A new fan theory has surfaced online, speculating that Ser Duncan the Tall, aka Dunk, from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is related to Game of Thrones‘ Hodor. While the books never explicitly mention that the two are connected, there have been certain details in the source material that could prove the theory to be true.
Here’s a breakdown of what the theory suggests.
Is Dunk related to Hodor from Game of Thrones?
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiered on January 18 on HBO Max. It adapts George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. The prequel show tells the tale of a hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, who takes a young boy named Egg as his squire.
After the premiere, fans have dug deep into the lore to understand whether Dunk is connected to Game of Thrones’ Hodor. The theory isn’t based on the height of the two characters, but rather on subtle hints in the book.
Hodor, whose birth name is Walder in the books, is known to be the great-grandson of Old Nan, the elderly servant at Winterfell. Many readers believe Old Nan once had a romantic connection with Dunk, which would make Hodor Dunk’s great-grandson. While the HBO series skipped some of the details, readers have pointed to a scene that supports this theory.
In one of Bran Stark’s visions in the books, he witnesses a scene at Winterfell involving a young knight described as being as tall as Hodor. During the scene, the knight is seen sharing an intimate moment with a brown-haired girl. Although the girl is never identified as Old Nan, the knight’s impressive height is regarded as a key clue. If the couple is indeed Old Nan and Dunk, then Hodor could be a descendant of the knight (via Dexerto).
Furthermore, this theory gained validity, connecting what George R. R. Martin said in a 2014 blog post that a fourth novella in the Tales of Dunk and Egg series was set in Winterfell, when both Dunk and Egg arrive at the castle. While the current books haven’t established the connection, there is a possibility that the future books can.
