A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Screen Rant
Follow along with ScreenRant during the season 1 finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for expert commentary, analysis, and live reactions.
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Kara Hedash
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Jordan Williams
Updated
Feb 22, 2026, 10:53 PM EST
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Warning: This article will follow along with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 6 as it airs on HBO, so there will be spoilers!
As A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ season 1 finale releases on HBO, ScreenRant is following along with live reactions, analysis, and terrible jokes about the new episode.
The A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 6 live-blog is conducted by ScreenRant’s Senior TV Editor Kara Hedash, ScreenRant Senior News Editor Jordan Williams, and former ScreenRant Movies & TV Features Editor James Hunt, who now serves as a Content Strategist at ComicBook.com. While at ScreenRant, James was a certified Game of Thrones expert who led coverage for the first two seasons of House of the Dragon, so it’s an honor to have him make a cameo return and help us out with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms!
While Jordan and James have read the books, Kara is providing insight as someone who hasn't read the books (yet!) while serving as the live-blog moderator. Now, let's get to the recap and reactions for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ season 1 finale!
Scene Summary:Dunk sits by a tree, battered and hardly able to move from his injuries in the Trial of Seven. Lyonel Baratheon sits with Dunk and brings a maester to tend to his wounds, who believes Dunk will die from them. Lyonel sends away the maester but stays with Dunk and discusses Baelor’s death. Lyonel has a harsh response to Baelor’s death, stating the “only good dragon is a dead dragon,” though Dunk defends the late heir to the Iron Throne.
Lyonel asks Dunk to come into his service at Storm’s End, saying he’ll love him like a brother. Dunk continues to sulk about Baelor’s death and wonder why the gods have favored him, but Lyonel ignores him and continues to plead with Dunk to come with him to Storm’s End. Lyonel leaves without Dunk giving him a firm answer.
00:34, James - Man, it really is quite incredible that Dunk didn’t die in the trial of seven.
00:57, Jordan - The irony of Storm’s End being brutally dull, but also the site of two of the most horrific child deaths in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.
1:18, James - Me when Lyonel Baratheon asks, “Have you ever been to Tarth?”
For those unfamiliar, Brienne of Tarth is a descendant of Ser Duncan the Tall (we just don’t know the specifics of how, yet, but this is clearly teasing it).
1:24, Jordan - “The Others f***ing geld me” – the closest we’ve come to a reference to the White Walkers in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? In the A Song of Ice and Fire books, the White Walkers are only referred to as the “Others” (so far!). However, Dunk and Lyonel will be long gone before they officially return.
1:29, Kara - “Begone, witch” is a phrase I will definitely be using from now on.
2:01, James - “F**k you, I’ll hate you like a brother.” - The Baratheon sibling rivalries live on!
I would definitely not go to Storm’s End with Lyonel. Seems like great fun for a night out, maybe a weekend, but beyond that would be exhausting tbh.
Also, nice little setup for Dunk and Lyonel’s future conflict, if the show ever gets there (it’s almost 30 years away!)
2:02, Jordan - A bit too soon for Lyonel to be relieved about Baelor’s death, especially since he was brave enough to defy his own family and fight on Dunk’s side, but there is some truth in what he’s saying about the biggest focus being on him rather than the others who died. Beesbury and Hardyng joined Dunk, risking their lives and the ire of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ members of House Targaryen, but Baelor went into the Trial of Seven believing he’d survive because the Kingsguard knights couldn’t touch them. However, Lyonel also doesn’t know the true cost and scope of the tragedy that comes with Baelor’s death, with those consequences trickling down to Game of Thrones’ timeline.
3:20, Kara - So, does that mean no more Lyonel in future seasons…?
Scene Summary: Egg, Maekar, Valarr, and the other Targaryens attend the funeral of Prince Baelor. After the group leaves the funeral pyre, Dunk speaks to Baelor’s son and heir, Prince Valarr Targaryen, who reflects on his father’s death, how his father died in his armor, and how Baelor could have been a great king, leaving Dunk feeling even more guilty than before.
