New Insights Into Game of Thrones' Prequel Series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Andrew Thornton
Updated on May 17, 2026
By Published Apr 19, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT Blaise Santi is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts majoring in Dramatic Writing and minoring in Comedy. He's a frequent performer at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective in the sketch comedy group Golfers as well as in the improv show Cast Party. Aside from writing, Blaise's hobbies include listening to music, playing and reading. Blaise currently lives in Brooklyn. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
has been over for seven years now, but the franchise has yet to die down thanks to HBO's numerous spin-off series. The latest, , adapts George R. R. Martin's novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg, following the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, the future king Aegon Targaryen. Similar to Martin's mainline A Song of Ice & Fire books, HBO has begun adapting this story before the Dunk and Egg series has concluded, with future installments planning to chronicle the rest of Duncan and Aegon's lives together.
Only time can tell how far A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will go, but die-hard fans of Game of Thrones already expect to see some familiar faces in this prequel series. By the end of Dunk and Egg's lives, characters like Tywin Lannister have been born, but roughly 40 years pass between the Tragedy at Summerhall and the events of the first Thrones season. Numerous characters from the original HBO series are known to be alive during the time period of the , including some whose exact birth dates are unspecified.
While there likely won't be any actors reprising their roles, the most detail-oriented fans of the Westeros universe should keep an eye out for next few seasons. There may end up being a few key references to iconic Game of Thrones characters like these seven, who were already around when the giant knight and egg-headed prince were setting off on their adventures together.
Aemon Targaryen
If there's any reason a non-book-reading fan of Game of Thrones should know who "Egg" is, it's because of Maester Aemon. Appearing as early as Game of Thrones season 1, episode 3, Aemon was an early mentor for Jon Snow when he first joined the Night's Watch. It was only when discouraging Jon from deserting Castle Black after Ned Stark's imprisonment that he revealed his Targaryen past, having kept his oath as a member of the Night's Watch all throughout Robert Baratheon's genocide of House Targaryen.
Aemon remained an ally of Jon and Samwell Tarly until his death in season 5, with his final words being a memory of his brother, Egg. Though his words of wisdom remained resonant for the rest of the series, a potential Aemon appearance in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms would be his first on-screen appearance in over a decade. For the time being, though, Aemon has yet to appear physically in either the show or the novella.
By the events of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' season 1, Aemon was in training to be a Maester, and Raymun Fossoway called him "useless" for abandoning his family for the Citadel. If the show continues to follow Aegon's life, it's possible viewers could see a young Maester Aemon abdicate the Iron Throne, allowing Egg to succeed his father Maekar as king. It'd certainly be a warm welcome for one of .
Brynden Rivers
Show-only viewers might not know much about the , given that he just seemed to be a regular man in black living north of the Wall who taught Bran Stark to use his greenseeing to view Westeros' past. However, book readers know a lot more about his backstory as Brynden Rivers, the bastard son of King Aegon IV known by some as "Bloodraven." Controversially, amidst the Blackfyre Rebellions, Brynden offered a challenger to the throne, Aenys Blackfyre, safe passage to King's Landing to make his claim, only to slay him within the walls of the Red Keep.
[SITEURL] | IT The Iron Throne Interactive Quiz ScreenRant/ TV/ Game of Thrones/ Trivia The Citadel · Maester’s Examination How Well Do You Know Westeros? “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.” 🐺StarkWinter is Coming 🦁LannisterHear Me Roar 🐉TargaryenFire and Blood 🦌BaratheonOurs is the Fury 🐙GreyjoyWe Do Not Sow ENTER WESTEROS → QUESTION 1 / 8GREAT HOUSES 01 The Lannisters are the wealthiest family in Westeros, ruling from their ancestral seat. What is the name of their castle? AHighgarden BStorm’s End CCasterly Rock DThe Eyrie ✓ Correct! Casterly Rock sits atop gold mines in the Westerlands and has been the seat of House Lannister for centuries. The gold beneath it is the source of the family’s legendary wealth — though as Tywin once noted, the mines ran dry years ago. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Casterly Rock. Highgarden belongs to the Tyrells, Storm’s End to the Baratheons, and The Eyrie to the Arryns. Casterly Rock has been the Lannister stronghold since Lann the Clever swindled it from House Casterly. NEXT → QUESTION 2 / 8THE NIGHT’S WATCH 02 Jon Snow rises through the ranks of the Night’s Watch to eventually hold what title — the highest position in the order? AFirst Ranger BLord Commander CMaster of Arms DWarden of the North ✓ Correct! Jon Snow was elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch by his sworn brothers. He was one of the youngest men to ever hold the title, following in the footsteps of legends like Jeor Mormont. