Cersei Lannister is one of the most hated characters from Game of Thrones. She is scheming, ruthless, and power-hungry. But how did it come to this? The series tells only part of the story.
Who is Cersei? To better understand Cersei’s character, it is worth taking a look at her background:
- Cersei comes from the wealthy and influential House Lannister, one of the most powerful families in Westeros.
- As the daughter of Tywin Lannister, the Lord of Casterly Rock, she grows up in an environment permeated by power and political ambitions.
- She is the older sister of Jaime and Tyrion Lannister, with her relationships with both brothers playing a special role in her story.
But it is not only her family background that has shaped her. At about 10 years old, she received a dark prophecy that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Spoiler Alert: Warning, there are plenty of spoilers for Game of Thrones ahead.
In the Shadow of the Prophecy
In Season 5, Episode 1, we see a flashback of the young Cersei. The scene seems rather inconspicuous in the series and can easily be forgotten. But in reality, it was a key moment in Cersei’s life that significantly influenced her character.
Everything starts as a seemingly harmless game by three girls. Together with two friends, Cersei sets out to find Maggy, also known as Maggy the Frog. She is a witch and fortune-teller who lives in the woods, not far from Casterly Rock.
Cersei’s companions become increasingly fearful, and rightly so. But Cersei insists – a decision she would later regret.
The woods witch grants Cersei a total of three questions. The answers are all dark and mysterious. But have the predictions come true?
1. When will I marry the prince?
That is Cersei’s first question. She means Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the heir of the reigning King Aerys II Targaryen, whom she would like to marry.
With her answer, Maggy even reveals a bit more. She will not marry the prince, but the king. As it later turns out, this is not Rhaegar but Robert Baratheon. At first glance, this prediction sounds great. However, since the marriage between Cersei and Robert was far from happy, this already constitutes the first evil omen.
2. Will I be queen then?
Maggy initially affirms this. But only until “another comes, a younger and more beautiful one, who will overthrow you and take everything you hold dear,” she adds.
This statement became the cornerstone of one of Cersei’s greatest fears: the loss of her power. For a long time, Cersei suspected her daughter-in-law Margaery Tyrell to be the aforementioned usurper. This leads to the final scene of Season 6, in which Cersei blows up the Great Sept of Baelor, killing Margaery in the process.
What Cersei does not know, however, is that it was not meant to be Margaery, but Daenerys, who ultimately signified Cersei’s downfall.
3. Will the king and I have children?
Maggy’s clever answer to Cersei’s last question initially confuses her. It is: “The king will have 20 children, you three. Their crowns will be golden, their shrouds golden.”
With this, Maggy predicts several things:
- Cersei and Robert will never truly have children together.
- The 20 children of the king refer to Robert’s numerous bastards.
- Cersei’s three children, Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella, wear “golden crowns”. This refers to their hair color, revealing that they are children from the incestuous relationship between Cersei and her twin brother Jaime.
- Cersei’s three children will meet an early death.
At least Cersei understands the last point immediately. As one can imagine, this knowledge caused even greater fears than the previous question. This was likely also the main reason Cersei pampered and protected her children so much.
One can recall, for example, the famous piece of advice Cersei gives to her oldest son Joffrey: “Anyone who does not belong to us is an enemy.” With the looming death of her children in mind, this paranoia appears in a somewhat different light.
The “Valonqar” is Missing in the Series
Already in the series, the prophecy was an important moment for Cersei’s development. But in the books, it gets even thicker. Here, Cersei even learns about her own death, which almost drives her insane. After the third question, Maggy predicts:
And when your tears have drowned you, the Valonqar will close his hands around your fair white neck and squeeze until you have breathed your last.
This interpretation is already a bit more challenging. The burning question is: Who or what is the Valonqar?
Valonqar is a High Valyrian word and means “little brother”. For Cersei, the matter is clear. It can only be her brother Tyrion, who is short in stature. This also explains her intense hatred for Tyrion – even better than in the series. For Cersei, he is ultimately her future murderer.
Is Cersei’s conclusion correct? That is questionable. Because she has another brother, Jaime. He is tall, but younger than Cersei and could therefore also be referred to as the “little brother”.
Due to her secret love affair with Jaime, Cersei naturally does not consider this possibility. But book fans have long suspected that in the end it will be Jaime who kills Cersei. Whether this holds true, we cannot say as George R.R. Martin’s books are still ongoing. However, the possibility seems quite likely and would fit with the tragedy of the story.
In the series, however, neither brother will be responsible for Cersei’s death, as we know since Season 8. Thus, the series is consistent here, as this part was already omitted from the prophecy. Further fan theories surround the prequel series House of the Dragon. We have explained the five best ones for you here on MeinMMO: House of the Dragon: The 5 best fan theories examined, do they really hold up?