3:38, James - They banned hats in Westeros after this because Egg’s drip was too much. The most fire thing about House Targaryen since the last dragons died.
3:40, Jordan - Disappointed we didn’t get a proper introduction of the rest of the Targaryens at the funeral. Most likely that the girl next to Valarr is his wife, Kiera of Tyrosh, while the other two silver-haired characters on the opposite side of him are presumably Egg’s sisters, Daella and Rhae, or the daughters of Rhaegel Targaryen, Aelora and Daenora.
3:45, Kara - I guess we are to assume that Maekar made Egg wear the hat to hide his bald head, but it just made the kid look even cooler.
Maekar feeling guilty for killing Baelor, or did he want his brother out of the picture?
4:18, James - Valarr basically hasn’t existed up until this point, but it’s a really strong scene with him, nicely captures the same moment from the book. And we’ll never see him again!
4:21, Kara - “He died in my armor” - brutal truth to carry around for Valarr. But imagine how different everything would have been in Westeros if Baelor did eventually become King…
5:00, Jordan - “The greatest since Aegon the Dragon” – based on George R.R. Martin’s comments about how different Westeros would have been if Baelor had lived and become king, Valarr’s prediction is probably accurate. Also a nice little way to set up HBO’s Aegon’s Conquest spinoff, which will show how Aegon really was as a ruler after simply hearing so many stories and legends about him.
Scene Summary: Dunk walks on his crutch back through the camps at the tourney and approaches Raymun Fossoway’s tent. Raymun greets Dunk with a hug and reveals to Dunk that he is now married to Rowan, who also claims to be pregnant.
6:17, James - I think sometimes we all need a hug like that.
7:13, Kara - Oh, it looks like Raymun was the real winner after the trial of seven then!
7:30, James - Fossoways of New Barrel!
LOL as if Raymun wasn’t already so clearly Podrick Payne coded, the Rowan scene confirms it! I’m here for it, very happy for those two. Rowan’s lowkey one of the best side characters of the season, might even make my first team all-AKOTSK ballot (with Dunk, Egg, Baelor, and Lyonel, then her or Raymun)
7:35, Jordan - Raymun really became a knight, started a new branch of the Fossoways, and got married all in one weekend. What a tourney!
8:20, Kara - Add Raymun and Rowan to the list of characters I hope return in future seasons (even if it means massive book changes).
Scene Summary: Maekar Targaryen requests to speak with Dunk at the castle. Maekar reveals that he’s sending Aerion to the Free Cities for a few years in hopes of changing him. Maekar discusses how many will believe he meant to kill Baelor, but Dunk counters that he was just as responsible for Baelor’s death. Dunk questions whether he was spared for some greater purpose for the realm, which Maekar responds as unlikely.
Maekar says that it’s time for Aegon to become a squire, asking Dunk if he’ll come to Summerhall and have Egg serve him. Dunk tells Maekar that he’s “done with princes,” but that if he’ll have Egg, there’s a place for him.
9:22, James - I cannot blame Maekar for wanting to just get rid of Aerion, but I’m not buying that a few years in the Free Cities will sort him out…
9:25, Jordan - Though he’s also not around in the second book, this seems to confirm we won’t see Aerion in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2.
9:55, Kara - “You will hear them whisper as well” - Baelor’s death can’t be blamed on one person, but no matter the truth, it will surely haunt Dunk forever.
10:03, Jordan - Maekar is right about King Daeron dying soon, but he won’t be the only Targaryen that goes shortly after the Tourney at Ashford…
11:15, Jordan - Joffrey notes in Game of Thrones that four pages in the White Book are reserved for Ser Duncan the Tall… the realm will certainly have need of that foot.
11:25, James - This scene is so perfectly played. Dunk’s “on the morrow” moment is just wonderful, and Sam Spruell is brilliant as Maekar here.
12:00, James - A place at Summerhall, eh?
