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One central difference separating LOTR and Game of Thrones is highlighted by an often-cited observation from George R.R. Martin. “How did Aragorn handle taxes?” Indeed, the King of Gondor ruled for a century after the events of Tolkien’s books, but the details of his governance remain unexplored. Such inquiry drives Martin’s personal fictional universe, often dragging his characters into moral ambiguity in a way the LOTR hero avoided.

Exploring Knighthood in Two Fantasy Worlds

The upcoming Game of Thrones series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, will delve into these complexities through the beloved story of Ser Duncan the Tall (the actor) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). They face a series of dangerous exploits in an age when the Targaryen dynasty continues to occupy the throne but their mighty beasts have died out. During a recent panel, Claffey commented on one significant difference between Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings: the core meaning of knighthood.

“The universe that Martin has created, there are a lot more dark and adult themes that are presented. Much treachery and backstabbing, and it's hard to navigate,” Claffey stated. “For a lot of individuals in Westeros, it pays off; it did for Petyr Baelish for a long time. For a person to have the actual chivalric honor in that world is something to genuinely admire, especially in the land of the Seven Kingdoms. So I really adore Dunk’s commitment to maintain the ethics that chivalry has probably forgotten in this world through his journey in Ashford. In my view it requires a lot more to be a knight than it does in Tolkien’s world.”

Following the discussion, Claffey attempted to walk back that statement, concerned it might ignite a conflict between the two fandoms and put him right in the crossfire. Naturally, this led to a follow-up conversation to further explore his thoughts on how chivalry varies between the universes of Game of Thrones and LOTR.

Divergent Themes in Fantasy Worlds

According to the actor, a significant part of the difference comes down to the clashing styles between these two iconic fantasy worlds.

“You find so much more integrity present [in Tolkien’s world] because of the adult themes in GOT and George’s world,” he said. “People get so far in roles and status by doing terrible acts and betraying others, literally and figuratively. With the epic series that is The Lord of the Rings, you witness so much more honor, and aside from Morgoth or Sauron, those pure evils, [LOTR] is a lot more like fairy tale evil.”

Rather than believing knighthood is more difficult, the actor believes that in Westeros it’s tougher to maneuver while attempting to remain a decent knight.

The Burden of Knighthood in Westeros

“A warrior with some status must have some head fog,” he remarked, pointing to the morality-clouding stress that comes from trying to navigate the scheming of the realm from the vantage point of a low-born fighter. Viewers have witnessed the stress of knighthood across the series, with characters like Criston Cole in House of the Dragon and Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones demonstrating how people under oath are forced to betray their principles, and what it does to them psychologically.

However, although being a knight in Westeros may be more difficult than in Tolkien’s realm, the actor is still willing to admit that his character in The Hedge Knight is no match against the best that LOTR has to offer.

“The Ranger beats Dunk every time of the year,” he said, “I’d say Martin probably agrees.”