5 Game Of Thrones Spin-Offs We Need To See After A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

Seven years after "Game of Thrones" came to a divisive end and caused legions of fans to swear that they'd never waste a second of their lives on Westeros ever again, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" has done the impossible and left those very same viewers hungry for more. The acclaimed prequel/spin-off series might have much smaller ambitions and a far more grounded feel to it compared to its predecessors, but critics and audiences alike have clearly responded to this adaptation. Who would've thought that a simple two-hander between a hedge knight and his bald-headed young squire would help reinvigorate a fantasy property that had previously fallen on such hard times?

Considering the success of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," HBO would be well-advised to strike while the iron is hot. The third season of "House of the Dragon" is set to arrive later this year, but that may not be entirely enough to keep the momentum going — especially in light of disgruntled author George R.R. Martin's very public problems with that series and "House of the Dragon" showrunner Ryan Condal's approach. No, this franchise needs to continue to make room for big swings, bold choices, and outside-the-box thinking. What does the future of Westeros look like beyond these two ongoing shows? That's what the decision-makers need to figure out.

While nobody important is knocking on our door for suggestions of where to take things next, we've come up with a handful of them anyway. From obvious no-brainers to the most practical ideas to a galaxy-brained pick or two, here's our wish list for five "Game of Thrones" spin-offs we're dying to see next. Check them out below!

Is this entry kinda cheating, considering HBO is already developing an adaptation of Aegon's Conquest? Yes. Are we including it anyway because leaving it out would get us eaten alive? You betcha. Arguably George R.R. Martin's greatest strength as a writer is his incredibly in-depth approach to building out his fantasy world and imbuing it with a sense of lived-in history, and rarely is that better on display than in the process by which Westeros was conquered by the Targaryens in the first place. Thanks to Aegon Targaryen, his two sisters (also his wives, naturally), and their three immensely powerful fire-breathing dragons, not even the Seven Kingdoms and its collective armies proved to be a match. Over the course of this one military campaign, Aegon united six of the seven Kingdoms (with only Dorne successfully repelling this invasion) and laid down the ruling dynasty that would reign supreme in Westeros for the next few centuries.

Still, "The Batman: Part II" writer Mattson Tomlin has his work cut out for him. Despite how much this story seems like it's made for TV (or even a movie), there are a few obstacles in the way to bring the events of Aegeon's Conquest to life. It'll take a very clever touch to make this domination into at least a somewhat interesting contest rather than a drama-free blowout like this year's Super Bowl. Three of the fiercest dragons to ever live against armies wholly unprepared for this new form of warfare is hardly a fair fight, after all. What's more, Martin's writings (chronicled largely in his "Fire & Blood" book) are rather light on detail, leaving plenty of room for interpretation and expansion. Is this a case of being careful what fans wish for? Perhaps, but the potential is definitely there.

The idea of a movie or show adapting the events of Robert's Rebellion has inspired rumors and speculation dating back over a decade, and for good reason. For the uninitiated, the original "Game of Thrones" took place in the (relatively) immediate aftermath of this coup against the Targaryen royal family. For centuries, the dragon lords had inspired growing discontent among the commoners and highborn alike. As glimpsed throughout "Game of Thrones" (and explained in much more detail throughout George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels), things came to a head when Prince Rhaegar Targaryen absconds with the beautiful Lyanna Stark (the sister of Sean Bean's Ned Stark and betrothed to Mark Addy's Robert Baratheon), Rhaegar's father King Aerys summons Lyanna's powerful father and brother to King's Landing, and the Mad King promptly executes them in excruciating fashion.

The countrywide rebellion that breaks out as a result completely reshapes the political landscape of Westeros, puts an emphatic end to the Targaryen dynasty, and sets up the new status quo that leads directly to "Game of Thrones." Considering the familiar faces that end up playing key roles in this war and the sheer drama of it all, it's no wonder why this scenario has remained at the top of most fans' lists for a new adaptation. Recasting roles for major players like Ned, Robert, King Aerys, and many more might be difficult. As a direct prequel, the entire story building to a predetermined outcome could pose a challenge. But the payoff of watching our fan-favorite heroes (and villains) duking it out at the prime of their lives — and possibly providing new context for their actions in "Game of Thrones" — may prove worth all the fuss. It's being adapted for the stage, but there's still lots of potential for it on screen.

