Jaime Lannister

"That boy had wanted to be Ser Arthur Dayne, but someplace along the way he had become the Smiling Knight instead."

- Jaime Lannister describing himself "I think it passing odd that I am loved by one for a kindness I never did, and reviled by so many for my finest act."

- Jaime to Catelyn Stark

Ser Jaime Lannister, also known as the Kingslayer, is the second child and first-born son of Lord Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock and his wife Lady Joanna, also of House Lannister. Raised to the Kingsguard of the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen at the age of fifteen, Jaime became the youngest member in the history of the prestigious knightly order. He earned the derogatory nickname "Kingslayer" when he treasonously slew King Aerys near the end of Robert's Rebellion. For most of his life, Jaime has had a secretly incestuous relationship with his twin sister, Queen Cersei. He has fathered three children by her: Joffrey, Mycella, and Tommen, though most of the realm believes their father to be Cersei's husband, King Robert I Baratheon. In A Storm of Swords, Jaime becomes a POV Character.

In the television series, Jaime is portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. He served as one of the two main antagonists of Season 1, alongside Cersei. During Seasons 2 and 3, he became an anti-hero, and since Season 4, he has become a supporting protagonist, though still has some anti-hero qualities.

Character and Appearance
Jaime is the warrior, and most of his skills lie in that area. He has little interest in politics, intrigue and leadership. Jaime has the Lannister look, bright green eyes and his long curly hair is golden. He is considered to be an extremely handsome, has comely features and has a "smile that cut like a knife". He dresses in white, like any member of the Kingsguard when on duty, but he also wears his family colors and distinctive armor of his own: gold-plated, with a lion's-head helm at other times.

Early in life, Jaime comes off as arrogant, amoral, and dishonorable, a code of conduct similar to his sister Cersei. However, he is changed by his imprisonment and prolonged exposure to Brienne's stubborn adherence to a code of honour. He sees his adversity as a blank page for him to write a new history, jokingly thinking to himself he might become Gold Hand the Good and noting "this is what justice feels like" even when doling it out to men in Lannister colors.

Because he has done reprehensible acts he has such a bad reputation, everything he says is usually cast in the worst possible light. An offhand joke is taken as a grave threat by others, just because it is spoken by the kingslayer. And as for honor, Jaime took his Kingsgaurd vows, but when they conflict, he chooses a course of action and follows it to its conclusion, no matter the consequence.

Early Years
Jaime and his older twin sister Cersei were inseparable in their early childhood, even going so far as to experiment together in a sexual manner at a young age. During one of these encounters, they were caught by a servant who informed their mother. Jaime's bedchamber was immediately moved to the other side of the castle, and both twins were told never to do anything like that ever again.

At age nine, he lost his mother, who died birthing his younger brother Tyrion. Even though Tyrion is a malformed dwarf, Jaime seems to show genuine love towards him as a brother. The same cannot be said for Cersei and their father Tywin, who despise Tyrion for "killing" Joanna. Jaime's uncles Kevan, Genna, Gerion, and Tygett all shown respect for Tyrion and always treated him well.

At the age of eleven, Jaime was sent to Crakehall to squire for old Lord Sumner Crakehall alongside Merrett Frey. Two years later, while still a squire, he won his first tourney melee.

Raised to Knighthood
At the age of fifteen, Jaime was knighted on the battlefield by Ser Arthur Dayne during the campaign against the Kingswood Brotherhood, during which he saved Lord Crakehall from Big Belly Ben and crossed swords with the psychotic Smiling Knight. On his return to King's Landing he stopped to visit his sister, from whom he had been separated for years. It was there that Cersei told him that Lord Tywin intended to marry him to Lysa Tully, second daughter of Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. Cersei suggested that Jaime become a member of the Kingsguard instead, replacing the recently deceased Ser Harlan Grandison, to be close to her and free himself of the unwanted marriage to Lysa. After a night of passionate sex he gave his consent to Cersei's plan and within a month she has orchestrated it.

