A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Writer Reveals Why Book’s Best Scene Was Cut

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The new show, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is bringing viewers back to the world of Westeros and reminding them what they loved about Game of Thrones. It’s remarkable because, aside from excellent writing, production, and acting, it’s quite different from the original series. Based on George R.R. Martin’s The Tales of Dunk and Egg, it’s a more intimate and smaller story compared to both Game of Thrones and the A Song of Ice and Fire books that inspired it.

Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms faithfully adapts the first Dunk and Egg story, The Hedge Knight, with only one small scene missing from Episode 4. Many viewers expected a memorable conversation between Dunk and Steely Pate – where Pate compares Dunk to a knight who keeps his promises – to appear in Episode 5. However, the show’s creator, Ira Parker, recently confirmed on Reddit that this line was unfortunately cut, and the reason behind the decision has disappointed fans.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Showrunner Ira Parker Reveals He “Stupidly Left Out” The Hedge Knight’s Best Line

In a Reddit AMA on the Game of Thrones subreddit, Redittor u/Theostru wrote,

Many readers see the conversation between Dunk and Steely Pate – where Dunk asks, ‘Who am I to them?’ and Steely replies, ‘A knight who remembered his vows’ – as the heart and moral of the story. This moment is so powerful not only because of what is said, but also when it happens: Dunk is at his lowest point, before he knows if anyone will even come to his aid, let alone Breakspear.

I’m curious about the decision to cut or postpone that scene. Removing it really takes away from the heart of the story, and delaying it loses some of its power because Dunk already has the Prince’s approval at that point. It feels a little strange considering how closely you’ve followed the original story so far.

Responding from his personal Reddit account, Ira Parker wrote,

I messed up, and it wasn’t the first or last time on this show. That scene was originally in the script, but it was cut. I agree that the idea of ‘a knight who keeps his promises’ is central to the story, and I believe that theme is still strong, even though I mistakenly omitted that scene. It might not be stated directly, but Dunk’s core motivations haven’t changed.

It’s really too bad that a scene originally written into the story was ultimately cut. This moment would have been key to understanding Dunk’s character and the central themes of The Hedge Knight. Even though Dunk isn’t a traditional knight – some even question if he’s a knight at all – he consistently demonstrates true chivalry, arguably more so than any other character in the story or the wider series.

It’s impressive that Parker is willing to admit his mistake and take responsibility for it. Unlike the showrunners of Game of Thrones who often avoided explaining controversial choices, and Ryan Condal, who defended the significant changes made in House of the Dragon from the source material Fire & Blood, Parker is owning up to this clear error. It’s clear Parker respects George R.R. Martin’s world, and overall, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been the best adaptation of Martin’s work since the first season of Game of Thrones, despite this one slip-up that even made it into the final script.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 4 Still Shows That Dunk is a Knight Who Remembered His Vows

Ira Parker really gets how crucial the idea of Dunk being “a knight who remembers his vows” is to the story, and that comes through in a powerful speech Dunk gives in Episode 4 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. More broadly, the series shows Dunk genuinely striving to be a true knight – we see this right away when he steps in to help Tanselle in Episode 3, even though no one else does.

Adapting a story for the screen is never flawless – as fans of Game of Thrones can attest – but the recent adaptation of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is remarkably faithful to the original novella. Writer Ira Parker deserves credit for this, showing both honesty and respect for the source material. He openly acknowledges a significant change made for the show, understands fans’ potential concerns, and still manages to capture the heart of the omitted scene. With only two episodes remaining in Season 1, the future looks bright for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as long as Ira Parker remains at the helm.

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2026-02-11 01:43