The world of Westeros can feel like it has more lore than a group project shared by seven chaotic classmates, each convinced they deserve full credit. Then you meet Dunk and Egg, two characters who somehow manage to feel grounded, warm and weirdly relatable despite the dragons, tourneys and medieval politics swirling around them. Their stories fill that nice space between adventure and tragedy that George R. R. Martin loves a little too much.
Below is everything you need to know about Ser Duncan the Tall and the future King Aegon the Fifth Targaryen. Think of this as your friendly field guide, written by someone who has spent far too many nights rereading novellas instead of going to bed like a normal person.
Who Are Dunk And Egg
Ser Duncan the Tall is a lowborn squire who becomes a knight through grit, kindness and a stubborn refusal to accept that the world has already decided his place. He is huge, socially awkward, surprisingly thoughtful and occasionally too honest for his own good.
Egg, on the other hand, is Aegon Targaryen. He travels disguised as a bald, barefoot boy with a sharp tongue and a stronger moral compass than most royal families usually allow. He becomes Dunk’s squire, mostly because he wills it to happen. Egg sees something in Dunk that nobody else does, maybe because he has spent enough time around nobility to appreciate someone who does not scheme every time they blink.
Together they form one of the most charming duos in the entire A Song of Ice and Fire universe. Their friendship feels real, not polished, and it grows with every adventure.
Where Their Story Comes From
Their tale is told through The Tales of Dunk and Egg, a series of novellas set about ninety years before the events of Game of Thrones. They start with The Hedge Knight, move into The Sworn Sword and continue with The Mystery Knight. More stories are planned, but this is George R. R. Martin, so we all know patience is basically a required skill at this point.
The novellas explore the Seven Kingdoms at a time when the Targaryens still held power but the cracks in the dynasty were already showing. It is a world that feels familiar yet younger, with fewer political landmines but the same sense that something big and dangerous is building on the horizon.
Key Themes And Why People Love Them
The appeal of Dunk and Egg comes from how grounded their story feels. Instead of focusing on lords who can change history with a single decision, the novellas zoom in on ordinary people trying to do the right thing in a world that rewards power more than decency.
Dunk is not perfect, but he tries. Egg is clever, but he learns. They make mistakes, argue, push each other to grow and end up forming one of the most surprisingly wholesome partnerships in the entire canon.
There is also a clear sense of rising tension beneath the adventures. We know what is coming. We know who Egg grows up to be. The tragedy is baked in, and that gives their lighter moments more weight.
How Dunk And Egg Connect To Game Of Thrones
Their story is more than a cute prequel. It sets up major bloodlines, Targaryen history, political resentments and the general chaos that finally explodes by the time Robert Baratheon is swinging his warhammer at every silver-haired person he can find.
A few key connections.
- Egg becomes King Aegon the Fifth, the ruler whose reforms angered half the noble families.
- Dunk becomes Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
- Their final fate is tied to the tragedy at Summerhall, an event that shapes the next two generations of Targaryen trauma.
- Their bloodline connects to Aerys the Second and Daenerys.
- Their era explains the slow crumble of Targaryen authority long before the Mad King loses the plot entirely.
Even if you only watched the show, you have already seen the ripples created by their lives.
What To Expect From The New Series
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the upcoming show, adapts the early novellas. Expect something smaller than House of the Dragon. Less palace intrigue, more odd couple energy. Less dynastic doom, more muddy roads, stubborn donkeys and two people trying to look after each other despite the world refusing to make that easy.
If HBO sticks close to the tone of the books, we might finally get a Westeros story that is warm without being soft, funny without being silly and tragic without rubbing salt in our emotional wounds.
Why Their Story Matters
Dunk and Egg give Westeros its heart. They remind us that the world is not only shaped by conquerors and tyrants. Sometimes it shifts because of a knight who keeps his vows or a boy who learns compassion instead of entitlement.
Their journey also fills a gap in the Targaryen timeline, showing a dynasty that is still proud but quietly fraying at the seams. It explains how we get from the old royal splendour to the political mess inherited by the characters in Game of Thrones.
The Seven Swords Takeaway
Their friendship is one of the most genuine in the entire series. No prophecies. No grand destinies shouted from a tower. Just two people walking the same road because it feels right.
If you want more Westeros without diving straight back into dragons and apocalyptic visions, Dunk and Egg are the perfect place to land.
