🔗 Share this article

A key difference between LOTR and Game of Thrones is highlighted by an often-cited remark from George R.R. Martin. “How did Aragorn handle taxes?” Indeed, the King of Gondor ruled for 100 years after the conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, but the specifics of his governance remain unexplored. This type of inquiry fuels Martin’s personal fantasy world, often plunging his characters into ethical gray areas in a way the LOTR hero avoided.

Delving into Chivalry in Different Fantasy Worlds

The upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff, The Hedge Knight, aims to dive into this moral mud through the beloved story of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and Aegon Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell). They face multiple perilous adventures in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne but their mighty beasts have died out. During a recent panel, Claffey commented on one major contrast between GOT and The Lord of the Rings: the very definition of chivalry.

“This world that Martin has created, there are a lot more dark and mature subjects that are presented. Much treachery and backstabbing, and it’s challenging to navigate,” Claffey said. “And for a lot of people in this world, it works; this was true for Petyr Baelish for a considerable period. For somebody to have the true knightly valor in that world is something to genuinely admire, particularly in the world of the Seven Kingdoms. I deeply appreciate Dunk’s commitment to maintain the morals that knighthood has probably forgotten in this world through his journey in Ashford. In my view it takes a lot more to be a knight than it does in Middle-earth.”

After the discussion, the actor attempted to walk back that statement, concerned it might ignite a war between the two fan communities and put him right in the crossfire. Of course, it prompted a follow-up conversation to delve into his perspective on how knighthood varies between the worlds of Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings.

Clashing Tones in Fantasy Worlds

As per the actor, a major part of the distinction comes down to the contrasting styles between these two iconic fictional settings.

“There is so much more integrity evident [in Middle-earth] because of the mature content in GOT and Martin’s creation,” he said. “People get so far in roles and rank by committing hideous things and stabbing people in the back, both physically and metaphorically. In the epic series that is The Lord of the Rings, you witness so much more nobility, and aside from Morgoth or Sauron, those pure evils, [LOTR] is a lot more like storybook villainy.”

Instead of thinking chivalry is more difficult, the actor argues that in the Seven Kingdoms it’s more difficult to navigate while attempting to remain a honorable warrior.

The Weight of Knighthood in Westeros

“A knight with a certain rank must have mental confusion,” he said, referring to the morality-clouding stress that comes from attempting to survive the scheming of Westeros from the vantage point of a low-born fighter. Audiences have seen the pressure of knighthood throughout the series, with figures like Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon and Jaime Lannister in GOT exploring how people bound by vows are forced to go against their morals, and the impact to them internally.

However, although being a knight in Westeros may be more difficult than in Tolkien’s realm, the actor is still willing to concede that his character in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is no match against the best that The Lord of the Rings has to offer.

“Aragorn defeats Dunk any day of the year,” Claffey declared, “I’d say George probably agrees.”