Jaime Lannister
| House / Order | House Lannister |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Westermen |
| Status | Alive (as of A Dance with Dragons) |
| Origin | The Westerlands; The Riverlands |
| Born | 266 AC, Casterly Rock |
| Died | |
| Weapon | A sword (now wielded left-handed after losing his right hand) |
| Fate | Riding the Riverlands for the crown; last seen leaving with Brienne of Tarth on her claim of finding Sansa |
| Portrayed by | Nikolaj Coster-Waldau |
Ser Jaime Lannister, called the Kingslayer, is the eldest son of Tywin Lannister, a knight of the Kingsguard, and a viewpoint character from A Storm of Swords onward. Once the most gifted swordsman in Westeros and a byword for arrogant dishonor, he undergoes one of the most striking transformations of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Jaime earned his hated epithet by killing the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen, whom he was sworn to protect, during the Sack of King's Landing. He is the twin brother and lifelong secret lover of Cersei, and the true father of her three children.
Background
Jaime was named to the Kingsguard at fifteen, the youngest knight ever to receive that honor, a move that also conveniently severed his inheritance of Casterly Rock and kept him near his beloved Cersei. As a member of King Aerys's guard, he witnessed the Mad King's atrocities. During the Sack of King's Landing, with Aerys preparing to burn the city with caches of wildfire, Jaime killed him to save half a million lives, then was found sitting on the Iron Throne by Eddard Stark. He told no one his reasons and wore the name "Kingslayer" as a wound.
Biography
A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings
Jaime pushes Bran Stark from a tower window to conceal his incest with Cersei, crippling the boy. He commands Lannister forces in the war until he is captured by Robb Stark's host in the Whispering Wood and held prisoner at Riverrun.
A Storm of Swords
Catelyn Stark secretly frees Jaime, sending him south under the protection of Brienne of Tarth in hope of recovering her daughters. On the journey, Jaime is taken by the Brave Companions, and the sellsword Vargo Hoat strikes off his sword hand, the source of his identity and pride. Maimed and humbled, he forms an unlikely bond with Brienne, saving her from a bear pit. In the baths of Harrenhal he confesses to her the truth of why he killed Aerys, the first time he has spoken it aloud. He returns to King's Landing a changed man, only to find his relationship with Cersei strained.
A Feast for Crows
Now Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Jaime distances himself from Cersei and refuses to aid her when she is imprisoned by the Faith Militant, burning her letter unread. Sent to settle the Riverlands, he ends the siege of Riverrun without bloodshed through guile and threats rather than slaughter, a sign of his evolving conscience. At the book's end, Brienne arrives claiming to have found Sansa Stark, and Jaime rides off with her into uncertain danger.
Character
Jaime begins as a portrait of squandered virtue: brilliant, beautiful, and seemingly without honor. His arc is one of reclamation. The loss of his hand, his confession to Brienne, and his growing disillusionment with Cersei reveal a man who values true honor over its appearances, and who has long borne the contempt of a realm that never knew why he slew the Mad King.
Relationships
Jaime's incestuous love for his twin Cersei defines his early life but erodes as he sees her clearly. His friendship with Brienne of Tarth, built on grudging respect and shared honor, becomes the moral center of his later chapters. He loves his brother Tyrion, though their last meeting ends in bitter estrangement over the truth of Tysha.
Quotes
So many vows... they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It is too much.
In the television series
In HBO's Game of Thrones, Jaime was portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The series follows his book arc closely, then carries him beyond it: he ultimately returns to Cersei and dies with her in the collapse of the Red Keep. This ending has not occurred in the novels, where Jaime is last seen riding the Riverlands with Brienne.