Who Is Dunk? Everything You Need To Know About Ser Duncan The Tall
Meet Duncan the Tall, but you can call him Dunk.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a completely different Game of Thrones show. It’s not about all the great houses of Westeros like the original series, nor is it about the Targaryens like in House of the Dragon. Instead, it’s about someone who doesn’t belong to any house — and that’s the problem. Ser Duncan the Tall is a hedge knight, meaning he roams the seven kingdoms serving different lords and helping out those who can pay.
But just who is this guy, and what kind of a hero is he? He may come from humble beginnings, but he’s got a lofty future ahead of him. The six episodes we’re about to see are just the first chapter.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 1.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows lowly hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall.
We don’t know much about Dunk’s beginnings, but to be fair, he didn’t know much either. He grew up an orphan in Flea Bottom, the slum near King’s Landing. He had no idea who his parents were, but figured he was an orphan and probably a bastard. (Some fans suggest he could be related to Brienne of Tarth, since he was tall just like her, but that’s still unconfirmed.) He made a life by scavenging all kinds of meat for establishments that made “bowls of brown,” the go-to food of Flea Bottom.
When he was a boy, he was recruited by Ser Arlan of Pennytree to be a squire after Ser Arlan’s nephew was slain in battle. From then on, Dunk dutifully served Ser Arlan by tending to his three horses, Thunder, Chestnut, and Sweetfeet, managing all of his equipment and weapons, and accompanying him on travels all over Westeros. When we meet Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it’s soon after Ser Arlan passes away, leaving Dunk to make his own name as a knight.
The series picks up after the passing of Ser Arlan Pennytree, the knight Dunk squired for.
We won’t get into what happens during the show to keep the events of the tourney at Ashford unspoiled, but his future is spelled out in the A Song of Ice and Fire books. After a long spell as a hedge knight, Ser Duncan goes on to become Lord Commander of the Kingsguard under King Aegon V, where he accompanies the King’s brother, Aemon, to join the Night’s Watch, where Aemon would become the maester we know and love from Game of Thrones.
Unfortunately, some years later a mishap possibly involving wildfire or sorcery causes the Tragedy of Summerhall, a massive house fire. King Aegon V and Ser Duncan the Tall both perish in the blaze. But there are plenty of adventures before then that could easily become part of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in future seasons. We know that Season 2 is on the way, but there are years of Ser Duncan’s travels to bring to life on screen.