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Lord Commander. While Jon started as a steward, he was elected Lord Commander after the death of Jeor Mormont. Warden of the North is a different title entirely — one held by the Stark family. NEXT → QUESTION 3 / 8DRAGONS 03 Daenerys Targaryen hatches three dragons from petrified eggs. Which of the following is NOT one of her dragons? ABalerion BDrogon CRhaegal DViserion ✓ Correct! Balerion “the Black Dread” was Aegon the Conqueror’s dragon, who died of old age over a century before the events of the show. Daenerys’ three dragons are Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion — named after Khal Drogo, Rhaegar, and Viserys. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Balerion. Daenerys’ three dragons are Drogon (black and red), Rhaegal (green and bronze), and Viserion (cream and gold). Balerion the Black Dread was Aegon the Conqueror’s mount, dead long before Daenerys was born. NEXT → QUESTION 4 / 8INFAMOUS EVENTS 04 The Red Wedding is one of the most shocking moments in TV history. At whose castle does this massacre take place? AHarrenhal BRiverrun CCasterly Rock DThe Twins ✓ Correct! The Red Wedding took place at The Twins, the castle of House Frey. Lord Walder Frey violated the sacred guest right by slaughtering Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, and their bannermen during the wedding feast of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Twins. Walder Frey’s castle — two towers spanning the Green Fork — was where he broke sacred guest right to massacre the Starks. “The Lannisters send their regards” remains one of the show’s most chilling lines. NEXT → QUESTION 5 / 8VALYRIAN STEEL 05 Jon Snow wields a Valyrian steel bastard sword given to him by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. What is the sword’s name? AIce BLongclaw CHeartsbane DOathkeeper ✓ Correct! Longclaw is a Valyrian steel bastard sword that was the ancestral weapon of House Mormont. Jeor gave it to Jon after he saved the Lord Commander from a wight, replacing the bear pommel with a white wolf for House Stark. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Longclaw. Ice was the Stark greatsword (melted down by Tywin Lannister), Heartsbane belonged to House Tarly, and Oathkeeper was one of the two swords forged from Ice. Longclaw is the Mormont blade Jon carries throughout the series. NEXT → QUESTION 6 / 8COURT INTRIGUE 06 Tyrion Lannister serves as Hand of the King to which ruler, expertly managing the defense of King’s Landing during the Battle of the Blackwater? ARobert Baratheon BTommen Baratheon CJoffrey Baratheon DDaenerys Targaryen ✓ Correct! Tywin sent Tyrion to serve as Hand in his place during Joffrey’s reign. Tyrion brilliantly orchestrated the defense against Stannis Baratheon’s fleet using wildfire, though he received no credit and was nearly killed in the battle. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Joffrey Baratheon. Tyrion served as Joffrey’s Hand of the King in Season 2, appointed by his father Tywin. He later served as Hand to Daenerys, but it was under Joffrey that the Battle of the Blackwater took place. NEXT → QUESTION 7 / 8PROPHECY & LORE 07 Jon Snow’s true parentage is one of the show’s biggest reveals. What is his real Targaryen name, given by his mother Lyanna Stark? AAegon Targaryen BAemon Targaryen CRhaegar Targaryen DJaehaerys Targaryen ✓ Correct! Lyanna Stark named her son Aegon Targaryen. He is the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna, who were secretly married. This made Jon the true heir to the Iron Throne — a fact that changed the course of the final season. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Aegon Targaryen. Lyanna whispered the name to Ned Stark in the Tower of Joy. Jon is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen (not named after him), making him Aegon — a name carried by many Targaryen kings, including the Conqueror himself. NEXT → QUESTION 8 / 8THE IRON THRONE 08 In the series finale, who is chosen by the lords and ladies of Westeros to rule the Six Kingdoms as king? AJon Snow BSansa Stark CTyrion Lannister DBran Stark ✓ Correct! Bran Stark — now Bran the Broken — was chosen as king of the Six Kingdoms at the Dragonpit council. Tyrion argued that Bran’s story was the most compelling reason to rule. Sansa became Queen in the North, and Jon was sent back to the Wall. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Bran Stark. Tyrion nominated Bran at the great council, arguing “who has a better story than Bran the Broken?” Sansa was crowned Queen in the independent North, Jon returned to the Wall, and Tyrion served as Bran’s Hand of the King. REVEAL MY SCORE → The Citadel · Results Sealed Your Westeros Record ⚔ / 8 Did you claim the Iron Throne — or lose your head? ↻ PLAY THE GAME AGAIN
Despite Brynden's power and influence in House Targaryen by the time Egg inherited the throne, Brynden was exiled to the Wall for this dishonorable act. Years later, Brynden became the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, a position he held until his mysterious disappearance. In the books, it's well-established that Brynden is the Three-Eyed Raven whom Bran met before being killed by the Night King, even though his true identity was never explained in the show.
