why did baelor fight for duncan

Baelor “Breakspear” fought for Duncan the Tall at Ashford Meadow because he believed Duncan was in the right, wanted to protect a man who had defended the weak, and valued justice and honor over family politics.

Quick Scoop: Why Baelor Fought for Duncan

• Duncan attacked Prince Aerion to protect Tanselle, an innocent puppeteer who was being abused. Baelor saw this as the act of a true knight defending the helpless.

• Aerion then demanded a trial of seven, forcing Duncan to find six allies to fight beside him or automatically forfeit.

• Duncan could only find five champions, so Baelor himself stepped in as the seventh, even though Aerion was his own nephew and a fellow Targaryen prince.

Baelor explicitly states his reasoning: Duncan had “protected the weak, as every true knight must,” and Baelor was willing to let the gods decide if he was right or wrong. That line captures his core motivation: honor over blood.

A Bit More Context

• Baelor already respected Duncan because he remembered Duncan’s old master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, whom Baelor had once jousted against.

• As crown prince and an experienced Hand of the King, Baelor had the authority to influence the outcome, but instead of quietly fixing things, he chose to stand beside Duncan in open combat, making a public moral stand.

• He knew Duncan was innocent of any real wrongdoing and privately advised him before the trial, which shows this wasn’t a rash decision but a thoughtful act of justice.

Tragically, Baelor died from a head injury sustained during the melee, struck unintentionally by his brother Maekar’s mace, meaning his choice to fight for Duncan cost him his life—but it ensured Duncan’s survival and future importance in the realm.

TL;DR: Baelor fought for Duncan because Duncan had bravely defended an innocent victim, and Baelor, as a deeply honorable prince, chose justice and knighthood’s true ideals over family loyalty and politics, even at the cost of his own life.

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