| “ | 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 Lannister |
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, 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. In A Storm of Swords, Jaime becomes a POV Character.
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.
History
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.
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 Rivverrun. 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.
Jaime Lannister portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the HBO series.
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 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 Jon 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, 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 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 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
Though his sister Cersei was wed to Robert and made Queen, she and Jaime 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.
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
After the death of their foster-father 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 Robery 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. 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.
Ned Stark accepts King Robert's invitation to be Hand, and begins investigating the death of Jon Arryn. In this investigation he 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.
Meanwhile, Catelyn Stark, Lady of Winterfell, captures 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 men in an attack on Ned and his Northmen in the streets of King's Landing, leading to numerous deaths on both sides. Jaime then flees from King's Landing and joins his father, afield with his army to threaten Lady Catelyn's home in the Riverlands. Lord Lannister appoints Jaime to command half the host of the Westerlands.
The Lannister twins by Mathia Arkoniel.
Jaime's army marches against the River Lords, smashing a small force beneath the Golden Tooth, followed by another victory against Ser Edmurre Tully that results in the Tully heir's capture and the siege of Riverrun. However Robb Stark's Northern army steals a surprise march on Jaime, intent on relieving Riverrun. His men, flying Tully colors, raid Jaime's camps to draw him out. 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 the sons of Lord Richard Karstark before he is captured. Afterwards, the Stark-Tully forces are able to best his own leaderless troops in the Battle of the Camps, and Jaime is imprisoned in Riverrun. While there he is named Lord Commander of the Kingsguard after Ser Barristan Selmy is dismissed by his sister.
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.
Jaime Lannister loses his hand because the leader of the Brave compannion, Vargo Hoat, cut them
External links
- Jaime Lannister at Game of Thrones Wiki.