A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5, titled “In the Name of the Mother,” arrived on HBO and HBO Max on February 15, 2026, and it immediately changed the game for the entire Game of Thrones franchise. The penultimate episode of the season finally delivered the long-awaited Trial of Seven between Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett). However, the showrunners made a surprising choice by not showing a huge chunk of the battle. Instead, right in the middle of the action, the episode cuts away to a lengthy flashback of Dunk’s traumatic childhood in the slums of King’s Landing. This creative decision left some viewers wanting more bloodshed, but it also added a layer of emotional depth that made the episode’s ending even more devastating .
The Trial of Seven Starts, Then Stops
The episode kicks off with the tension at its peak. Dunk, along with his six champions including Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen (Bertie Carvel), Ser Lyonel Baratheon, and Raymun Fossoway, faces off against Aerion, Prince Maekar, and five Kingsguard. The rules of the Trial of Seven are simple: seven fighters on each side battle until one side can no longer continue. The gods are supposed to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused based on the outcome .
As the combat begins, Dunk charges forward but hesitates for a moment. It is actually his horse, Chestnut, who takes the initiative to move forward after training with Egg. The battle quickly turns ugly. Aerion rams his lance into Dunk’s stomach and then smashes him in the head with a flail, knocking the big knight unconscious. Just as the audience expects to see a grand, epic melee, the screen blurs and the story transports viewers back in time to the aftermath of the First Blackfyre Rebellion .
A Deep Dive into Dunk’s Dark Past in Flea Bottom
The flashback reveals a young Dunk (Bamber Todd) scavenging corpses on the battlefield of the Redgrass Field with his best friend, Rafe (Chloe Lea). They pull teeth and take belongings from dead soldiers to sell for food. This is not the noble world of knights and chivalry; it is the harsh reality of survival in Flea Bottom. Dunk and Rafe dream of scraping together enough coin to buy passage to the Free Cities and escape the endless cycle of poverty and violence .
Rafe serves as the voice of harsh reality. She tells Dunk that powerful people never fix anything, they just blame the poor and move on. After a run-in with a cruel guard named Ser Alester, Rafe steals his wineskin and knife. The guard eventually corners the children. While he lets them go after taking back his wineskin, he notices his knife is missing. In a sudden and brutal act of violence, he slits Rafe’s throat right in front of Dunk, killing her instantly. A spearman then runs a blade through Dunk’s leg, leaving him for dead .
This is where the legendary hedge knight Ser Arlan of Pennytree enters the story. In a drunken stupor, Arlan kills the guards and saves Dunk. The young boy, now with nowhere to go and no one left, silently follows Arlan for days until he collapses from hunger and his wounds. Arlan finally turns around and gives him the command that will define his life: “Get up.” Dunk buries Rafe and begins his new life as Arlan’s squire, a backstory that explains his fierce loyalty and protective nature toward Egg .
The Real Fight: Survival Over Spectacle
When the show cuts back to the Trial of Seven, the battle is not shown as a clean, heroic duel. Instead, director Owen Harris uses a “fog of war” technique. The audience experiences the fight through Dunk’s disoriented perspective, with muffled sounds, screaming, and the ugly crunch of weapons. It is chaotic and terrifying, not glorious .
Aerion is faster and better trained, but Dunk is a survivor from the gutters of Flea Bottom. Every time he is knocked down, the echo of Ser Arlan’s voice and the screaming of Egg from the stands push him to get back up. He discards any knightly form and resorts to headbutting and grappling, using his massive size to wear Aerion down. After taking a relentless beating, Dunk rises one final time and rains down punches on the prince until Aerion publicly yields in the mud, withdrawing his accusation. The trial is over, and Dunk is declared innocent .
The Devastating Death of Prince Baelor Breakspear
The victory turns to ash almost immediately. After the battle, a battered Dunk is taken to the stables where he learns that two of his champions, Ser Humfrey Beesbury and Ser Humfrey Hardyng, have died. Prince Baelor approaches Dunk, appearing to be in good spirits despite the brutal fight. Dunk, overwhelmed with gratitude, kneels and pledges his service, saying, “I am your man” .
Baelor, ever the noble and fair prince, responds that the realm needs good men like Dunk. He then asks for help removing his damaged helm. As Raymun and Steely Pate lift the helmet, the horrifying truth is revealed. The back of Baelor’s skull has been completely crushed by a blow from a mace. The helmet was the only thing holding his head together. As the helmet comes off, part of his skull comes with it, exposing his brain .
Baelor touches the back of his head and says, “My brother’s mace, most like. He’s strong.” He then collapses into Dunk’s arms and dies. The man widely regarded as the best and most honorable prince of his generation, the Hand of the King, and the future of the Targaryen dynasty is gone. Dunk, holding the dying prince, repeatedly whispers, “I’m sorry,” echoing the guilt he has carried since Rafe’s murder .
Why We Didn’t See the Killing Blow
Many viewers wondered why the show did not show the moment Prince Maekar accidentally killed his brother Baelor. Bertie Carvel, who plays Baelor, explained in an interview with Collider that the story stays strictly with Dunk’s point of view. Since Dunk was unconscious or fighting for his life, he did not see the fatal exchange between the Targaryen brothers .
Showrunner Ira Parker also revealed to Entertainment Weekly that the decision to place a flashback in the middle of the fight was made very early on. He acknowledged that it would displease some viewers who just wanted to see the battle, but he felt it was necessary to explain why Dunk refuses to stay down. The flashback provides the emotional context for Dunk’s stubborn endurance .
Fan Reactions to the Unexpected Turn
Fans took to social media immediately after the episode aired, expressing their shock and grief. While many praised the episode as one of the best in the entire Game of Thrones universe, the death of Baelor Breakspear left them distraught .
“All of us at Baelor’s funeral,” one user posted on X, formerly Twitter, along with a crying emoji.
“Baelor Targaryen you will be missed by all,” another fan wrote.
“What I love the most about how A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms portrays Baelor is that he is not just this perfect man who’s inherently good, but rather his goodness and honor is A CHOICE he makes every time,” a viewer shared on social media .
The gruesome nature of Baelor’s death, combined with the brutal murder of young Rafe in the flashback, has led critics to call Episode 5 the most graphic and emotionally heavy installment of the series so far .
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What This Means for the Future of Westeros
Baelor’s death is not just a tragic moment; it is a turning point for the entire Targaryen dynasty. As noted by The Express Tribune, Baelor was the moderating force in the royal family. His passing clears the path for his brother Maekar to eventually take the throne, followed by Maekar’s son Aegon V (Egg), then Jaehaerys II, and finally Aerys II, the Mad King. Without Baelor’s wise and just leadership, the realm slowly slides toward the instability that leads to Robert’s Rebellion and the events of Game of Thrones .
The season finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is scheduled to air on February 22, 2026, at 10:00 PM ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Viewers in the UK can watch it on Sky Atlantic and NOW. Fans in Canada, Australia, and India can also stream the series on HBO Max or local broadcast partners that carry HBO content .
The final episode will likely deal with the immediate aftermath of Baelor’s funeral and the emotional weight carried by Dunk, Egg, and Prince Maekar, who must live with the knowledge that he killed his own brother.
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