Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was majorly focused on the Targaryen household, given that Egg himself is a Targaryen. However, Dunk and Egg both head to Dorne for the second season, leaving everything behind.
In the upcoming season, Egg will serve as Dunk’s humble squire rather than portraying his Targaryen identity. Concerning this, showrunner Ira Parker was asked in an interview with IGN, if the Targaryens would be seen in season 2; to which he firmly answered, “It doesn’t sound like it.”
Quick read:
• Targaryens are confirmed to not appear in AKOTSK season 2
• Parker talked about the “fun” post-credits scene from the season 1 finale
• He emphasized about season 2 moving into a completely different story
Maekar Targaryen and Baelor Targaryen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms | Image: HBO
Staying true to the novellas’ focus
Season 2 adapts Martin’s second Dunk and Egg novella, The Sworn Sword, set amid a severe drought in the Reach. Dunk and Egg become entangled in a land-and-water dispute between houses, swearing service to aging knight Ser Eustace Osgrey and confronting the enigmatic Lady Rohanne Webber (the Red Widow).
Parker emphasized that the series deliberately avoids expanding into Targaryen drama. The novellas, set in a post-dragon era, prioritize Dunk and Egg’s personal journeys over high politics. According to him, bringing back Targaryens prominently would shift the tone away from the intimate, honour-bound adventures that define the source material.
The season 1 finale tease and why it’s not a setup
Season 1 concluded with two playful nods to the larger Targaryen legacy. First, Egg explains to Dunk that Westeros actually comprises “nine kingdoms,” prompting a humorous title card reading “A Knight of the Nine Kingdoms.” Parker confirmed this was purely for fun: the series title remains unchanged, and the moment was a light-hearted Easter egg rather than a plot pivot.
More notably, an end-credits scene depicted Prince Maekar Targaryen raging over his missing son (Egg) as the royal party departs Ashford Meadow. This reveals Egg had lied about receiving permission to squire for Dunk from his father. Parker described writing the scene as “tongue-in-cheek,” only to find it taken more seriously than intended by parts of HBO and his writing team.
“It was just like, ‘No, what do you mean? We’ve got to answer it now. We’ve actually gone through a lot of iterations on how to deal with that. And so far we’ve landed on my favorite one, which is being addressed with hopefully a light touch and also a little bit of a dark humour as well.”
While the Maekar scene and Egg’s deception create lingering tension, Parker assured fans the fallout will be handled subtly with “light touch” and “dark humour,” without pulling focus from Dunk and Egg’s road ahead. No Targaryen returns or major appearances are expected in season 2, allowing the duo to continue their independent path through Westeros.
