Upon meeting Ser Duncan the Tall, his primary motivation is immediately apparent: honor. He is determined to become a respected knight, leading him to compete at Ashford Meadow, but only after politely securing a sponsor. Ironically, this very sense of honor becomes his flaw. When Dunk witnesses an attack on Tanselle during her performance, his commitment to defending the innocent (and the girl he admires) compels him to intervene and strike the prince.
However, the newest episode suggests Dunk’s chivalrous devotion may have answered a major question about his history: was he ever truly a knight?
Warning! Spoilers ahead for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 4!
Although flashbacks detail Dunk’s time as a squire for Ser Arlan Pennytree, they never show his knighting ceremony. We see extensive scenes of Ser Arlan and a montage of Dunk being disciplined, but the pivotal event of their relationship is conspicuously absent.
This omission has prompted fans to question whether Ser Arlan ever knighted Dunk, or if Dunk simply assumed the title after his mentor died. As Dunk informed the Game Master, no one witnessed his knighting, and in the flashback, Ser Arlan merely spat when asked if Dunk would become a knight.
In Episode 4, Dunk must take part in a trial of seven, requiring him to enlist six fighters. He believes Ser Steffon Fossoway will help gather support, but is betrayed when Steffon joins the opposing side in exchange for a lordship. With Prince Aegon’s assistance, Dunk assembles a few more companions, but still falls short. Raymun Fossoway, Steffon’s “unripe” cousin, requests that Dunk knight him so he can join the fight, stating that any knight can create a knight.
Yet Dunk pauses before speaking the vows. Initially, it’s ambiguous whether he hesitates to protect his friend from peril or because he feels unworthy to confer knighthood, but given Dunk’s principled nature, the latter seems more likely. Ser Lyonel Baratheon notices his reluctance, and Dunk allows him to knight Raymun instead, offering further proof of Dunk’s own doubts.
This enigma exists in the original books, too. After Ser Arlan’s burial, Dunk considers finding another knight to serve, an odd thought for a freshly dubbed knight. The novel The Hedge Knight notes that Dunk “knew what it was like to want something so badly that you would tell a monstrous lie just to get near it.” Additionally, George R. R. Martin once stated at an event that Dunk was never knighted, though this remark isn’t considered official canon.
An answer may come eventually, but since the books leave it unresolved, the show will probably avoid a definitive declaration. Ultimately, however, does it change anything? Dunk possesses more honor than Aerion Targaryen and Ser Steffon Fossoway could ever hope to attain, and that is the true essence of knighthood, not a formal rite.