A moon's turn later, Jaime was raised to the Kingsguard by Lord Commander Ser Gerold Hightower in a ceremony during the Tourney at Harrenhal, making him the youngest ever to be raised to the order. That night, however, King Aerys soured the honor by sending him back to King's Landing to guard Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys, depriving him of the chance to participate in Lord Walter Whent's tourney. Jaime realized then that the King had only chosen him for the Kingsguard as a slight against Lord Tywin, of whom Aerys was insanely jealous, to rob him of his heir. Furthermore, the plan failed to bring Jaime and Cersei closer together, as they had intended, when Lord Tywin, furious at the turn of events, resigned the Handship and returned with Cersei to Casterly Rock. Jaime remained at court, guarding the King.

Kingsguard
During Jaime's time in the Kingsguard, Aerys's growing insanity and attendant cruelty became more and more apparant, and Jaime found himself conflicted and troubled by many of the King's actions. One night, he and Ser Jonothor Darry stood guard outside Queen Rhaella's bedchamber while Aerys raped and ravaged her. Jaime commented to Darry that they were sworn to protect the Queen as well, to which Darry replied "We are, but not from him." He had a similar reaction to the execution of Brandon and Lord Richard Stark, and was reminded by Ser Gerold Highower that he swore a vow to guard the king, not to judge him. Jaime coped with much of Aerys's cruelty by "going away inside", advice he would later pass on to Brienne of Tarth, when Vargo Hoat's men were considering raping her, and to his son, Tommen when the boy is upset by the smell of Tywin rotting. He genuinely believes this advice, as a way to deal with a harsh reality and making an appalling task tolerable..

As Robert's Rebellion grew, Aerys refused to let Jaime join the royal army, instead keeping him in King's Landing to be used as a potential hostage against Lord Tywin, who had yet to choose a side in the conflict. Aerys appointed several Hands throughout the war, but never invited Tywin to take up his old office. Eventually Jaime was the only White Cloak in the capital.

After Prince Rhaegar's death at the Battle of the Trident, it became apparent that the rebellion might be successful and that King's Landing might be lost. Aerys devised a plan with the help of his chief pyromancers that involved placing caches of wildfire all throughout the city. The plan was to burn the entire city to the ground rather than lose it to Robert. His new Hand, Lord Qarlton Chelsted, who had been elevated to the position after the exile of both previous Hands (Lord Owen Merryweather and Lord Jon Connington), confronted Aerys about his plan, removing his chain of office in protest and flinging it to the floor. For that, Aerys burned him alive, and raised his favorite pyromancer Wisdom Rossart to the Handship. All the while, Jaime guarded the King, blankly observing the details of his plan and keeping his secrets.

The Kingslayer
After the Trident, Lord Tywin at last roused himself from Casterly Rock and called his banners. The Lannister armies marched to the gates of King's Landing, pleading for entry. Though Varys called Lord Tywin a traitor, King Aerys heeded the advice of Grand Maester Pycelle and opened his gates to Lord Tywin and his army. Once inside, Tywin betrayed Aerys and began the Sack of King's Landing. In response, Aerys commanded Jaime to bring him his father's head. Instead Jaime returned to the Iron Throne, slaying Rossart on the way, whom he believed to be carrying orders to destroy the city. Jaime then slew Aerys, plunging his sword into the Mad King's back, to prevent his message from reaching another pyromancer.

Aerys's corpse lays at the base of the Iron Throne and Lord Tywin's men, led by Ser Elys Westerling and Lord Roland Crakehall, came into the hall and discover what Jaime had done. They asked him who would be proclaimed as King, hinting they should crown his father, or even him, but Jaime had no opinion and said they should wait. Jaime took a seat on the Iron Throne itself, realising he didn't care who claimed the throne, and was seated there when Lord Eddard Stark rode into the hall with his men to claim the throne for Robert Baratheon.

In the following days, Jaime secretly hunted down and killed the two other pyromancers (Belis and Garigus) involved in Aerys' plan. Although Eddard Stark protested, arguing that Jaime should at the very least be made to join the Night's Watch, Jaime was pardoned by King Robert I Baratheon and, along with Ser Barristan Selmy, continued to serve in the Kingsguard. Robert also gave him the name Kingslayer.

Though reviled by the realm for his betrayal, Jaime considers the slaying of Aerys to be his finest act. His true motivation for killing King Aerys remains unknown to the masses.

