After 7 years and the most controversial finale ever, Game of Thrones fans are celebrating the best additions not from the books

1. Entertainment
2. TV
3. Fantasy Shows
4. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight

After 7 years and the most controversial finale ever, Game of Thrones fans are celebrating the best additions not from the books News By Molly Edwards published 17 February 2026

Game of Thrones fans are celebrating the best original material in the fantasy show

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: HBO)

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter GamesRadar+ Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful

Want to add more newsletters?

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

Signup +

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Signup +

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

Signup +

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Signup +

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

Signup +

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

Signup +

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!

Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter

It's been almost seven years since Game of Thrones ended with possibly the most controversial TV finale ever, but fans are still finding new aspects of the show to praise.

Despite the HBO show being notorious for outpacing its source material – which many think contributed to its downfall – this time fans are celebrating the original additions to the series that weren't taken from George R.R. Martin's novels.

One fan kicked off the conversation on Reddit with a scene in season 1 in which Robert Baratheon is speaking to Cersei Lannister and reveals he can't remember what Lyanna Stark looked like, then says "someone took her away from me, and Seven Kingdoms couldn't fill the hole she left behind."

You may like

• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fans think episode 5's brutal battle is "unlike anything we've seen in Game of Thrones"
• George R.R. Martin says his A Song of Ice and Fire ending won't be as "happy" as the HBO show's
• Game of Thrones fans praise A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for getting one detail from George R.R. Martin's books right

Someone else praises another moment from season 1: "Tywin Lannister butchering that deer, that scene was incredible"

"Varys and Littlefinger's scenes are pretty good. The chaos is a ladder talk between them was pretty dang good," says someone else.

"Hardhome. Just a blurb in the books. A terrifying display of the threat the White Walkers pose in the show," is another person's choice, referring to an episode in season 5 that sees Jon Snow go up against the fearsome Night King's forces.

"Can't believe no one mentioned the Tyrell ladies! Show Margaery and Olenna are miles better than their book counterparts, and having their perspective during those garden scenes was truly special. Their actresses are so talented, they deserved characters that lived up to their potential," says another person.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

"I really hope it's written as well in the forthcoming book as it was in the show. But the way Sansa, Arya, and Bran nail Littlefinger in the end… chefs kiss, no notes. There was so much weight and complexity to his charades and his betrayal of their family and it was a delicious plot twist. One of the scenes I remember exactly where I was sitting when I watched it play out," thinks another person.

Other highlights in the thread include Arya and Tywin's interactions in Harrenhal, Catelyn Stark speaking to Talisa about her treatment of Jon Snow, and Jorah Mormont standing up to Viserys Targaryen.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently airing on HBO in the US and Sky/NOW in the UK. You can keep up to date with our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release schedule. For more, check out our A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review for our spoiler-free verdict on the whole show.

Molly EdwardsSocial Links NavigationDeputy Entertainment Editor

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.

View More

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fans think episode 5's brutal battle is "unlike anything we've seen in Game of Thrones"    George R.R. Martin says his A Song of Ice and Fire ending won't be as "happy" as the HBO show's    Game of Thrones fans praise A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for getting one detail from George R.R. Martin's books right    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms opens with a graphic joke, and Game of Thrones fans aren't sure how they feel about it    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner reveals George R.R. Martin's favorite changes from the novella    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5's IMDb score puts it in the top 5 best Game of Thrones episodes ever    Latest in Fantasy Shows A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5's IMDb score puts it in the top 5 best Game of Thrones episodes ever    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms fans think episode 5's brutal battle is "unlike anything we've seen in Game of Thrones"    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner defends interrupting the Trial of the Seven with a lengthy flashback    Dunk actor confirms Henry Cavill A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms cameo rumors are "a complete misunderstanding"    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Egg actor accidentally lets slip huge A Song of Ice and Fire spoiler    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5 explained: What is the Blackfyre Rebellion?    Latest in News God of War: Sons of Sparta's easiest difficulty makes an excellent reference to the 2018 reboot, and fans love it    Stardew Valley fan recreates wait for Haunted Chocolatier by sleeping for 1,000 years in the farming sim    Red Dead Redemption 2 fan accidentally deletes his fiancée's save file, pays Arthur's actor to apologize on his behalf    As Assassin's Creed Shadows nears its first anniversary, Ubisoft brings back a series favorite feature – a manual jump    After 7 years and a controversial finale, Game of Thrones fans are celebrating the best additions not from the books    My favorite N64 controller in the color I actually want is weirdly hard to find at Amazon, but it does exist    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1High on Life 2 review: "I smiled, I laughed, I sorely wished the combat was a lot better"
2. 2God of War Sons of Sparta review: "Retro-style Metroidvania Kratos struggles to stand out"
3. 3Reanimal review: "A feast of twisted weirdness; conjuring up unpleasant imagery and dark world building"
4. 4Crisol: Theater of Idols review: "Blood ammo and dark folklore imagery should be more exciting than this sedate shooter"
5. 5Mario Tennis Fever review: "Riotous, hilarious, and chaotic, but it can't quite serve up the complete package"

1. 1Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
2. 228 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
3. 3Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
4. 4Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
5. 5Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"

1. 1Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
2. 2Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
3. 3A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a surprisingly heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
4. 4Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
5. 5Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”