Why It’s Called The 7 Kingdoms of Westeros When There Are 9 (& Did A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Just Change Its Title?)

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The first season finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brings up an interesting point about the name “the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.” This phrase is familiar to fans of Game of Thrones and the A Song of Ice and Fire books, and it’s also in the title of this new prequel series. However, as Egg points out in the sixth episode of Season 1, the name doesn’t quite add up.

Okay, so Dunk was all confident that he and Egg could travel anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms, but Egg had to correct him – there are actually nine kingdoms! I was totally surprised, and Dunk definitely was too. Then, the opening credits flashed up with a new title: A Knight of the Nine Kingdoms. It was a funny moment, but honestly, I can’t imagine that name will last. It just doesn’t feel right, and it would be a marketing disaster! It really highlights why everyone still calls it the Seven Kingdoms – it’s the name people know and remember, and it’s stuck around for a reason.

The Term “Seven Kingdoms” Pre-Dates Aegon’s Conquest

Westeros Eventually Became Divided Into 9 Different Regions

Before Aegon Targaryen united Westeros, the land had a long history of shifting power. For thousands of years, it wasn’t one country, but many different kingdoms that rose and fell – sometimes there were as many as 100! By the time Aegon invaded, these kingdoms had settled into seven distinct realms, each with its own ruler.

Kingdom Monarch
The North Torrhen Stark
Mountain & Vale Ronnel Arryn
The Isles & The Rivers Harren Hoare
The Reach Mern IX Gardener
The Rock Loren I Lannister
The Storm Argilac Durrandon
Dorne Meria Martell

Aegon conquered most lands, but Dorne successfully fought against him and didn’t join the kingdom until 161 AC. This doesn’t include the areas beyond the Wall, or Dragonstone, which was already controlled by House Targaryen at the time.

After Aegon united most of Westeros and became king, he was given the title Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. The number seven was important in Westeros, especially because of the dominant religion, the Faith of the Seven. Even though Dorne remained independent, Aegon divided the Riverlands and the Iron Islands into two separate regions, each with its own lord. This allowed him to maintain the claim of ruling over seven kingdoms, even if it wasn’t entirely accurate.

After the conquest, he founded several powerful families, though some have since died out. While the Starks, Lannisters, Arryns, and Martells maintained their power, he also elevated others. House Tully was given control of the Riverlands, House Greyjoy replaced House Hoare in the Iron Islands, House Tyrell took over the Reach from House Gardener, and House Baratheon was granted the Stormlands after defeating House Durrandon.

Aegon not only conquered parts of Westeros, but he also built a new city on the land where he first arrived, naming it King’s Landing. This city and its surrounding area eventually became known as the crownlands. When combined with Dorne, this brought the total number of regions to nine, even though Westeros is still commonly referred to as having seven kingdoms. So, while Egg is technically right, Dunk’s confusion is perfectly reasonable, as the name hasn’t been updated in over two centuries.

Region Ruling House in AKOTSK
The North House Stark
The Vale House Arryn
The Iron Islands House Greyjoy
The Riverlands House Tully
The Reach House Tyrell
The Stormlands House Baratheon
The Westerlands House Lannister
The Crownlands House Targaryen
Dorne House Martell

The second season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is happening and is expected to be released around 2027. You can currently watch all six episodes of the first season on HBO and Max.

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2026-02-23 06:40