A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Officially Sets Up Dunk Being Related To 1 Of GOT’s Best Characters

Duncan the Tall is related to one character from Game of Thrones, and the Season 1 finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms sets up that connection. The prequel’s timeline is some 90 years before the events of its parent show, but we’re already seeing several important relatives of the characters from that series. Egg, for instance, is the brother of Maester Aemon, while Lyonel Baratheon is likely the great-grandfather of Robert Baratheon (though the exact relationship isn’t confirmed). Of course, both of those are from noble houses with long lines of important characters, so they’re less surprising than Dunk’s family tree.

Although it hasn’t been addressed outright yet in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, nor The Tales of Dunk and Egg, Brienne of Tarth is a descendant of Dunk. Like with Lyonel/Robert, the specifics aren’t currently known, but the author has previously said that it will be revealed in a future book. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ Season 1 finale sets this up by planting the seed for Dunk to visit Tarth, with Lyonel asking if he’s ever been. That’s very clearly designed as a tease of the future, and puts the idea of going there in Dunk’s head, even if it may not happen for several more years yet.

Dunk & Brienne Have Parallel Stories In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms & Game Of Thrones

This isn’t the first time that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has teased the relationship between the two characters. When Dunk and Rafe appeared on the Kingsroad, filmed at Northern Ireland’s Dark Hedges, in Episode 5, it was the same location we’d previously seen Brienne with Podrick Payne. Again, that was a deliberate choice, as showrunner Ira Parker confirmed with Business Insider.

While they may never actually meet, Brienne’s story does echo that of her relative (likely a great-grandfather at the very least). The finale seemingly confirms that Dunk was never knighted by Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and Brienne herself could not be knighted because she’s a woman (something Jaime Lannister changed in Game of Thrones Season 8). And, of course, the irony in that is that both are truer knights than any other characters we meet. They’re honorable, decent, and committed to protecting the innocent and weak, and remembering their vows, no matter the costs.

Read Next

HBO Revives A Cancelled Game of Thrones Spinoff in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5 (& It’s Great)

There are some obvious physical similarities, too, with Brienne getting her stature from Dunk’s genes. And while both are skilled with a sword, their respective shows also highlight that they can win fights by other means as well, such as Dunk beating Aerion Targaryen and Brienne fighting against Sandor “The Hound” Clegane.

Another, even more tangible way that Dunk’s legacy continues with Brienne is his shield. It didn’t make it into Game of Thrones, but in the books, an old shield with an elm tree and a shooting star is in the armory at Evenfall Hall, the seat of House Tarth, and later used by Brienne herself. This was the biggest hint that they were related, until A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms made it much more explicit, and perhaps future seasons will even show him going to Tarth.

Brienne May Not Be The Only Game Of Thrones Character Dunk Is Related To

While the connection to Brienne is the one with the deepest parallels, there is still a chance Dunk is related to another Game of Thrones character: Hodor. Again, there are very obvious physical similarities (though Hodor also has those with Ser Arlan, too…), the books do have further hints at the possibility. In A Dance with Dragons, Bran Stark has a vision of a tall knight kissing a young woman at Winterfell, which is commonly believed to be Dunk and Old Nan.

The timeline of the characters lines up – Old Nan is said to be around 100 years old in Game of Thrones Season 1 – and it’s long been thought that she was Hodor’s grandparent or great-grandparent. Meanwhile, one of the future Dunk and Egg stories that Martin has confirmed plans for is titled She-Wolves of Winterfell, taking the characters to the home of House Stark, where they could meet and have a short-lived romance, and setting the stage for several mini Dunks to be running around Westeros in the future.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 will release on HBO and HBO Max in 2027.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!