12:30, Kara - Credit to Baelor and Maekar for being the only ones to seemingly show their respect for Arlan throughout the season.
12:37, James - “I think I’m done with princes” is the smartest thing Dunk’s said all season.
Scene Summary: As Dunk leaves his meeting with Maekar, he finds that Egg had been spying on the conversation outside. Both appear upset, with Dunk apologizing to Egg. Before Dunk leaves, Egg wonders if Dunk isn’t the knight that he thought he was.
12:55, Kara - How did Dunk make up that mountain to Baelor’s funeral if he can’t even make it down the stairs??
13:45, Kara - I don’t know if the world can handle Egg being so visibly upset. And Dunk, for that matter.
13:49, James - “Maybe you’re not the knight I thought you were” - a line I’m sure won’t have any further meaning at all very soon…
Scene Summary: A flashback to Dunk and Ser Arlan sitting at the base of the tree where the latter died in the series’ opening scene. Arlan tells Dunk about the origin of Pennytree, with Dunk eventually asking him why Arlan never knighted him. Dunk wonders if Arlan thought he would have left him if he made him a knight, saying he wouldn’t have done so. Arlan doesn’t answer and appears to die, until a few moments pass and he suddenly jolts back to life to finish his story, still without giving Dunk an answer.
14:45, Kara - Arlan of Pennytree name origins!
15:00, James - DUNK WAS NEVER KNIGHTED CONFIRMED!
The book strongly hints at it, and the show has done so even more I think (the opening episodes where Dunk would recall things Ser Arlan did and it always flashed back to him, except any mention of him being a knight; the “it is mine by right” line about the sword; is discomfort at the thought of knighting Raymun, etc). But still, it’s a whole other thing to make it official and remove any ambiguity.
And, of course, the point being that he is a truer knight than anyone. I do wonder if he’ll eventually be officially knighted, maybe confessing to Egg about it at some point, and him quietly doing it when he’s king?
15:40, Jordan - Dunk didn’t ask much of him, and would continue to defend Arlan’s name after death, but now he’ll go the rest of his life never knowing why Arlan wouldn’t give him the thing he wanted most – and may always doubt himself because of it.
16:20, Kara - Leave it up to AKOTSK to inject a tiny amount of humor in an otherwise emotional scene with an Arlan death fakeout.
Scene Summary: Dunk, Raymun, and Rowan eat in the tent of the late Humfrey Beesbury, whose casket is covered in live bees. Daeron Targaryen arrives to speak to Dunk, asking him again if he’ll take Egg as his squire. Daeron explains that his brother, Aerion, wasn’t always a monster, implying he hopes that Egg being trained and guided by someone like Dunk will save him from becoming Aerion.
16:23, James - OH MY GOD, the bees on Humfry Beesbury’s casket. Beesbury. Bees… bury! HBO, please give Ira Parker 15 more seasons of this show immediately.
16:45, James - Yeah, Rowan has played a blinder* here with Raymun (*I admittedly don’t know if that phrasing translates across the pond but basically she has picked perfectly)
(In case you didn’t know, James is very British!)
17:18, Kara - “Have you no shame coming here?” - Dunk can hardly stand, but I don’t think he’d hesitate in giving another Targaryen a beatdown after everything he just went through.
17:59, Kara - You can instantly see Dunk reconsidering his decision with Egg being his squire the moment Daeron says, “we’ll make a man of him too.”
18:15, James - I do wish we’d seen a little more of Daeron before/during this trial, but this is a nice bit, even if I cannot imagine Aerion being a “glad child.”
Scene Summary: Egg, with his silver hair beginning to grow out, takes a knife and quietly, tearfully walks into the bedchambers of Aerion, who is bedridden from his injuries suffered at the Trial of Seven. Egg is intercepted by his father, Maekar, who silently hugs him until hearing a knock at the door informing him Dunk requests his presence.
18:19, Jordan - Fish are really not having a good time in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms after what House Tully did to that one in the tourney.
