A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Actor Accidentally Spoils Dunk’s Fate in the Books

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The fire at Summerhall remains one of the biggest mysteries in the history of Westeros. On the day Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was born, King Aegon V Targaryen and his knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, perished in the blaze, which many believe was caused by a failed magical ritual. That’s the story fans have known for years. Interestingly, the actor who played Dunk in the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms stories, Dexter Sol Ansell, has shared that George R.R. Martin personally told him what happens to his character at the end of the book series.

Dexter Sol Ansell claims Dunk, a character from the A Song of Ice and Fire universe, actually lives through the devastating fire at Summerhall – a surprising twist that goes against what fans believe and what’s previously been written about the event. Peter Claffey jokingly suggests Ansell might need to be reprimanded for revealing Dunk’s fate in the novella A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Egg Actor Dexter Sol Ansell Confirms George Told Him Dunk Survives the Tragedy at Summerhall

During a recent interview with DECIDER, Dexter Sol Ansell, who plays Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, unintentionally let slip a significant spoiler about what happens to Dunk later in the Dunk and Egg book series. When asked about the Tragedy at Summerhall, Ansell responded…

I recall something about Egg attempting to create dragons at Summerhall, which led to a massive fire. George has told us that Dunk lived through it, but we’re still unsure if Egg did.

Peter Claffey, who plays Dunk, quickly tried to interrupt Ansell to prevent him from revealing any details. When Ansell accidentally let slip some information, Claffey playfully signaled to stop filming and said, “We’re not sure what happened, but let’s finish Season 1 and then we’ll figure things out.”

George R.R. Martin is known for letting his stories evolve organically, often changing his original plans as he writes. This means Dunk might not make it through the events at Summerhall. However, it appears Ansell accidentally revealed a significant plot point – a major ending detail – that we won’t likely discover for many years.

Dunk Surviving Summerhall Changes Everything For A Song of Ice and Fire

The revelation that Dunk lives through the Tragedy at Summerhall, while Egg’s fate remains unknown, is a significant surprise that shifts how fans understand the event. For a long time, most readers of A Song of Ice and Fire believed The Tales of Dunk and Egg would end tragically, with both Ser Duncan the Tall and King Aegon V Targaryen dying in a failed attempt to hatch dragons. Although it was recently confirmed that the dragon-hatching ritual was indeed the cause of the tragedy, no one predicted Dunk would survive.

For a long time, most fans believed Dunk died trying to save Egg in the fire at Summerhall. This belief stemmed from the fact that historical records don’t mention Ser Duncan the Tall doing anything significant after that event. It was generally assumed they both perished. However, George R.R. Martin has since told the actors in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms that Dunk might actually survive. If he does, though, he’ll be left in a condition that prevents him from continuing his life as the renowned Ser Duncan the Tall. Some fans speculate that Dunk could end up going north, beyond the Wall, and become the mysterious character known as Coldhands – a role later played by Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones. This would be similar to how Brynden Rivers transformed into Bloodraven.

There’s a strong possibility Dunk will abandon his knightly status and become a wandering traveler, perhaps even venturing to Essos, essentially becoming a hedge knight once more – a return to his roots. As he ages, Dunk’s life is likely to become increasingly difficult, marked by hardship, loss, and even having to fight and kill former allies. It’s conceivable that by the end of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dunk will be unable to save Egg and will simply leave Westeros, overwhelmed by grief. While we don’t yet know how Dunk will survive the tragedy at Summerhall or what he’ll do afterward, Dexter Sol Ansell’s work has given A Song of Ice and Fire fans plenty of new material for speculation. All hail King Aegon V Targaryen!

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2026-02-14 00:04