Under King Robert
Jaime's sister Cersei was wed to Robert and made Queen. Cersei was excited to marry him, however Robert didn't love her and during their wedding night he called her "Lyanna", referring to his dead fiancée Lyanna Stark. Robert was never loyal to his marriage and kept having sex with different women. During these years, Cersei and Jaime, who had stopped doing any incestous act since their mother found them as kids, renewed their illicit relationship and continued it throughout Robert's reign. In the following years, Cersei would give birth to three children: Joffrey, Mycella, and Tommen. Though believed by the realm to be Robert's children, Jaime is the father of all three, and all three resemble their real parents. Meanwhile, Robert fathered a great number of bastard children in the Seven Kingdoms.

A Game of Thrones
After the death of their foster-father Lord Jon Arryn, King Robert travels north to visit Ned Stark at Winterfell and persuade him to become Lord Arryn's successor as Hand of the King. Jaime himself is Jon's successor as Warden of the East rather than Robert Arryn, who would have been the traditional appointee. The king is accompanied by much of the court, among them Jaime, Cersei, and their brother Tyrion.

While at Winterfell, Jaime and Cersei attend the feast given by House Stark. Later, they are caught having sex by Bran Stark, after discussing dangerous matters about Eddard, the Arryns, and the Baratheons. Bran is shocked and almost falls from the tower. Jaime pulls him up and then throws him out of the window, intending to kill him to keep the affair a secret. Bran survives but falls into a coma.

When Prince Joffrey is attacked by the direwolf Nymeria, Cersei sends Jaime and Sandor Clegane to find Arya Stark, Nymeria, and Mycah in the woods of the riverlands. Cersei orders Jaime to find Arya and kill her, but Jory Cassel, the captain of Ned's guard, finds her first and helps her to make Nymeria run away. Mycah on the other hand is killed by Sandor.

Ned Stark accepts King Robert's invitation to be Hand, and Jaime rides on the Hand's Tourney at King's Landing. He makes it among the 4 finalists, the other 3 being the Clegane brothers and Ser Loras Tyrell. Jaime is unhorsed by Sandor Clegane.

In these months in ruling the realm for King Robert Ned investigated the death of Jon Arryn. Shortly before the Hand's Tourney, Catelyn Stark, Lady of Winterfell, captured Jaime's brother Tyrion on suspicion of involvement in a botched assassination attempt on Bran Stark. Jaime had questioned Cersei on this point, when he suspected her, apparently putting Bran out of his misery had been discussed by Cersei and Robert in front of the children. The dagger, which Catelyn recovers after the attempt on Bran's life and brings to Kings Landing, was not Tyrion's lost betting with Littlefinger, against Jaime in a joust (as Petyr told Catelyn) but rather Petyr's dagger lost to Roberts own dagger. In retaliation for Tyrion's capture, but ostensibly to create an uprising, Jaime breaks Kingsguard neutrality by leading Lannister soldiers in an attack on Ned and his guards Jory, Heward, and Wyl, in the streets of King's Landing, leading to the deaths of the 3 Stark men, as well as the deaths of some Lannister men. Jaime then flees from King's Landing and joins his father at Casterly Rock, afield with his army to threaten Lady Catelyn's home in the Riverlands. Meanwhile Tyrion already freed himself from Lady Lysa Arryn and started marching on the High Road to leave the Vale of Arryn.

Lord Lannister appoints Jaime to command half the host of the Westerlands. Meanwhile, Tywin had already unleashed Ser Gregor Clegane and his men to raid the riverlands in an attempt to bait Ned out of the capital, however thanks to Jaime, this isn't possible as Ned has a wounded leg and sends a party led by Lord Beric Dondarrion to execute Gregor and his band in the name of King Robert. Tywin is infuriated by Eddard's command to ride in King's Landing and writes to Cersei, to ask Ned for a reasoning meeting so that the tension between the Tullys and the Lannisters could meet a pacific ending, but Ned ignores this.

