Who are Baelor and Maekar Targaryen? Who Play Them in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

HBO’s ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ transports the audience to a Westeros under Targaryen rule without dragons. The story focuses on a hedge knight named Ser Duncan the Tall, aka Dunk, who arrives in Ashford Meadow to participate in a tourney, which hosts several notable highborns, including the royal Targaryens. Dunk’s time in Ashford leads him to cross paths with several of them. Some come to him by chance, while some he seeks out for help. Baelor and Maekar Targaryen fall in the latter category and end up playing an important role in his journey that eventually turns him into an important figure of that time. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Baelor and Maekar Targaryen Represent the Future of their House

At the time of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,’ Westeros is under the rule of Daeron Targaryen, who is the father of Baelor and Maekar Targaryen. Baelor is the elder son and first in line to the Iron Throne. He is known to be an honorable man who has been battle-tested, especially in the First Blackfyre Rebellion, which he helped win by orchestrating a war strategy with his brother, Maekar. Baelor is known to be kinder towards people, including the enemies he finds honorable. While some consider this a good trait in a king, others think of it as a weakness. Duncan holds Baelor in high regard because Ser Arlan did as well. And his respect for the Crown Prince deepens after he vouches for him so he can participate in the tourney, making him the only highborn to remember Ser Arlan and make a favor in his honor.

Meanwhile, Maekar Targaryen is a little less agreeable than his brother. He doesn’t have the burden of a crown on his head, but he does suffer from the woes inflicted on him by his sons, who stir one or the other sort of trouble, often landing him in a tough spot. When Duncan meets Maekar and Baelor, the former’s two sons seem to have gone missing, with none the wiser about where they went and what happened to them. This puts him in a bad mood, which is why he is even more irritated by and dismissive of a random hedge knight who has popped out of nowhere to demand favours from his brother. This introduction sets the tone for how the brothers are going to react to the events that are to unfold over the course of the season and the roles they are going to play in deciding Dunk’s future.

Bertie Carvel and Sam Spruell Portray the Targaryen Siblings

Bertie Carvel and Sam Spruell play Baelor and Maekar Targaryen in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.’ Carvel has established himself as a formidable actor in theatre, performing in plays like ‘Macbeth,’ ‘Winter’s Tale,’ and ‘Ink,’ to name a few. On the screen, he has appeared in ‘The Crown,’ ‘Doctor Foster,’ ‘Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell,’ and ‘Midsomer Murders.’ One of his next big projects includes playing Cornelius Fudge in the upcoming ‘Harry Potter’ series. Sam Spruell has built an impressive filmography with projects like ‘Dune: Prophecy,’ ‘Fargo,’ and ‘Doctor Who’ under his belt. He has also appeared in films such as ‘The Thing With Feathers’ and ‘Outlaw King.’

For playing Baelor, Carvel played into Baelor’s desire to be a good ruler who is loved by everyone, while also knowing that it is important that fear is an important asset to have for a ruler. He talked about the struggle that he silently deals with while the events get more and more complicated at the tourney. Meanwhile, Spruell revealed that the pressure of not being the second in line allowed him to explore the prince’s failures and follies as a human being and a father, which made things more interesting. He also revealed that being the supporting character meant that they could improvise a lot and bring a different touch to the characters while also staying faithful to the versions created by George R.R. Martin for the book. This also allowed ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ to develop its own tone, bringing something fresh to the audience familiar with the chaos and violence of Westeros.

Read More: When Does A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Take Place? Timeline, Explained