Warning! The following contains spoilers for A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms' episode "Seven." Stream the episode with an HBO Max subscription and read at your own risk!
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms is one of the best shows on the 2026 TV schedule, bringing a bit of optimism and humor to the typically dark HBO fantasy series. I'm as obsessed as everyone else with Ser Duncan the Tall, and deeply invested in the idea that the show might've slyly answered a massive mystery surrounding the character.
Since the series' beginning, there's been a massive question surrounding the legitimacy of Ser Duncan's knighthood. He claims Ser Arlan of Pennytree knighted him, and yet there were no witnesses, and most flashbacks we've seen of Arlan and his squire don't make it seem as though he'd actually do that. While the verdict may be out for some, I think the latest episode, "Seven," dropped a sly answer suggesting the truth.
The Possible Real Reason Duncan Didn't Knight Raymun Fossoway
Duncan had to rally six fighters by his side thanks to Aerion invoking the Trial of Seven for his right to combat. Aegon was able to rally a handful of men to fight alongside him, but it seemed it was all for naught when Ser Steffon Fossoway switched to Aerion's side after previously pledging allegiance to Dunk.
His cousin, Raymun, desperately tries to make amends with Duncan by offering to fight in his cousin's place. All he needs is to be officially knighted, and he reminds Duncan he has the power to do it. Dunk hesitates for quite a while, until Lord Lyonel Baratheon decides to knight him, and Duncan walks off.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms really held on that scene of Duncan deliberating, while it's possible he felt bad about potentially putting an inexperienced fighter's life in jeopardy, there's another explanation. Duncan didn't knight Raymun because any knight can make a knight, and he is not truly a knight as he claims.
I'm More Confident Than Not That Duncan Is Not A Knight, Though I'm Hung Up On One Key Detail
I think A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms has done a good job thus far, showing that Duncan's vision of what a knight should be doesn't match the reality of many he's met thus far. As such, it would be a much more powerful message if he had lied about his knighthood and still adhered to the code of honor in a way those men haven't.
At the same time, is it honorable for a man to lie about his knighthood? For all of Duncan's nobility and courage to do what is right even in the face of death, it doesn't make sense that he would lie about being knighted.
At the same time, the Game of Thrones universe has thrived on showing that almost all of its characters are imperfect. Terrible characters can become good, and even those with the best intentions can be led astray. Duncan isn't some messianic figure who never did anything wrong in his life, so perhaps it's foolish to assume he would be above lying about being knighted.
Would knowing whether Duncan was knighted or not massively impact my enjoyment of the series? No, I'd still love the fun of this series and how it mixes poop and nudity jokes with serious drama. I would love a definitive answer, eventually, if only because I think it creates an interesting arc for the series to explore as it continues. Wouldn't it be hilarious if the guy who was never really a knight ended up being regarded as one of the greatest of all time?
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms airs new episodes on HBO and HBO Max on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET. I can't wait to see how the Trial of Seven goes, and who will be left standing by the time that it ends.
