Summary
There are a huge number of characters inGame of Thrones. It is a show that is absolutely filled to the brim with actions, politics, background maneuvering, and betrayal. Many of the acts of betrayal throughoutGame of Thronesare committed by Cersei Lannister. While many other characters in the series are somewhat morally gray, Cersei is one of the most outright villainous characters.
Related:Best Game Of Thrones Sword Fights, RankedStarting the series as Queen and working hard to remain in that position of power throughoutGame of Thrones, Cersei is a dangerous foe. At times, working alongside every other member of her family, and often betraying them and many others, she is rooted in her desire for power at any cost.
7Her Relationship With Jaime
Season 1, Episode 1: Winter Is Coming
Obviously, everything about Cersei and Jaime’s relationship was deeply unhealthy. Cersei was Queen of Westeros, a country that only a handful of years prior had been dealing with the horrors of the Targaryen family committing incest multiple times. Instead of learning from their mistakes, Cersei had a sexual relationship with her own twin and plenty of children.
Not only did this result in children like Joffrey, who seemed far worse off from being the product of such a relationship, but their horrifying union also led in the very first episode of the show to Jaime pushing Bran Stark out a window to protect his love for his sister. The many terrible acts committed to cover this relationship and its unions were horrifying and consistent throughout the show.
6Enabling Joffrey
Season 4, Episode 2: The Lion and the Rose
Cersei is a bad mother, she never puts her foot down with her children and constantly encourages terrible, haughty behavior from all of them. Somewhat miraculously, both Myrcella and Tommen turn out quite well, but Joffrey is an absolute terror who, if he had lived, could have gone on to be the worst king of all time in Westeros.
His behavior was tyrannical. Cersei, as his mother, was one of the few people who had any real sway over him. From his youth, or during the events in the show, Cersei could have taught him to be better. If not to actually be a better person, at least to treat their people with respect and hide their murderous nature. Instead, she encouraged his open shows of madness and evil, including having many children slaughtered that were suspected of being Robert’s illegitimate children, inevitably leading to his death and thedeaths of many others in major battles.
5Her Relationship With Tyrion
Season 4, Episode 10: The Children
Even more of a mistake than her relationship with Jaime was how Cersei consistently treated her other brother, Tyrion, who began the show scorned and aloof, but he was always one of the sharpest minds in Westeros, and never sought power for himself so much as he did righteousness. He was acredit to the long-standing House of Lannister.
Tyrion was fully capable of helping Cersei out of many jams, but she never listened to him. He wanted her to rein in Joffrey’s behavior, and to stop him from having to marry Sansa, butCersei continually ignored and abused Tyrion. This came around to bite her badly when Tyrion was pushed to murder their father, another character who could have saved Cersei from her own worst tendencies, and Tyrion later was forced into turning against her entirely and helping Daenerys tear her kingdom apart.
4Giving The High Sparrow Power
Season 5, Episode 3: High Sparrow
The worst of all her desperate alliances made to maintain power in King’s Landing was the one Cersei made with the High Sparrowand his group of religious fanatics. That same group, which initially worked for Cersei and caused trouble for her enemies, like Margaery Tyrell, later turned on her completely.
Related:Worst Decisions Made By Daenerys TargaryenThey imprisoned Cersei and made her suffer a walk of shame through the streets of King’s Landing, one of the most embarrassing moments of Cersei’s life. This event pushed her into even worse acts, as her downfall through a string of mistakes continued.
3Destroying The Great Sept
Season 6, Episode 10: The Winds of Winter
Her alliance with the High Sparrow left Cersei with little choice, as she saw it, but to kill the sparrows and Margaery Tyrell off in one clean swoop.Her terrorist attack on her own citywas one of the final straws that led to Cersei’s ruin, as her final child, Tommen, committed suicide as a direct result of his wife being murdered.
Cersei was left with almost no one to turn to. Her horrific assault on the city that she felt had wronged her was the final step in proving that she was entirely evil and lusted only for power. It was her jealousy of the way that Margaery was able to achieve the love of the people that led her to this horrific act, instead of trying to be better herself.
2Using Unstable People
Season 8, Episode 1: Winterfell
As Cersei continued to push more and more of the useful people like Tyrion and Varys away from her, she was forced to replace them with sycophants who often ended up being untrustworthy at best, and completely insane at worst. This included the likes of Qyburn, whose sick experiments led to disasters, and relying onmercenaries like the Golden Company.
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It also included Euron Greyjoy, a clear madman who attempted and somewhat succeeded in courting Cersei near the end of her reign. Cersei surrounded herself with unstable people like this, and it proved to be a large part of her downfall, as all the more capable people were pushed away by her and many ended up fighting against her. She even eventually pushed Jaime away.
1Killing Missandei
Season 8, Episode 4: The Last of the Starks
Cersei was desperate to remain in power after crowning herself Queen at last. When Daenerys reached King’s Landing, having ended the Northern threat, it was becoming clear that she would be able to take King’s Landing. However, Cersei didn’t try to make peace and save countless lives, instead, she took another.
When somebody is about to invade your city and possibly kill you, the worst thing to do is make it personal. Killing Missandei, one of Dany’s best and most loyal friends, pushes Dany over the edge into completely decimating King’s Landing.Not only did Cersei seal her own fate, but that of most of the people of her city, with this last act of petulance.
