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One key distinction separating The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones can be highlighted by a famous remark from the GOT author. “What was Aragorn’s tax policy?” Certainly, the King of Gondor reigned for 100 years after the events of Tolkien’s books, but the specifics of his rule remain unexplored. Such inquiry fuels Martin’s personal fictional universe, often plunging his protagonists into moral ambiguity in a way the LOTR hero avoided.

Exploring Chivalry in Different Realms

HBO’s next GOT series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, aims to dive into these complexities through the fan-favorite tale of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and Aegon Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell). They face a series of perilous adventures in an age when the Targaryen line continues to occupy the throne but their fearsome dragons have gone extinct. At a comic con discussion, Claffey reflected on one major contrast between GOT and LOTR: the very definition of knighthood.

“The universe that George has built, it contains a lot more dark and adult themes that are presented. A lot of betrayal and deceit, and it’s challenging to find your way,” Claffey said. “And for a lot of people in Westeros, it works; it did for Littlefinger for a considerable period. For a person to have the true chivalric honor in that realm is something to really look up to, particularly in the world of the Seven Kingdoms. I deeply appreciate Dunk’s commitment to maintain the ethics that knighthood has probably forgotten in Westeros through his journey in the tourney. I think it requires a lot more to be a knight than it does in Middle-earth.”

Following the panel, Claffey attempted to walk back that statement, concerned it might spark a conflict between the two fandoms and place him right in the crossfire. Of course, it prompted a follow-up interview to delve into his thoughts on how chivalry varies between the worlds of Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings.

Clashing Tones in Fictional Realms

As per the actor, a significant part of the distinction comes down to the clashing styles between these two iconic fictional settings.

“You find so much more integrity evident [in Tolkien’s world] due to the mature content in GOT and George’s world,” Claffey said. “People get so far in roles and rank by doing hideous things and stabbing people in the back, literally and figuratively. With the epic series that is The Lord of the Rings, you witness so much more honor, and aside from the dark Vala or the Dark Lord, those pure evils, [LOTR] is a lot more like storybook villainy.”

Instead of believing chivalry is harder, the actor believes that in the Seven Kingdoms it’s more difficult to maneuver while attempting to remain a honorable knight.

The Weight of Chivalry in Westeros

“A warrior with some status must have some head fog,” he remarked, referring to the morality-clouding stress that stems from attempting to survive the scheming of the realm from the vantage point of a low-born fighter. Audiences have seen the stress of knighthood across the series, with characters like Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon and Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones exploring how individuals under oath are forced to go against their principles, and the impact to them internally.

That said, although serving as a warrior in Westeros may be more difficult than in Middle-earth, Claffey is quick to admit that his role in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is no match against the greatest that LOTR has to present.

“The Ranger defeats Dunk any day of the week,” he said, “I’d say George probably agrees.”