Is Ser Duncan a real knight? ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ ending gives major clue
The finale episode of 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' left the door open on several unanswered questions, ones that would certainly define the narrative of the upcoming sophomore season, which is expected to arrive sometime in 2027. By the end of the 'Game of Thrones' prequel show's finale, it remains unclear whether Peter Claffey's Ser Duncan the Tall was a true knight after all. The confusion stems further from the fact that in the worlds of the 'GoT' franchise and the literary source material by George R. R. Martin, there are several instances of knights who have put more emphasis on the dignity of their dwelling rather than the official sanction of their status.
The sixth and final episode of 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' was titled 'Morrow,' and it continued in the aftermath of Dexter Sol Ansell's Prince Aegon 'Egg' Targaryen asking to be Dunk's official squire. Dunk, by then, had been shaken to the core by the previously depicted tragic death of Prince Baelor Targaryen and was wary of the Targaryen line. This was further emphasized during Prince Maeker's meeting with Dunk, during which he offered the hedge knight to finally be a castle knight with Egg as his squire, but the latter refused. Eventually, we saw Egg joining Dunk on the road, but albeit without Maekar's explicit permission.
Apart from this, the finale episode also featured the lingering question of whether Dunk eventually came to be an official knight during the course of the show or not. Ser Arlan's death scene was a particularly moving one in the finale episode, and it began with him describing the origins of his name, Ser Arlan of Pennytree. Drawing the last few breaths of his life, Ser Arlan remembered that his hometown had a tree in the town center where young men going off to war would nail a penny before leaving, with the hope of retrieving it upon their return. At the time of Ser Arlan's youth, the tree was so full of pennies that there wasn't a spot to pin a new one. With tears in his eyes, Dunk asked Ser Arlan why he didn't knight him. The latter dozed off for a few moments before remarking that a true knight always finished a story. Thereafter, it remained unconfirmed whether Dunk was ever officially knighted or not.
If one were to speculate, Dunk was perhaps never an official knight. The clues are in the plot itself. When asked by Raymun Fossoway to knight him because any knight can make another a knight, Dunk seemingly hesitated. Going by this logic, the very fact that Ser Arlan himself wasn't an official knight wouldn't be entirely unimaginable. Additionally, after Ser Arlan's death, he was seen thinking about being a squire for another knight, which hints at the fact that he has not been knighted. Nevertheless, despite seemingly not having official sanction, Dunk has all the qualities of an exemplary knight. He is honorable, chivalrous, and eager to protect those in need of his help. 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' is available exclusively on HBO Max.
