Jaime Lannister's fate

[SirPipeWeed]

Does anyone else think that by the time the series is over, Jaime Lannister will be a revered as a hero? To me, he is the most interesting character in this series. It's almost like he knows everything he does is wrong and deep down inside he hates himself for it, and actually wants to die, yet at the same time, he almost resides to the fact that he is who he is so f it.

I don't know, I have a really bad feeling that Jaime is going to be one of my favorite characters before it's all done.

[Brewmaster]

I think Jaime will be the 1000th lord commander of the Night's Watch.

[Guest]

Jaime is probably my favorite character and I think that Jaime's fate is going to be something utterly unexpected. He'll die an uneventful death over something not exciting. Or he will be the new King of all Westeros. Or he will become a religious nut along with Lancel.... Whatever it ends up being, it will blindside us all. Of that, I'm sure.

[zephyr]

I still have not forgiven him for pushing Bran out the window, he's seems focused on penance for killing Aerys when what he did to Bran is 100 times more despicable. Perhaps I've forgotten but I do not think he has shown remorse for that action. I want him to die a horrible death, and since Tyrion seems to want the same thing, and is headed to Meeren and Dany and the dragons, perhaps I'll get my wish and read about Jaime being roasted by dragonfire. I'll take a reunion with Bran and Summer and having his throat ripped out, that may be my most preferable fate for Jaime.

[-42-]

Remember that bit about Quorin Halfhand re-learning to fight with his left hand? After which he became even more proficient? I'm willing to bet that that's going to happen to Jaime.

I wouldn't be surprised if he eventually took the black, but first he needs to kill somebody important (and not just his sister). That, or protect somebody important (oh! the irony!).

[Guest]

I still have not forgiven him for pushing Bran out the window, he's seems focused on penance for killing Aerys when what he did to Bran is 100 times more despicable. Perhaps I've forgotten but I do not think he has shown remorse for that action. I want him to die a horrible death, and since Tyrion seems to want the same thing, and is headed to Meeren and Dany and the dragons, perhaps I'll get my wish and read about Jaime being roasted by dragonfire. I'll take a reunion with Bran and Summer and having his throat ripped out, that may be my most preferable fate for Jaime.

Oh man, roasted by dragonfire?! I would cry! But about penance for killing Aerys, I don't think that's accurate. He feels justified for killing him and is only bitter that no one knows the real reason why he did it. In my opinion, the real story of that event was honorable on Jaime's part and I'm also bitter that no one knows the truth. Except Brienne.

[The hairy bear]

Does anyone else think that by the time the series is over, Jaime Lannister will be a revered as a hero?

No way. He tried to kill an eight year old, he murdered the innocent servants of Ned Stark only as a threat to him, he went to take charge of the siege of Riverrun after promising never to take arms against the Tullys, he threatened to throw a newborn child from a trebuchet. He has shown no remorse for any of those things.

He is certainly an interesting character, but still a depicable man.

[Nihilist]

My favored fate for Jaime would be him killing Tyrion(who in the history books will be known as Tyrion The Monstrous) and his dragon in the throne room while protecting Tommen. Of course he would die in this act and be entombed as some great hero that died to defend his king. Would be a tragic end for Tyrion I know, but I'm perfectly happy with that.

And plenty of heroes perform terrible acts. Heroes are often remembered for specific events, not their whole character.

[Silverin]

I think Jaime will die and after Cersei and he definietly will meet with Brienne one last time, and Brienne will outlive him. That is as far as I could make sense from it. It seems he will die because he killed king Aerys? I think this because of his dream:

The fever dreams were all so vivid...

Naked and alone he stood, surrounded by enemies, with stone walls all around him pressing close. The Rock, he knew. He could feel the immense weight of it above his head. He was home. He was home and whole.

He held his right hand up and flexed his fingers to feel the strength in them. it felt as good as sex. As good as swordplay. Four fingers and a thumb. He had dreamed that he was maimed, but it wasn’t so. Relief made him dizzy. My hand, my good hand. Nothing could hurt him so long as he was whole.

Around him stood a dozen tall dark figures in cowled robes that hid their faces. In their hands were spears. “Who are you?” he demanded of them. “What business do you have in Casterly Rock?”

They gave no answer, only prodded him with the points of their spears. He had no choice but to descend. Down a twisting passageway he went, narrow steps carved from the living rock, down and down. I must go up, he told himself. Up, not down. Why am I going down? Below the earth his doom awaited, he knew with the certainty of dream; something dark and terrible lurked there, something that wanted him. Jaime tried to halt, but their spears prodded him on. If only I had my sword, nothing could harm me.

The steps ended abruptly on echoing darkness. Jaime had the sense of vast space before him. He jerked to a halt, teetering on the edge of nothingness. A spearpoint jabbed at the small of the back, shoving him into the abyss. He shouted, but the fall was short. He landed on his hands and knees, upon soft sand and shallow water. There were watery caverns deep below Casterly Rock, but this one was strange to him. “What place is this?”

