Will Jamie Murder Cersei and Then Kill Himself on 'Game of Thrones'?

We know a bit about the Valonqar prophecy (Cersei's little brother will kill her), so there may be a plot-centric reason why Jaime is headed back to King's Landing. More importantly, I think the reason he refers to himself as hateful and inextricably bound to Cersei is because he's planning on killing her...and then himself.

(Image credit: HBO)

By Katherine J. Igoe

published 13 May 2019

in News

Spoilers for Game of Thrones season 8, episode 4. Jaime Lannister—I want to love him, I really do, but he's making me so mad. First, he made Brienne's dreams come true with the hookup-heard-round-the-Internet, then he just as quickly dumped her to head back to...his sister Cersei. Despite Brienne telling him, "You don't need to die with her," Jaime sadly replies, "She's hateful, and so am I."

Initially I was infuriated by the whole situation—Brienne is the best—but I actually think there's a lot Game of Thrones isn't telling us. We know a bit about the Valonqar prophecy (Cersei's little brother will kill her), so there may be a plot-centric reason why Jaime is headed back to King's Landing. More importantly, I think the reason he refers to himself as hateful and inextricably bound to Cersei is because he's planning on killing her...and then himself, finishing their weird incestuous relationship forever. He was being deliberately opaque with Brienne because he knew she'd try to stop him. UGH.

This does make a lot of sense, though. Jaime probably knows that Cersei's "replaced" him with Euron Greyjoy. Bronn told Jaime that Cersei wants him dead. Jaime knows he's not wanted. It's not like Cersei's going to welcome him back with open arms—even if she does have issues with killing family members directly, she's still feeling utterly betrayed by Jaime. So his best bet is that he'll sneak in during the battle. Who knows the inside of the Red Keep (and all the secret passages) better than the man who used to guard it?

True, he could be headed back to try to reason with her, or reconcile before they die, but at the beginning of this season, he and Tyrion basically accept that Cersei is well and truly evil. I think that was foreshadowing for what he's planning on doing.

Jaime's totally absent from the upcoming trailer, which could mean one of two things: That he's unimportant (unlikely), or that he's really important and we can't see any footage of him, otherwise it'll be a spoiler.

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Honestly, I'm inclined to the latter—I think Jaime will become the Queenslayer and then take his own life (or at least try to). Ugh. I still dream of a world in which he could live happily ever after with Brienne, but that seems less and less likely.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.