A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Cast Guide: Dunk, Egg, Aerion & Every Major House

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Dunk & Egg on Screen: The Cast Guide and a House-by-House Who’s Who

HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brings George R. R. Martin’s “Dunk & Egg” adventures to TV—less world-ending doom, more dusty roads, tourney drama, and the kind of personal choices that change history anyway. If you’re here for the big names (Dunk, Egg, Aerion) and the big banners (Targaryen, Baratheon, Tyrell, and more), this guide is built to be your one-stop reference.

Watch: Official Teaser Trailer

Quick Cast Answers (Dunk, Egg, Aerion)

  • Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall is played by Peter Claffey.
  • “Egg” (Prince Aegon Targaryen) is played by Dexter Sol Ansell.
  • Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen is played by Finn Bennett.

If you only remember three names from this guide, make them those three—because nearly every feud, friendship, and “uh-oh” moment in Season 1 spirals out from them.

Full Cast Table (Characters + Houses at a Glance)

Character Actor House / Affiliation Why They Matter
Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall Peter Claffey Hedge knight (lowborn) The underdog protagonist trying to “be a knight” in a world that treats knighthood like a brand.
“Egg” (Prince Aegon Targaryen) Dexter Sol Ansell House Targaryen A prince in disguise, learning what the realm looks like from the ground up.
Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen Finn Bennett House Targaryen The volatile royal antagonist who turns small insults into realm-sized problems.
Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen Bertie Carvel House Targaryen The “good Targaryen” energy—honor, duty, and political gravity in one person.
Prince Maekar Targaryen Sam Spruell House Targaryen Hard authority: family discipline, royal consequences, and a looming shadow over Egg.
Prince Daeron “the Drunken” Targaryen Henry Ashton House Targaryen A prince on the margins—often dismissed, sometimes dangerously insightful.
Ser Lyonel Baratheon (“the Laughing Storm”) Daniel Ings House Baratheon A fan-favorite force of nature: charisma, brute confidence, and genuine knightly skill.
Tanselle Tanzyn Crawford Dornish performer (traveler) Not a bannered lord—yet her fate becomes a fuse for everything that follows.
Ser Arlan of Pennytree Danny Webb Hedge knight Dunk’s mentor and the “ghost” of knighthood he’s chasing.
Ser Steffon Fossoway Edward Ashley House Fossoway Tourney politics and “who stands with whom” matters—he’s part of that chessboard.
Raymun Fossoway Shaun Thomas House Fossoway A young knight-in-the-making pulled into high-stakes decisions fast.
Ser Manfred Dondarrion Daniel Monks House Dondarrion A stormlander presence that adds pressure and danger to tourney justice.
Steely Pate Youssef Kerkour Smallfolk (blacksmith) A reminder that the realm runs on labor—until nobility breaks it.
Plummer Tom Vaughan-Lawlor Ashford steward The “running the place” voice that turns rumors into official decisions.
Lord Leo “Longthorn” Tyrell Steve Wall House Tyrell Reach power in human form—courtesy on the surface, sharp ambition underneath.
Ser Humfrey Hardyng Ross Anderson House Hardyng A tourney knight tied to the wider political map beyond Ashford.

This cast list is designed for fast scanning. Keep reading for the “why they matter” context—especially for how the houses collide around one tourney.

Dunk & Egg: Why This Duo Works (and Why Westeros Hates It)

Dunk is the rare Westerosi protagonist who isn’t trying to take power—he’s trying to deserve it. That sounds noble, until you remember Westeros rewards bloodlines, not good intentions. Dunk’s size and strength open doors; his lack of pedigree slams them shut.

Egg is the perfect counterweight: sharp, stubborn, and observant, with a secret identity that turns every “small” problem into a royal one. Together, they create the show’s core tension: one man trying to live by knightly ideals, and one boy learning what those ideals cost in the real world.

The relationship also reshapes the classic “mentor/squire” dynamic. Egg isn’t just learning; he’s pushing Dunk—testing his temper, his pride, his mercy, and his definition of honor.

Aerion Brightflame: The Cast Member You Love to Hate

Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen is the kind of antagonist Westeros does best: a man protected by status, addicted to humiliation as entertainment, and surrounded by people paid to call it “royal temperament.”

Aerion’s presence matters because he weaponizes the rules of the realm. In a society obsessed with rank, a prince can turn a personal grievance into a public crisis with a few words—especially if the target is a hedge knight. In other words: Aerion doesn’t just threaten Dunk with violence; he threatens him with legitimacy.

The Targaryens and the Royal Orbit (Who’s Who Around Egg)

Season 1 isn’t “Targaryens at war” like other Westeros stories. It’s “Targaryens at a moment of uneasy control,” where appearances matter and any insult can become a test of royal authority.