“Your place.” The voice echoed; it was a hundred voices, a thousand, the voices of all the Lannisters since Lann the Clever, who’d lived at the dawn of days. But most of all it was his father’s voice, and beside Lord Tywin stood his sister, pale and beautiful, a torch burning in her hand. Joffrey was there as well, the son they’d made together, and behind them a dozen more dark shapes with golden hair.

“Sister, why has Father brought us here?”

“Us? This is your place, Brother. This is your darkness.” Her torch was the only light in the cavern. Her torch was the only light in the world. She turned to go.

“Stay with me,” Jaime pleaded. “Don’t leave me here alone.” But they were leaving. “Don’t leave me in the dark!” Something terrible lived down here. “Give me a sword, at least.”

“I gave you a sword,” Lord Tywin said.

It was at his feet. Jaime groped under the water until his hand closed upon the hilt. Nothing can hurt me so long as I have a sword. As he raised the sword a finger of pale flame flickered at the point and crept up along the edge, stopping a hand’s breath from the hilt. The fire took on the color of the steel itself so it burned with a silvery-blue light, and the gloom pulled back. Crouching, listening, Jaime moved in a circle, ready for anything that might come out of the darkness. The water flowed into his boots, ankle deep and bitterly cold. Beware the water, he told himself. There may be creatures living in it, hidden deeps...

From behind came a great splash. Jaime whirled toward the sound... but the faint light revealed only Brienne of Tarth, her hands bound in heavy chains. “I swore to keep you safe,” the wench said stubbornly. “I swore an oath.” Naked, she raised her hands to Jaime. “Ser. Please. If you would be so good.”

The steel links parted like silk. “A sword,” Brienne begged, and there it was, scabbard, belt, and all. She buckled it around her thick waist. The light was so dim that Jaime could scarcely see her, though they stood a scant few feet apart. In this light she could almost be a beauty, he thought. in this light she could almost be a knight. Brienne’s sword took flame as well, burning silvery blue. The darkness retreated a little more.

“The flames will burn so long as you live,” he heard Cersei call. “When they die, so must you.”

“Sister!” he shouted. “Stay with me. Stay!” There was no reply but the soft sound of retreating footsteps.

Brienne moved her longsword back and forth, watching the silvery flames shift and shimmer. Beneath her feet, a reflection of the burning blade shone on the surface of the flat black water. She was as tall and strong as he remembered, yet it seemed to Jaime that she had more of a woman’s shape now.

“Do they keep a bear down here?” Brienne was moving, slow and wary, sword to hand; step, turn, and listen. Each step made a little splash. “A cave lion? Direwolves? Some bear? Tell me, Jaime. What lives here? What lives in the darkness?”

“Doom.” No bear, he knew. No lion. “Only doom.”

In the cool silvery-blue light of the swords, the big wench looked pale and fierce. “I mislike this place.”

“I’m not fond of it myself.” Their blades made a little island of light, but all around them stretched a sea of darkness, unending. “My feet are wet.”

“We could go back the way they brought us. if you climbed on my shoulders you’d have no trouble reaching that tunnel mouth.”

Then I could follow Cersei. He could feel himself growing hard at the thought, and turned away so Brienne would not see.

“Listen.” She put a hand on his shoulder, and he trembled at the sudden touch. She’s warm. “Something comes.” Brienne lifted her sword to point off to his left. “There,”

He peered into the gloom until he saw it too. Something was moving through the darkness, he could not quite make it out...

“A man on a horse. No, two. Two riders, side by side.”

“Down here, beneath the Rock?” It made no sense. Yet there came two riders on pale horses, men and mounts both armored. The destriers emerged from the blackness at a slow walk. They make no sound, Jaime realized. No splashing, no clink of mail nor clop of hoof. He remembered Eddard Stark, riding the length of Aerys’s throne room wrapped in silence. Only his eyes had spoken; a lord’s eyes, cold and grey and full of judgment.

“Is it you, Stark?” Jaime called. “Come ahead. I never feared you living, I do not fear you dead.”

Brienne touched his arm. “There are more.”

He saw them too. They were armored all in snow, it seemed to him, and ribbons of mist swirled back from their shoulders. The visors of their helms were closed, but Jaime Lannister did not need to look upon their faces to know them.

Five had been his brothers. Oswell Whent and Jon Darry. Lewyn Martell, a prince of Dorne. The White Bull, Gerold Hightower. Ser Arthur Dayne, Sword of the Morning. And beside them,crowned in mist and grief with his long hair streaming behind him, rode Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone and rightful heir to the Iron Throne.

“You don’t frighten me,” he called, turning as they split to either side of him. He did not know which way to face. “I will fight you one by one or all together. But who is there for the wench to duel? She gets cross when you leave her out.”

