‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episode 5 ending explained: What happened to Baelor? |
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ delivered a brutal gut punch with the airing of its Episode 5. Prince Baelor Targaryen survives the Trial of Seven, offers guidance to Dunk, then collapses once his helm comes off. The reveal is instant and graphic. Half his skull is gone. Viewers watched a future king fall in seconds, and the shock raced across social media just as fast.
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ trial of seven deaths explained
According to Decider’s reporting, Baelor approaches Dunk after the fight and offers help from his own maester. Dunk pledges himself to the prince. Baelor replies that the realm needs good men. Then he falters.He says his fingers feel like wood. He asks others to remove the helmet and explains that his brother struck him hard in the back of the head. When the steel lifts away, those around him recoil. Baelor turns, and the damage is fatal. He drops.Decider also spoke to actor Bertie Carvel about filming the moment. “It’s great! Death scenes are great because there’s no hiding from the fact that you’re pretending,” he said. “Most actors are terrified of people finding you out, that you’re not who you say you are, which is ridiculous.”Carvel added, “I live in my imagination. I live as fully in my imagination as I do in my flesh.” He continued, “Yeah, somehow pretending to die is quite a profound thing to do.”
Who died in the trial of seven in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
The episode shows chaos from Dunk’s perspective, which leaves some outcomes unclear. In the original novella, three fighters on Dunk’s side die, including Baelor. On screen, the same names fall, though the staging changes.Fans did not take the twist quietly. One viewer wrote, “AM NOT OKAY.” Another posted, “Not again, Bertie Carvel making me cry. This is so f*cking sad.” A third summed up the heartbreak with high praise, writing, “Baelor Breakspear would’ve been the greatest king Westeros ever had. I honestly don’t remember seeing a king with brains, bravery and a good heart like him.”
Others focused on the episode’s emotional peak. One fan said, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms S1E5 just dropped, one of the best episodes yet. Baelor Targaryen’s ‘I need good men, Ser Duncan. The realm…’ line hits hard. True hero. RIP to a legend.”Another kept it simple and raw: “Baelor but valiantly, fought brilliantly and sadly died. One of the best targaryens in the history of westeros. Heartbreaking.”And one reaction captured the mood in a single beat: “So… I’m a widow now.”Set about 100 years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ follows two unlikely travelers on the roads of Westeros. Ser Duncan the Tall is young, green, and brave, with more heart than polish. At his side is Egg, his sharp, small squire with secrets of his own. The story adapts George R. R. Martin’s novella ‘The Hedge Knight’ and drops them into a realm where the Targaryens still rule from the Iron Throne. People still talk about dragons like they were here yesterday. Dunk and Egg keep running into trouble, and trouble keeps finding them.
