Ser Duncan faces his moment of reckoning in the fifth episode, with his life hanging in the balance as the trial of seven commences.
The penultimate episode, titled In the Name of the Mother, sets the stage for an epic battle, but the story quickly shifts into a flashback that provides more insight into Dunk’s backstory.
Who was Dunk before he wandered across the seven kingdoms with Ser Arlan? How did he end up in a fierce battle that would not only decide his fate but also that of the entire continent?
Spoilers ahead for the 5th episode of A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms!
Episode 5 introduced Dunk’s childhood friend Rafe, but changed a major detail from the book
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The episode opens with Prince Baelor Targaryen delivering a rousing speech as Dunk and his assembled champions prepare to charge into the trial by seven.
During the opening joust, Dunk is knocked off his horse and lands unconscious with his memories drifting back to the past when he was no more than a mere orphan in the streets of Fleabottom.
Alongside his friend, Rafe, he worked as a grave robber so they could escape poverty and travel to the Free Cities. The sequence takes inspiration from the third novella in the Tales of Dunk and Egg series, The Mystery Knight, where Rafe is first mentioned.
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However, while Rafe is implied to be a boy in the source material (due to having a male given name), the showrunners opted for a gender-swapped version with actress Chloe Lea playing the character.
The duo’s hopes end in tragedy as Rafe unceremoniously perishes during a skirmish with the watchguards. Despite being a new addition not in the books, showrunner Ira Parker felt that the flashback was necessary as it “adds a lot to the story” and “to the ending of episode 5.”
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After Rafe’s demise, Dunk followed Ser Arlan, a wandering hedge knight whose intervention saved him from the watchguards. It is the memory of his deceased mentor urging him to “Get up!” that finally brings Dunk to consciousness, returning viewers to the battlefield.
By this point, most of the trial has happened off-screen and only a few important moments, such as Baelor’s fight with his brother, Maekar, are shown from Dunk’s POV.
Episode director Owen Harris revealed that the other fights were given limited screen time so the story could unfold from Dunk’s perspective.
“Although it’s a battle of seven, the battle that’s important to us is the one that Dunk’s fighting,” he said.
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Dunk soon finds himself in a one-on-one duel with Prince Aerion, only to be battered by the young dragon.
In a behind-the-scenes video, Parker explained how the flashback ties into the episode’s ending, comparing Rafe to Egg’s role.
“He needs Rafe to prod him along. In a lot of ways, the same thing happens to him with Egg,” he said.
Dunk’s story finally comes full circle as he finds the strength to defeat his opponent after some encouragement from Egg, who also urges the knight to “Get up!” and fight for his future.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5’s major demise directly sets up Game of Thrones
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Ultimately, Aerion is defeated and yields while a severely wounded Dunk is helped to his feet by Steely Pate and Raymun. In the aftermath, an injured Dunk pledges his loyalty to Baelor, who succumbs to the injuries inflicted by his brother, Maekar’s mace.
Thus, Baelor’s demise fulfills Daeron’s prophetic vision of Dunk and a dead dragon, lying on a battlefield. However, this grim moment also sparks a chain reaction that changes the fate of Westeros.
As described in The World of Ice & Fire, Maekar eventually becomes king after a sickness that claimed the lives of his father and most of Baelor’s heirs. Following Maekar’s passing, Egg / Aegon was crowned king with Dunk serving as the leader of the Kingsguard during his reign.
However, Egg supposedly became obsessed with reviving dragons, leading to a tragedy that is believed to have taken his and Dunk’s lives. The eggs he was trying to hatch were later gifted to his descendant Daenerys Targaryen, directly setting up the events of Game of Thrones.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently streaming on HBO Max.
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