  • Prince Baelor “Breakspear” (Bertie Carvel): the stabilizing presence—political weight, battlefield credibility, and the rare ability to make people want to follow him.
  • Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell): stern, pragmatic, and dangerous in the quiet way—because he doesn’t need to raise his voice to ruin you.
  • Prince Daeron “the Drunken” (Henry Ashton): a reminder that not every royal is built for governance, but that doesn’t mean they’re harmless.
  • Prince Aerion (Finn Bennett): the match thrown into dry grass.

Every Major House in Season 1 (What Their Banner Adds to the Story)

House Targaryen

The ruling dynasty is still on the Iron Throne in this era, but dragons are gone—and that absence changes everything. Without the ultimate “because we said so” weapon, the crown relies more heavily on tradition, intimidation, and spectacle.

  • Key characters: Egg (Aegon), Aerion, Baelor, Maekar, Daeron.
  • What to watch for: how quickly “family drama” becomes “national incident.”

House Baratheon

The Baratheons are built for tourneys and war stories—big personalities, big appetites, and big hammers (literal or metaphorical). Ser Lyonel Baratheon brings swagger, but he’s not just comic relief; he’s proof that “true knights” still exist, even when politics gets ugly.

  • Key character: Ser Lyonel “the Laughing Storm” Baratheon.
  • What to watch for: how easily a tourney friendship can become a political statement.

House Tyrell

The Reach is rich, fertile, and politically crowded—meaning power often looks like etiquette. A Tyrell showing up in the orbit of a big tourney is never “just attending.”

  • Key character: Lord Leo “Longthorn” Tyrell.
  • What to watch for: who gets favor, who gets ignored, and who gets quietly cornered.

House Dondarrion

The Dondarrions represent stormlander steel and the kind of martial pride that can turn a dispute into a public feud. When knightly honor gets invoked, it helps to have a house known for fighting under lightning banners.

  • Key character: Ser Manfred Dondarrion.
  • What to watch for: when “due process” starts feeling like intimidation.

House Fossoway

The Fossoways sit in that classic Westeros lane: “noble enough to matter, not powerful enough to be safe.” They’re ideal tourney players—close enough to the spotlight to be drawn into drama, far enough to be used as pieces.

  • Key characters: Ser Steffon Fossoway, Raymun Fossoway.
  • What to watch for: loyalty shifts—fast, public, and sometimes permanent.

House Ashford

Ashford Meadow isn’t just scenery—it’s a pressure cooker. House Ashford’s land and authority become the stage for a disaster waiting to happen: rival knights, royal egos, and the smallfolk trying not to get trampled.

  • Key figure: Plummer (Ashford’s steward).
  • What to watch for: how “local rules” get overwritten when princes arrive.

House Hardyng

House Hardyng is a reminder that tourneys pull in knights from across the realm, and any one of them can become a symbol—especially once politics turns violent.

  • Key character: Ser Humfrey Hardyng.
  • What to watch for: the tourney as networking event… and battlefield rehearsal.

Smallfolk and Hedge Knights (Not a House, Still Essential)

A huge part of what makes this series feel different is how much story weight sits outside the great houses. Ser Arlan of Pennytree, Steely Pate, and Tanselle represent the lives the nobility talks about—but rarely sees clearly.

  • Key characters: Ser Arlan of Pennytree, Steely Pate, Tanselle.
  • What to watch for: the gap between “a knight’s story” and “a person’s life.”

What Reddit Reactions Say About Dunk & Egg

If you want a quick pulse-check on what landed with viewers (tone, humor, pacing, and how “different” this feels from other Westeros shows), Reddit discussion threads are a gold mine—especially the episode post-discussion debates.

(Spoilers Extended) A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Episode 1 Post-Episode Discussion

What Reddit Theories Say About Where the Story Is Heading

Another fun Reddit pattern: book readers watching for foreshadowing while show-only viewers try to guess who’s lying, who’s bluffing, and who’s about to make a mistake that becomes history.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - 1x04 - "Seven" - Episode Discussion

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Watch: Official Final Trailer

FAQ

Is “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” the same thing as “The Hedge Knight”?

Season 1 adapts The Hedge Knight, the first Dunk & Egg story, and uses it as the foundation for the show’s cast and major houses.

Who plays Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

Peter Claffey plays Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall.

Who plays Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

Dexter Sol Ansell plays Egg (Prince Aegon Targaryen).

Who plays Aerion Brightflame?

Finn Bennett plays Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen.

Which houses are most important in Season 1?

The core banner power centers are Targaryen, Baratheon, and Tyrell, with major tourney and knightly presence from Dondarrion, Fossoway, Ashford, and others.

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