HBO's 'Knight of the Seven Kingdoms': The Complete Timeline

HBO's latest spinoff series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, offers a unique window into Westeros history. Set during a period of relative peace, the show explores a world where the Targaryen dynasty still holds power but has lost the dragons that once secured their reign.

The series serves as a crucial bridge between the violent civil war depicted in House of the Dragon and the political turmoil seen in Game of Thrones. By focusing on the common folk and a lowly hedge knight, it reveals how the perception of royalty shifted as the Targaryens' magical connection faded.

The Westerosi timeline is measured in AC, or after conquest—the number of years following Aegon I Targaryen's unification of the realm. Understanding this chronology is essential to seeing how the three HBO series connect.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place in 209 AC. This places it roughly a century before the events of Game of Thrones and about 70 years after the conclusion of the Targaryen civil war. At this point, the family is firmly in power, but the realm is at peace.

The timeline reveals a clear progression:

• 103-129 AC: King Viserys I rules peacefully.
• 129-131 AC: The Dance of the Dragons civil war erupts.
• 209 AC: The setting for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
• 283 AC: Robert's Rebellion; House Baratheon seizes the throne.

House of the Dragon adapts George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, chronicling the bloody Dance of the Dragons. The conflict began when King Viserys I died in 129 AC, sparking a succession crisis between his daughter, Rhaenyra, and his son by a second marriage, Aegon II.

Unlike later eras, this period was defined by dragon riders. The civil war was fought between kin, resulting in devastating losses for both humans and the magical beasts. The war concluded in 131 AC, but the damage to the Targaryen dynasty was irreversible.

The show is currently heading into its third season, with showrunners planning a four-season arc. The series will ultimately reveal which Targaryen lineage survives to rule Westeros for generations to come.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms presents a Westeros that looks familiar but feels different. The Targaryens sit on the Iron Throne, yet they lack the dragons that legitimized Aegon I's conquest. Over the decades following the civil war, dragon eggs simply stopped hatching.

This loss of power is both symbolic and literal. Without the beasts, the family lacks its primary deterrent against rebellion. Furthermore, generations of incestuous breeding have led to a phenomenon known as Targaryen Madness.

Every time a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin.

Commoners have begun to openly question the royal family's legitimacy. In the series, a squire privately describes them as "incestuous aliens, blood magickers, and tyrants." Showrunner Ira Parker noted that without their dragons, the Targaryens are in a "precarious position," prompting the realm to ask why they should remain in power.

The protagonist of the new series is Dunk, an orphan from Flea Bottom who serves as a hedge knight. Unlike the nobility of House of the Dragon, Dunk has no land, no title, and no dragon. He roams Westeros offering his sword for hire alongside his squire, Egg.

Despite his humble origins, Dunk's story intersects with royalty. At a tournament in Ashford Meadow, he encounters Prince Baelor Targaryen, the heir to the throne. Baelor is the great-great-grandson of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Prince Daemon, linking the new series directly to the events of the first prequel.

Historical records in Game of Thrones confirm Dunk's legacy. When King Joffrey browses the history of the Kingsguard, he notes that Ser Duncan the Tall occupies four pages, remarking, "He must have been quite a man."

Game of Thrones begins in 283 AC, roughly 100 years after Dunk's adventures. By this time, House Baratheon has replaced the Targaryens on the Iron Throne following Robert's Rebellion. The surviving Targaryens are scattered: Daenerys and Viserys live in exile in Essos, while Maester Aemon serves at the Night's Watch.

The timeline comes full circle in season seven when it is revealed that Jon Snow is a Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. This makes him a descendant of the same dynasty that ruled during the Dance of the Dragons.

Dunk's lineage also appears in the main series. Brienne of Tarth is confirmed to be his descendant, a fact supported by Martin's writing and the shared description of both characters as being "thick as a castle wall." Brienne's rise from a mocked knight to Lady Commander of the Kingsguard mirrors Dunk's own journey from a nameless orphan to a legendary figure.

The Westerosi timeline is a complex tapestry of war, peace, and legacy. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fills a critical gap, showing the realm during a time of stability that preceded the chaos of Game of Thrones.

As HBO continues to expand this universe, viewers gain a deeper understanding of how the Targaryen dynasty rose, fell, and left a lasting mark on the world. From the dragon-filled skies of the civil war to the grounded adventures of a hedge knight, the history of Westeros is richer than ever before.