What Happens Next to All of the Characters

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is unlike Game of Thrones in so many ways, not the least of which being that the books necessary to continue the story in future seasons have already been written and released. George R.R. Martin has plans to write up to nine more “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas (though not until after The Winds of Winter is out, he claims), but the next two books that will presumably inform upcoming seasons of HBO’s latest fantasy series are available to read. That means if you want a spoiler about what will happen to Dunk, Egg, and all of the other colorful characters viewers came to know over the first season’s six episodes, you’re in luck.

Well, kind of in luck. With the exception of the title characters, nobody from The Hedge Knight, which serves as the basis of the first season, appears in the second or third novellas, The Sworn Sword and The Mystery Knight. That presents a challenge — and big question — for the sophomore season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Viewers have come to love Daniel Ings’s performance as Ser Lyonel Baratheon, and they’re invested in what Maekar Targaryen will do now that he’s the heir to the throne (and his youngest son has run off with a hedge knight without his permission, something that was not made explicit in the novella). Will season two be as faithful an adaptation of The Sworn Sword as season one was of The Hedge Knight, leaving all those faces by the wayside and focusing on a totally new cast of characters? Or will it find ways to bring them back into the narrative, either via flashback, cutaways to other parts of Westeros, or drastic changes to the source material? If that’s the case, it seems like it might take away from what made season one such a nice breath of fresh Westerosi air. If the contained, lower-stakes story keeps cutting to the Red Keep or Storm’s End to see what the lords of the land are doing, is it still A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

All of this is to say that a spoiler post revealing what happens to all of these characters might not be spoiling the show at all. Drawn from the next two novellas and the pages of A World of Ice and Fire, which details the fictional history of Westeros, here’s a rundown of what season one’s characters will get up to. With the exceptions of Dunk and Egg, it could well be the last TV viewers see of them, so consider this closure.

Please note that spoilers about Dunk’s and Egg’s futures do have pretty big implications, though their eventual fates do not come into play in the second or third novellas aside from some prophetic hints, and their role in Westerosi history was already well established ahead of Game of Thrones.

Photo: Steffan Hill

The next novella follows Dunk and Egg as they deal with a dispute between two lords over a dammed river in the Reach, and the one after that has the pair dealing with a conspiracy to reignite a failed rebellion at a tournament in the Riverlands. What happens to Egg after that and several more adventures with Dunk? He becomes king — just like that fortune teller predicted in episode three.

The fourth son of a fourth son, Egg was never supposed to sit on the throne. A very unlikely series of events and deaths put him there, which earned him the moniker of “Aegon the Unlikely.” After Baelor accidentally died at his brother Maekar’s hand during the Trial of the Seven, the second-eldest of King Daeron II’s sons, Aerys I, took his place as crown prince and inherited the throne when Daeron died. He didn’t have any children; the third-youngest brother, Rhaegel, also died, along with his sons and Baelor’s sons. That meant Maekar became the king after Aerys’s death, but when his two eldest sons, Prince Aerion and Prince Daeron, both died (more on that in a bit), a great council was called to decide who would next inherit the throne. The council only settled on Egg after his third-eldest brother, Aemon, refused to release himself from his vows as a maester. (That’s right — the old dude who was nice to Jon Snow at the Wall in Game of Thrones was Egg’s brother!)

Beloved by smallfolk because he’d spent so much time among them when he served as squire to a hedge knight, Aegon had a tougher time with royalty, many of whom thought he was too familiar with peasants. He spent his reign putting down various rebellions and dealing with the three children he had with his wife, Betha Blackwood, a lady from a house in the Riverlands. Duncan (named after Dunk), Jaehaerys, Daeron, and daughters Shaera and Rhaelle gave King Aegon a lot of trouble. Duncan defied his father’s wishes and broke off an engagement with Lyonel Baratheon’s daughter to marry a commoner, Jaehaerys and Shaera had a traditionally incestuous Targaryen relationship, and Daeron died in battle.

On the whole, though, Aegon was a pretty good king (especially by Targaryen standards). His reign and life ended in tragedy, though. As he got older, Aegon became obsessed with the idea of bringing dragons back, in no small part because he thought having them would help quell the many rebellions he faced. After ruling for more than 25 years, Aegon died, along with Dunk, during a catastrophic fire at the Targaryen vacation palace of Summerhall in what’s suggested to be a ritual to revive dragon eggs gone horribly wrong. (The fortune teller in episode three alludes to this, though she also says that his death will be rejoiced, perhaps hinting at some later, darker turn for Egg that the books haven’t yet revealed.) This tragedy took place 50 years after the events of season one of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Jaehaerys succeeded him on the throne and his son Aerys II — who would later come to be known as the Mad King — followed him.

