'A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms': Everything You Need To Know About Dunk And Egg, And How They Connect To Some 'Game Of Thrones' Favourites

It's an exciting time to be a fan of the Game of Thrones universe. The series second spin-off, A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms, set to debut it's first season on January 18, 2026, has already been renewed for a second season, currently set to air in 2027.

The new series, based on George R.R Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, is set 70 years after the events currently unfolding in House of The Dragon, and 100 years before Game of Thrones. It will focus on the early adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a legendary night often referenced in Game of Thrones, and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), actually the disguised Prince Aegon Targaryen.

As A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms is fewer generations removed from Game of Thrones, it is easier to more directly trace the lineage from this series' leads to the Game of Thrones characters we all know and love. Here's everything you need to know about Dunk and Egg, and how they are connected to some Game of Thrones fan favourites.

Ser Duncan the Tall

The man that would become the legendary knight Ser Duncan the Tall came from humble beginnings, as an orphan in Fleabottom. Then known as Dunk, the boy, tall for his age even as a child, was taken on as a Squire by the Hedge Knight Ser Arlan Pennytree, and served with him for many years, developing an ambition to become a Knight of the Kingsguard.

When Ser Arlan unexpectedly dies while travelling to a Tourney in Ashford, Dunk, claiming Ser Arlan knighted him before his death (the novellas leave the truth of the matter ambiguous), Dunk decides to journey on and compete in his Master's stead. It is in the lead up to this Tourney that he meets Egg, who assumes 'Dunk' is short for Duncan. Dunk does not correct him, naming himself Ser Duncan the Tall. Without majorly spoiling events set to unfold in season one of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dunk and Egg bond, and Dunk agrees to take the young Prince as his Squire.

Some years later, when Egg is unexpectedly crowned as King Aegon V, Ser Duncan achieves his dream when he is named to Aegon V's Kingsguard, of which he eventually becomes Lord Commander. Tragically, Ser Duncan and his King died together in a tragic fire at Summerhall, a secondary Targaryen-held castle. However, the little information that exists about the fire implies that more lives would have been lost if not for Duncan's heroism.

By the time of Game of Thrones, Ser Duncan is remembered as a hero, with multiple pages dedicated to his chivalrous deeds in the Crown's record of past Kingsguard Knights. He is an idol of Jaime Lannister.

In the Game of Thrones books, a shield bearing Ser Duncan's personal coat of arms (an elm tree with a green shooting star) is stored in House Tarth's armory, and Brienne of Tarth paints the same image, from memory, on her own shield to move undisturbed through crowds. George R.R Martin has implied that a connection to Ser Duncan exists somewhere along Brienne's bloodline, explaining her unusual height and stature.

There are also rumours whispered at Winterfell that Hodor could be a relative of Duncan the Tall, but this may just be a joke related to Hodor's size.

Egg/Prince Aegon

Prince Aegon, nicknamed Egg, was the son of Prince Maekar Targaryen, eventually King Maekar I. Maekar was the fourth son of King Daeron II Targaryen, and Aegon was Maekar's fourth son. As such, it was believed extremely unlikely that either Maekar or Aegon would become King, and when Ser Duncan offered the condition that he would only take Egg as his Squire if he were allowed to take him on the road, the request was much more easily granted than if Egg had been a more direct heir to the throne. In fact, Egg's third elder brother, Prince Aemon, was sent to train as a Maester for a similar reason, to prevent competition between too many Targaryen heirs.

However, a series of tragedies in the Targaryen line led to Maekar being crowned, and when Egg's two eldest brothers, Daeron and Aerion, predeceased their Father, Maekar was left without an obvious direct heir upon his own death. When Aemon rejected the throne in favor of upholding his vows as a Maester, a great council crowned Egg as Aegon V, often dubbed Aegon the Unlikely.

During his reign, Aegon V was mostly seen as a good King, enacting many laws and protections in favour of the Smallfolk, whom he had lived among during his childhood on the road with Ser Duncan. However, he also had to deal with a number of uprisings, which were more difficult now that House Targaryen no longer had Dragon power to fall back on. Aegon developed a minor obsession with hatching new dragons. It is believed that Aegon V was trying to hatch dragon eggs during the fire of Summerhall that claimed the lives of Aegon, Ser Duncan, and Aegon's eldest son, Prince Duncan.

On a few occasions throughout Game of Thrones, Egg is discussed by his elder brother, Maester Aemon, usually with Jon Snow, unknowing that Jon is also secretly a Targaryen. Aegon was the closest to Aemon of his older brothers, and it was Aemon who originally gave him the nickname Egg, though also encouraged him to give the nickname up upon becoming King. His decision to join the Night's Watch was made to prevent himself from being used in any plots against Aegon's rule. When Aemon is ill and dying in later episodes, he often mistakes Gilly's baby son, Little Sam, for Egg.

As well as his relationship to Aemon, Aegon V is the Great Grandfather of Queen Daenerys Targaryen, and the Great-Great Grandfather of Jon Snow. Jon's Father, and Daenerys's eldest brother, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, was born in the midst of the fire at Summerhall that killed Aegon V. The family gathering that preceded the tragedy was initially intended as a celebration of Rhaegar's impending birth.

We can't wait to see the early adventures of Dunk and Egg when A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms hits screens next year!