A young Brynden has also seen in one of , sporting the red birthmark he's known to have in the books, which was notably absent from his Game of Thrones iteration. Knowing that Brynden and Aemon end up escorted to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea by Ser Duncan the Tall, it's possible we'll once again see him in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Old Nan
Old Nan is not the most significant character in all of Game of Thrones, especially given that she didn't appear past the first season, aside from a flashback sequence in season 6. An elderly resident of Winterfell, she was most notable for taking care of Bran Stark after his crippling fall, regaling him with bedtime stories about the White Walkers. In the books, her fate was more clear as she was imprisoned by the Boltons following the Sack of Winterfell and presumably died at some point after.
Little else was known about Old Nan's life prior to moving to Winterfell, which is speculated to be around 197 years after Aegon's Conquest, predating the birth of Egg by several years. There are theories that she was sent to Winterfell by none other than Bloodraven to spy on in search of the next Three-Eyed Raven. Unless Nan has some kind of surprise appearance in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, this is probably not going to be a theory the show confirms.
Walder Frey
It's hard to imagine Walder Frey ever not being an old man, but believe it or not, he would actually be younger than Egg based on . Given that he was supposed to be 90 years old by the time he first appeared in Game of Thrones, that means during the time of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, he was probably just a toddler. And yet, that toddler grew up to be one of the most despicable characters George R. R. Martin created, having outlived many wives and sired many children even at his elderly age.
Though Frey has yet to show up on-screen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, he does appear as a four-year-old in The Mystery Knight, the third Dunk and Egg novella. From Dunk's POV, as a child present at his older sister's wedding to Lord Ambrose Butterwell, Walder was extremely petulant, which certainly was a quality the character did not grow out of by the time he betrayed Robb Stark at .
Unfortunately for all the Walder Frey fans out there (of which there are probably none), the character is not known to have any interactions with Dunk and Egg in his adulthood, though by the time the two presumably die at Summerhall, Frey is already in his middle age and Lord of the Crossing. He was eventually killed by Arya Stark in Game of Thrones, which wasn't much of a shock, given his death was long overdue.
Leaf
are mysterious figures, and not just because their appearances differed greatly between seasons 4 and 6. Leaf, portrayed by Kae Alexander in season 6, was the character audiences got the most screentime with in the series, as it was revealed that she was thousands of years old. Not only was she present during the children's war against the First Men, but the children actually created the White Walkers as weapons to protect themselves.
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Game of Thrones has officially expanded into House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and there's more to look forward to as well.
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Though Leaf might predate every single other character in Game of Thrones, including the Night King, she was much younger in the books. According to A Dance with Dragons, Leaf was born approximately two hundred years before the series began, which would still predate the birth of Egg by an entire century. Since Egg never traveled that far north, the only way any Children of the Forest would appear in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is if the show covers Bloodraven's disappearance beyond the Wall, several years before the Tragedy at Summerhall.
Melisandre
Melisandre was an enigmatic figure throughout Game of Thrones, at least until season 6, when it was revealed that as a haggard elderly woman. Aside from this piece of lore, Melisandre's true age and past were unknown, only appearing in the series as a confidante of Stannis Baratheon, believing him to be the reincarnation of the "Prince Who Was Promised," Azor Ahai.
While Melisandre was likely alive for the entire lifespan of Dunk and Egg, her whereabouts are a mystery. Even George R. R. Martin is cagey about her true motivations in the book, telling that she traveled to Dragonstone and met with Stannis on her own accord. Still, it'd be quite the reveal if Carice van Houten were to reprise her role as the red priestess at some point in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, suggesting that Melisandre's plans existed long before the events of Game of Thrones.
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If anything, it's possible Melisandre or some other red priest(ess) was present at the Tragedy of Summerhall, which seems poised to be where A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is heading. The little information Martin has given about the event suggests the involvement of pyromancers and sorcery, so perhaps there's still more we have yet to learn about Mel beyond her mysterious age and role in the war against the White Walkers.
White Walkers
We know from Game of Thrones that the Children of the Forest created the original White Walker, the Night King, though this isn't canonical according to George R. R. Martin's books yet. Nevertheless, the White Walkers have supposedly existed for as long as the First Men have settled in Westeros. Though it's not clear how long it took for the Night King to assemble his army of Others, they've been lying dormant north of the Wall ever since the Long Night.
During the time of Dunk and Egg, the White Walkers were still mere fairy tales told to scare children, believed to be long extinct. As far as the books or TV shows are concerned, when a member of the Night's Watch is killed by a White Walker in Game of Thrones' premiere, it's the first known sighting of them in thousands of years. What they were up to in the meantime, it's not entirely clear, but since , maybe we'll learn more about them in future seasons.
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Peter Claffey Ser Duncan 'Dunk' the Tall -
Dexter Sol Ansell Egg
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StreamingDirectors Owen Harris Writers George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker Franchise(s) Creator(s) George R. R. Martin, Ira Parker Expand Collapse
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