18:22, Kara - The way Egg’s feet are nowhere close to touching the floor.
19:18, Jordan - Getting some really bad flashbacks to Aemond and Aegon in House of the Dragon season 2…
19:25, James - Yeah, honestly, f**k him up, Egg, he deserves it.
19:28, Kara - Interesting contrast here, with Aerion resting comfortably in a bed while Dunk has been hobbling around Ashford all day (including Baelor’s funeral).
20:04, James - How is Dexter Sol Ansell this good at 11? I wasn’t that good at anything then. I’m not that good at anything now.
Scene Summary: Dunk tells Maekar that he’ll take Egg as his squire, but not at Summerhall. Since Egg isn’t a true prince yet, Dunk believes he’ll be served better away from castles and servants, to which Maekar takes offense.
Dunk wants to travel on the road, sleep in inns and stables, and at times be taken in at the houses of knights of lesser lordlings, but Maekar forbids this because “Aegon is the blood of the dragon.” Dunk defends his decision by stating Daeron never slept in a ditch and Aerion only ate thick, rare beef, and a desperate Maekar continues to deny him by pleading that Aegon is his “last son.”
20:40, Kara - Oh no, I forgot all of this happened on Lady Gwin’s birthday…
21:40, James - Maekar’s face is so perfect there.
21:58, Jordan - “Daeron never slept in a ditch.” Honestly, I kind of find this one hard to believe. Even though we’ve seen him get drunk and still sleep in a bed at an inn, I’d imagine his stupors have caused him to sleep in worse places…
22:35, James - “He’s my last son” is so crushing, Maekar/Sam Spruell is the MVP of the finale, my god (clearly named that ballot too early).
22:45, Jordan - It’s so incredibly tragic. Daeron being haunted by his dreams and constant drinking, Aerion falling into the “mad” Targaryen category, and Aemon being taken from their home and sent to the Citadel as a boy. Aegon feels like Maekar’s last chance to raise a male heir to be a great prince, and (as much as he wouldn’t admit it) someone more like Baelor.
Scene Summary: Back at his “camp,” Dunk is saddling up Chestnut and Thunder when he sees his horse, Sweetfoot, trotting towards him. Raymun reveals that he bought Sweetfoot back for Dunk as a gift to bring to Storm’s End. However, Dunk informs him he won’t be going with Lyonel. Raymun reveals he intends to return to New Barrel and help build up his family’s cider business. Dunk gives Sweetfoot back to Raymun to keep, explaining that living in an orchard will better suit her.
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23:15, Kara - I love the thought that Lyonel is going around telling everyone that Dunk is coming along to Storm’s End.
24:15, Kara - Dunk giving Sweetfoot to Raymun? The perfect wedding gift!
24:30, James - Give her all the apples!
Scene Summary: After Dunk hammers a penny into the tree, Egg arrives claiming that Maekar told him to serve him. Dunk tells Egg that Chestnut is his to ride, and forbids him to ride on Thunder unless he places him there. Dunk and Egg begin to ride away, with Dunk stating they can go anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms. Egg corrects Dunk that there are actually nine kingdoms in the realm before listing them off: The Crownlands, Westerlands, Stormlands, Riverlands, the Iron Islands, the North, the Reach, the Vale of Arryn, and Dorne.
Egg notes that he hears Dorne has good puppet shows as the pair ride away, with the camera then showing the ghost of Ser Arlan riding away perpendicular to them across a field. The scene then cuts to a title card, which jokingly refers to the series as “A Knight of the Nine Kingdoms.”
26:20, Kara - There’s no way that Maekar agreed to Dunk bringing Egg on the road!
Also, is his head freshly shaven?
27:00, James - Finally acknowledging it should be called the 9 kingdoms!
27:30, James - Good puppet shows in Dorne? I do wonder if Season 2 will bring Tanselle back. She’s [SPOILER] not in the second book, and they never found her, and I don’t necessarily think they should do it, but I could see it happening for a brief scene.
