Game Of Thrones Spoiled The Fate Of Ser Duncan The Tall From A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms

If you'd been under the impression that the most hated "Game of Thrones" villain and his sadistic reign of terror had come to an end with his grisly death, think again. Over a decade ago, Jack Gleeson's Joffrey Baratheon appeared to choke on some pigeon pie at his wedding and rid Westeros of its cruel, sociopathic, and otherwise twisted ruler. ("Tell Cersei, I want her to know it was me," as we all remember from one of the best moments in "Game of Thrones.".) Unfortunately, he's reaching from beyond the grave to once again torture us en masse – this time, by spoiling the broad strokes of the story currently unfolding in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms."

Clearly not satisfied with ruining the plot of "House of the Dragon" for us, the sadistic king has done it again and set up casual viewers for another rude awakening. Fans have noted that, in the season 4 premiere of "Game of Thrones," one sequence reveals key information about Dunk (Peter Claffey) and his ultimate fate. Obviously, spoilers abound for those who'd rather not know anything about what author George R.R. Martin has in store for this hero, or what HBO may be building to with "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" several seasons down the line. For everyone else either already familiar with the source material or unconcerned about getting a little ahead of themselves, read on.

Total Film has provided a timely reminder of this smoking gun, which features Joffrey leafing through the pages of the Book of the Brothers, a complete record of the Kingsguard knights. While doing so, he comes upon one particular individual who we've only just gotten to know: Ser Duncan the Tall. Yes, our humble hedge knight is, in fact, destined for greater things.

It's funny how much one throwaway line reveals so much. In "Game of Thrones," Joffrey merely observes that the name "Ser Duncan the Tall" appears in the so-called White Book, heralding the deeds and lives of all the realm's Kingsguard knights. "Four pages for Ser Duncan. He must've been quite a man," he says with no other details offered up. Still, just from that one exchange, we know that this total nobody who's taken the lead in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" will eventually rise up to become one of an exclusive few honored with the rank of Kingsguard knight — a title traditionally reserved for the best, noblest, and most fearsome warriors in all of the Seven Kingdoms.

What's even more amusing is that Joffrey goes even further and gives away the game regarding yet another character. Once again, those who would rather not be exposed to spoilers for season 1 of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" ought to stop reading here. To everyone else, allow us to regale you with the story of one of the most colorful members of the Targaryen clan.

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" viewers have only briefly met Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett), the young princeling on horseback who has a significant role to play in the episodes to come. Well, thanks to loudmouthed Joffrey, we already know exactly what happens to him. In the very same scene where he blurts out the ending of "House of the Dragon," he excitedly explains the circumstances behind Aerion's eventual death: "Aerion Brightflame, they called him. He thought drinking wildfire would turn him into a dragon. He was wrong."

Even if you've made it this far and thoroughly spoiled "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" for yourself (or, you know, just have a solid memory of "Game of Thrones"), not all hope is lost. The "Game of Thrones" prequel/spin-off series is obviously a departure from the rest of the franchise, but it stands apart in more than just tone and scale. More than either "Game of Thrones" or "House of the Dragon," the literal narrative beats are almost a secondary concern. In author George R.R. Martin's "Dunk & Egg" novellas, these episodic short stories are much more focused on spinning a somewhat conventional fantasy yarn set amid the rough-and-tumble world of Westeros. And it's through the growth and experiences of Dunk and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), combined with how they brush up against larger and more important events in the Seven Kingdoms, that provides so much entertainment value.

Knowing certain details ahead of time about Ser Duncan the Tall or Aerion is one thing — but seeing how they reach those points is quite another. While there's no guarantee that Martin will ever actually finish his novellas, it's possible "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" will progress beyond his published works and adapt the dozen or so other "Dunk & Egg" tales that the author has loosely planned. Should that happen, rest assured that there are plenty more reveals, twists, and bittersweet endings to come ... some of which may help tee things up for "Game of Thrones" and the novel series "A Song of Ice and Fire" in surprising ways.

Until then, new episodes of "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" air on HBO and stream on HBO Max every Sunday.