How A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Finally Fixes Game Of Thrones' Kingsguard

Warning: Spoilers ahead for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 2!The Kingsguard are seen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 2, and their appearance finally pays off George R.R. Martin's original Game of Thrones vision. The episode, titled "Hard Salt Beef," sees members of House Targaryen arrive for the tournament in Ashford, including several knights from the Kingsguard.

Game of Thrones' Kingsguard, of course, are highly-skilled knights sworn to protect the king and the royal family throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Daeron II Targaryen is the king during A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which explains why the Kingsguard accompanies the three Targaryen princes – Baelor, Maekar, and Aerion – to Ashford.

While these members of the Kingsguard might be new to A Knight of the Seven Dragons, the Kingsguard, in general, have been featured since Game of Thrones' debut in 2011. They also come into play in the Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon. However, there's something notably different about the Kingsguard in the latest prequel spinoff.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Finally Gives The Kingsguard White Armor

It has been 15 years since the Kingsguard made their live-action debut in the Game of Thrones universe, first seen serving King Robert Baratheon and his family. Granted, it took until the third show in the franchise to get a book-accurate depiction of the Seven Kingdom's finest knights.

The Kingsguard in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms wear white armor, matching George R.R. Martin's description of the knights in A Song of Ice and Fire. In Martin's books that inspired Game of Thrones, the Kingsguard not only wore white armor, but they also wore white cloaks. In fact, even their shields were purely white.

Their coat of arms, which can be seen on the armor of the Kingsguard in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, also featured a crown surrounded by seven white swords. Aside from the Sworn Brotherhood of the Kingsguard, they were also referred to as the White Swords.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 2 primarily features two members of the Kingsguard: Ser Roland Crakehall and Ser Donnel of Duskendale. The pair confront Dunk by questioning his legitimacy as a knight, which later helps encourage him to attain his own armor and coat of arms.

The Kingsguard In Game Of Thrones & House Of The Dragon Didn't Follow GRRM's Book Description

When seeing A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' version of the Kingsguard up close, it's clear how different they are compared to previous appearances of the knights in past shows. In Game of Thrones, the Kingsguard embraced gold armor, a stylistic choice of House Lannister and House Baratheon as a show of power and wealth.

House of the Dragon, on the other hand, leans more into Martin's original depiction, with the knights of the Kingsguard wearing silver and white armor, including the white cloak. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set after House of the Dragon within Game of Thrones' timeline, so having the Kingsguard look more similar makes sense with the Targaryens still in power.

As A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms continues, the Kingsguard will continue to have a role, especially as House Targaryen will become more critical of the fates of Egg and Dunk. Like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on Martin's books, or in this case, novellas. So far, the prequel is leaning into book accuracy.