Game of Thrones Actor Reveals Controversial Take on LOTR Knighthood

A key distinction separating The Lord of the Rings and GOT can be illustrated by an often-cited remark from George R.R. Martin. “How did Aragorn handle taxes?” Indeed, Aragorn ruled for a century after the conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, but the details of his rule remain vague. This type of questioning drives Martin’s own fantasy world, often plunging his characters into moral ambiguity in a way Aragorn never would.

Delving into Chivalry in Different Realms

HBO’s next GOT spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, aims to dive into this moral mud through the beloved tale of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and Aegon Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell). They face multiple perilous adventures in an era when the Targaryen dynasty still holds the throne but their fearsome dragons have died out. At a comic con discussion, Claffey commented on one major contrast between GOT and LOTR: the core meaning of knighthood.

“This world that George has built, there are a lot more dark and mature subjects that are explored. Much betrayal and backstabbing, and it's hard to navigate,” he stated. “For a lot of individuals in this world, it works; this was true for Littlefinger for a long time. For somebody to have the true chivalric honor in that realm is something to genuinely admire, particularly in the world of Westeros. I deeply appreciate Dunk’s need to maintain the ethics that knighthood has largely abandoned in this world through his journey in the tourney. I think it takes a lot more to be a warrior than it does in Middle-earth.”

After the discussion, Claffey attempted to soften that comment, fearing it might spark a conflict between the two fandoms and place him right in the crossfire. Of course, this led to a deeper interview to further explore his perspective on how knighthood differs between the universes of Game of Thrones and LOTR.

Divergent Themes in Fictional Realms

According to the star, a significant part of the difference stems from the clashing tones between these two legendary fantasy worlds.

“There is so much more honor evident [in Middle-earth] because of the mature content in Game of Thrones and Martin’s creation,” Claffey said. “People rise to power in positions and status by doing hideous things and betraying others, literally and figuratively. With the glorious trilogy that is The Lord of the Rings, you see so much more honor, and other than the dark Vala or the Dark Lord, those absolute villains, [LOTR] is a lot more like fairy tale evil.”

Instead of believing knighthood is harder, Claffey believes that in the Seven Kingdoms it’s tougher to navigate while trying to be a decent knight.

The Weight of Knighthood in Westeros

“A knight with a certain rank must have mental confusion,” he said, pointing to the ethically blurring stress that stems from attempting to survive the scheming of Westeros from the vantage point of a low-born fighter. Viewers have witnessed the stress of knighthood across the franchise, with characters like Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon and Jaime Lannister in GOT exploring how individuals under oath are compelled to go against their principles, and what it does to them psychologically.

That said, although being a knight in the Seven Kingdoms may be harder than in Tolkien’s realm, Claffey is still willing to admit that his character in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is no match against the greatest that The Lord of the Rings has to present.

“The Ranger beats Dunk’s ass every time of the year,” Claffey declared, “I’d say Martin probably agrees.”