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‘Game of Thrones’ New Prequel Can Officially Answer the Franchise’s Oldest Mystery 7 Years Later
Game of Thrones may have ended almost seven years ago, but the franchise is stronger than ever, with both House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms becoming huge successes and more spin-offs being developed. George R. R. Martin recently announced that his franchise, which spans both page and screen, is now heading to the stage alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company with the upcoming play The Mad King.
This spin-off is the most directly connected to Game of Thrones as it explores the reign of King Aerys II Targaryen (David Rintoul), father of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), allowing it to feature many important characters, some of whom appear in the original show and others who impact the story long after their deaths. Even more intriguing is that Martin’s announcement reveals that the play will focus on the Tourney at Harrenhal, an event that fans have been speculating about for decades. As such, The Mad King is in a position to answer a long-standing mystery that Game of Thrones never addressed.
The Tourney at Harrenhal Sets Up the Events of ‘Game of Thrones’
While the play takes place roughly 17 years before Game of Thrones, the Tourney at Harrenhal is a significant factor in the show’s events because it is one of the inciting events of Robert’s Rebellion. This war shapes Westeros ahead of Game of Thrones, positioning characters for their various roles. But more importantly, the tourney itself brings Lyanna Stark (Aisling Franciosi) and Rhaegar Targaryen (Wilf Scolding) together, directly leading to Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) birth. Throughout Martin’s books, there are several references to the event where Rhaegar crowns Lyanna the Queen of Love and Beauty, and Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) joins the Kingsguard, but the tourney’s biggest mystery involves a character known only as the Knight of the Laughing Tree.
In the books, this story is relayed through Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick), who heard it from her father. She explains that a crannogman — likely her father, Howland (Leo Woodruff) — was bullied by three squires, only to be saved by Lyanna Stark. Soon after, the Knight of the Laughing Tree joined the joust, challenging the men these squires served and defeating all three before demanding that they teach their squires honor. After the mystery knight’s victory, Aerys grows suspicious, believing the anonymous knight to be his enemy, and sends men to unmask the stranger. However, the Knight of the Laughing Tree is never found, leaving his identity a mystery.
‘Game of Thrones’ New Prequel Can Reveal the Knight of the Laughing Tree’s Identity
The Tourney at Harrenhal leaves the knight’s identity unconfirmed, and over the years, fans have developed many theories. Ned Stark (Sean Bean) and all three of his siblings are present in the story, making them possibilities. With the mystery knight’s shield and name coming from a weirwood tree, the Northern family all seem like candidates. Other possibilities include Howland Reed himself and Ashara Dayne, who is a mysterious figure herself. However, the most widely accepted idea is that the knight is Lyanna Stark. The description fits, as she would have known about the bullying, worshipped the Old Gods, and been smaller than most knights, though this doesn’t explain the knight’s jousting skill. If Lyanna is the knight, it could explain how she and Rhaegar meet, since he is one of the people Aerys sends to pursue the knight. Proponents of this theory even suggest that these events inspired Rhaegar’s interest in Lyanna, which is a major plot point that impacts Game of Thrones.
Since Martin and the RSC’s upcoming play explores the significant events of the Tourney at Harrenhal, it should address the Knight of the Laughing Tree’s story, providing answers that fans have been waiting for. While the play itself may not be officially canon, especially as it will likely make some changes to Martin’s story, the author did work with the production, meaning that he likely provided information about his unfinished plans. After the books left this Game of Thrones mystery unsolved for decades, The Mad King has the chance to finally answer it.