Ser Duncan the Tall towers over 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' — but just how tall is he really
Adding a twist of quirky comedy to the 'Game of Thrones' universe, HBO's new show 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' is grabbing major attention. Based on George R.R. Martin's 'Tales of Dunk and Egg', the six-episode series opens with the introduction of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), better known as Dunk. While his name clearly hints that he is tall, just how tall is he really?
In Martin's 'Dunk and Egg' series, Dunk is described as an imposing figure, standing just an inch shy of seven feet tall, making him 6'11" and easily towering over most other characters. HBO's 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' emphasises Dunk's remarkable height through playful jokes and on-screen commentary, such as Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) urging him to "be tall" after noticing his slouch. While these moments highlight Dunk's legendary stature, the actor portraying him, Claffey, isn't quite as towering as the character in the books.
This discrepancy is understandable, as very few actors or people in general reach a height of 6'11", meaning the show adapts Dunk's legendary tallness while still maintaining a believable on-screen presence, as per Mashable. Talking about Claffey's actual height, the former rugby player-turned-actor stands around 6'5" (1.95 meters), about six inches shorter than the 6'11". Talking about the plot of the series, 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, the future King Aegon V, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), who begin as underestimated underdogs in King's Landing.
Like 'Game of Thrones' and 'House of the Dragon', the show is a prequel within Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' saga. The events of the show are set in a specific historical period measured in 'After Conquest' (AC), showing events long before the main 'Game of Thrones' storyline, as per Esquire. The story of the new show begins with The Hedge Knight, set about 90 years before 'A Game of Thrones'. Notably, the HBO series closely follows Martin's vision a century before the events of the original show.
All of Martin's 'Game of Thrones' stories follow a single timeline marked from Aegon I Targaryen's conquest. On the other hand, 'House of the Dragon' is set between 129 and 131 AC, followed by 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms', which begins in 209 AC and spans four years. 'Game of Thrones' takes place much later, in 297 AC. In the timeline, Aegon V is crowned in 233 AC, and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) is his great-great-granddaughter. Not only that, the series is largely a standalone adventure, which means viewers don't need to have any 'Game of Thrones' knowledge to enjoy it.
