Did Dunk Ever Earn His Knighthood? George R.R. Martin Wanted A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS to Leave It Unanswered
The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has wrapped, and fans are still circling one big question: is Ser Duncan the Tall actually a knight?
The show doesn’t hand us a clean answer, and that turns out to be very intentional. According to author George R.R. Martin, the mystery surrounding Dunk’s knighthood was never supposed to be neatly resolved.
By the time we reach Episode 6, “The Morrow,” things get emotionally messy. In a flashback, Duncan, played by Peter Claffey, confronts his mentor Ser Arlan, portrayed by Danny Webb, and asks why he was never knighted.
It’s a raw and emotional moment, but before any real resolution comes, Arlan appears to die, leaving Dunk and the audience hanging.
Or does he?
Showrunner Ira Parker recently spoke with Collider and made it clear that the scene was designed to live in that gray space. He explained:
"We think it's over. But then, he's back and, as far as we know, the continuation of that scene is, 'Boy, go get me my sword,' and then he knights him.
“There is no confirmation, one way or the other, coming out of that scene. That's exactly how Mr. R.R. Martin requested it. It remains [ambiguous], and people can decide for themselves.
"Look, Danny Webb is a fucking magician. I love him so much. He's just become Arlan. It could have been no one else in this whole world. He was just pitch perfect, all the way up until his death.
“This whole journey is going to be about what makes a true knight, whether or not you're given the title, or if you have to earn the title even after you're given it. Can you earn it, even if you've never been given it?"
That last question hits at the core of what this Game of Thrones prequel is exploring. Titles in Westeros carry weight, but they don’t always guarantee honor. Dunk walks the realm with the sword and shield of a knight, but does the ceremony matter more than the character?
Martin apparently didn’t want the series to confirm one way or another whether Arlan formally knighted Dunk. That uncertainty isn’t a loose thread. It’s the point.
The story of Duncan the Tall has always been about the idea of knighthood versus the reality of it. Anyone can be handed a title. Living up to it is something else entirely.
Claffey brings a grounded, earnest energy to Dunk, making it easy to root for him whether he’s technically legitimate or not. And Webb’s performance as Arlan was great. Parker didn’t hold back his admiration, and honestly, fans probably agree. Arlan feels lived in. Weathered. Real.
The series also stars Daniel Ings, Finn Bennett, Tanzyn Crawford, and Dexter Sol Ansell as young Aegon “Egg” Targaryen, Dunk’s sharp and secretly royal squire. Their dynamic has quickly become one of the most fun parts of the show.
Good news for anyone already invested in their journey. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was renewed for a second season before the first even premiered in November 2025.
The next installment will adapt Martin’s 2003 novella The Sworn Sword, bringing more political tension, moral dilemmas, and likely more questions about what it truly means to be a knight in the Seven Kingdoms. Season 2 is currently expected to premiere in 2027.
So where does that leave us? Maybe Dunk was knighted in that final unseen moment. Maybe he wasn’t. What matters more is how he carries himself across Westeros. If he protects the innocent, keeps his word, and risks his life for others, does the technicality even matter?
That’s the kind of question Martin wants to leave us with.