Among several new announcements, HBO confirmed two new Game of Thrones spinoffs, Aegon's conquest and one called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. Both stories have source material from author George R. R. Martin. The Hedge Knight is based on a short story collection, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, this show will be yet another prequel to Game of Thrones, though the timeframe is closer to the original. But the new show's title doesn't give the hero a name. A hedge knight is a knight with no land nor a lord to serve. They travel across Westeros looking for employment but are generally poor. There could be any number of hedge knights throughout Westeros' history. But fortunately, with the short story series already available, we don't have to guess the identity of the show's hero.
Like in the companion story, the title character will be the well-meaning but self-admittedly thick-headed Duncan the Tall, or, as he was called as a squire, Dunk the Lunk. The humble and genuine knight has quite the rags-to-riches story. Duncan rises from humble beginnings to become the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Like the novellas, the story will focus on his chance encounter with the young prince Aegon V Targaryen which changed the trajectory of his life.
How Did Duncan Become a Knight?
Starting his life as an orphan in the King's Landing slum, Flea Bottom, Dunk never knew his parents. He spent his early childhood running around the streets, where he learned to fight when need be. When Duncan was roughly five or six, the hedge knight, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, took the boy under his wing and trained him to be a squire. Arlan raised Dunk as they traveled through Westeros, serving different lords as hedge knights do. Arlan taught Dunk to fight with a sword and other weapons and often uttered the phrase "Dunk the Lunk, thick as a castle wall," which Dunk remembers every time he makes a misstep.
As he learned to be a knight, Duncan's dreams changed, from a life in the Night's Watch to being a member of the elite Kingsguard, a much more ambitious goal. The boy grew to be nearly seven feet tall, towering over most men. This inspired his name Ser Duncan the Tall. His sheer size made Duncan a formidable foe, but under Arlan's tutelage, he became a good fighter with sword, axe, and mace. However, on the way to the Ashford tourney, Arlan dies, so Dunk decides to join the tourney in his stead, claiming to have been knighted, though his story isn't entirely true.
Dunk and Egg — Westeros' Dynamic Duo
After burying the man who raised him, Dunk set off toward the tourney, unaware that his life was about to change. At an inn, he ran into a drunken man and a bald boy. The man claimed to dream of Duncan but was horrified by his appearance. Meanwhile, the boy, "Egg," begged to be Duncan's squire, but Dunk refused. However, he changed his mind after meeting him again at the tourney and learning that he was from King's Landing. Believing Egg to be a boy desperate to get out of Flea Bottom like he once was, Dunk agreed to let him squire during the tourney. But before the event can begin, Dunk the Lunk finds himself in trouble. In preparing for the tourney, Duncan has a puppeteer, Tanselle, paint a shield for him, but when he sees that girl attacked, he rushes to her aid.
The resulting fight pits him against Prince Aerion Targaryen. Duncan may have been killed on the spot if his temporary squire, Egg, didn't reveal himself as Aegon Targaryen. Still, Dunk is arrested because people believe he kidnaped Egg due to Daeron Targaryen's story. Many lies about the situation are told, and Duncan is forced to face a Trial of Seven, which means both the accuser and accused gather six allies for a trial by combat. Duncan struggled to get the people he needed, but Egg helped recruit knights despite the fact that his brother was the opposition. In the end, Duncan won the trial, but many people died in the fight.
After Duncan's victory, Aegon's father, Prince Maeker, offered him land and suggested Aegon remain his squire. Duncan agreed to let Aegon squire for him but wanted to remain a hedge knight to teach Aegon humility. So with Egg in tow, Dunk continued to travel Westeros, still divided from the Blackfyre rebellion thirteen years before, as they served lords and landed knights of every rank. Throughout this time, Egg hid his identity, shaving his head so no one could see his Targaryen blond hair. They shared many adventures, from settling land disputes to preventing another Blackfyre rebellion before it could start. These years Dunk and Egg spent together bonded them for life. Duncan gave Aegon a new perspective, and Aegon's time with Duncan succeeded in teaching him humility, an important lesson for a king. It also taught him to prioritize the smallfolk. As the fourth son of a fourth son, Aegon never expected to be king, but because of his time with Duncan, Aegon became a beloved ruler.
Ser Duncan's Legacy and Connection to 'Game of Thrones'
After Aegon became King, he made Duncan a member of his Kingsguard, meaning Ser Dunk the Lunk achieved his childhood dream. Eventually, the former hedge knight rose to Lord Commander. Egg remained close to Duncan, naming a son after the man. The King only trusted Duncan to escort his brother, Aemon, from the Citadel to the Night's Watch (yes, that Maester Aemon). In his time in the Kingsguard, Duncan fought in the fourth Blackfyre Rebellion, slaying the pretender king himself. He fought as Aegon's champion in a trial by combat when the Baratheon Lord attempted to rebel. Yet he wasn't unbeatable. As Lord Commander, Duncan lost a tourney to a sixteen-year-old Barristan Selmy. Duncan's biggest accomplishment wasn't something he did but rather how he was remembered. Duncan's reputation as a good knight was more than just his skill. It was due to his humility and steadfast dedication to his knight's vows of protecting the innocent. A knight from nowhere who can rise to power while building such a flattering reputation in the unforgiving world of Westeros is certainly a hero worth watching.