Episode 4 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms just aired, and fans are loving the direction of the series. This will be a breakdown of what could be coming next in the series, based on the books.
Warning: This article will contain spoilers about the identities of Egg and Ser Duncan, along with potential future events in the series.
One of the great parts about a show like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and Game of Thrones before that, is that there are many ways to enjoy it. Viewers can either sit down, watch the episode, and then wait until next week, or they can dive deep into the world. Outside of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series that inspired Game of Thrones, there are three different books about the adventures of Dunc and Egg.
Viewers can decide for themselves whether they want to wait to see where the story goes or learn as much as possible about these characters while watching the series. The true identity of Egg was already revealed at the end of Episode 3, and there is a much deeper dive into his character in Episode 4. This is a final spoiler warning before exploring even more about Egg and Ser Duncan’s characters.
Who is Egg?
Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is actually Prince Aegon Targaryen. That is revealed at the end of Episode 3, when Egg stops his brother, Prince Aerion, from attacking Dunc. Egg hates his brothers, which is why he shaved off his head and ran away with Dunc. He was hoping to have some normalcy in his life and get away from his evil brothers. However, it didn’t take long for Egg to have no choice but to reveal his true identity.
Egg ends up becoming the King of the Seven Kingdoms when he grows up, after a series of untimely deaths in his family. Despite his reluctance to be a Targaryen during his childhood, he later embraces his powerful name and rules over the seven kingdoms. Not much is detailed about Egg’s actual reign as king in the books, but he is not thought of as a particularly cruel king. He made some mistakes and enemies along the way, but compared to other members of his family, he was a decent ruler.
How is Egg Related to Game of Thrones?
There are plenty of connections from Egg to Game of Thrones. Egg’s brother is Maester Aemon in Game of Thrones, the maester working at Castle Black when Jon Snow arrives at the wall. In the series, Aemon actually speaks to Egg on his deathbed. He is clearly having visions of his childhood with his younger brother.
Egg is the grandfather of the Mad King, King Aerys. That also makes him the great-grandfather of Queen Daenerys Targaryen. Of course, that also makes Egg the great-grandfather of Daenerys’ brother, Prince Rhaegar, who was secretly Jon Snow’s real father. That makes Jon Snow, also named Aegon Targaryen at birth, the great-great-grandson of Egg. So, Egg’s legacy runs deep in the universe of Game of Thrones.
Who is Ser Duncan the Tall?
Ser Duncan the Tall is the other main character in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Dunc is a hedge knight, meaning he does not work for a single house or castle. He simply goes wherever he is needed. At least that would be the case if he ever actually got to exist as a hedge knight. His unlikely friendship with Egg changes the course of his life. Ser Duncan goes off with Prince Aegon after the Ashford Meadow tournament and gets into many adventures with the prince.
Once Egg becomes King Aegon, Dunc is appointed to his Kingsguard and eventually becomes Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Ser Duncan ends up playing a pivotal role in some major events in this universe. He slew Daemon III Blackfyre in the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion. He also killed Lyonel Baratheon, a key figure in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms so far, in a trial by combat.
Dunc has a couple of connections to the Game of Thrones universe as well. While Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, he loses in a tourney to Barristan Selmy. Barristan Selmy ends up becoming Lord Commander of the Kingsguard himself for Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones.
Ser Duncan is also mentioned by name once in Game of Thrones. In Season 4, King Joffrey is reading through the White Book, which is a history of all of the great knights of Westeros. He is taunting his uncle/father, Jaime Lannister, stating that he barely gets mentioned in the book. He mocks him by comparing his brief mention to Ser Duncan the Tall, who has four pages in the White Book. “Must have been quite a man,” Joffrey said.
How Do Dunc and Egg Die?
Dunc and Egg meet a tragic death side by side. Prince Duncan, Egg’s firstborn son and namesake of his best friend Ser Duncan, tragically dies alongside them. The trio all perished in the Tragedy at Summerhall. The books never detail exactly what happened, but it implies that Egg was pushing the boundaries to try to bring dragons back. Egg was desperate to find a way to resurrect dragons from extinction and would travel far and wide.
Ser Barristan Selmy mentions that sorcery was involved. Egg, his best friend and his eldest son, all likely died because of his foolish ambition to bring back dragons. In this universe, that is a very Targaryen way to go.
FAQs
What is Egg’s real name?
Egg’s real name is Prince Aegon Targaryen. Later in life, he becomes King Aegon V Targaryen.
Does Egg become king of the seven kingdoms?
Egg does become the king of the seven kingdoms. Not much is known about how he ruled, but his ambition to bring back dragons results in the demise of both him and Ser Duncan the Tall.
How many episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will there be?
There will only be six episodes in this first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. However, due to the massive success of this season, there will surely be a second season. There are three novellas detailing the adventures of Dunc and Egg, so there is plenty more for the showrunners to unpack.
When does Episode 5 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms air?
Episode 5 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will air at the normal time, 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 15th, on HBO and HBO Max. Episode 4 was released on Friday, Feb. 6th, to avoid competition with the Super Bowl. So, there will be a longer wait than normal for fans of the show to get the next episode.