While ruling in Robert's stead, Lord Eddard discovers Jaime and Cersei's secret relationship by piecing together the fact that every time in history a Lannister wedded a Baratheon, they produced raven-haired children. Instead Cersei's children Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are all fair-haired. Before he can tell Robert the truth however, the King returned with deadly wounds by a boar in the kingswood. Robert grew wilder and more unpredictable and short-tempered, and Robert's brothers were already threatening to take power, so Cersei killed Robert with a strongwine to slow him down in his hunt. Robert treated Cersei poorly, so she only felt satisfied in killing him. Out of mercy for the dying Robert, the Lord Regent Eddard fails to reveal him the truth, leaving it to the gods and declares Lord Stannis Baratheon the new Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. For this, Cersei has Ned arrested and most of his household killed in King's Landing, while Lord Renly Baratheon flees south.

With Lord Hoster Tully dying and Gregor Clegane attacking the lands, the riverlands are forced to stay divided and use their armies to protect their people in their homes, and only a few river lords met Ser Edmure at Riverrun. Edmure has Lord Clement Piper and Lord Vance guarding the pass near the Golden Tooth, the seat of House Lefford. Later, Jaime's army marches against the River Lords, smashing their smaller force beneath the Golden Tooth, followed by another victory against Ser Edmure Tully that results in the Tully heir's capture and the siege of Riverrun. Meanwhile, Lord Tywin and Ser Kevan Lannister bring their army in the riverlands and take many castles and towns, including Raventree Hall, Maidenpool, and Harrenhal.

Lord Tytos Blackwood refuse to surrender Riverrun to Jaime. While Jaime and his army keep besieging the castle, the army of the westerlands meets a stronger resistance when Robb Stark's northern army rides south to to support the Tullys and free Ned Stark and his daughters from the Queen Regent. At Moat Cailin Robb is joined by the Manderlys and his mother with her uncle Ser Brynden Tully, the former knight of the Bloody Gate. Meanwhile Jaime is named Lord Commander of the Kingsguard after Ser Barristan Selmy is dismissed by his sister.

At the Twins, House Frey joins with Robb's army and Robb give more than half of his forces to Lord Roose Bolton, to face Tywin at the Green Fork. At the same time he steals a surprise march on Jaime, intent on relieving Riverrun. His men, flying Tully colors, raid Jaime's camps to draw him out. Jaime takes the bait, thinking it's Ser Karyl Vance and Lord Marq Piper's raiding parties, and rides with half of his force to face them, while the rest keeps besieging Riverrun under Lord Andros Brax's command. Robb surprises the Lannister army at the Battle of the Whispering Wood. Seeing the battle was lost, Jaime fights bravely to try and cut down Robb, managing to kill Daryn Hornwood and two sons of Lord Rickard Karstark, Eddard and Torrhen, before he is captured. Jaime almost kills Theon Greyjoy but Lord Karstark's sons stepped ahead to fight him. Afterwards, the Stark-Tully forces are able to best his own leaderless troops in the Battle of the Camps, by surprising them behind, as Jaime never realized how easy is to surprise an army from behind outside Riverrun ( a thing he will remember during the second siege). Edmure and many knight captives are freed by Robb's men, while a tyroshi sellsword and his men defect the Lannisters for Robb. Jaime and many highborn westermen are imprisoned in Riverrun. Right after this, Eddard is beheaded by King Joffrey I for treason and the northeners and the rivermen declare Robb Stark King in the North.

A Clash of Kings
When Lord Tywin appoints Tyrion as Acting Hand of the King, Tyrion promises to help free Jaime to gain Cersei's support. Tyrion's plan to free Jaime with disguised soldiers is unsuccessful. For breaking his word not to try to escape, Edmure transfers him to the dungeons. He is kept chained and malnourished. During this period Cersei takes their cousin Lancel as her lover.

While the War of the Five Kings rages around him, Jaime continues to be trapped in Riverrun. Negotiations for his release have led to nothing. Hand of the King Tyrion has sworn in open court to trade Sansa and Arya Stark for the return of his brother. However, Robb Stark has declined this exchange. Distraught at the news of the alleged deaths of her sons Bran and Rickon, Catelyn interrogates Jaime.

A Storm of Swords
In return for Lady Lysa Arryn marrying Lord Petyr Baelish and returning to the king's peace, Lord Tywin Lannister decides to return the title of Warden of the East to Lord Robert Arryn from Jaime.

