Duncan the Tall’s journey has just begun, but his past is already linked to a major theme in Game of Thrones. The first episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms kicks off the latest Game of Thrones spinoff with Dunk’s ambitions of becoming a knight in Westeros. It also presents him as one of the great underdogs of this franchise.
Dunk may be an imposing figure, but he is also awkward, vulnerable, and self-conscious. It makes for a new type of hero in this world. Yet Dunk’s story is already connecting well with the ongoing story of the Game of Thrones universe, especially with the brief glimpses of his backstory.
Dunk’s road to becoming a knight is less glamorous than he admits
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms begins with Dunk burying his late knight, Ser Arlan of Pennytree. However, we do get glimpses at what his life was like as squire to Ser Arlan, and the reality of this time differs quite a bit from how Dunk likes to present it. Dunk suggests Ser Arlan was a good man who treated him fairly and taught him the ways of being a knight.
Instead, the brief flashbacks show Ser Arlan repeatedly smacking Dunk, even for things he didn’t do. Even with young Dunk asking Ser Arlan if he will become a knight someday, the old knight doesn’t even respond, suggesting how little he thinks of Dunk’s ambitions.
Given that Dunk may not be telling the truth about Ser Arlan knighting him, it makes sense that he would lie to others about certain aspects of his time as a squire. However, the interesting thing is that Dunk also lies to himself. Even with no one around, he eulogizes the dead man with a more complimentary remembrance than the flashbacks show.
While the juxtaposition between Dunk’s memories and the flashbacks adds to the humor of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it is also deeper than that. In fact, the way Dunk romanticizes his time as a squire mirrors a big theme in Game of Thrones and George R.R. Martin’s books.
Game of Thrones highlights how the truth is often darker and more complicated than the stories
Game of Thrones takes place in a world with a rich history, where stories of past wars, rulers, and warriors are passed down. These stories become the accepted truth of their world, but the show and the books highlighted how often the reality is far more complicated than the stories and songs would have you believe.
In the later seasons of the show, Game of Thrones revealed the truth behind some of the stories of the Seven Kingdoms. This includes that Robert’s Rebellion was built on a lie and that Lyanna Stark was not captured by Rhaegar Targaryen, but secretly married to him. Likewise, while Bran Stark grew up believing his father defeated Ser Arthur Dayne in battle, Ser Arthur was actually stabbed in the back by Howland Reed.
Several characters in the story highlight this discrepancy between fiction and reality. Sansa Stark believed marrying Prince Joffrey would be like a love story from her songs, only for it to turn into a nightmare. The story of the Kingslayer made Jaime Lannister a villain to many, but the truth is that he saved all of King’s Landing from being burned.
Dunk is someone who wants to believe the stories and even makes his own story cleaner. When eulogizing Ser Arlan, Dunk reveals that one offense he was beaten for as a child was not actually his fault, but he allowed a different story to become the reality. Even in admitting it, Dunk doesn’t see the use in revealing the truth. It shows that he finds it easier to accept the lie than deal with the painful truth.
This will likely continue to be a part of Dunk’s journey. He is a man who puts great stock in what it means to be a knight. The more he is exposed to the realities of this life, the more his romanticized views will be put to the test.