- 5 weeks ago
Before heading into Westeros' latest adventure, brush up on your lore! Join us as we explore the essential background for Dunk and Egg's tale. Our countdown includes the origins of the unlikely duo, Aegon the Unworthy's fateful decisions, and the Blackfyre rebellions that shaped their era. Expect a different tone from previous Westeros shows!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most
00:08important pieces of lore to know before watching A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
00:11We'll try our best to avoid crucial spoilers, but given it's a prequel, a few
00:15minor spoilers will be inevitable.
00:30Also known as Sir Duncan the Tall, this charming gentleman was born and raised in Flea Bottom
00:37King's Landing.
00:38He's almost seven feet tall, hence the name.
00:41Dunk was orphaned as a child, and grew up on the streets.
00:44He believed his father was a criminal, so it was always a dream of his to visit the
00:47wall and find him.
00:56When he was roughly five or six, Sir Arlan of Pennytree found him chasing a pig, then
01:01invited him to become his new squire.
01:03Sir Arlan taught him how to fight, alongside taking him on tons of adventures across Westeros.
01:08Sir Arlan sadly perished on the way to Attorney, which is the opening scene of the first Dunk
01:12and Egg novella.
01:13He charged me to be a good knight, to defend the weak and the innocent, and I swore that
01:20I would.
01:219.
01:22Who is Egg?
01:23There's a Targaryen presence on this series, we've heard the name mentioned quite a few
01:27times.
01:28Darren the Good is the Targaryen king of Westeros when the story begins.
01:32His fourth son is Myka, then Myka's fourth son is Aegon, better known as Egg.
01:37During his childhood, no one expected Egg to become king, but if you paid close attention
01:42to Game of Thrones, you'll know he grew up to be Aegon V.
01:45Rob me and I'll hunt you down with dogs.
01:49You don't have dogs!
01:50I'll get some.
01:51Where?
01:52Who?
01:53As a boy, he wished to join the king's guard, partly so he could get out of marrying someone.
01:57The novellas begin with Egg on his way to a tourney, hoping to squire for his brother,
02:02Darren.
02:03Unfortunately for Egg, Darren prefers drinking to fighting.
02:06On the other hand, they shaved his head completely, giving him his iconic egg look, mainly to avoid
02:11being recognized as a Targaryen.
02:12Every knight needs a squire, and you look like you need one more than most.
02:16Number 8.
02:17The Setting.
02:18In those days, House Targaryen stood at the height of its strength, with ten adult dragons
02:25under its yoke.
02:26No power in the world could stand against it.
02:29The story begins in 209 AC, that's 209 years after Aegon's conquest.
02:35This is approximately 90 years before the beginning of Game of Thrones, and about a
02:39century after House of the Dragon.
02:41This means the dragons are long dead.
02:44At the time of this series, the last Targaryen dragons have died out, so I feel like the power
02:49dynamic of how the Targaryens are viewed, that must change.
02:53Darren has been the king since 184 AC.
02:55Famously, Darren finally brought Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms, which he did diplomatically.
03:00This makes him arguably the man responsible for completing Aegon's conquest.
03:05Once the dragons died, the Targaryen's power has been declining.
03:08This will, of course, eventually lead to them being completely ousted from power a few decades
03:13later, setting the stage for Game of Thrones.
03:15Rhaenyra Targaryen was murdered by her brother, or rather his dragon.
03:21It ate her while her son watched.
03:24What's left of her is buried in the crypts right down there.
03:28Number seven, Aegon IV's reign.
03:31Before Darren II, Aegon IV was king, also known as Aegon the Unworthy.
03:35I did not ask for this.
03:38I've done everything you've asked me to, and I try so hard, but it will never be enough
03:44for you or father.
03:45The vast majority of political turmoil from Dunkin' Egg's era began with Aegon, despite
03:50only ruling for 12 years.
03:52He's not named after the Conqueror, but instead, Aegon III, the man who became king following
03:57the horrific Dance with Dragons.
03:59When young, he was a handsome and dashing prince, full of potential.
04:03By the end of his life, his desires had gotten the better of him.
04:06I have no wish to rule, no taste for duty, I'm not suited.
04:10You've got no argument from me.
04:12Aegon died extremely corrupt and with severe health issues.
04:15He was also infamous for fathering a plethora of illegitimate children.
04:19Then, on his deathbed, he legitimized them all.
04:22He could have, but he never did.
04:25Because he didn't like me.
04:27And yet, with his final breath, he whispered to me that you should take his place for the
04:33throne.
04:346.
04:35Aegon's Children
04:36He was a three-eyed raven.
04:38I've been many things.
04:44Now, I am what you see.
04:47These legitimized children then turned into the greatest enemies House Targaryen would
04:51ever face.
04:52One of them was called Brynden Rivers, who became known as Bloodraven.
04:57You may remember him as the old man who taught Bran his powers.
05:00You're going to help me walk again?
05:02You'll never walk again.
05:05But you will fly.
05:09In the books, he's far more creepy and mysterious than in the series.
05:14Many fans believe he could be responsible for giving Euron Crow's Eye his magical powers,
05:19something he probably regretted.
05:20Another of his children was Aegor Rivers, who took the name Aegor Bittersteel.
05:24Famously, he founded the Golden Company, a band of sellswords which appeared in Game of Thrones
05:29Season 8.
05:30Also, they're easily one of the most important factions where the books have left off.
