Duncan the Tall is the latest hero in the Game of Thrones universe, but he also displayed one common heroic quality that has proven dangerous in this franchise. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has already proven Ser Duncan, or Dunk, to be a charming and noble man, even if he isn't the brightest knight in Westeros.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 3 showcased the lengths of his heroism as he fought Aerion Targaryen when he saw the brutal prince hurting Tanselle, an innocent puppeteer. It was a moment that further endeared Dunk in the minds of the audience. However, it is also reminiscent of some other doomed heroes in the Game of Thrones franchise.
Like Ned Stark, Dunk has more honor than intelligence
Dunk may have done the "right thing" in saving Tanselle, but Game of Thrones has shown us many times that doing the right thing can often be the wrong choice. George R.R. Martin's stories show that the fairy tales we hear are not how reality works. The noble heroes do not always win in the end, and sometimes it is doing the right thing that causes their downfall. No character better exemplifies this than Ned Stark.
From the beginning of Game of Thrones, Ned was clearly the hero of the story. In a world of deceivers, schemers, and murderers, Ned always sought to see justice served. However, it becomes more and more clear that his strategy puts him at a disadvantage in this world, eventually leading to his execution at the end of season 1.
Ned seemed to pass down this characteristic to several of his children, also resulting in tragedy. Robb Stark was a brilliant battlefield commander who, despite his young age, never lost a battle. However, he ended up losing the war and his life because he refused to play as dirty as his enemies and compromise his beliefs.
Jon Snow was also seen as a noble fool for much of the series. Though he was eventually resurrected, it was his desire to go against the rest of the Night's Watch and help the Wildlings that led to his assassination. Given the track record of these noble heroes in the franchise, it could spell danger for Dunk.
Will Dunk learn the lesson Ned Stark never did?
It certainly was a heroic move for Dunk to step in and help Tanselle, but it really wasn't a smart move since it meant assaulting a Targaryen prince. For one, it likely wouldn't help out Tanselle much in the end and might actually make things worse for her. Moreover, he was basically sentencing himself to death and was only saved by Egg revealing his true identity.
The question becomes, will Dunk continue down the same path as Ned Stark, or will he learn a lesson from this? A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has established a theme about Dunk realizing the world of knights is not what he thought it was. They are flawed people who don't all uphold the virtues he expected.
If Dunk is going to survive in this world, he may have to learn how to compromise more than Ned Stark ever did. The concept of a noble hero having to betray their beliefs is reflected in Jon Snow's final arc as he murders Daenerys Targaryen to protect the realm. It's not likely Dunk will have to go so far, but we are likely to see him realizing that the world is not as black and white as he wants it to be.
New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiere Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.