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In the latest episode of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms titled “The Squire,” viewers are left on edge as a dramatic confrontation unfolds between Ser Duncan the Tall, portrayed by Peter Claffey, and Prince Aerion Targaryen, played by Finn Bennet. Yet, the highlight of the episode is arguably the surprising revelation concerning Egg, played by Dexter Sol Ansell, who has been concealing a significant secret from Dunk.
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 3 “The Squire,” now available on HBO Max**
This episode unveils Egg’s true identity—not as a simple stable boy, but as Prince Aegon, the youngest son of Prince Maekar, depicted by Sam Spruell, and the younger sibling of Prince Aerion “Brightflame.” Egg had gone missing on his way to the Tourney, opting instead to shave his head and join Dunk on a spontaneous adventure.
The truth about Egg comes to light in a tense moment, as he steps in to protect Dunk. The conflict arises when Prince Aerion disrupts Tanselle’s puppet show, portrayed by Tanzyn Crawford, just as a puppet knight defeats a dragon—a scene Aerion interprets as a veiled threat against the Targaryens. He insists, “The dragon ought never lose,” before assaulting Tanselle and injuring her.
In the ensuing chaos, a concerned Egg pleads with Dunk to intervene. Dunk responds by striking Prince Aerion, leading to a confrontation with Aerion’s guards, who are poised to inflict serious harm on Dunk. In a critical moment, Egg reveals his true identity, commanding the guards to halt their attack.
So what exactly just went down? Who exactly is Egg? Why was Aerion so mad about Tanselle’s puppet show? Here’s everything you need to know about the end of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 3…
Who is Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? All about King Aegon V, the Unlikely
Egg is not an orphaned stable boy, but a Targaryen prince. He’s only bald because he shaved his head so no one could recognize him by his silver hair. He is the youngest son of Prince Maekar and his wife, Dyanna Dayne. He will eventually become King Aegon V, known also as “Aegon the Unlikely,” because the chances of him ever inheriting the Iron Throne were so low.
Egg has three older brothers: Daeron, derisively nicknamed “the Drunken,” Aerion, and Aemon, who we learn is sent to the Citadel to be a Maester. Aemon will grow up to be the same Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) who mentors Jon Snow (Kit Harington) at the Wall in Game of Thrones. On his deathbed, he calls out for Egg.
Without going deep into spoilers, Egg somehow finds himself King after a number of tragedies befall the Targaryens, killing everyone ahead of him in line for the Iron Throne, except Aemon. Aemon decides to stay a Maester rather than take the Iron Throne.
Aegon V is also canonically the grandfather of the Mad King Aerys. That means, yes, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is his great-granddaughter and Jon Snow is his great-great-grandson.
And who does Egg make Lord Commander of his Kingsguard? None other than Ser Duncan the Tall, who does become one of the most illustrious knights in Westerosi history.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 3 Ending Explained: Why Does Aerion Attack Tanselle Over a Puppet Show?
Confused why a prince would be threatened by a pretty girl putting on a puppet show? (Why do presidents care about late night shows? Honest question!)
It’s important to note that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place a little over a decade after the Blackfyre Rebellion, a civil war in which the Targaryens had to fight their bastard cousin Daemon Blackfyre to keep the Iron Throne. Half the realm turned against them. Worse, the dragons are believed to be extinct. Without dragons, the Targaryens just seem like normal men. Well, almost normal.
As Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas) tells Dunk this week, they’re “incestuous aliens” and should all be wiped out.
“I felt like this was a big scene for Raymun and I think it just delves into the fact that he doesn’t like hierarchy and people being any different,” Shaun Thomas told DECIDER. “I feel like he recognizes that with the Targaryens, they behave in a certain way that he doesn’t like.”
Earlier in the episode, it appears that Prince Aerion cheats to win a joust by purposely aiming to stab a horse to unseat its rider. It’s considered foul play by the crowd and the smallfolk turn on the prince, booing him and hurling trash at him. It’s a sight that confused Dunk, who initially can’t believe a prince would do something so awful on purpose.
“I think the whole journey from the start of going into Ashford is this huge challenge to what he thought the highborn people were about and their honor that they kept and things like that,” Peter Claffey told DECIDER. “I think it’s a huge confusion to see, obviously, like a Prince of the realm to act so unchivalrous and without honor.”
So when Prince Aerion stumbles upon Tanselle’s puppet show and sees her acting out the murder of a dragon, he leaps to the worst conclusions.
“First of all, it’s kind of important to establish that everyone believes he is completely above the law, that nobody can touch him,” Finn Bennet told DECIDER. “He can kind of do whatever he wants and he’ll be fine.” Bennet thought that experiencing the mob turning on him angered Aerion.
“He’s embarrassed the Targaryens are not feared and they don’t have this the same grip on power they used to have,” Bennet said.
Tanselle’s play gives Aerion an opportunity to exert that power. Some fans might notice, however, that Tanselle wasn’t the knight in a past performance of the play.
“I think it was important to have Tanselle be the knight in in Episode 3, because that’s a catalyst,” Tanzyn Crawford told DECIDER. “Yeah, we changed some things around because initially it wasn’t like that. I thought, ‘Well, I think it needs to be like that to justify what happens. ‘”
Crawford also revealed whether or not she thought Tanselle was making an anti-Targaryen political statement or not.
“The play itself is inherently political,” Crawford said. “I personally don’t think she’s put on this play as a political statement, rather just a beloved story that people know and people like.”
“But she’s not naive. She’s not unintelligent. I think she realizes that putting on this puppet show, exactly what happens to a dragon and what that means,” she said. “But I don’t think that is the main motive for the show. I think it’s a good mixture.”
Tanselle might have been spared the Targaryens’ wrath, but poor Dunk is now on their radar.