27:40, Jordan - I’d imagine we’ll get some references to Tanselle and Dunk, hoping to find her in Dorne when they travel there in season 2, but I agree that it’s better to keep her out of it. Dunk’s a yearner in the books and often thinks back to Tanselle, and it falls in line with his naivete, for the magic of “what could have been” never being broken for him.
28:00, Kara - I was wondering if season 2 would incorporate more Arlan flashbacks, but that symbolic exit seems to imply otherwise.
And props to Ira Parker or whoever went with the “A Knight of the Nine Kingdoms” title card gag!
Mid-Credits Scene Summary: The Targaryens all begin leaving Ashford, with Aerion and Daeron horribly bruised. On his horse, Maekar looks around for Aegon, closing out the episode screaming, “Where the f*** is he?!”
28:30, Kara - Does this count as the first credits scene in Game of Thrones history? But I knew Maekar didn't give in to Dunk's plan!
28:45, James - Hmmm… idk guys. Maekar’s last line is funny, but I do think that, as an ending, it kinda undercuts the emotional heft you’d have with him agreeing to let Egg go with Dunk after that “last son” line. Technically, we don’t see him agree in the book either, but it’s implied, and I think I prefer that to Egg running away again. Just me?
28:50, Jordan - Agreed! I was a bit taken aback by the mid-credits gag and seeing that Maekar never actually permitted Egg to go. Maekar letting Egg go with Dunk in the book aligned with the hope that this era of Targaryens could get better. Maekar could atone for his brother’s death by allowing Dunk to help avoid Egg becoming someone like Aerion. However, the Maekar we see in the show is even more stubborn than he is in The Hedge Knight, so I can see why Parker made this choice. I’d assume this also serves as some setup for a Maekar return in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2!
29:00, James - “16 Tons” is such a banger! Weird to hear Thrones using real-world music, but I like it!
Final Reactions
James - Overall, I think that was a strong finale - hit most of the right beats it needed to, nice setup for more Dunk and Egg adventures, tied things up enough with all the main characters.
Kara - I’m glad that I recently purchased the Tales of Dunk & Egg novella collection because I can’t wait until next season to see what happens to them. I know Ira Parker has ambitious plans for AKOTSK on HBO, but Dunk and Egg are delightful to watch. And Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell are phenomenal in their performances. In fact, all the casting was great!
Jordan - True to Game of Thrones tradition, the key action came in the penultimate episode, while the finale set up the bigger conflicts to come in season 2. In only 30 minutes, the finale provided a great acting showcase for the main ensemble with brilliant character work; mostly for Peter Claffey, Sam Spruell, and Dexter Sol Ansell, but even Daniel Ings, Henry Ashton, and Shaun Thomas were able to shine in their brief scenes, which could very well serve as farewells for their characters on this show for a while.
I’m so incredibly relieved that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 has already been renewed, and that we won’t have to wait two years for it! The strong performance of season 1 of HBO makes me hope we’ll get a confirmation of season 3 sooner than we think (can’t have Ansell age too much between seasons while waiting for a renewal!). Gods be good, we’ll hopefully get another Dunk and Egg novella before a potential season 3 happens.
James - And what a great season. As much as I love the epicness of HOTD (and that S3 trailer has me HYPED), it’s been so refreshing to watch something so different in the franchise. It really nailed the cozier feel of those early episodes that transitioned into something a little more serious, and handled that shift brilliantly. Episodes 4 and 5 are the obvious standouts, but it’s been excellent across the board. Quite possibly the most faithful season to the source material of any Thrones show (though it has an easier task with that, tbf), and just one of the most enjoyable too. Dunk and Egg were so perfectly cast, and they fleshed out the others well, too.
I’ll watch as many of these as HBO wants to make. And I hope it’s a lot.
Kara - Speaking of House of the Dragon, season 3 is set to begin in June, so we only have to wait four months for more Game of Thrones!
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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
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