A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ creator, Ira Parker, produced one of the best pairs in recent television history in the form of Dunk and Egg. However, recently he was also asked about his favourite duo from the Game of Thrones universe, and his answer won the fans’ hearts. He mentioned the pairing of ‘The Hound and Arya’ to be his favourite and that he also loved ‘Brienne and Podrick’. However, he also carefully mentioned how Dunk and Egg’s pairing is totally different from the duos fans have seen before.
Quick read:
• Ira Parker compares Dunk & Egg to The Hound & Arya and Brienne & Podrick
• Parker defines Dunk and Egg’s pairing to be extremely unique
• He comments how subtly a squire (Egg) reverse mentors his mentor (Dunk)
Ira Parker’s honest take on Game of Thrones’ other duos
In a new interview with The A.V. Club, published February 18, 2026, Parker was asked about the show’s emotional core; the budding friendship between Ser Duncan the Tall and young Aegon ‘Egg’ Targaryen. He opened up about how it stacks up against the most beloved duos from the original Game of Thrones.
He said,
“I do love The Hound and Arya Stark; that was my favorite. Brienne and Podrick, too, and they probably feel the closest to our show. But there’s no comparison as such because there are not a lot of characters like Dunk who are low level, born in Flea Bottom, and then paired with someone like Egg. It is a lone wolf and cub story, but it’s a real flip of that, too. Egg knows a lot more than Dunk does about certain things, and we wanted to reflect that since it’s in the source material.”
Credits: HBO
Parker’s comments highlight what makes Dunk and Egg truly unique in the Game of Thrones universe: a tall, low-born hedge knight from the slums paired with a secret Targaryen prince who’s smarter than he looks. While The Hound protected Arya on the road and Brienne mentored Podrick with honour and duty, Dunk and Egg flip the script with the “cub” (Egg) often teaches the “lone wolf” (Dunk) about the world, politics, and even basic knightly life.
Credits: HBO
What this means for the series
Unlike traditional protector-and-ward stories, Dunk is still figuring out how to be a true knight while Egg quietly guides him with royal knowledge. This dynamic is pulled straight from George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas. Parker has emphasized that the show leans into comedy and “miles of heart” rather than the constant tragedy of Game of Thrones.
Scenes like Dunk and Egg imitating each other; an unscripted moment the actors nailed on set, perfectly capture their growing bond. The series stays loyal to the source material but expands where needed exactly as Parker has promised with season 2’s adaptation of The Sworn Sword.
The quote instantly lit up social media, with fans loving the nod to iconic pairings while celebrating how fresh Dunk and Egg feel. As season 1 has won over viewers with its grounded adventures, Parker and the team are already deep into filming season 2.
