Egg was a vital part of Game of Thrones long before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is set 100 years before Game of Thrones, follows the adventures of Prince Aegon V Targaryen (Dexter Sol Ansell) – Egg for short.

It’s a lower-stakes coming-of-age story about his time with Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey). It might seem completely separated from the original show beyond some familiar family names, but the young prince is the only reason Game of Thrones takes place in the first place, for better or worse.

How Egg connects to Game of Thrones

In the show, Egg’s son is Aerys II, Daenerys’ father, the Mad King. His tyrannical rule over Westeros is the catalyst for Robert’s Rebellion and every event that happens south of the wall in Game of Thrones. However, his impact doesn’t end there.

“Egg, I dreamed that I was old,” were Maester Aemon’s last words before he died of old age in Season 5, and of course, it’s the same Egg that’s in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Aemon was Egg’s older brother, and he’s the one who gave him his nickname.

When their father, King Maekar I, died, Aemon was next in line for the throne, but he was already a sworn maester, having renounced all his claims to land and title.

Calling Egg “more than half a peasant” for his time spent with Dunk, some of the lords tried to release Aemon from his vows and crown him king, but he refused.

Then, fearing he could be used to usurp his younger brother, he joined the Night’s Watch, totally removing himself from the board. Over 60 years later, he meets Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly in Season 1 of Game of Thrones, and is a major influence on the heroes.

This was all revealed back in the first season, when Aemon tells Jon, “My father was Maekar, the first of his name. My brother Aegon reigned after him when I had refused the throne. And he was followed by his son, Aerys, whom they called the Mad King.”

Aemon’s love for his little brother, leading to him taking the black, sets up many key events at Castle Black, including the letter that brought Stannis to the Night’s Watch’s aid, and Jon Snow becoming Lord Commander.

So, while Egg is only a young boy during A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, he’s one of Game of Thrones’ most important characters – whether he’d like to be or not.