15 TV Shows To Watch If You Like A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” (or is it nine, now, per the end title shown on HBO Max?) plays almost like an early Terry Gilliam fantasy film such as the class-conscious and subversive “Jabberwocky.” It’s got the same gritty, dirty Middle Ages setting. It also combines bawdy- (lots of bodily functions and floppy members) and character-based humor.

For a “Game of Thrones” spin-off, it’s a minor miracle. George R.R. Martin’s world of Westeros and beyond is generally so downbeat and dour that there’s little time for levity. When it comes to the exploits of Ser Duncan the Tall, a.k.a. “Dunk” (Peter Claffey) and his young, precocious squire Aegon “Egg” Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell), however, there’s plenty of back-and-forth banter to amuse.

It’s too bad Season 1 just ended, though there’s already a second season of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” greenlit, and a third likely, since a third novella exists as source material. Martin says he’ll write more, but, well, we’re still waiting for “The Winds of Winter” from last time.

So while you wait for Season 2, what’s next? To keep the general vibe going, we have a few suggestions of other shows to watch.

Yeah, this one’s pretty obvious. If you came to “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” without watching “Game of Thrones” first, it serves as a long-lead sequel. Egg’s great grandchildren are major players, most notably Mark Addy’s Robert Baratheon and Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen, both of whom will claim the throne for brief periods.

It’s hard to imagine potential viewers don’t know at this point but be forewarned that “Game of Thrones” is much grimmer and darker than “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” which itself goes harder than most TV shows with its blood and barf. Still, if “Knight” is “Star Wars,” “GoT” is absolutely “The Empire Strikes Back,” albeit with no “Return of the Jedi” in sight.

Sure, some will say “Game of Thrones” has a disappointing ending. However, that ending might also be good practice in managing expectations, since we’ve no idea if George R.R. Martin will ever finish the stories of Dunk and Egg, either.

Also obligatory: If you like “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” and “Game of Thrones,” there’s very little reason not to also like “House of the Dragon,” which is set in the same world as both of them and has way more dragons. It even has young protagonists in the very beginning in Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), childhood pals who soon grow up to become rivals played by different actors (Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke) on opposite sides of a civil war.

“House of the Dragon” precedes “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” and seems likely to end badly for all concerned, though it does at least have a definite ending set. It also indicates precisely why House Targaryen is so important in the subsequent shows. As weak as they may seem later, this was their era to shine, as they utilized dragons as weapons of mass destruction. They didn’t hesitate to use them right away, either…unlike “Game of Thrones,” which kept us waiting. Thus far, it has also served as a warning that the best weapons don’t necessarily win or prevent wars. Failure of diplomacy is pretty much a given in Westeros, but “House of the Dragon” digs into why that’s tragic.

Be forewarned, though, that of all three Westeros shows, this one features the most incest.

Dunk and Egg’s fundamental dynamic is that of a skilled knight traveling with a smarter-than-he-appears kid. Both protect each other in different ways as they travel across a hostile land. It’s a template that feels reminiscent of “Lone Wolf and Cub,” the classic ’70s manga which spawned the live-action movie “Shogun Assassin.”

There’s another show even better known for that formula, though, and it’s “The Mandalorian.” Initially promoted as if it would be about a ruthless space bounty hunter, the “Star Wars” spin-off pulled a bait and switch at the end of its first episode when it revealed Grogu, a baby from Yoda’s species with Force powers. Now under the protection of perma-helmeted Mandalorian Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), Grogu effectively serves as his “squire” in galactic combat.

“The Mandalorian” is considerably cleaner and more family friendly than “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” but they do have vomit in common. Like every baby, Grogu spits up, which is a first for live-action “Star Wars.”

In the 2008 series “Merlin,” the equivalent of Dunk is Prince Arthur (Bradley James), who will one day be king. His manservant Merlin (Colin Morgan) appears to be a naive youngster. In fact, he’s a powerful warlock who must conceal his magic due to it being illegal, on pain of death. Arthur needs to think he’s the one in charge, but Merlin is the real brains of the operation.

Like “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” however, the series has a lighter side. How could it not, with John Hurt as the voice of a cartoonish CG dragon named Kilgharrah?

As in the seven kingdoms, authority is depicted as compromised and foolish: Arthur’s father Uther (Anthony Head) is the one who is prejudiced against magic. His illegitimate daughter (and an aspiring sorceress) Morgana (Katie McGrath) vows to make him pay for it. The focus on Arthur and Merlin as increasingly better friends despite class differences is a wonderful example of the knight and unlikely squire dynamic.

