🔗 Share this article

One key distinction separating The Lord of the Rings and GOT is illustrated by a famous remark from the GOT author. “How did Aragorn handle taxes?” Indeed, Aragorn ruled for a century after the conclusion of Tolkien’s novels, but the details of his governance remain unexplored. Such questioning fuels Martin’s own fictional universe, often dragging his protagonists into ethical gray areas in a way the LOTR hero avoided.

Exploring Knighthood in Two Realms

The upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, aims to dive into this moral mud through the beloved tale of Dunk (Peter Claffey) and Aegon Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell). They encounter multiple dangerous exploits in an era when the Targaryen line still holds the throne but their fearsome dragons have died out. At a recent panel, the actor reflected on one major contrast between GOT and LOTR: the core meaning of knighthood.

“The universe that Martin has created, it contains a lot more dark and adult themes that are presented. A lot of treachery and deceit, and it’s challenging to navigate,” Claffey stated. “For a lot of people in this world, it works; it did for Petyr Baelish for a considerable period. For a person to have the true knightly valor in that realm is a quality to really look up to, particularly in the land of Westeros. So I really adore Dunk’s commitment to uphold the morals that chivalry has largely abandoned in Westeros through his journey in the tourney. In my view it requires a lot more to be a warrior than it does in Middle-earth.”

After the panel, the actor tried to walk back that comment, fearing it might spark a war between the two fandoms and put him right in the crossfire. Naturally, this led to a deeper conversation to further explore his thoughts on how knighthood differs between the universes of GOT and LOTR.

Divergent Themes in Fantasy Worlds

According to the actor, a significant part of the difference comes down to the clashing tones between these two iconic fictional settings.

“You find so much more honor evident [in Middle-earth] due to the mature content in GOT and Martin’s creation,” Claffey said. “People rise to power in roles and rank by committing hideous things and stabbing people in the back, literally and figuratively. In the glorious trilogy that is The Lord of the Rings, you see so much more nobility, and other than Morgoth or the Dark Lord, those pure evils, [LOTR] is a lot more like fairy tale evil.”

Rather than thinking chivalry is harder, Claffey believes that in Westeros it’s more difficult to navigate while trying to be a honorable warrior.

The Weight of Knighthood in Game of Thrones

“A warrior with some status must have some head fog,” he said, referring to the morality-clouding stress that comes from attempting to survive the politics of the realm from the vantage point of a humble fighter. Viewers have witnessed the pressure of chivalry throughout the franchise, with figures like Ser Criston Cole in HotD and Jaime Lannister in GOT demonstrating how people under oath are compelled to go against their morals, and what it does to them psychologically.

However, while being a knight in Westeros may be more difficult than in Middle-earth, the actor is quick to concede that his role in The Hedge Knight wouldn’t stand a chance against the greatest that The Lord of the Rings has to present.

“Aragorn defeats Dunk’s ass any day of the year,” Claffey said, “I believe Martin would concur.”