Why I’m Rooting for Cersei

When I first started getting into Game of Thrones, I loved Daenerys and hated Cersei. Years later, the table flipped: Cersei is now my favourite, character and I don’t like Daenerys so much anymore. Whilst I haven’t seen every episode of Game of Thrones or read all the books (still trying to get through them when I have time and they’re all so long), I feel that Game of Thrones has some very strong female characters. If the Stark sisters get killed off, then I will give up on the series. Would I say the same about Cersei? No, because I think fans are already expecting Cersei to get what’s coming to her at the season finale. I’ve seen a lot of fan theories that already predict that Cersei will get killed and die in Jamie’s arms or fall at the hands of Daenerys.

I think the season finale should surprise us. I know Cersei has done many bad things, but so have a lot of the other characters. They’re all doing what they can do to survive and Cersei is no different. Game of Thrones has everything, but I feel out of all the characters, Cersei is the most interesting and dynamic.

All the characters in the Lannister clan have proven to be witty, sarcastic, and have enough problems worthy of a daytime talk show. Cersei, like no other Lannister, is a complex and interesting character that has gone through a lot of shit. She’s played the game of thrones for so long and is currently in the lead.

It’s her villainous traits that make her so entertaining, but over the last few seasons, after losing her children, I felt that her character has developed more from a cartoonish evil for the sake of being evil to a woman with an epic plan for world domination.

Despite all that, there are signs that she cared for and loved her children. She was no mother of the year, but she was the only one who truly mourned for Joffrey. A few seasons on, there is a sense of fear in her eyes which I think that Lena Headey has portrayed so well. She’s a brilliant actress that has really brought out all sides to Cersei’s character. It’s hard not to feel sympathy for her despite the terrible things she's done. I think now more than ever her vulnerable side that she’s been hiding for years is coming out.

Manipulative, confident, cool, and cunning, I find it hard not to find Cersei a brilliant character. In the books, she is even more evil than she is on the show and lacks the sympathetic qualities the TV Cersei has. But in Game of Thrones, it’s hard to consider any of the characters heroes with the exception of Ayra.

In the end, I think that Cersei’s biggest downfall is her obsession with Jaime. Her passion for Jaime is one of the biggest drives to some of her disastrous deeds, from killing her best friend to almost having Bran killed in the first episode. Some don’t see Cersei as a villain, as she’s just playing a game and doing anything to survive. Watching Cersei grow as a character, I ask, "What if the villain won?" She displays all the common traits of a villain and the tropes are handled well. Some of her quotes are brilliant and full of truth.

In another universe, maybe Cersei wouldn’t have been so much of a terrorist, but I can still see her as a delightfully glorious bitch. These are the villains that we love to see rise and fall. I hope Cersei’s final chapters give her justice.

As for me, I think Cersei is one the greatest villains in both TV and in literature.