you watch a knight of the seven kingdoms and you hear that lyonel’s character was a bit embellished upon compared to the books. and then you start the books and you see that his character and everything he does outside of the trial of the seven was basically conjured out of thin air. and the only other thing in the show that’s expanded upon as much as this is dunk’s flashback to fleabottom. so now you have two elements of this show that are heavily expanded upon, that draw attention in the same way; ser arlan, the first knight to take dunk into his service and lyonel, the first knight who’s service dunk refuses. and these things are framed with equal importance!! both were deemed worthy enough to dedicate a not insignificant amount screen time to!!
i definitely believe dunk compares himself to arlan, with how he tries to embody arlan’s teaching style, how he tries to give egg what arlan gave him. but i see the most similarities between arlan and lyonel; both drunks, both unbothered, both men who keep moving forward, both see a just cause and get behind it without hesitation, both men who met dunk once and essentially swore themselves to him. but dunk never left arlan, and he never joins lyonel to begin with. two men nearly the same in all but station, and dunk can’t take the same path he took before, can’t be the loyal subordinate any longer. he has a baby dragon to teach. he has to be the knight now, has to let himself grow and let go of his childhood fantasy of serving a great lord and earning glory
