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what happens in the trial of seven

In George R.R. Martin’s world, a “trial of seven” (also called trial by seven) is a rare, extreme form of trial by combat tied to the Faith of the Seven.

What a trial of seven is

  • It is a sacred, knightly version of trial by combat used to decide guilt or innocence.
  • Instead of one-on-one, it is seven vs seven : the accused plus six champions against the accuser (or their side) plus six champions.
  • Victory is believed to show the will of the gods, so the outcome is treated as divine judgment.

What happens during the trial

  1. The accused demands (or is granted) a trial of seven instead of an ordinary judgment.
  1. Each side must recruit six knights to fight with them, making seven in total. If the accused cannot find six willing fighters, they are automatically judged guilty.
  1. The two groups of seven meet in a designated field or list and fight with real weapons until one side is completely defeated (dead or having yielded), or until a leader yields or accusations are withdrawn.
  1. If the accuser’s side is beaten or yields, the accused is declared innocent; if the accused dies, yields, confesses, or cannot form a full seven, they are judged guilty.

Famous example: Ashford Meadow (Dunk & Egg)

A well-known trial of seven happens at Ashford Meadow in the Dunk & Egg story “The Hedge Knight,” which the new series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is drawing on.

  • Hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall is accused of crimes (including supposedly kidnapping young Prince Aegon).
  • Prince Aerion Targaryen demands harsh punishment, and events lead to a trial of seven being called.
  • Duncan manages to gather six champions, including Prince Baelor Targaryen, while Aerion fights with six of his own side.
  • The battle is brutal: several knights die or are gravely wounded in the clash.
  • In the end, Duncan’s side prevails; Aerion withdraws his accusation, so Duncan is declared innocent.
  • However, Prince Baelor is mortally wounded (struck in the head by his brother Maekar), turning the “victory” into a tragedy and leaving Duncan guilt-ridden over the cost.

Why it matters now / “latest news”

The idea of “what happens in the trial of seven” is trending again because:

  • The upcoming/ongoing A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms show centers on Dunk and Egg, building up to the Ashford trial of seven, so fans are debating how closely the show will adapt the bloody details.
  • Lore-focused articles and videos are revisiting:
    • The rules (seven knights vs seven knights, divine judgment).
* The two famous historical trials of seven: Maegor the Cruel vs the Faith Militant, and Duncan’s trial at Ashford.

* Speculation on whether we might see more trials of seven in future _Game of Thrones_ –universe stories.

Quick TL;DR

  • A trial of seven is a 7‑on‑7 sacred trial by combat, where the outcome decides guilt or innocence.
  • If the accused wins (or the accuser yields), they are innocent; if they die, yield, confess, or fail to find six allies, they are guilty.
  • In the famous Dunk & Egg trial, Duncan survives and is cleared, but key allies die, especially Prince Baelor, making it a pyrrhic victory that still shapes Westerosi history.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.