Dunk & Egg's Adventure Begins

Warning! Spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1 ahead! A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has officially begun Dunk and Egg’s on-screen adventures with its first episode. Based on the Dunk and Egg novellas by George R.R. Martin, this Game of Thrones spinoff has a significantly different tone than its predecessors. This is beautifully demonstrated within the first five minutes of episode 1 when, just as we thought there would be a dramatic Game of Thrones-style title sequence, Dunk took an explosive dump on screen.

The ridiculousness only continued from there in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1. However, this introductory installment wasn’t lacking in heartwarming or inspiring moments. After his defication, Dunk headed toward the nearest tourney, determined to claim victory at the lists as a new young knight. Before he can compete, however, Dunk must find a knight or lord to vouch for him, and this proves rather difficult.

Prior to his search for anyone who remembers his late master, Ser Arlan, Dunk meets a shockingly bald young boy named Egg. He begrudgingly (though maybe not as much as he pretended) takes the child as a squire, promising to treat him well so long as Egg works hard. It’s the start of what’s sure to be a beautiful relationship in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, though they will first have to overcome that major obstacle.

Dunk Still Needs A Knight To Vouch For Him After A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Ep 1

Dunk may have a squire, but he isn’t yet recognized as a knight in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. For Ser Duncan the Tall to compete in the tourney, he must find a knight or lord who will vouch for him. In episode 1, Dunk took his chances with Ser Manfred Dondarrion, since Ser Arlan had served the man’s father in battle. Unfortunately, Ser Dondarrion is a complete jerk. He was unwilling even to try to remember Arlan or his squire.

One of the more comical sequences of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1 was Dunk’s interaction with Ser Lyonel Baratheon, the Laughing Storm. The pair really hit it off, but since this lord knows nothing of Dunk’s past or knighthood, there’s little he can do to help. Going into episode 2, Dunk is no closer to finding someone to vouch for him than before. However, the shooting star he and Egg spotted in the final moments of episode 1 is a sign of fortune to come.

The Real Meaning Of Dunk & Egg’s Shooting Star Explained

Peter Claffey's Ser Duncan and Dexter Sol Ansell's Egg lying down looking at the stars in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — Peter Claffey’s Ser Duncan and Dexter Sol Ansell’s Egg lying down looking at the stars in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Ser Duncan the Tall is even more penniless than the typical hedge knight. So, rather than slumbering in a pavilion, he and Egg settle down under an elm tree at the end of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1. Staring up at the open sky, the pair catch sight of a shooting star. Egg notes that it’s good luck, leading Dunk to realize that this omen is for them alone.

Dunk and Egg may be in rags on the ground, but it’s because of these humble circumstances that they alone get to claim the luck of that shooting star.

This is a meaningful way to wrap up the end of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1 while establishing the bond between Dunk and Egg. The idea here is that these underdogs are far more fortunate than those wealthy lords and knights staring up at the canopies of their tents. Dunk and Egg may be in rags on the ground, but it’s because of these humble circumstances that they alone get to claim the luck of that shooting star.

How Egg Ends Up Being Dunk’s Squire Explained

Dunk and Egg in a stable in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Dunk met Egg in the stables of the tavern he stopped at on the way to the tourny. He discovered that the innkeeper wasn’t the boy’s mother, as he had initially assumed, and therefore determined that Egg was an orphan like himself (though Egg never confirmed it). Though Dunk sympathised, he turned down Egg’s request to be his squire. He tossed the boy a coin and went on his way, but Egg was clearly determined.

After Dunk’s desperate attempts to get someone to vouch for him in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1, he returned to his elm tree to find Egg there cooking dinner. It was then that Dunk gave in and accepted Egg as his squire.

We see throughout A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ first episode that Dunk loved the knight he had served. Before Ser Arlan made him his squire, Dunk had been an orphan on the streets of Flea Bottom. The knight had given him purpose, and there’s a sense in this episode that Dunk sees an opportunity to do the same for Egg. This is reflected in his promise to do all for Dunk that he thanked Ser Arlan for in his eulogy.

Did Ser Arlan Really Knight Dunk In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms?

Dunk riding a horse in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Dunk’s primary goal in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 1 may be to find a knight or lord to vouch for his knighthood, but there are hints throughout this stage of the story that he isn’t being entirely truthful. According to Dunk, Ser Arlan knighted him on his deathbed. However, despite the frequent flashbacks in this episode, we never see any such moment. Instead, every memory of Ser Arlan suggests that he had no intention of making his squire a knight.

It’s pretty likely that Dunk is lying in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Had he been knighted, he wouldn’t have spent those early moments of episode 1 deciding what his next move would be. His determination implies that heading to the tourney was a risky endeavor. Still, Dunk knows that it would only take one victory to solidify his status. Of course, the fact that Dunk very likely isn’t a true knight only makes his goal to find someone to vouch for him seemingly impossible. It will take A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 2 to determine precisely how he will pull this off.