Ser Duncan the Tall may be as thick as a castle wall, but he is one of the truest and most honorable knights in Westeros history. When Aerion Targaryen watches Tanselle Too-Hall put on a puppet show that depicts a dragon losing to a knight, he retaliates by destroying her stage and breaking her finger. In a fit of rage, Dunk leaps into action and begins beating Aerion into the ground. Unfortunately, Dunk is only one man, and he is quickly subdued by Aerion's personal guards.
Dunk is only spared when his squire Egg reveals that he is actually Prince Aegon Targaryen, and demands that Aerion's men let Dunk go. Dunk is instead imprisoned and now set to vouch for his life in a Trial of Seven, as demanded by Aerion Targaryen. The Trial of Seven is a rarity in the Game of Thrones universe, and one of the most violent ways of proving someone's innocence – even more so than a regular Trial by Combat.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO Tie-In Edition): A Song of Ice and Fire
What is a Trial of Seven?
A Trial of Seven is a version of Trial by Combat that was brought over to Westeros by the Andals. Unlike a regular Trial by Combat where two knights (either the accused and the accusers, or their champions) fight to the death, a Trial of Seven requires 14 combatants who then duel until one side is either killed off, or the accused or accuser yields. As the name suggests, a Trial of Seven is intrinsically linked to the Faith of the Seven, with the idea being that the Gods will deem who is innocent and guilty based on who survives or wins the trial.
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The Trial of Seven is incredibly rare, and fairly obscure by the time of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. While Maekar Targaryen does know what a Trial of Seven is in The Hedge Knight, the show changes things so that even he is unaware of the custom, being surprised when his son Aerion challenges Dunk to a Trial of Seven in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 4, "Seven".
A Trial of Seven Has Only Happened Twice in Westeros History
Aside from Dunk's Trial of Seven at Ashford Meadow, there has only been one other Trial by Seven in Westeros history. At the height of the Faith Militant Uprising in 42 AC, the Grand Captain of the Noble and Puissant Order of the Warrior's Sons, Ser Damon Morrigen, opposed Targaryen rule by challenging King Maegor I Targaryen to a Trial of Seven. The Faith Militant believed the Targayrens were impure and too sinful to rule Westeros, so Morrigen meant to use the Trial of Seven to kill the king and end their reign once & for all.
Maegor the Cruel's six champions were his Man-at-Arms Dick Bean, Ser Bernarr Brune, Ser Bramm of Blackhull, Ser Rayford Rosby, Ser Guy Lothston, and Lord Lucifer Massey. Morrigen's six champions were his fellow militant brothers, Set Lyle Bracken, Ser Harys Horpe, Ser Aegon Ambrose, Ser Dickon Flowers, Ser Willam the Wanderer, and Ser Garibald of the Seven Stars. Except for King Maegor, who fell into a week-long coma after being heavily wounded, everyone who participated in the Trial of Seven was killed in combat.
Cleganebowl Might Be a Trial of Seven in the Books
In Game of Thrones, Cersei gets out of her trial by igniting the caches of wildfire underneath the Sept of Baelor. The explosion ends up killing all the High Sparrows and Margaery Tyrell, while leading to Tommen's death by suicide, making Cersei the de-factor Queen of Westeros. In the A Song of Ice and Fire books, Cersei's trial is set to happen in The Winds of Winter. Since Cersei's role in the show makes more sense if you consider that she's functionally replaced Aegon VI in the story, it makes sense Cersei won't make it past Winds.
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Many fans have theorized that Cersei's trial in The Winds of Winter will actually be a Trial of Seven. The Trial of Seven happens roughly once every 100 years in the book canon, and there hasn't been one since Dunk's trial at Ashford Meadow. The undead Gregor Clegane is Cersei's primary champion, and The Hound was last seen as a gravedigger affiliated with the Faith of the Seven in A Feast for Crows, meaning that Cleganebowl could happen more organically in the books than it did in Game of Thrones.
- Release Date
- January 18, 2026
- Network
- HBO
- Showrunner
- Ira Parker
- Directors
- Owen Harris
- Writers
- George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Daniel Ings, Henry Ashton, Edward Ashley, Shaun Thomas, Sam Spruell, Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel, Ross Anderson, Danny Collins, Daniel Monks, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Carla Harrison-Hodge, Jenna Boyd, Danny Webb, Tanzyn Crawford
- Franchise(s)
- Game of Thrones
- Creator(s)
- George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker
