‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ is stepping into George R.R. Martin’s world, but it isn’t bringing Dunk and Egg onto the screen in the exact same way readers remember.
The HBO series makes a radical change to their personalities, and that decision could completely alter how their bond, banter, and growth pans out for longtime fans when the show arrives.
‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Rewrites Dunk And Egg’s Core Personalities
Showrunner Ira Parker talked about this at a recent press event that film’s Jeremy Mathai attended. He said he tried really hard to keep the series as close to Martin’s work as possible, but he still changed one important thing about the two leads.
Egg will come across a bit smarter and more quippy than he does in parts of the novellas. Parker basically admitted he gave Egg extra moments where he feels quicker and more capable than book fans might expect. At the same time, Parker also changed how Dunk sees himself.
Dunk will still feel anxious, and he’ll still get down on himself, but the show won’t keep leaning into the idea that he’s “stupid” all the time. Parker explained that Dunk still underestimates himself, but the series pulls back on turning that into his main personality trait.
The Reason Behind The Change Makes Dunk Feel More Real
Parker’s explanation for this change actually connects to Dunk’s childhood, and it makes the whole thing easier to understand. He said Dunk is such a big guy that he can imagine people judging him when he was younger, simply because he was always bigger than other kids his age.
Because of that, Parker suggested Dunk probably got labeled as stupid even when he wasn’t. So instead of writing Dunk like he truly lacks intelligence, the show treats him more like someone who learned to doubt himself over time.
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Besides, it also affects the Dunk-and-Egg dynamic in a big way. Egg being smarter means he won’t just feel like the kid tagging along behind a stronger man. Instead, he’ll feel more involved in the partnership, and that gives their scenes more energy and back-and-forth.
Parker also explained that once these tweaks were made, sticking to Martin’s script became harder. He said he realized he couldn’t adapt everything word-for-word anymore, because the characters started developing their own identity during the process. Besides, both actors put so much of themselves into Dunk and Egg that the writing naturally had to adjust to match what they were bringing to the screen.
Still, Parker assured that the show isn’t completely rewriting the novellas. He stressed that the changes are “very close” and “nuanced,” even if fans will definitely notice them. The essence and spirit of the characters remain true to Martin’s work, even if the details are a bit tweaked.
