A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms delivered a jaw-dropping revelation this week that sent viewers into a frenzy of speculation, reports the Mirror.

Fans are now even keener to understand how the prequel spin-off links to the original HBO fantasy epic Game of Thrones.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 3 and Game of Thrones

The instalment entitled The Squire saw Egg (portrayed by Dexter Sol Ansell) revealed to be Aegon V Targaryen, a member of the Targaryen dynasty and a future monarch of Westeros.

He'd concealed his true background from Ser Duncan 'Dunk' the Tall (Peter Claffey) in an attempt to avoid descending into madness like his relatives.

Egg had gone so far as to shave his scalp, yet the distinctive white-blonde Targaryen locks were beginning to emerge.

Here's a look at Egg's genuine heritage and whether he ultimately transforms into the notorious Mad King in Game of Thrones.

No. The Mad King in Game of Thrones is Aerys II Targaryen (David Rintoul), but Egg was his grandfather.

Egg or 'Aegon the Unlikely' ruled from the Iron Throne with his son Jaehaerys II taking over.

After Jaehaerys II, Aerys II claimed power with his disastrous reign, spelling the end for the Targaryens in Westeros.

As Game of Thrones demonstrated, Aerys and fellow Targaryens fell victim to insanity owing to generations of intermarriage to preserve their bloodlines untainted.

This is precisely what Egg dreads in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and explains why he attempts to separate himself from his kin. Furthermore, it's indicated that Prince Aerion (Finn Bennett), who also goes by the name 'Aerion the Monstrous', already possesses this insanity and viciousness.

Whilst Aerys held the title of Mad King in Game of Thrones, the realm of Westeros has witnessed numerous deranged Targaryens throughout history, amongst them King Baelor I Targaryen, Prince Rhaegel Targaryen, and Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd).

There was also the cruel Maegor the Cruel, though whether this represented Targaryen insanity or merely his own savagery remains uncertain.

The final episodes of Game of Thrones also hinted that Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) had succumbed to madness when she razed King's Landing and slaughtered civilians during her campaign for the Iron Throne following Missandei's (Nathalie Emmanuel) execution by Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey).

Discussing the major revelation of Egg's true identity on HBO's Inside the Episode, director Sarah Adina Smith commented: "For those who were already fans of the novellas, they'll know that this reveal is coming. For everyone else, hopefully, it's a surprise and we wanted to do service to both audiences.

"If you were to go back, you would see all those little breadcrumbs."

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms airs on HBO and HBO Max in the USA on Sundays and on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK on Mondays

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