You might need to re-establish your expectations in case you were anticipating more royal tension in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ season 2. After the dramatic season 1 finale, most viewers thought that Maekar Targaryen would be used more heavily in the future, particularly after the show changed the ending of The Hedge Knight to demonstrate him raging at the loss of Egg.
In the source material, Maekar’s permission for Egg to squire under Dunk is implied. The series, however, chose a louder, more volatile exit. That twist created speculation: Would season 2 be a royal hunt of the runaway prince? Apparently not.
Why Dunk & Egg’s Next Chapter Won’t Include Maekar Targaryen
Actor Sam Spruell, who plays Maekar, has affirmed that he will not be present in the next season. “I’m not going to be in season two. Well, we’ll see. Never say never, but I’m pretty sure that there will be other stories to tell,” he told THR. Although he left the door open with a never-say-never, the message is clear: Season 2 is on the move. The Sworn Sword, the second book in the Dunk and Egg tales, is going to be adapted into Season 2.
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It is not a secret to the readers that this chapter presents a nearly completely new cast. The story shifts away from Ashford and the Targaryen princes, focusing instead on a drought-stricken dispute in the Reach involving Ser Eustace Osgrey and Lady Rohanne Webber. Showrunner Ira Parker has stressed that every novella is more or less a self-contained chapter with new faces.
Although some of these characters will be reused in subsequent tales, The Sworn Sword is deliberately personal. It narrows the lens. And that constriction is intentional. Instead of going into palace politics, season 2 seems determined to keep Dunk and Egg on the road. It wants to base the show on small-scale battles that challenge the character more than the crown.
‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Season 2 Trades Palace Politics For A Grounded Westeros Tale
It might seem surprising to sideline a Targaryen prince in a franchise built on dragonlords. However, ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ has never been like ‘Game of Thrones’. It is not a tale of kings struggling to be in control. It follows a hedge knight, attempting to live up to an ideal. The fact that Maekar is absent supports that identity.
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Season 1 was toying with the idea of royal drama. However, appears ready to lean fully into Dunk’s world, fragile alliances, and moral dilemmas with no armies to back them up. It’s smaller. Quieter. Maybe even braver.
And while Maekar and the other princes may reappear in later episodes, at least, should the long-term multi-season strategy ever come to fruition, for now, the road belongs to Dunk and Egg alone.
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