A major character from the original Game of Thrones series gave away the ending for two central figures in the new prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Years before the new show debuted, the cruel boy-king Joffrey Baratheon casually revealed the ultimate destinies of Ser Duncan the Tall and Prince Aerion Targaryen. This information has been part of the show’s lore for over a decade, providing a unique perspective for viewers who know where the road leads for the young hedge knight and his royal squire.
How Game of Thrones Revealed Dunk and Aerion’s Futures
The spoilers came during two separate scenes in the original series. In Season 4, Episode 1, Joffrey is shown the White Book, the official record of the Kingsguard knights. He flips through its pages and stops at a particular entry.
“Ser Duncan the Tall,” Joffrey says with a laugh. “Four pages for Ser Duncan! He must have been quite a man.”
This single line reveals that the lowly hedge knight viewers meet in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will one day rise to become a member of the Kingsguard. This is an elite order of seven sworn knights tasked with protecting the king, a position of immense honor and renown in Westeros. The fact that his entry spans four pages suggests a lifetime of legendary deeds.
An even earlier spoiler came in Game of Thrones Season 3. In that scene, Joffrey is giving Margaery Tyrell a tour of the Red Keep and points out an urn containing the ashes of a Targaryen prince.
“Aerion Brightflame, they called him,” Joffrey explains. “He thought drinking wildfire would turn him into a dragon. He was wrong.”
This confirms the grim and bizarre fate of Prince Aerion Targaryen, a character who becomes a significant antagonist in the new series. Played by Finn Bennett, Aerion is one of the princelings Dunk and Egg encounter at the tourney at Ashford Meadow.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Offers a Different Vibe
Despite these known destinies, the new show carves out a very different space in the world of Westeros. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on George R.R. Martin’s series of novellas often called the “Tales of Dunk and Egg.” The story is set about a century before the events of Game of Thrones and roughly 100 years after House of the Dragon.
The show is a notable departure in tone and scale from its predecessors. It is described as a buddy comedy and a more grounded, character-focused story. The series follows the adventures of Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall, a humble and inexperienced hedge knight played by Peter Claffey, and his clever squire Aegon “Egg” Targaryen, played by Dexter Sol Ansell.
Critics and fans have pointed out what the show deliberately lacks compared to other series in the franchise: no dragons, no sprawling maps in the title sequence, no dense family trees, and a significantly lighter tone. The focus is on the lives of common people, or “smallfolk,” rather than the endless political scheming of the highborn nobility.
The show’s creator, Ira Parker, along with George R. R. Martin, have crafted a six-episode season that is faster-paced, with episodes averaging around 35 minutes. The story is largely confined to a single location—the tourney at Ashford—creating a more intimate and focused narrative.
Why Knowing the Ending Does Not Spoil the Journey
For some viewers, knowing that Dunk will eventually join the Kingsguard and that Aerion will die drinking wildfire might seem like major spoilers. However, the heart of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is not in shocking, unexpected endings. The story’s strength lies in the journey and the development of the relationship between Dunk and Egg.
The series explores how a poor, lowborn knight like Dunk grows into the legendary figure mentioned in the White Book. It shows the formative experiences that teach him about true honor, courage, and nobility—lessons he carries from his mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and learns alongside his loyal squire.
Similarly, witnessing the arrogant and cruel behavior of Prince Aerion in his youth makes his eventual bizarre demise feel like a fitting conclusion to his character’s arc, rather than a spoiler. The show provides the crucial context and story that the brief mentions in Game of Thrones could not.
The chemistry between the two leads has been widely praised. Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell bring a classic comedy duo dynamic to the screen, with the towering, gentle Dunk playing off the small, sharp-witted Egg. George R.R. Martin himself has expressed his approval of the casting, reportedly telling Ansell, “You are perfect. You are Egg.”
Also Read:
The Bigger Picture in Westeros History
While Dunk and Egg’s personal story is front and center, their adventure intersects with major historical events. The tourney at Ashford Meadow draws powerful figures from great houses like Baratheon, Tyrell, and Targaryen. The consequences of their actions there, including a tragic trial by combat, are said to have geopolitical ramifications that ripple through the decades, affecting the realm even when the original Game of Thrones begins.
The series has already been renewed for a second season, which began filming in Belfast in December 2025 and is expected to be released in 2027. This indicates HBO’s confidence in this smaller-scale, character-driven approach to the fantasy world.
New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiere weekly. In the United States, the show airs on HBO and streams on HBO Max. For viewers in the United Kingdom, the series is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
Also Read: Kim Go-eun of Single’s Inferno Season 5 Reveals Her Relationship History and Hopes for Love
