- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5 is out now
- The penultimate chapter of this season revolves around the Trial of the Seven
- Viewers had a lot to say about the Game of Thrones the last entry of the show
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5 debuted on HBO Max and many other streaming platforms. And if there were any doubts among fans that this season’s penultimate chapter, titled “Seven,” would be epic and heartbreaking, they were erased within its 30 minutes.
From flashback sequences regarding Dunk’s past to this episode’s emotionally devastating ending, viewers have had a lot to say about “In the Name of the Mother” since it aired. I cannot stress this enough: full spoilers immediately follow for this season’s fifth entryso go back now if you haven’t watched it yet.
Does Ser Baelor die in episode 5 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
Yeah. You don’t get hit in the head with a sledgehammer Game of Thrones (Got) universe – the one that collapses into your skull and helmet, no less – of this magnitude and live to tell the tale.
Anyone who has read The hedge knightaka the first installment of the “Dunk and Egg” trilogy which A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘(AKotSK) the first season is an adaptation of, we will have known that this moment was coming. For everyone, it’s an absolutely heartbreaking storyline that has stunned many dedicated viewers of the HBO Max show.
“Hurts as bad as when I read the books,” ResetEra user GambitPool lamented, before forum colleague Deception simply wrote, “It was brutal… I didn’t expect that ending.”
“Brutal” is a word that many have used to describe Baelor’s death since “Seven” aired on many of the world’s top streaming services, but it’s not the only adjective that comes to many people’s minds.
“Haunting ending,” said ResetEra member SolVanderlyn, while colleague Neen used Baelor’s final words to express how devastating this scene is: “‘My brother’s mace, rather. He’s strong’. Fucking hell.”
Given that Baelor is the heir to the Iron Throne and, for a Targaryen at least, a kind and honorable man, his demise is a hammer blow – or should it be a sledgehammer blow (sorry, too soon…) – to all of humanity. Thrones the universe too.
As some fans have pointed out, the events that have taken place since Dunk attacked Aerion in AKotSK episode 3 led up to this moment. In fact, as ResetEra user Neece wrote: “Prince Baelor’s death for me cost Dunk’s lie that he had been knighted.” The gods found Dunk innocent of the accusations made against him by Aerion and Daeron, but they had to punish him for the lie. Is it worth Dunk to become a great knight if it can cost the kingdom a great king.
For those of you wondering, this is probably when Maekar hit Baelor #AKOTSK #AKnightOfTheSevenKingdom pic.twitter.com/gv1uh4s51rFebruary 16, 2026
That said, the blame cannot be placed directly on Dunk.
Indeed, if Aerion had not called for a Trial of the Seven, if Steffon Fossoway had not betrayed Dunk to fight for Aerion, and/or if Baelor had not joined Dunk’s side at the end of Episode 4, Baelor would have lived and likely become one of the most benevolent leaders in Westeros.
What else are fans saying about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 5?
Despite Baelor’s death, viewers discussed “In the Name of the Mother” as an overall spectacle in the hours following its release.
“It was heartbreaking, maybe one of the most brutal episodes of television I have ever seen,” said one ResetEra member. Domino said, while DanDanderson said, “This show is the first show in a very long time that legitimately makes me scream shit out loud at my TV.”
“This is the first time Game of Thrones where I could feel the weight of the fight,” Reddit user Nick___ added, before Reddit user jarheadsynapze weighed in: “I haven’t been this stressed since [Game of Thrones episode] ‘Battle of the Bastards.'”
AKotSKThe fanbase was, however, divided by one aspect of Episode 5’s plot. That being the flashback sequences to Dunk’s childhood and how he and Ser Arlan first crossed paths.
“I didn’t really like the flashback. I just hate flashback episodes in shows in general,” said ResetEra member JEH, before Neece reappeared to say about the death of Dunk’s childhood friend Rafe: “I just don’t like that the flashback introduces fridging into the conversation this season.”
“Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of the flashback and the cuts to the planning before the trial started,” BossAttack mused, “Especially the whole plan Baelor concocted to arm himself with longer tournament spears rather than war spears.
“The flashback is way darker than anything Dunk thinks about in the books, and of course he’s a lot older here too. It also fails to achieve the main goal of showing Dunk as a brawler in Flea Bottom, and using that brawling, not knightly training, to beat the shit out of Aerion. Instead, he’s basically presented as a super shy boy. I can’t say I like that change.”
Some liked the inclusion of flashbacks. The Reddit post above is proof of that, as is ResetEra’s ThatCrazyGuy: “A beautiful, emotional, dark episode. The violence is visceral and heartbreaking, as someone pointed out. The fights are brutal and desperate, just trying to live. I haven’t read the books. The flashbacks hit me hard, about where Dunk came from and the pain he suffered and what Ser Arlan was talking about.”
If it wasn’t clear by now, there’s only one episode left AKotSKThe first season leaves our screens. But fear not, for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 has been announced and filming has already begun ahead of a 2027 launch date.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
