Dunk Is So Beautifully Dumb in the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Trailer
The first trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms reveals the Game of Thrones' prequel got its most important character right.
George R. R. Martin‘s Westeros is filled with many, let’s say, less-than-humble characters. The fantasy universe depicted in Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” books and the HBO series Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon is not wanting for larger-than-life figures like Cersei Lannister, Stannis Baratheon, and Daemon Targaryen. More often than not, those figures are very much aware of their outsized status.
That is all set to change with latest Game of Thrones prequel series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Not only will this adaptation of Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas incorporate the perspectives of the Seven Kingdoms’ lower class, it will all be seen through the eyes of this franchise’s most charmingly self-aware figures.
There’s no nice way to put this but… Ser Duncan the Tall a.k.a. “Dunk” (Peter Claffey) is a bit of an idiot and he knows it. His internal monologue in the Dunk and Egg stories is a continuous stream of self-loathing and frustration. The poor guy wasn’t born in a castle and educated by learned maesters like the highborn of Westeros were. Instead he had to find his own way to knighthood like the rest of us peasants. As such, he is the rarest of Westerosi archetypes: a big lovable dummy. Based on the first trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the George R. R. Martin and Ira Parker-created series has Dunk’s characterization down pat.
Peter Claffery’s Dunk is presented as the beautiful, perfect moron he is no fewer than five times in this two-minute presentation. There he is, standing like a lump when Lord Baelor Targaryen’s servant tries to get his horse past his massive frame. Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) will later surmise that Dunk is not clever enough to be a stableboy. Then Dunk gets absolutely owned by his new young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) as the boy correctly calls out that he doesn’t have any dogs to hunt him down. Still, Dunk maintains the sense that he is meant for bigger things.
“I know I’m just a hedge knight, but sometimes I think I could be more,” he intones partway through the clip. Readers of Martin’s The World of Ice and Fire know how right he is.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will represent Game of Thrones at its most warm and Ser Duncan is a (literally) big reason why. While every citizen of Martin’s fantasy world is morally gray, Dunk is one of its brighter heroes and the series that follows him and Egg looks to be following his lead. The trailer makes that clear with a lighter color palette and composer Dan Romer’s jaunty score taking over from Thrones/Dragon composer Ramin Djawadi’s epic bombast.
Ser Duncan the Tall may not be the Prince That Was Promised but he just might be the hero Westeros needs circa 209 AC. With the dragons long gone, the power of House Targaryen waning, and the (first) Blackfyre Rebellion in the rearview, A Knight of the Seven Kingdom‘s biggest, dumbest boy has a chance to enact real change.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Sunday, January 18 on HBO Max.
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TV Editor at Den of Geek and Television Critics Association member. Based in Cleveland, Ohio. Very upset about various sporting events.