major event, occurred in the second-to-last episode of the season. Then, the season finale directly showcased the fallout from the previous episode's event, while also setting up the next season.
House of the Dragon broke this rule. The major conflict in Season 1 was between Aemond Targaryen and Lucerys Velaryon above Storm's End, and took place in the season finale. After meeting with Lord Baratheon, Aemond (who rode the dragon Vhagar) killed Lucerys (who was on Arrax) in the sky, which more or less kicked off the Dance of the Dragons since Lucerys was the first in the family to be killed by another member of the family.
Then, in Season 2, the only real battle or major conflict was in Episode 4 at the Battle at Rook's Rest. The penultimate episode of Season 1 showcased Aegon being crowned king, while the second-to-last episode in Season 2 was all about the Targaryen bastards claiming their dragons.
While House of the Dragon broke the Game of Thrones rule, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brought it back. In Episode 5 (the penultimate episode of Season 1), fans saw the Trial of Seven, the major battle/conflict of the installment. Then, the season finale included no action at all, essentially focusing on the fallout from the trial, while also setting up Season 2.
For reference, the climax of each Game of Thrones season was:
- Season 1, Episode 9: Execution of Ned Stark/Birth of the War of the Five Kings
- Season 2, Episode 9: The Battle of Blackwater Bay
- Season 3, Episode 9: The Red Wedding
- Season 4, Episode 9: The Battle for the Wall
- Season 5, Episode 9: The Tournament in Meereen's Fighting Pits
- Season 6, Episode 9: The Battle of the Bastards
- Season 7, Episode 6: The Fight Against the White Walkers Beyond the Wall
- Season 8, Episode 5: The Battle of King's Landing
It is worth noting that Seasons 5, 6, and 8 included other major battles at other points in their respective seasons. For instance, Season 5, Episode 8 included the fight against the White Walkers at Hardhome, Season 6, Episode 10 featured Cersei blowing up the Sept of Baelor, and Season 8, Episode 3 showcased The Long Night.
However, those sequences were not the climax of their respective seasons, and the final episodes of each of those seasons were filled with resolution and set-up for the following season (except for Season 8, since it ended the entire series).
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' following of the Game of Thrones rule is largely due to the show faithfully adapting George R.R. Martin's The Hedge Knight. In the novella, there is enough resolution after the Trial of Seven to make up an entire episode of television, which is exactly what the show did.
However, there were plenty of added scenes in the finale that were not in the novella, which could have been done to ensure that the HBO Max series mirrored the structure of Game of Thrones.
Will A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 Continue Game of Thrones' Climax Rule?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 is already in the midst of production, and will adapt Martin's second Dunk and Egg novella titled The Sworn Sword. Without giving away any spoilers for what occurs in that book, since the show will likely feature those spoilers, fans can expect to see a similar episode structure to Season 1.
Frankly, there is a similar amount of action in The Sworn Sword as there is in The Hedge Knight, so most likely, the first four episodes will move at a slower pace, and then the major fight will occur in Episode 5, with resolution for the season taking place in Episode 6.
However, it is worth noting that The Sworn Sword features an incredibly large amount of dialogue about the First Blackfyre Rebellion and fleshes that conflict out entirely, so it is possible that there could be some flashbacks to the Battle of the Redgrass Field. Notably, this was the bloodiest battle of the First Blackfyre Rebellion, and the aftermath of that battle was what was featured in the flashback that occurred in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5.
If that is the case, fans could see some major action scenes take place throughout the season, rather than just in Episode 5.
It is also important to mention that two years pass between The Hedge Knight and The Sworn Sword. During that time, Dunk and Egg travel to Dorne and also visit Egg's brother, Maester Aemon (who is seen in Game of Thrones) at the Citadel. It is possible that the first episode could briefly showcase those adventures before diving into the storyline explored in The Sworn Sword.
No matter the case, fans can most likely expect A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 to include its climax in Episode 5, just as Season 1 and all of Game of Thrones did.
