Published on September 23, 2013
Updated June 26, 2016
Updated June 26, 2016
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Name: Cersei Lannister
Show/Book: Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire Portrayed by: Lena Headey Age: 32 (According to this timeline) Eye Color: Green (Book 1, Jon 1; GoT) Hair Color: Blond (Book 1, Jon 1; GoT) First Word(s):
Title(s): Queen of Westerns (GoT) Cersei Lannister is a woman of ambition. She seeks out power and control over all else - popularity and love included. Her ambition for herself and her children is all-consuming, and, at times, her greatest weakness. She's extremely distrustful of others, to the point of paranoia, and she has very few, if any, true friends. She resents the limitations that have been placed on her due to her gender, believing |
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that if she were born a man, she would be her father's rightful heir and not need to derive her power through other men as she does now. She can be ruthless and commits unforgivable acts without thought or regret. She believes all she does is necessary to protect her children or herself, but her constant plotting and scheming lack the intelligence and basis in reality to really ever be successful. At the end of the day, she is not a smart player in the game of thrones. She is smart - no question - but her understanding of the interpersonal dynamics between herself and all others is drastically insufficient to accomplish what she desires.
It should be noted that the show, Game of Thrones, portrays Cersei in a much more sympathetic light than the books do. On the show, she is more vulnerable and some of her worst deeds (e.g., ordering the murder of all of Robert Baratheon's bastards) are either missing from the show or committed by another. Basically, they dialed back the evil some. Still, this does not change the fact that in the world of good vs. evil, Cersei certainly ain't on the good side.
It should be noted that the show, Game of Thrones, portrays Cersei in a much more sympathetic light than the books do. On the show, she is more vulnerable and some of her worst deeds (e.g., ordering the murder of all of Robert Baratheon's bastards) are either missing from the show or committed by another. Basically, they dialed back the evil some. Still, this does not change the fact that in the world of good vs. evil, Cersei certainly ain't on the good side.
Table of Contents
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
If you have not read all the books, Cersei's page will be filled with spoilers
Maggy the Frog's Prophecy
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Long ago, a woodswitch they called Maggy the Frog prophesied, among other things, that Cersei would live to see all of her children die as kings and queens; that a younger, more beautiful woman would take all that she has (à la Snow White); and that she would die at the hands of her younger brother. (Book 4, Cersei 8; 5.01, 5:10) (NOTE: Curiously, the tv show's version of the prophecy does not mention the part about her being killed by the "volanqar." The reason for the omission - unknown). Predictably, Cersei has let this vision drive her actions for years, allowing it to become a textbook self-fulfilling prophecy. So far, all of it has come true and the pieces are all falling into place for the remaining part to come to fruition. One of her sons died as a king; another is the King (oh no, Tommen!); and her daughter Myrcella resides in Dorne where the Martells wish to challenge Tommen's claim to the throne by making Myrcella a queen. Many younger, beautiful women (e.g., Margaery Tyrell, Daenerys Targaryen, Sansa Stark) exist to potentially threaten her position (though Margaery is not likely the girl prophesied as she is who Cersei believes it to be, and Cersei's guesses are typically wrong). Finally, she is not on great terms with either of her younger brothers currently - Jaime or Tyrion - so it is not implausible that she will eventually be done in by one of them. As Cersei believes Tyrion to be the valonqar and Tyrion has also explicitly stated he wishes to end Cersei's life, it is fair to assume that Tyrion will not be Cersei's executioner, as he is the obvious choice. Instead, a better bet is that Cersei's one other person that she holds dear, views as her one true love, and sees as a part of herself - her twin, Jaime - will be the one to do the deed. Also, some have noticed that the prophecy speaks of "the valonqar" not "her valonqar," opening up the field of possible little brothers to all of Westeros and Essos, with Sandor Clegane and Aegon IV as lead candidates.
Cersei would have done well to follow the words of her friend Melara, who told Cersei to never speak of the prophecy again, because "a forgotten prophecy couldn't come true." Cersei, of course, has done the opposite, pretty much assuring that regardless of who, how, and why, Cersei's got a hell of a bumpy road ahead.
Cersei would have done well to follow the words of her friend Melara, who told Cersei to never speak of the prophecy again, because "a forgotten prophecy couldn't come true." Cersei, of course, has done the opposite, pretty much assuring that regardless of who, how, and why, Cersei's got a hell of a bumpy road ahead.
Family
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Joanna Lannister (Mother) - Deceased. Wife to her cousin, Tywin Lannister. Joanna enjoyed a happy marriage to Tywin and she is remembered fondly by her children. Supposedly, Mad King Aerys Targaryen had the hots for her as well and vocalized his desires, which understandably irked Tywin. Once she walked in on Cersei and Jaime having intimate sibling times and she moved Jaime's bedroom to the other side of their castle. So, presumably, she would not be giving her blessing to Jaime and Cersei's current relationship. Joanna died giving birth to Tyrion Lannister, and since then, her family never really recovered from that event.
Tywin Lannister (Father) - Deceased (GoT); Deceased (ASOIAF) - Patriarch and overall hardass of the Lannister household. Supposedly, Tywin used to be kind of a happy guy, until his wife Joanna died. Since then, it's been Mr. Grumpypants all the way. He's hard on his kids, ruthless in the field of battle, and generally, not a person someone wants to hug. He meets his end when he beds his son Tyrion's lover-whore (the book's term, not mine) and cruelly withholds the whereabouts of his son's first wife. Thrum.
