A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Star Drops Huge Bombshell That Completely Changes Game of Thrones Canon

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Dexter Sol Ansell, the star of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, recently shared a surprising detail about the characters Ser Duncan the Tall and Aegon “Egg” Targaryen that even fans familiar with George R.R. Martin’s books didn’t expect. While their story appears in three novellas and is referenced throughout A Song of Ice and Fire (and Game of Thrones), along with other related materials, readers thought they had a general idea of what happened to them. However, that understanding has now been completely changed. Be warned: spoilers follow regarding the fate of Dunk and Egg.

Years after the events of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Egg unexpectedly becomes King Aegon V Targaryen due to a series of happenings and deaths. Dunk joins the Kingsguard, ultimately becoming its leader. It was already known that both characters die in the Tragedy at Summerhall, which occurred fifty years after the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, in the year 259 AC.

The mystery surrounding the Tragedy of Summerhall remains a significant unanswered question in Game of Thrones history. While details are scarce, the prevailing theory suggests that Prince Aegon V Targaryen attempted to hatch a dragon egg using wildfire, which resulted in a devastating fire. This inferno claimed the lives of many, including King Aegon V, Ser Duncan the Tall, Prince Duncan Targaryen (Aegon’s son), and Maester Corso. Recently, actor Ansell shared additional insights with Decider.

So, I’m familiar with the Summerhall storyline, specifically Egg’s attempts at dragon-making which, predictably, end in a massive fire. What’s interesting is that George R.R. Martin has confirmed Dunk makes it through, but the big question mark still hangs over Egg – we just don’t know if he survives.

As he was talking, his co-star Peter Claffey clearly tried to interrupt, saying, “We don’t know if that’s exactly what…” and playfully gesturing for him to stop. It was obvious the young actor had accidentally let slip some information he wasn’t supposed to.

What Dunk & Egg’s Possible Survival Means For Game Of Thrones

As a huge fan, I’ve been thinking about Dunk and Egg’s ending, and honestly, it seems like George R.R. Martin hasn’t fully decided their fate yet. He’s only released three of the planned Tales of Dunk and Egg stories – he envisions potentially twelve covering their whole lives! Knowing how he writes – he doesn’t usually map everything out beforehand – I think what he told the actors was more of a ‘we genuinely don’t know’ situation, rather than a firm declaration of what will happen. It sounds like one of many possibilities he’s playing with, really.

The idea that Dunk and even Egg might have lived is surprising, considering everyone believed they perished. There’s no evidence of their survival in the story so far. However, it’s somewhat believable that Dunk could have made it, especially since he saved Princess Rhaella Targaryen, who later gave birth to Rhaegar. It’s possible he escaped the fire with her, but this raises many new mysteries.

If Ser Duncan lives, he’ll likely resign from the Kingsguard – especially if Egg dies. It makes sense; he might feel he failed in his duty to protect the king and decide to seek a peaceful life elsewhere.

A fascinating detail from the story’s background is the connection between Brienne of Tarth and Dunk (Duncan the Tall). Brienne possesses Dunk’s shield, and author George R.R. Martin hinted that a descendant of Dunk would appear in the books. Fans believed Brienne was this descendant, with the shield being the main piece of evidence. At a 2016 convention (as reported by The Wertzone), Martin was asked about Brienne’s lineage and replied that the connection would be explained “eventually.”

Dunk might choose to retire to Tarth and live a peaceful life similar to the one he knew before becoming a Kingsguard, which wouldn’t drastically change the story of Game of Thrones beyond clarifying his relationship with Brienne. Alternatively, some fans speculate he could be one of the many enigmatic characters in A Song of Ice and Fire, though his age – over a century old – makes that seem improbable. Despite this, theories are already circulating online, like the one suggesting Ser Duncan is actually Coldhands.

The possibility of Egg still being alive is particularly surprising, considering he was the king. While his son, Jaehaerys, eventually takes the throne after the tragedy at Summerhall, this would mean he wasn’t the rightful heir – his father was still living. If Egg secretly survived, he’d maintain a claim to the throne, though, like Dunk, he’d be quite elderly by the time he could return, assuming he lived that long. He might have gone into hiding with Dunk, perhaps not to Tarth – being a former king, he’d be too noticeable – but maybe across the sea to Essos. Now that the Targaryen dynasty is over, and with several characters hoping to restore it, could Egg reappear and play a role in the future?

Honestly, the idea feels a bit unbelievable. While it’s one thing to imagine Dunk surviving, having Egg also survive and live in hiding—especially when the story already includes several secret Targaryens—feels like a stretch. Interestingly, this would connect to a prophecy from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The fortune teller predicted Egg would die in a fire, but didn’t say the same for Dunk. Daeron Targaryen’s dream, which we thought we understood, seemed to foretell another Targaryen’s death. However, it could have a second meaning, hinting that Egg actually dies and Dunk lives on. Now we’re just waiting for George R.R. Martin to write several more books to confirm it all!

New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms release Sundays at 10 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.

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2026-02-13 18:16