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A key difference between LOTR and GOT is highlighted by a famous remark from George R.R. Martin. “What was Aragorn’s tax policy?” Indeed, Aragorn ruled for 100 years after the conclusion of Tolkien’s books, but the details of his rule remain unexplored. Such questioning fuels Martin’s personal fictional universe, often plunging his protagonists into ethical gray areas in a way the LOTR hero avoided.

Exploring Knighthood in Two Realms

The upcoming Game of Thrones series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, will delve into this moral mud through the fan-favorite tale of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and Aegon Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell). They encounter multiple dangerous exploits in an era when the Targaryen dynasty still holds the Iron Throne but their fearsome dragons have died out. During a comic con discussion, Claffey commented on one major contrast between Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings: the very definition of chivalry.

“The universe that George has created, there are a lot more dark and mature subjects that are explored. Much betrayal and backstabbing, and it’s challenging to find your way,” Claffey said. “For a lot of people in this world, it pays off; this was true for Petyr Baelish for a long time. For somebody to have the actual knightly valor in that world is something to really look up to, especially in the world of Westeros. I deeply appreciate Dunk’s need to maintain the ethics that chivalry has probably forgotten in this world through his journey in the tourney. In my view it requires a lot more to be a knight than it does in Tolkien’s world.”

Following the panel, Claffey tried to walk back that comment, fearing it might spark a conflict between the two fandoms and place him right in the crossfire. Of course, this led to a follow-up interview to further explore his thoughts on how knighthood varies between the universes of GOT and LOTR.

Clashing Tones in Fictional Realms

As per the actor, a significant part of the difference stems from the contrasting tones between these two iconic fictional settings.

“There is so much more honor evident [in Middle-earth] because of the mature content in GOT and George’s world,” he said. “Characters get so far in roles and status by committing hideous things and stabbing people in the back, both physically and metaphorically. In the glorious trilogy that is LOTR, you see so much more honor, and other than Morgoth or the Dark Lord, those pure evils, [LOTR] is a lot more like fairy tale evil.”

Rather than thinking knighthood is more difficult, Claffey believes that in the Seven Kingdoms it’s more difficult to navigate while trying to be a honorable knight.

The Burden of Chivalry in Westeros

“A warrior with some status must have some head fog,” he said, pointing to the morality-clouding stress that stems from attempting to survive the scheming of Westeros from the perspective of a humble fighter. Viewers have witnessed the stress of chivalry across the series, with figures like Criston Cole in HotD and Jaime Lannister in GOT exploring how people bound by vows are forced to go against their morals, and what it does to them psychologically.

That said, although serving as a warrior in the Seven Kingdoms may be harder than in Tolkien’s realm, Claffey is quick to admit that his character in The Hedge Knight wouldn’t stand a chance against the best that LOTR has to present.

“The Ranger defeats Dunk’s ass every time of the year,” Claffey said, “I believe Martin probably agrees.”