Matt Groening hit franchise gold with “The Simpsons,” and zeitgeist nerves with “Futurama.” He wasn’t so lucky with “Disenchantment,” but you should watch it anyway if you like either Groening’s work or the mix of real-world-infused fantasy and humor of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.”

“Disenchantment” takes a longer view of story than Groening’s previous cartoons, with the lead characters on an RPG-style quest to explore their realm and uncover a larger plot at hand. Hard-drinking Princess Bean (Abbi Jacobson) is arguably less like Dunk and more like a younger version of his belligerent intoxicated mentor Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb). Sidekick Elfo (Nat Faxon) is as naive as early-in-his-adventures Dunk, and “Disenchantment” makes it three with the addition of literal demon Luci (Eric Andre). “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” might have more gags than “The Rains of Castamere” but cartoons get to do things for laughs that even a comical Westeros story can’t.

A down-on-his-luck fighter finds a young protegee, only to discover that the kid also has connections to a family he hates? Multiply that formula by three or more, set it in the present day, and you get “Cobra Kai.” Daniel (Ralph Macchio), Johnny (William Zabka), and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) all make use of younger would-be karate warriors who idolize them in order to further their own personal grudges. As the show goes on, only the “knights” who actually care for their “squires” stand a chance of prevailing. Just like in Dunk’s trial by combat, though, the combatants frequently find unexpected allies when they take a principled stand.

Like “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” “Cobra Kai” is also a spin-off from a much more earnest franchise (“The Karate Kid”), so if you enjoy seeing a serious world get a lighter touch, it’s time to wax on.

The dynamic between Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) in Marvel’s “Wonder Man” bears no small amount of resemblance to the Arlan-Dunk relationship. Trevor may be a bit of a fraud and a dubious mentor, but in his own weird way, he cares about his mark-turned-co-star. He’s been beaten down by the world, and it has made him cynical, but Simon still aspires to play his own childhood hero at first, and then actually be a hero by the end.

A reformed alcoholic and a coward, Trevor can only rely on his training as an actor for his strength, but in Simon, he (and we) can see the potential for something much greater … once he’s done being a meal ticket for the old man.

Xena (Lucy Lawless) proved so popular in a three-episode arc of “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” that producers Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, and R.J. Stewart listened to their audience and gave her a spin-off show. The new show’s ratings quickly surpassed those of “Hercules.”

Xena’s universe — based on Greek mythology and infused with anachronistic humor — is a good deal lighter in tone than the nine kingdoms. Certainly, as a syndicated show, it could never go as adult or blatantly sexual as the “Game of Thrones” universe, but it made up for it with plenty of “are they or aren’t they” energy between Xena and her warrior apprentice Gabrielle (Renee O’Connor).

Officially, Gabrielle is reluctantly taken under Xena’s wing and gradually becomes a skilled fighter. Unofficially, both actors and several crew members saw the story going in a more-than-friends direction. Though in the mid-’90s, a syndicated action show couldn’t be too overt about it.

“Red Dwarf” isn’t as directly comparable to “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” as some on this list, but where they find common ground is in their depictions of ground-level, lowest-social-rung characters in a vast universe, elevated by circumstance. Flung into the far future, slovenly Lister (Craig Charles) and uptight Rimmer (Chris Barrie) might be the only surviving remnants of the human race.

“Red Dwarf” features some high concepts, like Lister’s cat evolving into a smooth hipster human (Danny John-Jules), but in general, the show eschews aliens and typical sci-fi gimmicks. Instead, it finds most of its humor in the reactions of its regular-guy protagonists, thrust into a larger void they’re not necessarily smart enough to navigate.

Between Lister and Rimmer, neither one easily fits the mentor-mentee dynamic. Like Dunk and Egg, though, they complement each other and manage to use their opposite natures to their advantage when absolutely necessary.

It’s another show with Pedro Pascal traveling with a hyper-intelligent child across a futuristic landscape. To the extent that “The Last of Us” resembles “The Mandalorian,” it also resembles ” A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” Pascal is Joel, a hardened survivor of an apocalypse caused by zombifying fungus; “Game of Thrones” alumnus Bella Ramsey is Ellie, the only person on Earth known to be immune to the mushroom spores.

Joel, like Dunk, initially sees his young charge as a burden and a mission to be fulfilled, but when he learns that Ellie is to be killed and dissected, he spares no one in his zeal to protect her. It’s not officially a seven-on-seven trial by combat, as he kills way more than seven people in the process.

Let us hope that Dunk doesn’t suffer the same consequences as Joel in “The Last of Us” Season 2, though.

