Things Fans Want To See In The Game Of Thrones Prequel The Hedge Knight

"Game of Thrones" had its fair share of really, really tall characters. There's the Hound, who in the books is said to measure in at 6 feet 8 inches. The actor who played him, Rory McCann, is 6 feet, 6 inches. Then there was his brother, the Mountain, who was played by multiple actors but most notably by Icelandic strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who is 6 feet 9 inches; in the books, the character is even taller. There was Brienne of Tarth, portrayed by the 6-foot-3-inch Gwendoline Christie. Martin describes her as about 6 and a half feet. And who could forget Hodor, the gentle giant brought to life by 6-foot-10-inch actor Kristian Nairn, who held the door for Bran. 

"The Hedge Knight" will introduce another person of preposterous stature to the "Game of Thrones" extended universe. The protagonist and point-of-view character, Dunk, is so tall that instead of his family or place of birth, his defining characteristic becomes his name. Ser Duncan the Tall is reported to be nearly 7 feet by one account and exactly 6 feet, 11 inches by another. His size isn't just remarkable enough to have been preserved in Westeros' history books; it's also a comedic contrast between Dunk and his traveling companion, the diminutive Egg. 

Very few actors match Dunk's stats, and productions usually use camera trickery and digital effects to create such illusions. Among the fans' suggestions for Dunk are Henry Cavill and George MacKay. They're tall for movie stars, but not for knights; they're both about 6 feet tall, give or take an inch. Since Ser Duncan's appearance is so important to the story, many readers are hoping for a properly towering figure ...  which might mean casting someone relatively unknown. 

Family words and crests play a vital part in the overall aesthetic and the narrative of "Game of Thrones." So do ancestral weapons like swords and shields. Ser Duncan's shield serves as the cover of some editions of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," and it's a major Easter egg that supposedly connects Dunk to a beloved major character down the line. Fans like Twitter user DaFaRsHeR have long wanted to find out how in a series. In all likelihood, viewers of "The Hedge Knight" will get to see the origin story behind that shield and its design early in Season 1. The ultimate reveal, however, probably won't come until closer to the show's end, in a Season 3 or beyond. 

When Dunk comes into possession of Ser Arlan's belongings, he realizes that since he isn't Arlan's son, he cannot use the Pennytree's symbol or colors — a winged silver chalice against a brown backdrop. The problem is that Dunk isn't anybody's son. He was orphaned at or shortly after birth and knows nothing about his heritage. To become (or to at least appear to be) a respected-enough hedge knight to enter tournaments and find work, he basically has to invent an identity for himself. How plausible that identity is, both to Dunk and to noble outside observers, is one of the catalysts of the action in and one of the primary themes of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." And how Dunk comes by his new personal coat of arms is one of the book's more captivating subplots. The image — an elm tree under a shooting star — is quite beautiful and sure to adorn tons of official merch.

The saying goes, "Every time a new Targaryen is born, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land." The two sides of the Targaryen coin: greatness and madness. Dunk (and audiences) will come into contact with a whole new generation of Targaryens in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," and that coin flip wisdom will hold up. At court around 209 AC (after conquest) are Prince Maekar and Prince Baelor Breakspear, as well as Maekar's sons, the Princes Daeron, Aerion, Aemon, and Aegon. Daeron goes down in history as Daeron the Drunken. He's plagued by prophetic dreams and self-medicates with drink and women to ease his mind. He's no peach, but much worse is Aerion, who calls himself Brightflame. 

Aerion will probably function as the alpha antagonist in "The Hedge Knight." As Targaryens go, he doesn't inflict the worst or the most damage, though he's still completely vile and cruel. He's in the running for most mad, however. This vicious prince is really into his family's history with dragons — so much so that he eventually believes himself to be one. Aerion decorates his clothing to approximate the look of a dragon and dabbles in dark magic. To comp another fantasy series, he's like Gilderoy Lockhart crossed with Voldemort — a vain and charismatic psychopath with a lust for power and few scruples who fans love to hate. He's the antithesis of Dunk, who's kind and self-deprecating. If Max's "The Hedge Knight" gets their rivalry right, the series should be a hit.

Westeros isn't exactly an egalitarian society. There's a ruling class and a working class, and they're unmistakably distinct from each other. Though being of noble birth comes with its challenges as, say, Rhaenyra or Sansa will tell you, it's no picnic being a servant at King's Landing, let alone a peasant on the streets of Flea Bottom. One of the few contexts in which the landed gentry and the common folk mix? Live theater! Mummers troupes often perform lewd versions of royal history in the world of "Thrones," and for the rich and the poor alike ... especially whenever there's a wedding, name day, or coronation. Teenage Rhaenyra gets a taste of local politics when her uncle Daemon took her on a late-night field trip to witness a roast of her own family. 

As previously mentioned, Tanselle is a member of a troupe of puppeteers that's assembled to entertain the crowds gathered for the tourney. That troupe puts on what turns out to be quite a controversial and consequential show with marionette-like wooden dragons. It upsets characters in-world, but in our world, fans like twitter user SandraM are excited to see it for themselves. The creators of "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon" have done an exemplary job already with these types of stories within stories. Tanselle's puppet show is yet another chance for the cast and crew of "The Hedge Knight" to get creative putting their own spin on a franchise tradition.

If all goes well (and with George R. R. Martin himself deeply involved, let's hope it does), "The Hedge Knight" could be the first of at least three seasons of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." While there are some recognizable tie-ins to the author's overarching story in part one, most of the stuff fans are really waiting to see won't happen until much later in Dunk's life. Ser Duncan plays a pivotal role in the Blackfyre Rebellions. He's rumored to have fathered at least one child and is thought to be related to at least one fan-favorite "Game of Thrones" character. He crosses paths with the likes of Walder Frey, Barristan Selmy, and Maester Aemon. And he's present for the Tragedy at Summerhall... one of the fascinating footnotes in Martin's worldbuilding that hasn't yet been brought to life on TV.

Though Dunk's tale is relatively modest in scope and length, at least compared to the Targaryen history that is "Fire & Blood" and the five-volume "A Song of Ice and Fire," it offers a fresh perspective into key pieces of Martin's lore. Not to mention, Ser Duncan the Tall becomes a legendary knight in his own regard. We don't know if "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" will stop where the novellas do as of now or if Martin and Max will explore Westeros through Dunk's eyes beyond "The Mystery Knight." But we can hope that if "The Hedge Knight" is successful, this series (and other spinoffs) could eventually give fans live-action adaptations of more of their favorite book moments.