A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: How Did Baelor Save Ser Duncan Twice? Explained
Baelor Targaryen saves Ser Duncan twice in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, shaping Westeros’ future at the cost of his own life.
In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Prince Baelor Targaryen isn’t just another noble face in the crowd; he saved Ser Duncan the Tall twice in Episode 5. According to a Reddit thread, Baelor saved Dunk first by standing up for him and second by stopping a deadly battlefield treatment after the Trial of Seven. However, Baelor faced the tragic ending no one expected.
In Episode 5, the Trial of Seven ended with Dunk victorious after forcing Prince Aerion Targaryen to yield. But the celebration was short-lived. During the battle, his brother, Maekar Targaryen, almost accidentally hit Baelor’s head with a mace in the chaos of battle. When Baelor’s helm was removed, the back of his skull was revealed to have been crushed during the melee. He collapsed in Dunk’s arms and died.
Baelor survived the battle itself, likely not realizing the severity of the injury. Meanwhile, Dunk has survived the battle, but he was heavily injured. After the battle, Steely Pate suggested pouring boiling oil into Dunk’s wounds to clean them. Baelor intervened to tell him that he would kill him
The brutal medieval method could have been heavily injurious. Baelor also suggested sending his maester to tend to Dunk after he was done tending to Maekar. Shortly after, he asked Steely Pate to remove his helm. Without Baelor, Dunk might have survived the prince’s blades only to die from a rookie medical disaster. As per George R. R. Martin’s book, the maester and boiling wine did their work as Dunk said, “He saved me once with his sword, and once with a word even though he was a dead man as he stood there.”
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Who Reigns After Baelor’s Death?
Baelor was the eldest son of King Daeron II, making him heir to the Iron Throne. His death destabilizes the Targaryen succession and triggers a chain of tragedies afterwards. After Baelor’s death, his son Valarr becomes his heir. A great sickness spreads across Westeros, and he dies of plague. Further royal heirs perish in accidents and illness: King Daeron II dies, Aerys I dies without an heir, and Aerion dies drinking wildfire.
The crown eventually passes to Maekar I Targaryen. Following Maekar’s death, his son Aegon V Targaryen, also known as Egg, becomes king. Egg enlisted Dunk as the Lord Commander of his Kingsguard. Baelor’s death and his inspiration led him to be a compassionate ruler.
Egg’s reign ultimately ends in tragedy at Summerhall, where a mysterious fire kills the king. It is believed he attempted to hatch dragon eggs, just like Daenerys Targaryen. It is strongly implied that Dunk also dies there while saving Princess Rhaella as she gives birth to Rhaegar, ensuring the continuation of the Targaryen line.
Bertie Carvel Explained Why Baelor Fights for Dunk
After Baelor’s death in episode 5, Baelor’s actor Bertie Carvel reflected on the tragedy of this episode. In a TV Insider interview, Bertie Carvel explained that Baelor’s choice is about moral action, not destiny. He said:
One of the things I like about this story is that it matters what people do from one minute to the next. You don’t come out of the womb predetermined to be good, bad, or ugly. Goodness is as goodness does. When you’re talking with a young boy or girl, the potential for them to be good Aegon or bad Aegon is at its height. It matters when you’re talking to children, I think that’s probably what he thinks. [Baelor] can see in the example of his brothers what [Egg] might become, and I think, has hope for that boy and wants to set a good example
Baelor understands why Maekar fights for Aerion. He loves his brother. But he chooses Dunk’s side to set an example, especially for young Egg. Carvel noted that Baelor sees the potential in children like Egg and wants to model what true honor looks like. Carvel added:
I’ve heard a lot today about Baelor being a good man, and that’s not true until it is. The story is about the fact that you decide from one moment to the next whether you’re going to do the right thing. And what makes the story moving and heroic is when people choose to do the right thing in spite of what they might choose. That seems to me to be an important story to tell right now in a darkening world.
Baelor is not automatically noble, but he chooses to be. That choice costs him his life. If there’s one thing A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms made crystal clear, it’s that honor doesn’t come without a price, exactly following the footsteps of Game of Thrones.
| Show Name | A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms |
| No. of Seasons | 1 |
| Creator | Ira Parker, George R. R. Martin |
| Cast | Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Daniel Ings |
| IMDb | 9/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 93% | 75% |
What do you think of Baelor’s sacrifice and Targaryn legacy in the future? Let us know your thoughts.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is available to stream on HBO Max (US).
