Although the Starks were at the center of Game of Thrones, there is no denying that the Lannisters were one of the most interesting parts of the series. With their scheming, ever-filling coffers of money and hunger for more power, they orchestrated almost all of the major events of the series. While fans turn to Cersi or Tywin Lannister as the most interesting, one other character does not get enough credit; Jaime Lannister.
The Kingslayer and his constantly shifting priorities made him unpredictable even before we saw him for the very first time. While his future is full of adventure and challenges, one point of his life is still unknown. One that could act as the perfect spin-off to the series and be just as, if not more interesting than House of the Dragon.
The mystery in Robert’s rebellion, the fall of the Targaryens, and Jaime’s betrayal is interesting enough to get its own series.
Game of Thrones and Its Ambiguity Around Jaime Lannister’s Character
Recently, a fan posted a clip of Ned Stark’s battle with Arthur Dayne, and it caused one fan to spark quite an interesting conversation surrounding how the battle affected Jaime. In all his interactions with Ned, Jaime Lannister is constantly interested in fighting him, wanting to see what exactly makes him such a well-known swordsman.
He challenges him time and time again, and while they do but heads once, one can hardly call that a fair fight. Growing up, Jaime looked up to Arthur Dayne. He was his mentor, and to a certain degree, he desperately wanted to be like him when he grew up. Infamous for his swordsmanship, he was known as the best fighter in the country.
This is the reason that Jamie Lannister was so interested in seeing Ned Stark fight. He had allegedly beaten the best swordsman in the world & one of Jamie's heroes. The Kingslayer couldn't claim to be the best until he had crossed blades with Ned.
— cinematic 🎥 (@cinematic1x) August 27, 2024
Knowing that his hero was slain by someone as surprising as Ned was a concept that he could not wrap his head around. He wanted to fight Stark to know if he was worthy to hold such a great honor in the country. Calling himself the best swordsman in the country also felt like a con to Jaime since he could not be sure if he could win against Ned in a fight.
“Me, that boy I was… when did he die, I wonder? When I donned the white cloak? When I opened Aerys’s throat? That boy had wanted to be Ser Arthur Dayne, but someplace along the way he had become the Smiling Knight instead.” Jaime mentioned in A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold Pt. 2
The layers of complexity provided to his character do not end there, and nothing showcases this better than the events of Robert’s rebellion.
Jaime Lannister—The Savior of Westeros
The story of the Targaryens losing the Iron Throne and Robert Baratheon coming into power is one of the most important parts of Game of Thrones. It sets up the dynamic of all of the characters, gives a beautiful story to Daenerys, and paints Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Jaime Lannister in the picture of the cruel and backstabbing savior of Westeros.
While a lot of the story is explored in the later seasons of the series, fans do not truly know about everything that transpired, especially from Jaime’s perspective. From finding out that Arthur Dayne was killed by Ned Stark, to stabbing the Mad King and betraying the faith of every person in Westeros, regardless of how just his actions were.
There is a lot that fans don’t know about what happened with his character and the war before winter came. While there is no denying that House of the Dragon answered a lot of questions that fans had about the series at the start, there is still so much untapped potential within the series.
One of the most profitable and interesting storylines could be that of Robert’s rebellion. What would make the story all the more interesting would be if they had Jaime front and center, as the protagonist of the story. Although Rhaenyra’s story is the main spin-off from the parent series, another spin-off following such a magnificent storyline would make fans more than happy.
