At the end of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 3, Egg revealed his true identity as Prince Aegon Targaryen to stop Aerion’s men from killing Dunk, after Dunk thrashed the prince for hurting Tanselle. While the dramatic reveal left both Aerion and Dunk stunned, longtime fans of George R.R. Martin’s The Hedge Knight had seen it coming, and showrunner Ira Parker was well aware that the moment would be a major spoiler for many viewers. So, he wrote the show such that the reveal was more for Dunk than the fans.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner Ira Parker wanted Egg’s identity reveal to be a shock for Dunk
Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall and Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Image: HBO)
Given that fans of George R.R. Martin’s work often know what lies ahead, Parker had to ensure that the show still offered them something fresh and rewarding. In a conversation with The Wrap, he explained, “It was important for the people who do know, and anyone who would get spoiled for that, you get this whole extra layer of when is Dunk going to find out, and being able to pick up on just tiny little things that most people watching it wouldn’t feel.”
The creator emphasised that viewers who had no idea about Egg’s true identity would still experience a “nice twist” at the end of episode 3. The young squire finally chose to be honest about his Targaryen lineage. By doing so, he clearly broke Dunk’s trust. However, it was a price Egg was willing to pay to save the hedge knight’s life.
Ira Parker had initially tried his best to keep Egg’s identity a secret
Despite knowing that most fans were likely already aware of Egg’s true identity, Ira Parker hoped to keep the reveal under wraps. He accepted that it would inevitably be a spoiler. He explained to The Wrap, “Very secret, in spite of someone who we will not call by name saying something at a Comic-Con in front of 5,000 people. No, the truth is I made my peace with it a long time ago.”
Parker also said that Ryan Condal had pointed it out to him early on. So, Egg’s identity reveal was more of a character attribute rather than a plot twist.
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