As was helpfully clarified in the Season 1 finale, there are nine kingdoms in the “GoT” universe. The same goes for the fantasy realm in “The 10th Kingdom,” where our Earth is 10. The other nine are worlds in which fairy tales actually happened. Dianne Wiest is the evil queen with Rutger Hauer as her huntsman, while Ed O’Neill plays a troll king. Meanwhile, in the real world, John Larroquette is Tony, a selfish janitor and single dad whose daughter Virginia (Kimberly Williams) must work with an enchanted prince who has been turned into a dog.

This is much more of a traditional fairy-tale fantasy than Martin’s books, yet the intrusions into New York City keep it grounded. The consequences in the fantasy world also feel pretty real, especially when Virginia is thrown into the dungeons. The humor comes from the contrast between the real world and the fantasy realms, but it’s regular humans who save the day from evil royals.

Through four seasons, “Blackadder” follows subsequent generations of men all named Edmund Blackadder and played by Rowan Atkinson. They all serve varying none-too-bright English monarchs, from the fictional Richard IV (Brian Blessed) to Queen Elizabeth I (Miranda Richardson) and beyond, culminating in the World War I-era “Blackadder Goes Forth.” Edmund, in turn, is always served by a dirt-covered peasant named Baldrick (Tony Robinson), who is initially the smart one of the two. From the second season onward that dynamic flips, with Blackadder a smart schemer and Baldrick his loyal dullard.

At first, the BBC spared little expense on the costumes and exterior locations, giving the series a historical feel despite the incongruous modern dialogue and quips. Gradually, they cut back and forced the show to stay mostly inside, giving it a more sitcom-like appearance.

“Blackadder” was essentially its own spin-off, as each Blackadder was presumed to be the great grandson of the previous season’s iteration. Much like the Targaryens, his family line never seems to learn much of a lesson.

“The Dark Crystal,” a fantasy movie with puppets made by the Jim Henson Company in 1982, is some real nightmare fuel. Not only are the villainous bird-creature Skeksis and giant beetle-like Garthim the scary monsters they were meant to be, but even the hero, humanoid Gelfling Jen, has a creepy uncanny valley quality. Scenes of torture and death were presumably okayed because it’s “just” puppets, and in the memories of many ’80s kids, the movie feels like it was as dark as “Game of Thrones” was in their adulthood. That may not quite be the literal case, but you can’t argue with nightmares.

Not as many people remember that in 2019, there was an epic prequel series made for Netflix: “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.” It lasted 10 episodes, and featured the voices of Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Mark Hamill, Simon Pegg, and many more. Now middle-aged, the grown-up ’80s kids were more prepared for the creepy puppets, and like “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” the 10-episode series added more humor … and gross bodily fluids. That wasn’t enough to get the show renewed for a second season, but the reviews were good while it lasted.

If what you love is franchise spin-offs about a veteran in a new position who finds themselves stuck with a young mentee, give “Starfleet Academy” a try. Holly Hunter plays centuries-old Nahla, a former Starfleet Captain who’s now chancellor of the revived Starfleet Academy. In her trust is Caleb (Sandro Rosta), a hothead whose mother Nahla sent to prison years ago — though she has since escaped.

Putting past grudges aside, they work together to find mom, despite that not being part of Starfleet’s plan. As with Dunk and Egg, sometimes inconvenient duties distract from the main quest and goal. What the leaders don’t know won’t hurt them … or will it? With loyalties in slightly different places, Nahla and Caleb often find themselves at odds, but mostly over the small stuff. By the end of the first season, there’s enough trust there that the duo’s further adventures are likely to go more smoothly.

Series big bad Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti), however, is way more unpretentiously uncouth than the Targaryens. He’s more like an evil Tyrion, who definitely enjoys drinking and knowing.

Young Egg wouldn’t be the first kid on a cable TV show to enter a world of inappropriate nudity, life-threatening jeopardy, constant profanity, and explosive diarrhea. The four principal fourth graders of “South Park” got there first. Along the way, like Egg, they have to reckon with the most self-important people in their realm (celebrities, usually), sex workers, and law enforcement personnel as likely to kill people by accident as they are to solve any crimes.

What Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman lack that Egg has is an adult mentor figure with some common sense. Just about every grown-up in “South Park” is neurotic and motivated by selfish impulses, while the kids are generally more well-balanced. They may not know everything, but they can sling zingers and comebacks like champs. Sure, they could use a Dunk-like figure to actually teach them how to survive — he’d do a better job than Mr. Garrison, for certain — but they’re aware enough that they nearly always “learned something today.”