Dunk Is Exactly Right About Why He Won The Trial Of Seven In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

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Warning! Spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 ahead!

Dunk spent a long time puzzling over his victory in the trial of seven at the end of the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and he ultimately came to the correct conclusion about what happened. The episode dealt with the heartbreaking death of Prince Baelor Targaryen, who bravely fought on Dunk’s side even though it meant battling his own family. Despite being a future king who should have been well-protected, Baelor was tragically killed by a stray hit from his brother Maekar’s weapon – something Dunk found very difficult to accept.

The trial of seven is designed to leave the outcome—even if someone dies—to fate, as if decided by the gods themselves. This idea confused Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. If Dunk had lost, he would have lost a hand and foot for attacking Prince Aerion. He couldn’t understand why the gods would protect a simple knight’s limbs instead of the life of a future king.

When Dunk asked Prince Maekar about his missing hand and foot, he hesitantly suggested that the gods might have a purpose for him—perhaps the realm would need someone like him someday. It was a small comfort amidst a difficult situation. Interestingly, the detailed history in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire actually confirms that this humble knight’s intuition was correct.

Westeros Really Does End Up Needing Dunk In The Future

As a huge fan of the Game of Thrones world, even if the Seven Gods aren’t ‘real’ in the story, it’s clear fate is a massive force driving everything. And that definitely holds true in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The whole trial by combat felt… destined, really. It played out exactly as it needed to, setting Dunk up for a surprisingly important role in Westeros’ history. I mean, he literally dies protecting Rhaegar Targaryen! It makes you wonder just how much of what happens is preordained.

Following the happenings in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Egg rises to become King Aegon IV Targaryen, known as Aegon the Unlikely because he wasn’t originally in line to inherit the throne. He eventually appoints Dunk as the leader of his personal guard, and the two work together to help common people. Sadly, like many stories in Game of Thrones, their journey ends in tragedy.

King Aegon, known as Egg, spent his entire reign trying to revive dragons. After years of study, he believed he’d finally discovered how. During the celebration of his great-grandson’s birth, Aegon tried using wildfire to hatch dragon eggs that had turned to stone. The attempt went terribly wrong, and the entire fortress of Summerhall was destroyed by fire. Dunk rescued the newborn Prince Rhaegar, but then rushed back into the burning building to try and save Egg, perishing with his king.

The story is heartbreaking, but like all tragedies in Game of Thrones, it served a larger purpose. If Dunk had lost the trial by combat and suffered the punishment of losing a hand and foot, he wouldn’t have become Egg’s Lord Commander. And if he hadn’t become Lord Commander, he wouldn’t have been there to save Rhaegar’s life. Without that rescue, the entire course of Game of Thrones would have been drastically different.

Nothing In Game Of Thrones Would Have Been The Same If Dunk Hadn’t Won The Trial Of Seven

Image via HBO Max

Throughout Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, nearly all events connect to preventing the return of a long, terrible winter – the Long Night. The prophecy of “The Prince That Was Promised” foretells a Targaryen hero who will defeat the Night King and his army of the dead. Characters resurrected by the Lord of Light are also key to defeating this enemy. Even seemingly separate events, like Dunk’s trial by combat, ultimately contribute to this central goal.

When Dunk saved Rhaegar Targaryen’s life, it allowed him to pursue a relationship with Lyanna Stark, which eventually sparked Robert’s Rebellion. This rebellion unknowingly set the stage for the Starks’ future conflict with the Night King. Importantly, Dunk also rescued Rhaegar’s father, Prince Aerys, who later became known as the Mad King. If Aerys hadn’t survived, Daenerys would never have been born, and Rhaegar’s actions also meant Jon Snow wouldn’t exist.

The events of Dunk and Egg’s trial in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms ultimately set everything in motion for Game of Thrones, even the Night King’s defeat. It seems fate had a specific plan, and while Prince Baelor could have been a good ruler, Westeros actually needed someone like a humble knight even more.

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2026-02-25 02:49