While season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been a mostly faithful adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s The Hedge Knight, the series hasn’t shied away from taking some bold swings.
From a shockingly graphic defecation scene in episode 1 to Dunk’s Flea Bottom flashbacks, the series takes liberties to expand the source material. However, the finale made several major changes to the original story that are too significant to ignore.
Here are five major moments from the sixth episode that aren’t in the book, and how they expand Dunk and Egg’s story.
Spoilers ahead!
Lyonel Baratheon’s offer to Dunk
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The finale opens with Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) inviting Dunk to join him in the Storm Lands, which Dunk promptly refuses.
While the scene is not in the novella, it provides closure for Lyonel’s story, with the Laughing Storm admitting he and Dunk will remain sworn brothers.
In Martin’s The World of Ice and Fire, it is revealed that he and Dunk would cross paths in 239 AC, when Lyonel rebelled against the Iron Throne.
Dunk defeated him in single combat, and Egg, who became King by this point, arranged a marriage between his daughter and Lyonel’s heir, Ormund Baratheon, to restore peace.
Raymun Fossoway’s fate
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Later in the episode, Dunk meets Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas) while on his way back from Baelor’s funeral. While the book leaves Raymun’s fate ambiguous, the show reveals he is preparing to marry Red / Rowan, one of the women in Manfred Dondarrion’s service.
Raymun explains that Rowan took care of his injuries after the trial of seven and supposedly became pregnant with his child. In the books, he later finds the New Barrel branch of House Fossoway.
The surprising return of Sweetfoot
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Earlier in the season, Dunk sold one of his horses, Sweetfoot, so he could afford to enter the Ashford tourney. While Dunk promises to return for her once he has more money, he never does.
The show changes Sweetfoot’s fate, with Raymun buying her back and reuniting her with her master. However, Dunk instead gifts Sweetfoot to Raymun as an expression of his gratitude for fighting on his side during the trial.
Sweetfoot also briefly appears in the closing scene with Ser Arlan’s spirit, serving as his mount one final time.
The truth about Dunk’s knighthood
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The finale finally confirms what fans have suspected about Dunk, revealing that Ser Arlan had not knighted him before his passing.
A flashback sees Dunk asking his master why he wasn’t knighted moments before Arlan’s demise. Instead of answering, Ser Arlan simply finishes his story about his namesake Pennytree.
The novella implies Dunk might be lying about his knighthood, especially since he does not remember the sacred vow while knighting Raymun. However, the series goes one step further and explicitly confirms the truth.
Egg’s other secret
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The finale reserved its biggest change for the closing moments after Dunk and Egg set off into the unknown, presumably on a new adventure. However, a post-credits scene reveals that Egg lied about getting his father’s blessings to squire for Dunk.
The novella never shows Maekar permitting Egg to follow Dunk. Instead, Egg simply shows up the morning after Dunk and Maekar’s conversation about the young prince’s future.
The show takes a creative liberty here and fills in the blanks with Maekar’s furious reaction to Dunk’s disappearance.
Since Egg hiding his Targaryen roots from Dunk caused a major rift between them in season 1, this secret will likely add fresh conflict in season 2.
Showrunner Ira Parker confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the major change will be “addressed” in season 2. At the same time, Parker reassured fans that it will not lead to additional changes to The Sworn Sword.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently streaming on HBO Max.
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