Different from the big battles and political maneuvers of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, the new spin-off A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is much smaller in scale, but that doesn't mean the events depicted in the show won't influence the fate of Westeros.
The new HBO series follows Dunk and Egg, a naive knight and his audacious squire. For those who enjoyed unlikely pairings such as The Hound and Arya or Tyrion and Bronn in Game of Thrones, this is the show for you. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms takes place roughly a century before the original show, but time can't erase the amazing deeds of Dunk and Egg. Here's every reference to the duo in Game of Thrones.
Since Game of Thrones takes place many years after the stories of Dunk and Egg, watch out for possible spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms below.
Four pages dedicated for Ser Duncan the Tall
In Game of Thrones season 4, episode 1, "Two Swords", King Joffrey and Jaime are going through the pages of the Kingsguard's White Book. The book is a tome that records 300 years of Kingsguard history through the deeds of those who served in it. Joffrey is surprised to see that four full pages were dedicated to Ser Duncan the Tall. "Must've been quite the man!", he exclaims.
This tiny reference suggests the many awe-inspiring adventureswe are yet to see in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Season 1 is adapting The Hedge Knight, the first of three published novellas in George R. R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg series. The author told The Hollywood Reporter he has many more ideas in his head, but will only get around to them once he finishes A Song of Ice and Fire. I’ve got to get them down on paper. I began writing two at various points in the past year," he says, "One is set in Winterfell and one set in the Riverlands …”
Maester Aemon Calls for Egg in His Deathbed
Big spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms ahead: in Game of Thrones season 5, episode 7, "The Gift," Maester Aemon is delirious in his deathbed, calling for Egg. "Egg, mother is looking for you," he cries. Back when it aired, only die-hard Game of Thrones fans understood the reference.
For those who aren't aware, Egg is in fact Aegon V Targaryen, the brother of Maester Aemon and the third son of King Maekar Targaryen. Choosing to remain loyal to his sworn vows to the Citadel, Aemon relinquished the crown to Egg instead, who went on to become Aegon the Unlikely. This is how Dunk and Egg's modest adventures eventually connect to the history of Westeros.
Egg becomes King, and Dunk rises to Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Still, the duo remains loyal to the commonfolk and their humble beginnings. Aside from Game of Thrones, there are many references to Dunk & Egg in the books as well, most of them regarding Aemon's Targaryen roots and the Tragedy at Summerhal, a historical event that, sadly, took the lives of Dunk and Egg.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming Sundays on HBO Max.