Well, we said goodbye to House of the Dragon, and at best, we will meet the warlike Black and Green Targaryens again in 2026, so it’s best to prepare for the long winter.

In the middle of the way, we will return to Westeros with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is already filming and should premiere in 2025 (it’s been postponed to January 2026). With that, we will be getting acquainted with many others from House Targaryen, with more names confirmed, and the excitement taking over.

The cast has not yet been 100% announced, but we already have more names:

Daniel Ings, as expected, will be Ser Lyonel Baratheon; Peter Claffey is Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall; Tom Vaughan-Lawlor plays Plummer; Danny Webb is Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and actress Tanzyn Crawford will be Tanselle, Ser Duncan’s love interest.

Also confirmed are Youssef Kerkour as Steely Pate; Edward Ashley as Ser Steffon Fossoway; Daniel Monks as Ser Manfred Dondarrion, and Shaun Thomas as Raymun Fossoway.

From House Targaryen, we will have the excellent Sam Spruell as Prince Maekar, Bertie Carvel playing Prince Baelor, little Dexter Sol Ansell as Prince Aegon, or rather, Egg Targaryen, and the excellent Finn Bennett as the insane Prince Aerion, with Henry Ashton confirmed as Daeron Targaryen.

The sad and easy side is that we will not have any more dragons if MAX keeps betting on the pre-Game of Thrones and post-House of the Dragon period. If you know, you know why. But more than that, what makes me anxious is the fact that Ramin Djawadi is not the composer for this new spin-off.

Before the 2026 premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, for those who haven’t read the short stories and the books, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the “who’s who” in the new HBO MAX series. I’ve already quickly gone through some of them, and we’ll see them again.

Beware of SPOILERS.

What’s the story?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a collection of three novellas set in the universe of A Song of Ice and Fire, long before the events of Game of Thrones. We’ll follow the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). We eventually discover that Egg is a Targaryen prince and later becomes King Aegon V.

Season 1 will certainly be using as its backbone the first book, The Hedge Knight, set 89 years before the events of GOT. Here, Dunk, a young and inexperienced hedge knight, decides to participate in a tournament at Ashford Meadow. He wants to prove his worth and gain fame.

During the tournament, Dunk becomes embroiled in a conflict with Aerion Targaryen, who has attacked Tanselle, a puppeteer Duncan loves, and he goes to defend her honor. The trial has lasting consequences for Dunk and Egg.

The second book, The Sworn Sword, takes place about a year after the first, and Dunk and Egg are in the service of Ser Eustace Osgrey, an impoverished feudal lord.

Ser Eustace’s land is in dispute with Lady Rohanne Webber, known as the Red Widow. Dunk finds himself in the middle of a territorial dispute and must navigate the complex alliances and betrayals to protect his lord and maintain his honor.

The third and final book, The Mystery Knight, picks up a few years later, and Dunk and Egg take part in a tournament at Whitewalls, where they discover a conspiracy to restore House Blackfyre, a rival house that tried to usurp the Targaryen throne. They become embroiled in intrigue and danger as they try to unmask the conspirators and prevent the rebellion.

Who are the “new” Targaryens?

The main Targaryens in the plot have already been defined and will certainly win us over. It is worth remembering that the brothers Baelor and Maekar are direct descendants of Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), both being their great-grandsons.

Baelor ‘Breakspear’ Targaryen (Bertie Carvel), son of Daeron II and grandson of Aegon IV, was Prince of Dragonstone and a renowned knight, much admired and respected, known for his skill in combat and his sense of justice. He died in a tournament at Ashford Meadow, where he was accidentally killed by his own younger brother, Maekar, during a fight.

Maekar Targaryen (Sam Spruell) is an important character in the unfolding events of the tournament. After he kills his brother, he ascends to the Iron Throne. He is also the father of Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), Aemon (yes, who is the old Maester at the Wall in Game of Thrones, but no actor was announced yet in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), Aerion (Finn Bennet), and Daeron (Henry Ashton), as well as princesses Rhae and Daella (not yet confirmed in the series). His reign is generally characterized by his severe and disciplined nature, which earned him the nickname “the Relentless”.