Catelyn Stark, acting on her own, releases Jaime in an attempt to make an unofficial exchange for her daughters. Along with his cousin and fellow captive Ser Cleos Frey, and Lady Catelyn's sworn sword, Brienne of Tarth, Jaime begins the journey towards King's Landing. Due to his imprisonment at Riverrun for close to a year, Jaime lost a lot of weight and started to resemble a lion with his ungroomed facial hair. During his journey to King's Landing with Brienne and Cleos, he decides to shave his head so his golden locks would not be recognized, although he keeps the beard.

The trio evade recapture by Ser Robin Ryger and his party from Riverrun, through Brienne's tactic of dropping boulders onto the chasing boat. Jaime approves of Brienne's decision to ignore the travel advice of the "innkeeper" at the Inn of the Kneeling Man, suspecting he is in league with bandits. Later, on the road between Maidenpool and Duskendale, Cleos is killed when the group is ambushed by bandits. Afterward, Jaime takes his sword and briefly duels Brienne in an attempt to escape, but both of them are caught unawares and captured by the Brave Companions led by Vargo Hoat, who have betrayed Lord Tywin and shifted allegiance to Robb Stark.

Vargo suspects that his superior, Lord Roose Bolton, is thinking about going over to the Lannisters after their victory over King Stannis Baratheon in the Battle of the Blackwater and their new alliance to House Tyrell. To prevent this, Vargo orders Zollo to chop Jaime's sword hand off, thinking that the blame will fall on Bolton. Vargo also hopes to give Jaime to Lord Rickard Karstark, who seeks vengeance for Jaime having killed his sons Eddard and Torrhen, so he can marry Alys Karstark.

When the Brave Companions threaten to rape Brienne, Jaime advises her to "go away inside". For Jaime, the loss of his hand and with it his fighting ability destroys everything that he was. He falls into a deep depression and loses the will to live. Brienne reminds him that he has something to live for, namely, for his family and for revenge.

While they are held at Harrenhal the Bloody Mummer Qyburn tends Jaime's wounds. Later Jaime and Brienne they a bath in the bathhouse. Jaime divulges to Brienne the events surrounding the Sack of King's Landing, including King Aerys II Targaryen's wildfire plot. Later, at dinner, Roose hints that he will free Jaime as long as Jaime absolves him of the blame for the loss of his hand. Jaime agrees, and Lord Bolton orders Steelshanks Walton to escort him to King's Landing. Brienne is to remain behind as Lord Vargo's prize.

When Roose leaves Harrenhal to join King Robb at the Twins, Jaime asks him to give Robb his regards. Walton begins the journey to King's Landing with Jaime and the disgraced maester, Qyburn. The latter's task is to keep Jaime healthy. When sleeping on a weirwood stump, Jaime has a dream about Brienne. Moved by this he goes back to Harrenhal and rescues Brienne from Vargo Hoat and his bear.

During their travels Jaime and Brienne learn that Robb and Catelyn were killed in the Red Wedding, which was plotted by his father Tywin, Roose Bolton, and Walder Frey. Unbeknownst to Jaime, Roose told Robb that Jaime sent his regards and then stabbed the king. Jaime also learns that his biological son, King Joffrey Baratheon, died at his own wedding feast.

As the party arrives at the Red Keep in King's Landing they encounter Ser Loras Tyrell, now a brother of the Kingsguard. Loras accuses Brienne of murdering King Renly Baratheon. Again Jaime comes to her rescue and has Brienne arrested rather than allowing Loras to kill her. He then proceeds to the castle sept to see Cersei. Cersei is mourning Joffrey, whose corpse is being prepared for its funeral. Undaunted by this, Cersei and Jaime have sex in front of Joffrey's corpse.

This turns out to be the last time that he and Cersei share intimate relations, as their relationship begins to fall apart. Jaime has been changed by his imprisonment and prolonged exposure to Brienne's stubborn adherence to a code of honour. Tywin gives him a Valyrian steel blade, crafted out of Eddard Stark's greatsword Ice, but Jaime feels insulted by his father's gift of a sword when he knows how useless he his without his sword hand. He quarrels with his father and refuses to resign from the Kingsguard. He calls a meeting of the order in White Sword Tower to take the measure of his Sworn Brothers and to remind them of their true duties. He only likes Ser Balon Swann and Ser Loras, while he disapproves of Ser Osmund Kettleblack, Ser Meryn Trant, and Ser Boros Blount. Only Ser Arys Oakheart is not present, as he's still in Dorne guarding Princess Myrcella.

