Who Is Ser Duncan the Tall in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’?

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms short stories.

House of the Dragon’s season finale marks the beginning of another 2-year wait before the next season, but HBO gave us a sneak peek at a new Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, to help tide us over until then. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a collection of short stories published by George R.R. Martin following the adventures of a young knight, Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a legendary warrior who will eventually become Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

After a tragedy during a tourney, Prince Maekar Targaryen (Sam Spruell) asks Dunk to take his youngest son, Egg, (Sol Ansell) under his wing as a squire, hoping his child learns to live among the common folk and avoid the pitfalls of his spoiled siblings. The stories take place 89 years before the main Game of Thrones series and follow our heroes through a war-torn Westeros hot off the heels of the Blackfyre rebellion. History tells us Egg will grow up to become King Aegon V ‘The Unlikely,’ one of the greatest Kings in Targaryen history. Nevertheless, Egg is just a stubborn child and Dunk is a naive, inexperienced knight when the story begins. Each short story tells a singular tale but carries an overarching narrative across each installment. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is well suited for the television format. The stories operate almost like a Game of Thrones equivalent of The Mandalorian, where a Hedge Knight wanders the realm in search of jobs, accompanied by his young follower whose secret identity makes him of great value.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight (2025)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas and is set around 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones. It follows Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg, who would later become King Aegon V Targaryen.

Cast

Peter Claffey , Dexter Sol Ansell , Finn Bennett , Bertie Carvel , Tanzyn Crawford , Daniel Ings , Sam Spruell

Main Genre

Fantasy

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Martin Parker , Ira Parker

Writers

Martin Parker , Ira Parker

Expand

Dunk Started Out as an Orphan Born in Flea Bottom

Not much is known about Dunk’s birth. He was an orphan on the streets of Flea Bottom when he was recruited as a squire by an old knight from a lesser house, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb). Arlan and Dunk travel around Westeros serving various noble lords like the Tyrells. Arlan trained Dunk in sword-fighting, and he dreamed of becoming a Kingsguard knight from the moment he first picked up a sword. Dunk’s age is estimated at around 16 at the start of the story. But Peter Claffey is currently 28, meaning HBO has opted to age him up as they did with many previous characters, such as Jon (Kit Harington), Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), and Arya (Maisie Williams).

We first meet Dunk while he’s burying Ser Arlan’s body on the way to a tourney in Ashford. Dunk claims Arlan knighted him before he died, but whether this is true is still up for debate. Throughout the story, Dunk’s inner dialogue suggests he fabricated this lie to make him legible for tourneys and service to other lords. This lie haunts him throughout the short stories, making him constantly question whether he is a worthy warrior.

Related

How Does ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Connect to ‘House of the Dragon’?

Where will the next spinoff fit into Westeros’ story?

Dunk Plays a Vital Role in the Targaryens’ Story

Dunk isn’t the smartest character. Arlan refers to him as ‘Dunk the lunk, thick as a castle wall,’ a saying that Dunk often repeats throughout the story. He stands at 7ft tall, rivaling the Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) in stature. He is strong, capable, and prioritizes honor among all else. During the Ashford tourney, he stops Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) from beating a helpless puppeteer named Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford) and suffers dire consequences. Many Targaryen nobles around this time were loathsome individuals who flaunted their power on the smallfolk, Prince Aerion especially. While the rest of the crowd stand idly by and watch Aerion beat an innocent girl, Dunk intervenes, unaware that he’s putting his own life in danger. His actions lead to a trial by combat during the tourney, where he must fight against Aerion and his retinue of fierce warriors. Despite his low stature, Dunk wins the people’s favor by standing up for the common folk in the face of untouchable nobles. Despite his setbacks, Dunk has a strong moral compass that prevails in the face of turmoil. Many readers liken him to Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) from Game of Thrones, given that he is huge, a capable swordsman, and a knight who “remembered his vows.”

As the story unfolds, Dunk becomes increasingly entangled in Targaryen conspiracy. He plays a key role during the second Blackfyre rebellion in the third short story, The Mystery Knight. Additionally, several different Targaryens mention they have seen him in their dreams. Targaryens are known for their gift for prophetic visions, a genetic trait passed down through their line. Upon meeting Daeron the Drunken (Henry Ashton), the Prince accurately predicts Dunk’s fate during the tourney. Later, in The Mystery Knight, Daemon II Blackfyre predicts Dunk will one day become a Kingsguard Knight. We know from Westerosi histories that Egg will become obsessed with the Targaryen prophecy, which eventually leads to their demise.

Ser Duncan Becomes a Renown Knight Later in Life

George R.R. Martin claims he will need roughly 12 stories to tell the full tale of Dunk & Egg, but we know much about their later life from references in the mainline series and The World of Ice and Fire history book. Dunk will indeed grow up to become a legendary warrior. He slew Daemon III Blackfyre in battle and ended the fourth Blackfyre rebellion. Dunk’s historic duel with Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) is still remembered in present-day Westeros. After Egg’s son, Prince Duncan the Small, renounced his betrothal to Lyonel’s daughter, he declared himself independent of the Iron Throne and appointed himself the new Storm King. After a bitter rebellion, he fought the King in a trial by combat, where Dunk stood as Egg’s champion. Lyonel was known as ‘The Laughing Storm,’ and regarded as one of the best fighters of his generation. Despite his renown, Dunk prevailed in the duel, thereby ending another rebellion. Dunk eventually lost a fight against a young Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney) during a tourney in his later life. Given that Barristan grew up to become one of the strongest fighters in Game of Thrones, it’s a testament to Dunk’s ability that he was only defeated by an immensely skilled warrior during his later years.

While Dunk accrued many heroic feats throughout his life, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will introduce him as a timid, inexperienced boy who must navigate the harsh realities of Westeros after having an enormous responsibility thrust upon him. If the books are anything to go by, Dunk will likely become a fan-favorite character in years to come. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is scheduled to premiere early next summer.

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