"The Squire" is the episode A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been building toward. What started as a charming story about a hedge knight and his bald squire transforms into something much larger. Royal blood. Brotherly cruelty. A fortune that predicts fire and death.
And yes—Egg's true identity is finally revealed. Let's break down everything that happened.
Opening: Egg's Secret Training
The episode opens with Egg keeping watch over a sleeping Dunk. But rather than simply standing guard, Egg takes Thunder into the forest to train the horse for jousting—something he clearly knows more about than a servant's son should.
Ser Robyn Rhysling, described as "the maddest knight in the Seven Kingdoms," encounters Egg and suspects he's stolen the horse. The scene showcases Egg's quick wit and hints at his hidden training. This boy knows how to handle himself around nobility.
When Egg returns to camp, Dunk is awake, sewing a patch. Despite trying to be gruff with his squire, Dunk doesn't have a mean bone in him. He teaches Egg how to sew, and they work together brushing Thunder. These quiet moments of bonding make what comes later hit so much harder.
The Tournament Disappointment
After a pre-joust nervous puke, Dunk announces he's ready to enter the lists. Egg has to break the news: only knights of high birth and renown have the right of first challenge. Dunk won't be jousting today.
"Then why have I been vomiting all morning?" Dunk asks.
"It's a mystery," Egg replies with perfect deadpan.
This moment captures why their dynamic works. Dunk is earnest and eager; Egg has the knowledge but has been hiding it. Their friendship is built on genuine affection, even as Egg keeps secrets.
The Fixed Fight Offer
Plummer, the Master of Games, pulls Dunk aside with a proposition: participate in a fixed joust that would benefit gamblers who bet on the underdog.
Dunk's response defines his character: "I do not want a victory that I have not earned."
Plummer warns him not to let pride get in his way and says he'll return tomorrow for an answer. The temptation is real—Dunk has no money, no sponsor, no path to glory. But buying victory would make everything he believes meaningless.
The Fortune Teller's Dark Prophecy
A random fortune teller stops Dunk and Egg with a prophecy that should terrify book readers and Game of Thrones fans:
To Egg: He shall be king one day, though he'll "die in a hot fire, and worms shall feed upon his ashes" and "all who know you shall rejoice in your dying."
This is a direct reference to the Tragedy of Summerhall, where Aegon V and Ser Duncan both died trying to hatch dragon eggs. The fortune teller sees the end before the story has really begun.
It's chilling. And neither Dunk nor Egg understands what they're hearing.
Prince Aerion's Cruelty
We've heard about Prince Aerion Targaryen's cruelty. In "The Squire," we see it.
First: during a joust, Aerion deliberately stabs Ser Humfrey Hardyng's horse through the throat. Not because he had to—because he could. Because he's a prince, and who's going to stop him?
Then: Aerion finds a puppet show where a papier-mâché dragon is killed as part of the performance. He tortures the young puppeteer Tanselle for this "insult" to dragons—to Targaryens—to him.
Aerion is everything Dunk isn't. Born into power. Using it for cruelty. Certain no one will ever hold him accountable.
Is Egg a Targaryen? The Big Reveal
Yes. Egg is Aegon V Targaryen.
When Dunk hears that Aerion is breaking Tanselle's finger at the puppet show, he doesn't think. He rushes over and attacks a prince of the realm.
The guards eventually subdue Dunk. Aerion announces that since Dunk loosened one of his teeth, they'll break all of Dunk's teeth. It's the kind of arbitrary cruelty Aerion specializes in.
Then Egg cries out: "Don't touch him!"
Dunk warns his squire to be quiet.
Egg doesn't listen. He calls off the guards by name. And when Aerion asks what happened to his hair, Egg delivers the line that transforms the show:
"I cut it off, brother. I didn't want to look like you."
Egg is revealed as Aegon V Targaryen—son of Maekar, grandson of King Daeron II, and younger brother to Prince Aerion. The cruel prince whose actions forced Dunk's hand has also forced Egg to reveal himself.
What This Means
Episode 3 transforms A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms from a buddy comedy into something much larger.
Dunk's Position: He just assaulted a Targaryen prince. In Westeros, that's a death sentence. His only hope is Egg—but using Egg's protection means the boy he's sworn to protect becomes a political pawn.
Egg's Choice: The shaved head, the servant's clothes, the false identity—all of it was to escape being a Targaryen. Now he's revealed himself to save Dunk. He chose his friend over his freedom.
The Trial of Seven: Book readers know what comes next. Dunk will demand a trial by combat—not single combat, but the ancient trial of seven. Seven champions on each side. It's a desperate gamble that sets up the season's climax.
"The Squire" isn't just the episode where we learn who Egg really is. It's the episode where we learn who he wants to be.
Episode Verdict
Grade: A
"The Squire" delivers the show's best episode yet. The reveal we've been waiting for lands perfectly because the show earned it—three episodes of character work that make Egg's choice mean something.
- The fortune teller's prophecy (chilling for those who know)
- Aerion's casual cruelty with the horse
- "I cut it off, brother. I didn't want to look like you."
What Worked: The pacing. We got the reveal exactly when we needed it—not too early to feel cheap, not too late to feel dragged out.
Next Episode: Episode 4 releases early on Friday, Feb 6 at 12:01 a.m. PT on HBO Max (moved for Super Bowl).
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