Jaime passes the Valyrian sword, now named Oathkeeper, on to Brienne, tasking her to keep Sansa Stark safe from Cersei and noting the irony of her looking after Sansa with Eddard Stark's own steel. Ensuring that she is equally well provisioned by providing her with gold, a horse and armor, he also provides a letter sealed and signed by King Tommen Baratheon, declaring she is about the king's business and not to be hindered. The shield she is given is the one he bore from Harrenhal.

Following Joffrey's death, Cersei accuses Tyrion of his murder. When both trial by words and trial by battle fail Tyrion, Jaime still does not believe that Tyrion is the murderer. He forces Lord Varys to arrange Tyrion's escape. During the escape Jaime confesses to his brother an old sin. Years ago Jaime had told him that Tysha, the girl Tyrion had secretly married, was a whore hired by Jaime. Their father Tywin had the girl raped by his soldiers and by Tyrion himself to teach them a lesson. However, Tysha was the crofter's daughter as she claimed to be and had loved Tyrion genuinely.

Incensed at this revelation, Tyrion hits Jaime, and, knowing that Joffrey was Jaime's son and not Robert's, falsely claims responsibility for his murder. As a final revenge he reveals that the truth about Cersei's sexual escapades with Lord Lancel Lannister and Osmund Kettleblack. Tyrion storms off and, unknown to Jaime but with the aid of Varys and a secret passage, enters Tywin's private chambers and kills their father.

A Feast for Crows
Following the murder of his father by his brother Tyrion, Cersei offers Jaime the position of Hand of the King. He refuses. Jaime remains in King's Landing and stands vigil over Tywin. During the night Cersei visits him again, begging him to accept the office of Hand but once again he refuses. Cersei leaves angrily, stating she was a fool for ever having loved him.

In the morning service, the sight of Lord Tywin's rotting body distresses the young King Tommen, who flees, causing Jaime to pursue and comfort him, suggesting he "go away inside" to cope. Jaime suggests that Tommen and Margaery Tyrell be married. When this occurs, Lord Mace Tyrell is released from his promise of not leaving King's Landing until Margaery's marriage. During his next few days at King's Landing, Jaime finds himself increasingly at odds with his uncle, Ser Kevan Lannister, and his sister, Cersei. He attempts to give his best counsel to both, as well as to a Kingsguard, Ser Loras Tyrell. Jaime is shocked to learn about the new enmity between Cersei and Kevan, and tries to reason with her sister, by telling her that their uncle is no enemy to them, but this only infuriates Cersei, who started behaving like King Robert. Later Kevan tells Jaime that he always knew about the true parentage of Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen.

Following the funeral of Tywin, Cersei commands Jaime to leave King's Landing with the intention of lifting the siege of Riverrun. Jaime knows that Cersei wants to be rid of him, but he accepts anyway, on the condition that he is allowed to bring the King's Justice, Ser Ilyn Payne. Many men of the westerlands and the stormlands join with Jaime's party, including Ser Addam Marbrand, Lord Ronnet Connington, Ser Lyle Crakehall, and Ser Bonifer Hasty. Riverrun is held by Ser Brynden Tully, and is one of the last strongholds still loyal to the late King Robb Stark. Before he departs the city Jaime has an armorer forge him a hand he can strap to his stump. The new hand, made of solid gold with mother of pearl fingernails, is sturdy and allows Jaime to clumsily strap a shield to his right hand.

Jaime also takes with him Lewys Piper and Garrett Paege, who were made his squires as both of their families fought for House Stark. Josmyn Peckledon becomes another squire for Jaime as a reward for his bravery in the Battle of the Blackwater.

During the journey, Jaime spars with Ilyn during the nights, in order to train himself to fight left-handed. Along the way he stops at Harrenhal, where he installs Ser Bonifer Hasty as castellan and releases the few prisoners kept there, including Ser Wylis Manderly. He has an angry confrontation with Red Ronnet Connington when he insults Brienne of Tarth. To rid himself of Ronnet and Gregor Clegane's men-at-arms he charges Ronnet to lead them to escort Wylis safely to Maidenpool, where Wylis will be put on a ship to his home of White Harbor.

