HBO’s latest dive into Westeros is proving that sometimes the smaller stories pack the biggest punch.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has quietly achieved what seemed impossible: it’s now the highest-rated series in the entire Game of Thrones franchise.
With a certified fresh 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, the new prequel has surpassed both its predecessors—and it did so with an unexpectedly comedic tone that even surprised George RR Martin himself.
Here’s how this humble knight’s tale dethroned the dragons.
From Underdog to Champion: Seven Kingdoms’ Critical Ascent
When the weekend began, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms sat comfortably at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes—respectable, but trailing behind its franchise siblings. Game of Thrones held an 89% overall rating, while House of the Dragon maintained 87% across two seasons.
Then something remarkable happened. As more critics weighed in, Seven Kingdoms climbed to a certified fresh 94%, officially becoming the highest-rated series in franchise history.
It’s worth noting that Game of Thrones‘ overall score suffers from its infamous final season’s 55% rating—a wound that still stings for fans years later. Without that anchor dragging it down, several individual Thrones seasons actually score higher than Seven Kingdoms.
Breaking Down the Rankings
When examining individual season scores across all three shows, Seven Kingdoms lands respectably in fourth place:
- Game of Thrones season 2 – 97%
- Game of Thrones season 4 – 97%
- Game of Thrones season 3 – 96%
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – 94%
- Game of Thrones season 6 – 94%
- Game of Thrones season 5 – 93%
- Game of Thrones season 7 – 93%
- Game of Thrones season 1 – 90%
- House of the Dragon season 1 – 90%
- House of the Dragon season 2 – 84%
- Game of Thrones season 8 – 55%
Despite critical acclaim, audience reception tells a slightly different story. Seven Kingdoms currently holds a 72% audience score—the lowest of the three series—though this comes from just hundreds of reviews compared to tens of thousands for its predecessors.
Comedy in Westeros? George RR Martin’s Surprised Reaction
Viewers unfamiliar with the source material discovered something unexpected: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is primarily a comedy.
This tonal shift echoes the Dunk and Egg novellas on which the series is based. However, showrunner Ira Parker pushed the humor even further than Martin anticipated—resulting in one particularly memorable opening scene.
The now-infamous introduction features the protagonist, Dunk, taking a dump while the iconic Game of Thrones theme plays. Even Martin, known for his grounded approach to fantasy, found this choice surprising.
Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise. Not to say that my characters don’t take shits, but I normally don’t write about them at any length. When I saw the rough cut, I wrote, ‘What is this? Where did this come from? I don’t know if we really need the shit.’ But [showrunner Ira Parker] liked it for whatever reason.
Despite his initial hesitation about that specific scene, Martin has been emphatic about his love for the series overall.
A Rare Win: Martin Praises Adaptation Faithfulness
Anyone following Martin’s relationship with HBO adaptations knows the author hasn’t always been satisfied with creative decisions. He’s previously butted heads with House of the Dragon producers over departures from book accuracy.
But A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms represents something different entirely. Martin called it “as faithful an adaptation as a reasonable man could hope for,” adding with characteristic irony, “and you all know how incredibly reasonable I am on that particular subject.”
His enthusiasm goes beyond mere approval. Martin has demonstrated his confidence in showrunner Parker and the creative team by providing 12 additional unpublished novellas for potential adaptation.
This gesture signals something significant: Martin believes this team understands his vision. For an author famously protective of his work, that’s extraordinary praise.
What This Means for the Franchise’s Future
With 12 unpublished novellas now available for adaptation, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms could run for several seasons. Martin’s Dunk and Egg tales span decades of Westerosi history, offering rich material for continued storytelling.
The series proves that Game of Thrones properties don’t require dragons, massive battles, or political intrigue to succeed. Sometimes a simpler story—focused on character, humor, and adventure—resonates just as powerfully.
Perhaps more importantly, Seven Kingdoms demonstrates that faithful book adaptation and critical success aren’t mutually exclusive. When showrunners respect source material while making necessary changes for television, magic can happen.
Early critical response suggests HBO found something special with this approach. Whether audience scores eventually catch up to critical acclaim remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has carved out its own identity within the crowded Westeros landscape.
And apparently, that identity includes bathroom humor. Who knew that’s what the franchise needed all along?