The first episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms introduces a bald, clever boy named Egg who becomes the squire to the hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall. To Dunk and the audience, he appears to be just a resourceful orphan. However, this small boy hides the biggest secret in the series. He is actually Prince Aegon Targaryen, a direct descendant of the dragon-riding dynasty and a future King of Westeros. This simple reveal connects this new, grounded adventure to the grand, fiery history of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon in surprising ways.
Egg’s True Identity: From Stable Boy to Prince Aegon
In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dunk first meets Egg at a roadside inn on the way to a tournament. The boy offers to be his squire, claiming to be from King’s Landing. He is, in fact, Prince Aegon Targaryen, the fourth son of Prince Maekar Targaryen. To hide his distinctive silver-gold Targaryen hair and his royal identity while he travels, his head has been shaved. He was supposed to squire for his older brother, Prince Daeron, but chose to follow Dunk instead.
The show’s creator, Ira Parker, noted that for the television adaptation, he made Egg “a little bit smarter or quippier” than in George R.R. Martin’s original novellas. This change helps highlight the character’s intelligence from the start. Actor Dexter Sol Ansell plays the young prince, bringing a sense of authentic childhood innocence and sharp wit to the role.
The Targaryen Family Tree: Egg’s Royal Bloodline
Egg’s place in the Targaryen family is central to the entire Game of Thrones universe. He is a living link between the past of House of the Dragon and the future of the original series.
He is the great-great-great grandson of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and Prince Daemon Targaryen from House of the Dragon. More immediately for this series, his father is Prince Maekar, and his uncles include the crown prince, Prince Baelor Breakspear. His dangerous older brother, Prince Aerion Targaryen, is also a key figure in the tournament story.
Egg is not actually a lowly stable boy but in fact he is Aegon Targaryen or Aegon V to be exact.
Perhaps the most touching family connection for fans is to Maester Aemon of the Night’s Watch from Game of Thrones. The wise, old maester is Egg’s older brother. In the original series, Aemon’s dying words were “Egg, I dreamed that I was old,” a direct reference to the brother of his youth. This moment gains profound new meaning once you know Egg’s story.
How Egg Connects to Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow
The connections reach their peak when tracing Egg’s line to the heroes of Game of Thrones. After his adventures with Dunk, Egg grows up, becomes king, and has children. His son is Jaehaerys II Targaryen.
Jaehaerys II is the grandfather of the Mad King, Aerys II. This makes Egg the great-grandfather of Daenerys Targaryen. The dragon eggs Daenerys receives and later hatches are deeply tied to Egg’s own history and his attempts to bring dragons back to the world.
The lineage also extends to Jon Snow. Through his grandfather, King Aerys II, Jon is Egg’s great-great-grandson. This means the humble boy squiring for Dunk is a direct ancestor to two of the most important characters in the saga.
The Timeline: Where This Story Fits in Westeros History
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set in the year 209 AC (After Aegon’s Conquest). This places it roughly 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones (which begins in 298 AC) and about 80 years after the Dance of the Dragons depicted in House of the Dragon.
This is a unique period in Westeros. The last dragons have died, leaving the Targaryens to rule with political skill and fear rather than sheer dragonfire. The realm is also recovering from the First Blackfyre Rebellion, a civil war where a bastard branch of the Targaryen family tried to claim the throne. The shadow of this conflict and the threat of future rebellions hang over the kingdom.
The tone of the series reflects this post-dragon era. It is a smaller, more personal story focused on a single knight and his squire traveling the land, rather than the epic wars for the Iron Throne.
From Unlikely Squire to “Aegon the Unlikely” King
Egg’s journey does not end as a squire. The books reveal his remarkable future. After his travels with Ser Duncan the Tall, he eventually becomes King Aegon V Targaryen. He was nicknamed “Aegon the Unlikely” because he was a fourth son of a fourth son, far down the line of succession and never expected to rule.
He became king after a Great Council and after his elder brother, Maester Aemon, refused the throne to stay with the Night’s Watch. His reign lasted from 233 AC to 259 AC. He was known as a king beloved by the common people, likely influenced by his years living humbly with Dunk.
His life ended in the tragic Great Fire at Summerhall, where he, Ser Duncan the Tall, and others died in an attempt to hatch dragon eggs. This event is a famous tragedy in Targaryen history and directly ties the dragon eggs of the past to Daenerys’s future.
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Why This Story and Character Matter Now
Understanding who Egg really is transforms A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms from a simple knight’s tale into a crucial chapter of Targaryen history. It shows the human side of a legendary king long before he wore a crown. The series offers a chance to see the formative years of a ruler who valued friendship and honor, traits born on the road with a kind-hearted hedge knight.
The show presents a different side of Westeros. As one review noted, it is “a tale that works because it eschews the scope and grandeur” of the other series, focusing on character and simple adventures. The strong bond between Dunk and Egg, played with great charm by Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell, is the heart of the story.
For fans watching the series, every interaction Egg has takes on new weight. His clever comments, his knowledge of noble life, and his cautiousness about his identity are not just character traits—they are the subtle hints of a prince in disguise, learning the lessons that will one day define his reign.
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