The adventures of Dunk and Egg take place during the period in which Maekar is a prince and later, a king. The relationship between Dunk and Egg is central to these stories, and Maekar’s ascension to the throne directly impacts the future of Egg.

During the Ashford Tourney, where Dunk is accused of treason, Maekar initially opposes Dunk but gradually recognizes his worth and justice and comes to defend him.

A notable event during Maekar’s rule is the tensions with the Blackfyre claimants, which threaten the stability of his reign. Later, Maekar is killed in a battle against the rebels in Dorne, creating a power vacuum that leads to the convening of the Great Council of 233 AC, where Egg will be chosen as king, becoming Aegon V, the Unlikely, since he is the fourth son of a fourth son.

Aegon Targaryen (Egg) (Dexter Sol Ansell): Dunk’s squire, who later becomes King Aegon V Targaryen, but at the beginning of the story, he is just a boy who already shows signs of being intelligent and brave.

Aerion Targaryen (Aerion Brightflame) (Finn Bennet): He is one of the antagonists of the story, known for his violent and arrogant temperament, earning the nickname “Brightflame” due to his impetuous and cruel acts. His harsh and often sadistic nature has caused him to be widely hated.

In The Hedge Knight, the first tale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Aerion and Ser Duncan come to a direct confrontation when Aerion mistreats Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford), a puppeteer. Duncan steps in to protect her, which leads to a duel between the two.

As a member of House Targaryen, Aerion feels superior due to his royal blood, and the fact that Duncan is a knight of humble origins, he considers him inferior. That is why the clash between them is so vital.

Daeron Targaryen (Henry Ashton) – Known as “Daeron the Drunkard”, he was the eldest son of Maekar and known for having the gift of prophetic visions, a trait common to some members of House Targaryen. He has a prophetic dream about Dunk, the hedge knight, and his younger brother, Egg, where he sees Dunk as a figure who will play a crucial role in Egg’s destiny. This prophetic vision is one of the reasons why Egg decides to follow Dunk as his squire.

Daeron is nicknamed “the Drunkard” due to his obvious habit of drinking excessively. His self-destructive behavior can be seen as a way of coping with the weight of his prophetic visions and the pressure of being a Targaryen prince, and his drunkenness and irresponsible behavior contrast sharply with Dunk’s seriousness and nobility, highlighting the differences between the characters.

Although Daeron does not play a central role in the main action of “The Hedge Knight,” his prophetic vision and behavior have a significant impact on the story. His vision is the catalyst that leads Egg to join Dunk, beginning a partnership that will be pivotal to the future development of the characters and events in the “Dunk and Egg” series.

In the complex Targaryen family dynamic, the tension between the brothers Aerion and Daeron is evident, and the prince’s prophetic visions add a layer of depth to the family conflict and political intrigue that are characteristic of George R. R. Martin‘s universe.

Aemon Targaryen – While no actor has yet been announced, we will always remember him as “Maester Aemon,” with his mentorship of Sam Tarly and Jon Snow in Game of Thrones being some of the franchise’s greatest moments. As a young man, Aemon had a strong claim to the Iron Throne as one of Maekar’s sons.

A man of great honor and duty, he decided to join the Night’s Watch as a way to serve the realm in a meaningful way, away from the political intrigues of King’s Landing. As a maester, he could use his knowledge and skills to help the Night’s Watch protect the Seven Kingdoms from threats from the North.

There was concern that Aemon could be used as a power player by rival factions who might want to put him on the throne in place of Egg (Aegon V), to avoid any possibility of being used in this way and to protect the stability of his brother’s kingdom, Aemon voluntarily decided to give up any claim to the throne and join the Night’s Watch.

Throughout his life, Aemon proved himself to be a valuable member of the Night’s Watch, offering wise counsel and guidance to many. His decision to join the Watch was an act of personal sacrifice and loyalty to the realm and his family. He died, as we know, speaking of his baby brother, Egg.

So far, these are the Targaryens we’ll be entertaining in 2026. I already find them fascinating!

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