Shout Out to Lyonel Baratheon, ‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Breakout Party Boy

There’s a lot to like about HBO‘s new Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. There’s the main duo of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), of course. You’ve also got the fact that the show is a half hour comedy and not a grim and gritty drama. But for my money? The absolute best part, at least of series premiere episode “The Hedge Knight,” is breakout party boy Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings).

Known as “The Laughing Storm,” the future lord of Storm’s End and head of House Baratheon is first encountered when Ser Duncan, aka Dunk, enters his tent at a tourney to have some dinner. Dunk is pleasantly oblivious to the fact that he doesn’t belong there, with Lyonel, bedecked in a crown of antlers and holding court despite not having a single coherent thought in his head, eyeing him the entire time.

Look, we’ve all watched Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. We know how this all goes… Dunk is about to get horrifically tortured by Lyonel for the mere fact of him existing in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s just how Westeros rolls, baby!

…Except that’s not what happens, at all. After a tense scene where Lyonel asks Dunk why he’s in his tent, things go entirely in the opposite direction. Lyonel dances with Dunk, who finally lets loose a little bit. And the two even have a rather lovely, extremely drunk heart to heart by the end of the evening. While it doesn’t get Dunk any closer to his goal of joining the tourney, it does give him a new friend who is way, way, way above his station.

It also introduces us to one of the more delightful characters in the franchise so far, a drunken lout who isn’t a buffoon; he’s charming, and funny, and just the sort of character you’d want to spend more time with. That’s credit to episode writer Ira Parker and episode director Owen Harris, who make Lyonel a ton of fun to hang out with.

Part of it is also the look: the absurdly large antlers that don’t quite fit in the height of the party tent; his half open shirt; and the long, salt-and-pepper beard that allows Ings’ toothy grin to shine in the candlelight.

But the biggest credit to actor Ings for being as charming as he is. Ings has been on TV forever, though he likely came to the attention of most viewers for his stand-out turn as the selfish rake Luke on the highly underrated series Lovesick. Since then, he’s made a career out of mostly playing dweebs, a handsome man working against his good looks by tripping and falling, including a turn as Dan on Sex Education. He’s also appeared as Commander Mike Parker on The Crown, Freddy on The Gentlemen, and a handful of other roles.

But A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms might be the first time a TV show has properly weaponized Ings’ star-power. Yes, there’s physical comedy. Yes, he’s a lout. But Ings portrays Lyonel as a good guy deep down, a kindred spirit for the earnest Dunk stuck in the body and position of a wealthy Westeros lord.

It’s going to be a good few years for Ings, too, with a mystery role in Star Wars: Starfighter in 2027, and a role opposite Cynthia Erivo in the to be scheduled Prima Facie, based on the play. Plus — and mild spoilers past this point — Lyonel continues to be an important character to the life of Dunk going forward… So with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms already picked up for Season 2 by HBO, expect much more Ings on your TV screen. Party on, Lyonel.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:

New episodes of A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms premiere Sundays on HBO and HBO Max, at 10pm ET. The season will premiere with one episode on January 18, followed by one new episode weekly until the season finale.

Here’s what we expect from the full list of episodes in A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms with premiere dates.

• Sunday, January 18, 2026: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 1, Episode 1
• Sunday, January 25, 2026: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 1, Episode 2
• Sunday, February 1, 2026: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 1, Episode 3
• Sunday, February 8, 2026: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 1, Episode 4
• Sunday, February 15, 2026: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 1, Episode 5
• Sunday, February 22, 2026: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 1, Episode 6 *Season Finale*

Where To Watch A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

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