In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Egg is around 10 years old. A major reveal comes midway through the season when we learn the scrappy little squire is actually Aegon Targaryen. He is a few notches down the line of succession, but the Iron Throne looms in his future. By contrast, our other misfit hero, Dunk, hails from humble Flea Bottom. His life plan is to roam Westeros, being a hedge knight.
If you’ve only watched A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, you wouldn’t know much more than that. But George R.R. Martin book readers have a lot more context for both characters. And with one offhand remark, Dexter Sol Ansell—who plays Egg—swiftly upended some of that long-held lore.
As you can see in this talk show clip, Ansell and Peter Claffey, who plays Dunk, are asked if they’ve been told anything about their characters’ futures. Ansell answers—maybe too freely.
Dex Sol Ansell, who plays Egg in #AKnightOfTheSevenKingdoms, gives out a MASSIVE spoiler to the ending of his character regarding Summerhall and who survives as told to him by George R.R. Martin
This wouldn’t be the first time GRRM told actors in the show their character’s fate pic.twitter.com/mV6tRRR2n2
— RedTeamReview ✪ (@RedTeamReview) February 13, 2026
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms viewers will recall that in episode three, “The Squire,” the pair happen upon a woman who offers to read their fortunes. For Dunk, she says, “You shall know great success and be richer than a Lannister,” which seems so far-fetched Dunk laughs it off.
For Egg, though, she says, “You shall be king and die in a hot fire, and worms shall feed upon your ashes. And all who know you shall rejoice upon your dying.” This prediction comes before Dunk realizes Egg could be king and again he laughs it off. Viewers, however, can see Egg is spooked.
Fans of Martin’s books know that Egg does eventually become King Aegon V, long after his boyhood adventures in the Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. They also know of something referred to as “the tragedy at Summerhall,” a great inferno that destroys one of House Targaryen’s castles—maybe, probably, caused by the king’s attempts to bring dragons back to life.
It’s always been said that’s how Egg will die as an older man—and that Dunk, who becomes his Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, also perishes there.
Until, well, this new bit of information. “I do know a bit about when Egg’s trying to make dragons in Summerhall, and then there’s a huge fire,” Ansell tells the interviewer in the above clip. “We know from George…”
Here, Claffey interrupts and talks over Ansell: “We don’t know if that is exactly what happens.”
Ansell continues. “We know Dunk survives. But we don’t know if Egg survives yet.”
Claffey makes a playfully frantic “Cut him off!” hand gesture and reiterates, “We don’t know exactly what happens. Let’s just get this season one out of the way, and we’ll see.”
Dunk and Egg forever! Maybe that fortuneteller was just blowing smoke after all. If anyone’s going to retcon this one, Martin is clearly the guy to do it, even if he might want to be more careful who he shares spoilers with moving forward.
New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms arrive Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
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