A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner Ira Parker dreams of a Lyonel Baratheon spin-off he’ll never get to make

When Ira Parker sat down to craft A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, he knew he was working with an ensemble of characters who could each carry their own story. But one character, in particular, burned so bright that Parker openly admits he’s disappointed we won’t get to see more of him beyond A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Quick read:

• Ira Parker wishes he could make a Lyonel Baratheon spin-off.

• Parker compares Lyonel to “early Al Pacino” for his ability to shift from calm to sinister.

• Lyonel knows a war is coming and Targaryens will eventually be unseated by Robert.

Lyonel Baratheon: the character too magnetic to ignore

Lyonel Baratheon, the wild, unpredictable Lord of the Storm’s End, left such an impression on the showrunner that Parker openly laments: “I’m upset that we don’t get to do the Lyonel Baratheon spin-off.”  That longing isn’t just idle fantasy — it’s a testament to a character who embodies everything Parker loves about Westerosi storytelling.

What makes Lyonel so compelling isn’t just his boisterous personality or his penchant for drinking and making merry. It’s the electric unpredictability he brings to every scene. Parker captures it perfectly when he says in an interview with The Times: “He’s got that early Al Pacino dangerousness where he can go from a normal calm conversation to something quite sinister very quickly,” adding, “George loves him too.”

How Lyonel’s story ties the past to Robert’s rebellion

For fans of Game of Thrones, Lyonel immediately calls to mind his descendant Robert Baratheon. Both are larger-than-life lords with a taste for revelry and a hair-trigger temper. But Lyonel exists in a different era, before the Targaryen dynasty has fully unraveled.

He’s positioned perfectly to witness the beginning of the end, and Parker knows it: “Lyonel knows that there’s a war coming and that eventually these Targaryens are gonna be unseated.” By Robert, no less — the very man who will one day storm King’s Landing and claim the Iron Throne for himself. Lyonel’s awareness of what’s coming makes every scene he’s in feel charged with inevitability.

Read next: “Suddenly Really Exciting”: Finn Bennett on Aerion’s thrill as Egg’s Identity drops