GOT Actor Reveals Controversial Opinion on LOTR Chivalry

One central difference separating The Lord of the Rings and GOT can be highlighted by a famous remark from the GOT author. “What was Aragorn’s tax policy?” Indeed, Aragorn ruled for 100 years after the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, but the specifics of his governance remain vague. Such questioning fuels Martin’s personal fantasy world, often dragging his characters into moral ambiguity in a way Aragorn never would.

Exploring Chivalry in Two Fantasy Worlds

The upcoming GOT spinoff, The Hedge Knight, aims to dive into this moral mud through the fan-favorite tale of Ser Duncan the Tall (the actor) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). They encounter a series of perilous adventures in an era when the Targaryen line continues to occupy the throne but their fearsome dragons have gone extinct. During a comic con discussion, Claffey commented on one major contrast between Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings: the core meaning of chivalry.

“The universe that Martin has created, it contains a lot more sinister and mature subjects that are explored. Much betrayal and backstabbing, and it's hard to navigate,” he said. “And for a lot of people in Westeros, it works; this was true for Petyr Baelish for a long time. For somebody to have the true chivalric honor in that realm is something to really look up to, especially in the land of the Seven Kingdoms. So I really adore Dunk’s need to uphold the morals that chivalry has largely abandoned in Westeros through his journey in the tourney. In my view it requires a lot more to be a warrior than it does in Middle-earth.”

Following the panel, Claffey attempted to walk back that statement, fearing it might ignite a conflict between the two fandoms and put him right in the crossfire. Naturally, this led to a deeper interview to further explore his perspective on how knighthood differs between the universes of Game of Thrones and LOTR.

Divergent Themes in Fictional Realms

As per the actor, a major part of the difference comes down to the clashing styles between these two legendary fantasy worlds.

“There is so much more honor present [in Tolkien’s world] due to the mature content in GOT and George’s world,” Claffey explained. “Characters get so far in roles and status by doing terrible acts and betraying others, literally and figuratively. With the epic series that is LOTR, you witness so much more nobility, and other than the dark Vala or the Dark Lord, those absolute villains, [LOTR] is a lot more like storybook villainy.”

Rather than believing knighthood is harder, the actor believes that in Westeros it’s more difficult to maneuver while trying to be a honorable warrior.

The Weight of Knighthood in Westeros

“A warrior with a certain rank must have some head fog,” he remarked, referring to the ethically blurring anxiety that comes from attempting to survive the scheming of the realm from the vantage point of a low-born fighter. Audiences have witnessed the pressure of knighthood across the franchise, with characters like Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon and Jamie Lannister in Game of Thrones exploring how people bound by vows are forced to betray their principles, and the impact to them internally.

However, although being a knight in Westeros may be more difficult than in Middle-earth, the actor is quick to concede that his role in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms wouldn’t stand a chance against the greatest that The Lord of the Rings has to present.

“Aragorn beats Dunk any day of the week,” Claffey said, “I’d say George probably agrees.”