Game of Thrones is one of the most complicated big-budget IPs today. It was the best-received show on TV for many years, but a dodgy final season left its legacy in question. The adaptations are back on top after House of the Dragon, but a field of additional spin-offs could ruin matters all over again. The Hedge Knight may be the most surprising of HBO's planned follow-ups.
Game of Thrones has developed a different reputation from its source material. As A Song of Ice and Fire remains unfinished for untold years, the on-screen iterations threaten to pump out too much content. Pulling from extraneous material has become essential, even as the studio continues to run the risk of running out.
What is a Hedge Knight?
In Westeros, as in the countries it's partially based on, knights were frequently vassals who served as elite warriors for a person of nobility. Knights were skilled in horsemanship and mounted combat, talents that wouldn't be common elsewhere. They donned armor and fought in tournaments or pitched battles as representatives of their employers. Most were born into the position, but some commoners earned the title through extraordinary military service. Fans have seen knights vie for appointments as personal guards or tournament competitors. Serving a noble would grant a knight a life well above their station with the continued application of violence as payment. These true knights were seen as chivalrous heroes who upheld a standard of decency and self-sacrifice. They often became landed knights, which granted them the right to hold a homestead and name underlings. However, not all knights fought for a lord. Some became hedge knights, fighting only for themselves.
Hedge knights wander Westeros in search of employment. Without land or a castle to guard, the hedge knight's worldly possessions sit in his arms. Most hedge knights are young men with big dreams who weren't lucky enough to be born into the right family. The name is derogatory, mocking the hedge knight for holding no land and spending most of their nights sleeping under a hedge. Their behavior varied wildly. Some upheld the standards of chivalrous true knights. There's a persuasive argument to be made that a hedge knight could maintain their morals easier than any other, never being forced to follow questionable orders. Other hedge knights fell prey to poverty and gave up their noble dreams. Those wanderers became robber knights, well-armed bandits who used their martial skills to steal from all who crossed their path.
The reputation of hedge knights is mixed. Brienne of Tarth considered hedge knights dangerously close to robber knights. She warmed up to the wandering warriors, believing those she knew personally to be decent men. It was common to critique true knights by describing them as unduly promoted hedge knights. Hedge knights can most frequently be found competing in tournaments. They would come from all corners of Westeros to compete in the hand's tourney. Their performance in jousts, archery contests, and duels allowed them to earn money and possibly lock down a job. The most significant benefit of being a hedge knight is the ability to refuse. A landed knight is expected to follow their lord or lose their station. The hedge knight chooses who he answers to.
Who was the most famous Hedge Knight?
The titular hedge knight that takes center stage in the upcoming spin-off is Ser Duncan the Tall. Duncan was born Dunk in the poorest slum in King's Landing. He was an orphan and a street urchin who spent his youth tearing up the town with his friends. A hedge knight named Arlan of Pennytree found Dunk at five or six years old and made him his squire. Arlan taught Dunk swordplay, inspiring him to dream of becoming a Kingsguard knight. Arlan died on the way to a tournament. Shortly after burying Arlan, Dunk met a young bald boy named Egg and made him his squire. Duncan would later learn that Egg was Prince Aegon Targaryen. Aegon's brothers would frame Duncan for the Prince's disappearance, leading to a trial by combat. Duncan surprised himself by defeating Prince Aerion and winning the support of the local peasants. Duncan and Aegon would travel together for many years, competing in tournaments and fighting battles across Westeros. His story will be told in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.
Game of Thrones doesn't give much attention to the non-noble people of Westeros. The teeming masses of strangers beneath the castles are often trapped in their station forever. Hedge knights represent the rare opportunity for a skilled nobody to ascend to a decent life. They could be the superheroes of Westeros, touring the continent and righting wrongs wherever they find them. They could also be criminals in fancy armor. The life of a hedge knight is one that sacrifices comfort for absolute freedom.