'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' episode 4: The prophecy about Dunk and the dragon, explained

Another Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode, another prophecy.

Episode 4 sees Dunk (Peter Claffey) coming face-to-face once again with the mysterious drunk man who swore at him in the tavern back in episode 1 — a man that we now know is actually Daeron Targaryen (Henry Ashton), brother of Aegon/Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

So what does Daeron, who was wary of Dunk when he first saw him, say this time? And what could it mean?

What's the prophecy about Dunk and the dragon?

Asking Dunk for a private word, Daeron stands outside the tent with our favorite hedge knight and tells of a dream he had about him. We've transcribed their exchange below, in full:

Daeron Targaryen: I dreamed of you.

Dunk: You said that. Back at the inn.

Daeron: Did I? Well my dreams are not like yours. Mine come true. An impressive talent for an unimpressive man. Another one of life's little ironies. But I have seen you, ser. And a fire. And a dead dragon. A great beast with wings so large they could cover this meadow. It had fallen on top of you. But you were alive, and the dragon was dead.

Dunk: Did I kill it?

Daeron: That I could not say.

Intriguing. But what exactly does it mean?

What does the prophecy mean?

As we mentioned when Dunk received his first prophecy in episode 3, some characters are capable of predicting the future in the Game of Thrones universe. Targaryens, in particular, have a proven track record (hello Helaena). All of this means we shouldn't take the words of Daeron — a self-proclaimed seer — lightly. How we decipher them, though, is another matter.

First of all, it's worth noting that there are no dragons left in Westeros at the time of Dunk and Egg. The beast in Daeron's dream is, therefore, most likely a metaphor for a Targaryen. The obvious interpretation would be the upcoming trial of seven. Dunk being trapped below a slain dragon could be taken to mean that he'll defeat Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) on the field, but maybe get injured in the process?

On the other hand, that may be too obvious. Perhaps Daeron's prophecy reaches further into Dunk's future? If last week's prophecy is to be believed, and Egg is indeed to sit on the Iron Throne one day, then maybe Dunk will be forced to slay other dragons/Targaryens in order to keep his tiny squire safe?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.