The expansion of the journey of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO is bringing back to the attention of longtime Game of Thrones fans one of the most silent mysteries of the saga. The narrative of Dunk takes place almost 100 years prior to the War of the Five Kings, but his dark cloud is large in the sky over the existing and beloved characters.

One of them is a knight, Brienne of Tarth, who is characterized by honor, endurance, and a sense of duty, which are usually out of place in a savage world. The relevance of the parallels between Brienne and Dunk has long been a subject of debate, and the new series can finally bring the topic into the limelight without being overt with its declarations.

Yes, Brienne of Tarth is related to Ser Duncan the Tall. George R.R. Martin confirmed that Brienne is a descendant of Dunk, ending years of speculation among readers and viewers. While Game of Thrones itself never explicitly reveals this on-screen, the confirmation reframes Brienne’s entire arc in a fascinating way.

The clues were always there. Both Dunk and Brienne are described as unusually tall, immensely strong, and deeply committed to a knightly code that others mock or dismiss. Even their narrative pairings echo one another: Dunk and Egg mirror Brienne and Podrick, reinforcing the idea that history quietly repeats itself in Westeros. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms does not need to name Brienne outright to strengthen this connection; it only needs to show who Dunk becomes.

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How does Duncan the Tall’s story in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shape Brienne’s legacy?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms chronicles Dunk’s rise from an orphan in Flea Bottom to one of the most respected knights in Westeros. Unlike noble-born warriors, Dunk earns his place through moral conviction rather than lineage, repeatedly choosing what is right over what is expected.

In that quest, he ends up becoming the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, which is a position that requires duty, sacrifice, and bravery above all. Brienne is a representation of those values centuries later in a world that proudly scoffs at them. Her hardships, seclusion, and non-conformity are not an accident, but more of an inheritance.

The relationship between Brienne of Tarth and Duncan the Tall is more than a line in the family tree; it is a plot line that links Game of Thrones to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The tale of Dunk tells us how Brienne got her unswerving code, and why she is an out-of-place female in an ugly world that has forgotten the meaning of honor.

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Do you think A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms should finally reveal how Brienne and Duncan are related? Let us know in the comments below!