A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is largely a self-contained story, but Episode 2 does have some teases of the bigger picture and Westeros’ history. In terms of timeline, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place around 90 years before Game of Thrones, and almost 80 years after House of the Dragon. That keeps it largely separate from those two series, although the lack of dragons in the series is in part a consequence of the Dance of the Dragons, so it has still had an impact. But even without direct connections to those shows, it is nonetheless still showing us a key period of the Seven Kingdoms, and that includes the Targaryens.
House Targaryen is introduced in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1, Episode 2, “Hard Salt Beef,” as we meet various members of the family: Baelor, the heir to the Iron Throne; his son, Valarr; Baelor’s brother, Maekar; Maekar’s son, and villain of the piece, Aerion. Aside from these characters, though, is also a tease of their history. At the end of the episode, following the joust, we see Egg practising his own fighting and saying: “Die you Blackfyre bastards.” Earlier, we hear Dunk mention how his mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, fought at the Redgrass Field. These mentions are particularly important, connecting to a key part of the universe’s recent past.
The Blackfyre Rebellion Explained & How It Connects To A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms
The king in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is Daeron II Targaryen, who was the son of Aegon IV, known as Aegon the Unworthy. Late in his reign, Aegon was incredibly corrupt and selfish, and had many disagreements with his heir, who was nothing like his father. Aegon had several bastards, and one of these was Daemon Waters, whom he formally recognized, publicly knighted, and gave the Targaryen Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre to (the king would also legitimize Daemon and all his other bastards on his deathbed). Unlike Daeron, Daemon was every bit a warrior, with some comparing him to Aegon the Conqueror himself.
While Daeron succeeded his father, his rule wasn’t an entirely successful one: he was seen as giving too much influence to Dorne, where his wife was from, and pushes for Daemon to challenge grew. Despite being born a bastard, he was seen by many as the truer Targaryen ruler, with the sword bolstering this. Eventually, in 196 AC (13 years before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), Daemon, who had taken the name Blackfyre for himself at this point, made his claim and started a rebellion.
The Blackfyre Rebellion was a vicious, bloody conflict that lasted for around one year. Like the Dance of the Dragons, this was a civil war that divided the realm: though there was more support for the Targaryens, plenty sided with the rebels of House Blackfyre. Battles were fought across the Seven Kingdoms, from the Vale and riverlands to the westerlands and the Reach. It culminated with the Battle of the Redgrass Field, where 10,000 men are said to have died (giving the field its name), and where Daemon was defeated and killed, ending the rebellion (though no fewer than four more would follow over the decades).
Princes Baelor and Maekar both fought in that battle, as did Ser Arlan. Not only that, but Arlan’s son, Roger, was also a participant, and died in the battle. Without that, Dunk never would’ve become the man’s squire, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms wouldn’t be taking place.
But it’s just as important for House Targaryen: the taste of open rebellion is fresh in the mind, there are still those in Westeros who whisper their support for the Blackfyres, and while the Targrayens won a comprehensive victory, it nonetheless showed they could be opposed. That’s the state the find themselves in, without dragons that for so long made their grasp on power almost impossible to challenge, and part of their participating at the tourney at Ashford Meadow is to remind the realm just who House Targaryen are, to help assert themselves and deliver a showing of strength.
I’ve long thought that the Blackfyre Rebellions would be perfect for a TV show, given it has the right amount of family drama and action. Ideally, this would be an anthology series, with one season for each of the five rebellions. Whether it ever happens is to be seen, but if nothing else, this plants a little seed for it.
What A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Episode 2’s Ending Means For Dunk & Egg
Aside from the mention of the Blackfyres, the ending of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 2 is also notable for both Dunk and Egg suffering a crisis of confidence as the watch the jousts. Dunk becomes visibly disturbed as the action unfolds, interspersed with flashbacks to Arlan, as he questions whether he has what it takes to face off with the knights he sees as greater than him. Likewise, Egg asks to be let down from Dunk’s shoulders, as he is forced to reckon with the difficulty of him handling the lances in the joust given his tender age and small stature.
And yet, both of them rally in the end. This is particularly important for Dunk, who emerges with even greater courage and conviction. He wants to become Arlan’s legacy: having seen as no one remembers the old man’s name, he wants to teach them a lesson about who he really was, and to not underestimate him either. Dunk’s drive is about living up to the standard of Arlan and the ideals of what a true knight should be, something several more noble knights have seemingly forgotten themselves, and he’s more determined than ever to give them a reminder.
New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release on Sundays at 10pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.
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