“By the simple expedient of killing everyone ahead of him”: George R. R. Martin Almost Put a Fan-Favorite Game of Thrones Character on the Iron Throne in Diabolical Twist That Didn’t Happen

George R. R. Martin’s incredible vision and spectacular scale in Game of Thrones was one that was coveted by many but treasured by few. Those few were allowed to extend their arms in order to reach for their dreams after HBO offered them immortality through an opportunity to star in the series. But it was one among the select few who was born with the greatest luck of them all.

George R. R. Martin’s absolute authority was never meant to stretch this long with the original series. However, his mastery over such incredible story arcs and unimpeachable plotlines makes the audience feel the weight of patience.

It was this great mind that eventually birthed the character arc of Kingslayer Jamie Lannister and his greater-than-life fate that was scratched out with a single stroke of the author’s pen.

Kingslayer Jamie Lannister Was Destined For Great Things

In the world of Game of Thrones, political tides turn faster than bodies are dropped and Cersei Lannister’s machinations seem more familiar than the back of one’s own hands. And so, it was a pleasant surprise to witness Jamie Lannister’s (somewhat) redemption arc in the HBO series before he was sentenced to a rushed, mindless death that redacted his entire arc for the past several seasons.

However, A Song of Ice and Fire originally had a much greater destiny written in favor of Jamie Lannister. The once-reviled Kingslayer was fated to ascend to the Iron Throne and become ruler of the Seven Kingdoms following his nephew’s tyrannical reign.

According to Watchers on the Wall, in George R. R. Martin’s first outline for the novel sent to Harper Collins in the 1990s, the author reported:

“Jaime Lannister will follow Joffrey on the throne of the Seven Kingdoms, by the simple expedient of killing everyone ahead of him in the line of succession and blaming his brother Tyrion for the murders. Exiled, Tyrion will change sides, making common cause with the surviving Starks to bring his brother down.”

Moving away from authorial intention, the HBO series treated the Lannister twin in a fashion truly deserving of a turncoat character like him. Portrayed brilliantly on-screen by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jamie Lannister died in a manner befitting his original personality that shined through in the horrifying coldness of the very first episode of Game of Thrones Season 1.

George R. R. Martin Needs to Put Pen to Paper Again

In an eternal and everlasting hiatus, fans await the arrival of The Winds of Winter, one of the last few novels remaining in the literary series, A Song of Ice and Fire. George R. R. Martin recently posted a promising update on the progress of the novel after years of indulging in television work rather than his own literary masterpiece.

Ultimately, George R. R. Martin’s epic return to penning novels rather than editing screenplays and overseeing scripts was received with unanimous and unparalleled praise. The 70-year-old author’s return to the abandoned A Song of Ice and Fire brought back hope for a dying sentiment and closure for an entire world’s oath of pain.

Game of Thrones is available for streaming on Max.