A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Saved Its Biggest Canon Change For The Very Last Second

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Beware – spoilers ahead for season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms! The show made a surprisingly big change right at the end of its first season. This is notable because A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been remarkably true to the source material compared to other shows in the Game of Thrones universe. House of the Dragon, in particular, faced criticism for deviating from established storylines, and even author George R.R. Martin expressed his disappointment. For the most part, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has stood out as being different.

Ira Parker, the creator and showrunner, is committed to staying true to George R.R. Martin’s source material with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. He’s done this by keeping Martin heavily involved as a co-creator and executive producer. This approach has been incredibly successful, with the show attracting a large audience and receiving praise comparable to House of the Dragon and even some seasons of the original Game of Thrones.

The TV adaptation of Dunk and Egg doesn’t follow George R.R. Martin’s story exactly, and that’s not always a bad thing. The show adds some flashback scenes in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms that aren’t part of the original book, but they actually make the story better. However, a last-minute change in the season one finale is more questionable. In the book, Prince Maekar’s reaction to Egg’s lie about his father’s permission is different than what’s shown on screen, and it’s unclear if this change improves the story.

Maekar Gave Egg Permission To Go With Dunk In The Books

While the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms made fairly small changes to the source material, the alteration of Egg’s lie is much more substantial. In the books, Maekar is just as upset with Dunk’s plan to take Egg on the road as he seems in the show. However, when Dunk argues that Egg would be better off avoiding the influences that turned Aerion into a cruel person, Maekar realizes he has no counterargument and silently accepts it. Dunk interprets this as permission, and nothing ever suggests he’s wrong.

Parker explained the sudden change in the story, saying Maekar’s anger at the end of the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was originally intended as lighthearted humor. He described Egg as a playful and disobedient child, and the final reveal of his disobedience was meant to highlight that. Parker also pointed out that Maekar’s permission was intentionally ambiguous in The Hedge Knight, justifying the ending as a reasonable development.

When adapting the story, we felt comfortable with our interpretation because the book never directly states Maekar agreed to let his son become a squire. There’s a conversation where Dunk makes a valid point, but Maekar simply walks away, and Egg appears shortly after. We imagined several possibilities – perhaps Egg was nearby all along, or maybe he followed his father, who was planning a quick escape. This ambiguity allowed Egg to then ask if he could join them. We wanted to ensure our changes didn’t contradict the original text, and we were cautious about the potential consequences of altering the storyline.

The idea that Maekar didn’t truly allow Egg to travel with Dunk, as suggested in The Hedge Knight, doesn’t quite fit with what we learn in later Dunk and Egg stories. We find out that Maekar gave his son a signet ring bearing the prince’s seal before they left. Egg was instructed to keep his identity a secret – and to continue shaving his head – but to use the ring as proof of his royal status if he ever needed help.

This alteration to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms doesn’t necessarily need to be significant. As Parker pointed out, its impact will really depend on how it’s addressed in the next season.

How Egg’s Lie Might Impact Dunk In A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Season 2

The way Maekar reacted at the end of the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms suggests Dunk and Egg will face more difficulties in the upcoming season. He might be so furious that he either dispatches soldiers to hunt them down or goes after them personally. If Dunk discovers he was misled, this could lead to increased conflict between him and Egg, and potentially a storyline where they’re forced to flee with the Targaryens pursuing them.

It would be disappointing if the show deviated from established lore, particularly since season one did a good job of staying true to the source material – something House of the Dragon has struggled with. However, the creator’s explanation that Maekar’s anger was simply for comedic effect is reassuring. This suggests that the lie Egg told won’t have lasting repercussions in season two of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, allowing the story to move forward smoothly. The creator still needs to find a way to incorporate the signet ring into the plot, but for now, fans can feel hopeful about what’s to come.

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2026-02-25 18:49