Could he appear in a future season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Obviously.

Photo: Steffan Hill

Less is known about Dunk’s later life because outside of the novellas, the texts understandably pay more attention to the king than they do a knight, but there’s still a good record of his deeds. After many travels across all of Westeros with Egg, Dunk stayed by his former squire’s side when Aegon became king. He escorted Maester Aemon to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea when Aemon took the Black, as Aemon joined the Night’s Watch to ensure that he couldn’t be used as a pawn for any of his brother’s enemies who might prefer him on the throne instead. He eventually joined the Kingsguard and fought in various wars on the throne’s behalf.

When Aegon’s son Duncan broke off an arranged marriage with Lyonel Baratheon’s daughter to marry a common girl, the prince’s namesake was forced to fight his old friend. The Laughing Storm rebelled against the crown, but the short rebellion came to an end after Dunk and Lyonel engaged in single combat with Dunk emerging victorious. (Bros fighting bros … you hate to see it.)

Dunk eventually became Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, serving honorably and admirably. (Though for all his prowess, he wasn’t unbeatable; a 16-year-old Barristan Selmy defeated him at a tournament.) Dunk died alongside his king during the Tragedy of Summerhall, though his line endured. George R.R. Martin confirmed that Brienne of Tarth is descendant of Dunk’s, though how exactly they’re related hasn’t been revealed.

Could he appear in a future season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Also obviously — he’s the titular knight of the Seven Nine Kingdoms!

Photo: Steffan Hill

Lyonel Baratheon, perhaps the breakout character of A Knight of the Kingdoms’ first season, eventually becomes lord of Storm’s End. He was initially a great friend and ally to King Aegon, but when Aegon’s eldest son and heir to the throne married a commoner named Jenny of Oldstones and broke off an engagement with one of Lyonel’s daughters (an especially huge deal because the daughter would otherwise likely have become queen consort), Lyonel felt the honor of his house had been insulted. He rebelled, and it was only after he lost in single combat against Dunk — the very hedge knight he befriended and fought for during the Trial of the Seven at that tournament nearly 30 years earlier — that the rebellion ended. It’s an ironic turn of fate, especially considering that in the show’s season finale, Lyonel invites Dunk to come to Storm’s End and be like a brother to him.

Lyonel survived the trial, though, and he remained lord of Storm’s End as King Aegon attempted to make amends and restore peace and order to the realm. The king sent his youngest daughter, Rhaelle Targaryen, to Storm’s End to serve as Lyonel’s cupbearer and companion to his wife. She would eventually marry Lyonel’s heir, Ormund Baratheon. Their grandson? Why, that would be none other than Robert Baratheon, the man whose rebellion against the throne would end the Targaryen dynasty.

Could he appear in a future season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Given that Lyonel’s next major role in Dunk’s story is nearly three decades after the events of season one, it’s hard to see how he could show up in season two. Daniel Ings’s performance as Lyonel is so fun, though, that you almost want them to find a way. Can’t Dunk and the Laughing Storm have some more onscreen chances to bro out before they have to fight?

Photo: Steffan Hill

Although his brother Baelor “Brakespear” Targaryen seemed poised to be a perfect king, Maekar’s time on the Iron Throne wasn’t terrible. After his father, Daeron II, died, Maekar served under his second-eldest brother, King Aerys I, before the throne eventually passed to him. His rule was largely peaceful, situated among a bunch of wars launched by members of the legitimized bastard Targaryen branch house known as Blackfyres. He did die during a war, however, killed by a falling rock during the storming of a castle in the Peake Uprising, a minor rebellion launched by a Blackfyre loyalist house. His two eldest sons were already dead, setting the stage for his fourth, Egg, to become King Aegon the Unlikely.

Could he appear in a future season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? He doesn’t show up in the sequel novellas, but of all the absent characters, Maekar is the easiest to imagine making an appearance. The post-credits scene of the finale reveals that Maekar did not give Egg permission to squire Dunk, something that isn’t explicit in the novella. The other two novellas do make it clear that Egg’s squiring was at least eventually formally approved by the crown, and Egg carries a ring with Maekar’s sigil hidden in his boot that the pair can use as a means of last resort if they need to prove his Targaryen identity. A new scene where Maekar confronts Dunk and Egg and gives them the ring doesn’t seem impossible.

