The Latest 'Game of Thrones' Spin-Off Introduces Us to the Idea of a Hedge Knight

Seven years after the end of Game of Thrones, HBO has debuted its second spin-off of that series. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set 100 years before the events of the show, and follows the goings-on mostly outside of the halls of power in Westeros. Following the show's debut, though, some are wondering what the term hedge knight actually means.

If you watched the premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, you're likely aware that Ser Duncan the Tall, or Dunk, a hedge knight. Here's what we know about what that means.

A hedge knight refers to a knight who has not pledged his services to any house or family. Essentially, they are a wandering knight, and because they are not pledged to any house or family, they move around the country seeking employment from various lords as they might be needed. They are typically not as wealthy as knights who have pledged their services to a specific family, and often enter tourneys as a way to make ends meet (as Duncan does on the show).

Ser Duncan stands in contrast to a knight like Ser Gregor Clegane from the original series, who serves the Lannister family. Ser Duncan's status as a hedge knight means both that he is not loyal to any particular house and that he interacts with every class of person in Westeros. It's that perspective that makes A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms feel so distinct. The show takes us to small villages and large cities, and everywhere in between.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows a knight and his squire, Egg (a member of the Targaryen royal family) as they travel around Westeros. It's intentionally more of an anthology series than any other show in the Game of Thrones universe, and the stories the show plans to tell are not as high stakes or cataclysmic as much of what has been depicted in this universe thus far.

That change of pace seems to be one that is resonating with critics, who are happy to see a show that feels a little bit more intimate and small-scale. The fact that Ser Duncan is a hedge knight is integral to that small scale, as he is not in a position to decide the fate of the kingdom, and is instead just trying to make ends meet as a knight with some skill and size at his disposal.

There may be moments in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms that tie in more broadly to the greater mythology of this universe. On the whole, though, this show is meant to feel a little bit disconnected from the broader lore of this universe. For now, that change of pace seems to be one that critics have mostly been happy about.