I know, I know, put down your poison-tipped spears and pitchforks. There are long shots and then there are long shots. The chances of an entire spin-off series starring one of the most in-demand actors around to reprise a role he already played to perfection are probably as minuscule as it gets ... but hear us out. When Pedro Pascal first arrived on the scene in season 4 of "Game of Thrones," instantly charming us all as the swaggering Dornishman Oberyn Martell, it was only the start of the actor's chokehold on pop culture that continues to this day. After headlining IP like "The Mandalorian" and "The Last of Us," could he be interested in returning to the one that made his name in the first place?

There are the obvious drawbacks. For one thing, the Red Viper died — and pretty brutally, might we add. That would require making this a prequel show about a much younger Oberyn, but this only brings up another concern about Pascal being over a decade older than when he last suited up as the doomed prince. Setting that aside, there's also the pesky problem regarding a total lack of source material to adapt. No biggie, right?

Still, it's easy to dream about what a series like this could entail. George R.R. Martin has hinted at Oberyn's long and colorful history prior to the events of "Game of Thrones." As a youth, he toured the Seven Kingdoms and even had a run-in with an infant Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). Later on, he traveled to the Free Cities as a mercenary. A "The Mandalorian"-like show about all his misadventures and sexual trysts (he has lots of illegitimate children, after all) in faraway Essos? We see the vision.

Remember what we said earlier about George R.R. Martin's attention to world-building detail? Not only did the prolific writer come up with an explanation behind Westeros' takeover by the invading Targaryens during Aegon's Conquest, but he also explained where the Targaryens came from before that. As it turns out, the seemingly unstoppable dragonriders are actually nothing more than a minor House hailing from a vast, ancient Empire in the east known as the Valyrian Freehold. Old Valyria, as this renowned expanse is known thousands of years later, is basically the equivalent of the Roman Republic (or, in fantasy terms, J.R.R. Tolkien's island kingdom of Númenor seen in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power").

A series about Old Valyria would pose a massive logistical headache, not least of all because this empire was composed of 40 major Houses and hundreds more minor ones. That's a lot of dragons, to put it mildly, and even HBO would be hard-pressed to fork over a large enough budget to properly reimagine this spectacularly extravagant civilization. We caught glimpses of Old Valyria in season 5 of "Game of Thrones," when Tyrion Lannister and Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) sailed within spitting distance of its ruins, and again in "House of the Dragon" through King Viserys' (Paddy Considine) nifty, handcrafted model of the ancient capital city.

But the mysteries and storytelling potential abound. The fabled Doom of Valyria brought the entire empire to its knees, a cataclysm that a series like this could slowly build up to. If you ever wanted to see "Game of Thrones" by way of HBO's "Rome" or the Starz series "Spartacus," this is as close as it gets.

If "Game of Thrones" is George R.R. Martin's response to "The Lord of the Rings," then the time period known as the Age of Heroes would have to be considered his version of "The Silmarillion." This mythic chapter in Westeros history is the stuff of legend to the characters inhabiting the original series, a series of oral histories and folktales passed down from generation to generation. As with anything, time has likely exaggerated and embellished the details of what actually went down all those millennia ago. But these stories, many of which chronicle the origins of major Houses like the Starks and Lannisters, may have a seed of truth to them.

That's half the fun in imagining a series spin-off like this, which would (ideally) have free rein to reinvent and reimagine large swaths of the lore that may or may not unfold exactly the way we thought. To its credit, HBO did make a pilot episode for "Bloodmoon," a story set during the Age of Heroes that would've focused primarily on the White Walkers and the Long Night that saw the undead attempt to invade Westeros before getting pushed back beyond the Wall. This unfortunately ended up as one of the many canceled "Game of Thrones" spin-offs over the years, but perhaps a broader approach would work best.

Rather than confine itself to the frigid North, why not delve into each of the major figures of yore? You have Bran the Builder (credited for constructing the Wall and Winterfell), Lann the Clever (progenitor of the Lannisters), Serwyn of the Mirror Shield (who, along with Florian the Fool and Jonquil, is referenced in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"), and many more. Just follow our lead, HBO, and thank us later.