After departing Harrenhal Jaime stops at Darry where his cousin, Lord Lancel, confesses to having slept with Cersei. Lancel had a quarrel with his father, Ser Kevan, as Lancel wants to abandon his lordship of Darry and his wife, Lady Amerei Frey, to serve the new High Septon. In a fury, Kevan left the castle for Casterly Rock and Jaime notices the ironic similitude  between Kevan being disappointed with his son life choice and Tywin being disappointed with Jaime's choice. Jaime joined with a group of knights sworn to protect their king, while Lancel means to join with a group of knights sworn to protect the High Septon, in the Faith Militant.

Jaime is met at Riverrun by his cousin, Ser Daven Lannister, the new Warden of the West. Jaime's uncle and aunt, Ser/Lord Emmon Frey and Lady Genna Lannister are also present. After sending the drunken Ser Ryman Frey back to the Twins and taking command of the siege, Jaime holds a parley with Ser Brynden Tully, but is unsuccessful in convincing him to release the castle. Jaime, the Freys, and the other river lords discuss a way to force the Blackfish to surrender. Jaime then speaks with Brynden's nephew, Edmure Tully, the current Lord of Riverrun, who is held prisoner by the besieging forces commanded by Jaime's uncle and Cleos's father, Ser Emmon Frey. Emmon has been halfheartedly threatening to hang Lord Edmure every day, but Brynden the Blackfish has remained unfazed.

Jaime, recognizing the need for a change in strategy, tells Edmure that he is to be released and returned to Riverrun. If he yields the castle, the garrison will be spared and all that wish to join the Night's Watch will be allowed to do so. If he does not surrender, the castle will be sacked and burned, and Jaime will return Edmure's child—by catapult—as soon as his wife Roslin Frey gives birth. Jaime has Tom Sevenstreams sing a song for Edmure, while the latter, hating the singer, begs them to stop. Edmure decides to yield the castle and be taken to Casterly Rock as a prisoner, but not before allowing Brynden to escape by swimming under the Water Gate at night. Jaime is furious at this and sends some of his men to find him, but they are unsuccessful. Emmon is finally Lord of Riverrun, while Jaime pardons House Westerling in the name of King Tommen, for the Westerlings joined with Robb through his marriage with Jeyne Westerling. The new heir of the Twins, Edwyn Frey, informs Jaime that his father Ryman has been killed on his way back to the Twins, and Beric Dondarrion's outlaws are blamed for this.

Soon after taking the castle, Jaime receives a letter from Cersei asking for help. She has been imprisoned by the High Sparrow and is to go on trial. Cersei requests Jaime as her champion in a potential trial by combat. Jaime does not reply to the letter and orders it to be burned.

A Dance with Dragons
Jaime arrives at Raventree Hall, the last holdout of Robb Stark's supporters. The castle is under siege by Lord Jonos Bracken. Jaime finds the state of the siege to be dismal, and hopes to swiftly end it. His arrival is unexpected, and he strides into Bracken's tent while he is with a whore. Jonos fills Jaime in on the situation at hand, and Jaime finds the scene rooted in the age-old feud between Bracken and Blackwood.

Jaimes then treats with Lord Tytos Blackwood, who agrees to bend the knee to King Tommen and rescind his support of the Stark and Tully cause. In return, he must give up some of his lands to Jonos Bracken and send his son Hoster to the Red Keep as a hostage. Because of House Bracken's early support of Robb Stark, however, Jaime also requires Jonos to send one of his daughters to King's Landing as a hostage.

After settling matters at Raventree, Jaime and his men head back to Riverrun. They make camp at Pennytree, where the locals are still wary of travelers and "king's men," and will not allow Jaime's men to enter the holdfast. Jaime decides not to follow the advice of Ser Kennos of Kayce, who recommends that he storm the holdfast. While at Pennytree, Jaime receives an unexpected visit from Brienne of Tarth. She tells Jaime that she has found Sansa, who is a day's ride away. She claims, however, that Jaime must go with her alone or else the Hound will kill the girl.