Jaime Lannister (Brother) - Alive. The twin and lover of Cersei - so, brother-lover. Jaime is exceedingly good-looking, just like Cersei, and from the time they entered into the world to present day, the two of them have been inseparable. He is known as the Kingslayer across the realm as he personally ended the life of King Aerys Targaryen, despite his being a member of the Kingsguard. It is later revealed that Jaime did this only as a result of King Aerys ordering him to kill his own father. Jaime's actions ended up freeing the realm from an insane ruler and saving the entire population of King's Landing. That being said, he's still guilty of horrific acts, including pushing a young Bran Stark out of a tower after the boy caught Jaime and Cersei gettin' down with one another. Since that time, though, Jaime has lost a hand, formed an unlikely friendship with Brienne of Tarth, and become more distant from his sister. The times, they are a changin'. Tyrion Lannister (Brother) - Alive. Younger brother and greatest source of wit and hilarity in the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion is smart, funny, and as much as he may disagree with this statement - he is a good human being, the best of the Lannisters. He enjoys pursuits of the mind, drinking, and women. Both his father and sister scorn him as they blame him for Joanna Lannister's death and because they see him as an embarrassment to the family due to his being a dwarf. His relationship with his brother Jaime has always been much better, with Jaime being somewhat protective of him, but after the events of Book 3: A Storm of Swords, their relationship may be beyond repair. Tyrion is currently in Essos, having fled Westeros after killing his father, and is in the process of attempting to aid Daenerys Targaryen's campaign for the Iron Throne. |
Tywin Lannister: Does not receive Father's Day cards
Jaime Lannister: Incest is best
Tyrion Lannister: Funniest mofo in all of Westeros
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The Lannister Incest Children
Joffrey: Best argument against incest ever
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Myrcella: Needs to learn to practice "safe kissing"
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Tommen: Ser Pounce's "Sun and Stars"
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Joffrey Baratheon (Son) - Deceased (GoT); Deceased (ASOIAF) - Eldest son and one of the biggest pieces of shit in all of Westeros, and that's putting it very, very nicely. Joffrey is a psychopath, lacking empathy and also control. He is a sadist, a misogynist, a homophobe, a coward, and is unable to form any real human attachments with anyone. He inherits the Iron Throne when his father (who isn't really his father), Robert Baratheon, dies suddenly. His reign was ruinous and he was on his way to being another Mad King Aerys, when Lady Olenna took matters into her own hands and poisoned Joff at his own wedding feast, in an effort to protect her granddaughter, Margaery Tyrell. In the end, Lady Olenna's actions benefited everyone - from Stark to Lannister - and if you're trying to find someone who is sad over his passing...well, that's the equivalent of finding a woman that Ser Loras is sexually attracted to. Good luck!
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Myrcella Baratheon (Daughter) - Deceased (GoT); Alive (ASOIAF). The only daughter of Jaime and Cersei Lannister. Yes, she is an incest-baby, but she is sweet, kind, and intelligent - traits her mother lacks. In the books, she loses an ear and is left with a substantial scar across her face due to a failed plot by the Martells. In the show, she fares worse, as she is murdered by Elaria Sand, Oberyn Martell's paramour, being poisoned with a kiss and dying in the arms of her distraught father, Jaime Lannister. Sadly, while she lives in the books, her fate will likely meet the same end as her television counterpart, though presumably under much different circumstances.
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Tommen Baratheon (Son) - Deceased (GoT); Alive (ASOIAF). In the books, Tommen is a delight, a wonderful result of Lannister incest. Tommen, still a young boy, is currently King of Westeros and married to the beautiful Margaery Tyrell. While the rest of the kingdom focuses on politics and power plays, Tommen enjoys placing his stamp on official documents and regaling others of the tales of his kittens: Boots, Ser Pounce, and Lady Whiskers. He is nothing like his parents or his older brother Joffrey (praise the gods, the old and the new), but this difference also makes him extremely ill-equipped to play the game of thrones. It should be noted that the television version of Tommen has been aged up and, unfortunately, is too old to be super into his kittens like the book version. While the GoT Tommen has now exited stage right by his own hand after the death of his queen, Margaery, the clock is ticking for poor book King Tommen and it is unlikely he survives much longer. May he live on in the memory of his kittens.
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Cersei, Blackwater, and Wine
The only kind of drinking I do is binge drinking
Cersei Lannister likes to drink. A lot. As the series progresses, so does Cersei's thirst for alcoholic beverages. This love for the bottle hits an epic milestone in episode 2.09: Blackwater, where Cersei is cooped up with Sansa Stark and a bunch of other fancy
Look at my gold-plated chesticles!
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ladies in Maegor's Holdfast. While a vicious battle rages on outside King's Landing, the women are sequestered to a few rooms within the castle's walls to await their fate. This displeases Cersei. What is the result of this displeasure? A gift from the gods.
Well, unless you're Sansa Stark. If you're Sansa, it's the equivalent of being trapped at a holiday dinner with your drunk aunt who is going through a bitter divorce. Cersei demands that Sansa drink, and doles out frighteningly harsh tirades, which are laced with an uncomfortably acerbic edge: "I'm afraid these fine ladies are in for a bit of a rape." and "Fitting, isn't it? The men will bleed out there and you will bleed in here." (referring to Sansa's time o' the month). Isn't she a peach? This night shows that if you had to classify what kind of drunk Cersei Lannister is (e.g., sad drunk, happy drunk, sleepy drunk), she would definitely fall under the category of "hilariously vicious" drunk. Basically, she's a younger version of |
Lucille Bluth. Sadly (or maybe not), drunk Cersei is not very different from sober Cersei. Regardless, if she's got a drink in her hand, you best be girding your loins and avoiding direct eye contact with her. Girl is lethal.
The moment when things start to go down hill
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And this is why she is not invited to parties
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You're a wanker, number nine!
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