Photo: Steffan Hill

Daeron “The Drunken” Targaryen, Egg’s eldest brother — the one he ran off with, setting the events of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in motion — spent most of his life drinking at Summerhall and having prophetic dragon dreams. He had one daughter, Vaella, who was said to be sweet but simple-minded. He died before he could ever take the throne — the result of some pox he caught from a whore.

Could he appear in a future season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Is anybody really clamoring for Daeron “The Drunken” to come back? He’s not really in the story, and unless future seasons want to pull a House of the Dragon and make the entire show revolve around prophetic dreams, there’s no reason to involve him.

Photo: Steffan Hill

Aerion, known for his horrible behavior as Aerion the Monstrous (though he preferred to be styled Aerion Brightflame), traveled across the Narrow Sea to the Free City of Lys at the request of his father after the tourney seen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season one. Maekar, having seen how terribly Aerion acted during the tourney, hoped some time there would change his son for the better. Did it work? Well, Aerion eventually returned, fought in the Third Blackfyre Rebellion under King Aerys I, married his cousin, and had a son, Maegor. (The only other Maegor in the Targareyn family tree was King Maegor the Cruel, who ruled nearly 200 years earlier and was infamously one of the worst kings Westeros ever had, as the nickname suggests. That Aerion would name his son this seems like a bad sign.)

Aerion went out in a blaze of glory — literally. The same year his son was born, he drank a goblet of wildfire under the insane belief that it would transform him into a dragon. (As mentioned in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ third episode, he “thinks himself a dragon in human form.”) Instead, he died screaming as his insides ignited. I don’t think anybody who watched him in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is going to be too sad about that.

Could he appear in a future season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? He’s in Lys across the Narrow Sea, so probably not.

Photo: Steffan Hill

There’s no mention of what happened to Raymun Fossoway after the tournament where he met Dunk and was knighted by Lyonel Baratheon. However, it is known that he was the founder of his own branch of House Fossoway. Whereas his cousin Steffon and the main branch use a red apple as their emblem, House Fossoway of New Barrel, as the offshoot is known, has a green apple. There are “green-apple Fossoways” who pop up as extremely minor characters throughout A Song of Ice and Fire. Good for Raymun — even if it sure seems like his new wife, as revealed in the final episode, is literally cucking him.

Could he appear in a future season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Who knows? Maybe they’ll add a scene in season two in which Raymun makes his way from his home in the Reach to wherever Dunk and Egg are to sell apple cider. He does tell Dunk he’s considering “opening up a new barreling outfit.”

Photo: Steffan Hill/HBO

The (very tall) Dornish puppeteer with whom Dunk becomes smitten, and whom he risks everything to save from Aerion’s torment, hasn’t appeared again in any of George R.R. Martin’s writings — so far. The second Dunk and Egg novella, The Sworn Sword, reveals that the pair traveled throughout Dorne and watched countless puppet shows, but Dunk seemingly never encountered her again, despite his hopes. Dunk is still thinking about her in the third novella, though he hasn’t found her and has all but given up on looking.

During an appearance at a comic convention in 2016, Martin said there was a good chance that Tanselle would appear in a future Dunk and Egg story when a fan asked. Obviously, those future Dunk and Egg books have not been written yet, so Tanselle’s fate remains a mystery.

Could she appear in a future season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Given how much Dunk thinks about Tanselle in the novellas, it actually seems highly likely that actress Tanzyn Crawford will show up in flashbacks or dream sequences in the sophomore season. Will the character appear in the flesh? Probably not — though showrunner Ira Parker claims Martin has given him “10–12 stories” to work with in future seasons, so odds are good Tanselle could factor into at least one of them.

Photo: Steffan Hill

Steely Pate does not appear in any other Dunk and Egg stories, nor is the commoner blacksmith mentioned in the history of Westeros in A World of Ice and Fire, which isn’t surprising. Dunk is still wearing his armor in the third novella, though. It’s good steel.

Could he appear in a future season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? He’s not in the novellas, but it doesn’t seem too hard to tweak his character so that he’s a traveling blacksmith whom Dunk might encounter again.