Who is the Black Dragon in ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’?

Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5 not only gives viewers a brutal seventh test to prove Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall’s (Peter Claffey) innocence. It also offers an extended flashback to his past as an urchin in Flea Bottom – and that past includes a Westerosi history lesson.

After wandering around the battlefield with his friend Rafe (Dune: Prophecy‘s Chloe Lea), young Dunk (Bamber Todd) comments that “the war is over. The Black Dragon is dead.” But which war is he talking about, and which Targaryen has the title Black Dragon? Let’s break it down.

Knight of the Seven Kingdoms refers to the Blackfire Rebellion.

The war Dunk talks about is known as the Blackfyre Rebellion, a war of the Seven Kingdoms that took place in 196 AC (after Aegon’s victory), 13 years before the Ashford Meadow expedition. Similar to the Dance of Dragons seen in it The House of the BeastThe Blackfyre Rebellion was fought between members of House Targaryen.

On the other side of the battle was King Daeron II Targaryen, still on the Iron Throne at the time Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. His rival was his half-brother Daemon I Blackfyre, a legitimate Targaryen rogue.

Both Daeron II and Daemon were sons of Aegon IV Targaryen, grandson of The House of the BeastRhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith). Prince Daeron’s relationship with his father was strained, as Aegon IV wanted to attack Dorne without targeting it, while Daeron II (married to Dornish Princess Myriah Martell) urged caution.

During this time, Aegon IV gained the position of father of the year by spreading rumors that Daeron II was a bastard and that he would choose a new heir. He became so fond of one of his barren sons, Daemon Waters, that he gave Aegon the Conqueror Blackfyre after winning a tournament at the age of 12. Daemon took Blackfyre as his name after that.

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Aegon IV never appointed a new heir, but he he did approved all his bastard sons on his deathbed in 184 AC, setting the stage for Targaryen chaos. It took 12 years, but in 196 AC, Daemon chose to rebel and made a play for the Iron Throne. His symbol was a black dragon on a red field, the opposite of the usual symbol of House Targaryen, which made him known as the Black Dragon.

Daeron II is ultimately victorious due to a decisive victory at the Battle of Redgrass Field, which Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) references in the song back in episode 3. Both Daemon and his twin sons died in the battle, but they were far from the Blackfyre Pretenders. Some left Westeros for the Free Cities, but returned later to try to claim the Throne for themselves.

Spoiler alert: It doesn’t quite work, but that’s a story for another time (and possibly another season Knight of the Seven Kingdoms).

New episodes of Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Sundays at 10 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.