05:33Number five, Damon Blackfyre.
05:53Debatably, the most important was Damon Waters, who was given the Valerian steel sword at Blackfyre.
05:59Work of art, really.
06:02The craftsmanship is excellent.
06:04If you like it so much, you're welcome to chop off your own head and take it.
06:07He's such an ingrate.
06:08He spent days with the goldsmith getting the details just right.
06:11Days?
06:12Better part of an afternoon.
06:14This was traditionally held by the Kings of Westeros.
06:17So, Damon made his last name Blackfyre, then, in 196 AC, rose in revolt against Daeron II,
06:24seeking to place himself on the Iron Throne.
06:26His sigil was identical to the Targaryen's, except with the colors inverted.
06:30Think about it.
06:31We can do whatever we like.
06:32Wherever we go, these are the King's colors.
06:37No one's standing in his way now, which means no one's standing in ours.
06:42This was the first Blackfyre rebellion, which failed within a year.
06:46Damon and his two eldest sons were killed, but many of his relatives fled east, where they would vow to return.
06:52He was the blood of the dragon.
06:55But now his fire has gone out.
07:00And now his watch is ending.
07:02This included Agor Bittersteel, who founded the Golden Company soon after the rebellion.
07:07Number 4. Subsequent Blackfyre Rebellions
07:10In any event, you are most welcome here in King's Landing, Captain Strickland.
07:14We look forward to fighting on your behalf, Your Grace.
07:17In total, there were five rebellions, but there had only been one by the beginning of the novellas.
07:22We won't spoil details for when subsequent rebellions take place, since they'll likely become major plot points in the Night of the Seven Kingdoms.
07:29Hold to your wits, for the Seven have blessed and shielded this host with divine purpose, for the one true king, Aegon, Aegon!
07:40The fifth and final one was the War of the Ninepenny Kings, which began after the death of Aegon V, so it has no chance of appearing in the series.
07:48It failed like the four before it, alongside leading to the extinction of the male Blackfyre line.
07:53The female line, on the other hand, is assumed to still exist.
07:56This has led fans to formulate one of the most interesting theories in the series.
08:00The readers all want to notice, and I know what happened, but I don't want to tell the readers yet, because I want to reveal that in a later Duncan Egg story.
08:10Number three, why are the Blackfyres important?
08:13Power resides where men believe it resides.
08:18It's a trick, a shadow on the wall.
08:21If you don't care for the books, the Blackfyres are simply worldbuilding.
08:24If you do, you'll be familiar with young Griff of the Golden Company, who was revealed to be Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar in disguise.
08:33Aegon is backed by Varys, explaining why Varys is constantly destabilizing Westeros.
08:38Many believe Aegon's mother is a Blackfyre, as opposed to being the true son of Rhaegar.
08:43Primary evidence is the Golden Company backing his cause, as their number one enemies are the Targaryens.
08:49Highgarden bought us the most powerful army in Essos. The Golden Company. 20,000 men, horses, elephants, I believe.
08:58At the start of Book 6, Aegon and the Golden Company have begun invading Westeros.
09:02They'll have an easy time deposing Cersei, who is wildly unpopular, which will make Aegon Daenerys' main foe, who will probably be far more adored than her.
09:11Aegon the Conqueror's dream. He called it the Song of Ice and Fire.
09:18Number 2. How will it differ from Game of Thrones?
09:21If you're expecting a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to be more of Game of Thrones, except in a different period, prepare for disappointment.
09:27These men have a name. Training. What chance do I have? I have no chance.
09:35It'll be far less grand in scope than both previous shows, with only two major characters.
09:40Instead, it will focus more on the smallfolk, alongside the friendship of Dunk and Egg.
09:46Sir Duncan is often considered the personification of chivalry, making him a highly admirable character.
09:51How good a Knight are you? You'll see.
09:54This is a stark contrast to Game of Thrones, where many knights are morally grey.
09:58There will be little magic, if any.
10:00Plus, major geopolitics and grand wars won't be the focus.
10:03This will make it a much more lighthearted viewing experience than the prior series.
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10:28Number one, subsequent novellas and series structure.
10:34Yeah, I was gonna say there's a bit of an everyman element to Dunk, which I found so refreshing to center around a character like that.
10:40But there's also a bit of physicality to Dunk as well.
10:43Three novellas have been released so far, published between 1998 and 2010.
10:47Author George R.R. Martin hasn't released a book set in Westeros since Fire and Blood in 2018, ignoring his companion books.
10:54He's said he doesn't want to write anything else in the universe until The Winds of Winter is complete, a book he's famously been writing since 2011.
11:01You are writing now book six out of seven, is that correct?
11:05The Winds of Winter, yes.
11:07Okay.
11:08And a 1500-page gigantic monster like the last one.
11:11So that means, for the time being, there are only three novellas to be adapted.
11:15It's believed each season will correspond to one novella.
11:18After series three, they'll end up running out of source material.
11:21Thankfully, it's a prequel series.
11:23So we know exactly how both Dunk and Egg's tale ends.
11:26And it's the first time there's a character that you're following that doesn't want to, wants the moon and the stars.
11:33He just wants to survive in a very scary world.
11:36Are you excited for A Night of the Seven Kingdoms?
11:38Or do you prefer the grander series that came before?
11:40Let us know in the comments below.
11:42The End
11:43The End
11:44The End
11:45The End
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