Every choice a character makes in the Game of Thrones universe has a big reason behind it and an equally big impact on the future. In the finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Prince Aegon ‘Egg’ Targaryen chooses to squire for a lowly hedge knight like Dunk rather than return to his royal Targaryen roots. In an interview, Sam Spruell, who plays Egg’s father, Prince Maekar Targaryen, discussed why the young prince made that choice.
Quick read:
- Egg has never been too enthused to be a part of the Targaryen family.
- His decision to leave with Dunk stems from his desire for a better paternal figure.
- Egg’s choice to join Dunk is incredibly upsetting for Maekar.
Sam Spruell on the reason Egg went with Dunk instead of the Targaryens in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Dunk and Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms | Image: HBO
From the get-go, it is obvious that Egg harbours a degree of resentment about his Targaryen roots. He had Daeron shave his head off so that he could go under the radar and squire for some other knight. That knight turns out to be Dunk. Despite knowing the kind of life it entails, Egg was adamant about squiring for Dunk. So much so that he went against his father’s wishes and joined the hedge knight.
Reflecting on Egg’s decision, Sam Spruell told The Hollywood Reporter, “It says something about Aegon’s judgment of where he’s going to get the best paternal figure and where he’s going to learn about the world in a more morally stable way. There is a wisdom to Dunk that comes naturally and instinctually, and I don’t think Maekar will ever get close to it. That’s what makes Dunk’s heroic nature so compelling. It is just in him in a way that it’s not in Maekar.”
Aerion picks fights almost everywhere he goes, Daeron spends most of his time drunk, and Egg constantly runs away. With so many of his sons causing trouble in their own ways, Maekar appears to have a parenting style that clearly leaves much to be desired.
Maekar Targaryen finds Egg’s decision to go with Dunk “upsetting”
Maekar Targaryen and Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms | Image: HBO
In the final episode, Maekar asked Dunk to take Egg as his squire and offered him a place in Summerhall. Dunk declined the offer and left only to return later to say that he would have Egg as his squire, but not in Summerhall. This time, Maekar declined Dunk’s offer because he couldn’t let go of his youngest son. Egg obviously had other plans.
Sam Spruell noted that Egg’s decision to follow Dunk is “unbelievably upsetting” for Maekar. He explained, “He [Egg] can see that if he’s to be the person that he wants to be, he must follow Dunk rather than his own father, which is unbelievably upsetting for Maekar. So I hope that some of that upset and humiliation will be explored potentially in future books or seasons of the show.”
Maekar will not appear in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2, which is based on The Sworn Sword. However, fans might get to see more of him if the show returns for another season, adapting the third novella.
Read more: When does A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 come out? Everything we know