“I swore an oath to keep him safe,” she said to Rhaegar’s shade. “I swore a holy oath.”

“We all swore oaths,” said Ser Arthur Dayne, so sadly.

The shades dismounted from their ghostly horses. When they drew their longswords, it made not a sound. “He was going to burn the city,” Jaime said. “To leave Robert only ashes.”

“He was your king,” said Darry.

“You swore to keep him safe,” said Whent.

“And the children, them as well,” said Prince Lewyn.

Prince Rhaegar burned with a cold light, now white, now red, now dark. “I left my wife and children in your hands.”

“I never thought he’d hurt them.” Jaime’s sword was burning less brightly now. “I was with the king...

“Killing the king,” said Ser Arthur.

“Cutting his throat,” said Prince Lewyn.

“The king you had sworn to die for,” said the White Bull.

The fires that ran along the blade were guttering out, and Jaime remembered what Cersei had said. No. Terror closed a hand about his throat. Then his sword went dark, and only Brienne’s burned, as the ghosts came rushing in.

“No,” he said, “no, no, no. Nooooooooo!”

[-42-]

Bodyguard of Bran Stark.

It's so crazy it's almost feasible.

[SirPipeWeed]

He has done despicable things but to me it seems that as the story continues, you start to feel more and more sorry for Jaime. Almost like he is completely misunderstood. He wouldn't have pushed Bran if not for Cersei. And the things he said in the room at Winterfell when Bran was eavesdropping, he had some really good things to say about the Starks, almost like he admired them for being something he wanted to be but never could.

[Galen M]

Remember that bit about Quorin Halfhand re-learning to fight with his left hand? After which he became even more proficient? I'm willing to bet that that's going to happen to Jaime.

I believe you're talking about Maedhros ;)

[SirPipeWeed]

I believe you're talking about Maedhros ;)

ahhh, the children of Feonor, more tragic characters.

[zephyr]

Oh man, roasted by dragonfire?! I would cry! But about penance for killing Aerys, I don't think that's accurate. He feels justified for killing him and is only bitter that no one knows the real reason why he did it. In my opinion, the real story of that event was honorable on Jaime's part and I'm also bitter that no one knows the truth. Except Brienne.

Well, he is trying to act honorably after breaking his oath as a Kingsguardsman by slaying the king. About the worst way you can break that oath. That is what I meant by penance, he acknowledges his actions were not honorable and, in sending Brienne to find Sansa and bring her North and do everything to end the siege of Riverrun peacefully, is trying to keep his word to Catelyn and thus restore his honor.

[lexxxy52]

No way. He tried to kill an eight year old, he murdered the innocent servants of Ned Stark only as a threat to him, he went to take charge of the siege of Riverrun after promising never to take arms against the Tullys, he threatened to throw a newborn child from a trebuchet. He has shown no remorse for any of those things.

He is certainly an interesting character, but still a depicable man.

He threatened to throw the newborn from the trebuchet to force Edmure to concede defeat and end the siege without anymore fighting, while he had to compromise a little bit it's the best he could do to end the siege and not take up arms against the Tully's.

Yeah he did some pretty bad stuff, but for some reason I can't bring myself to put modern morality on others actions when it comes to war nothing is really off limits. Agreed trying to kill Bran was a pretty bad move but Jaime is trying to get his honour back and do some right in the world.

[Cassie of Westeros]

I find it strange that people think Jaime is a bad guy for being an oath breaker. That really was his greatest act. Throwing Bran from the window was bad, very bad, but most everything else was war. Not that the excuses it, but look at the world they live in. With Edmure, he was threatening something that he did not want to do, and very well may not have done, but the threat did what he needed. Threatening something is not the same as doing it, and not as bad.

Also, you have to look at things considering the POV. Of course, this doesn't help with Bran because Jaime and Cersei basically confirm the version, so it is unlikely to have been an accident.

I hope Jaime is around straight to the end of the books.

[freshandclean]

Would be interesting if he became a Queenslayer at the end of the books...

[Atreides]

I'm sort of hoping the new Jaime doesn't die, or at the least not yet. Despite his penchant for threatening and doing horrible things, he's got clearly got some good in him as well. Being separated from Cersei and his sword hand have definitely done him some good; I think he might have an important role to play coming up. I've also mostly forgiven him for pushing Bran; after all, the alternative would've been facing down Robert's warhammer when he found out from Bran->Cat/Ned->Robert.

[Zoren]

He'll end up as a beggar traveling the Free Cities.

[Shakey]

I've said it several times before; Jamie is already a hero who saved hundreds of thousands of lives. By killing the Mad King before he burned the city to the ground, Jamie is a hero.

His one awful crime, pushing a kid out of a window, is when we first meet him. First impressions are hard to break. But taken in context, Jamie's sin had a reason, however twisted, to protect his family.

As for his ultimate fate? I've got a terrible feeling that he is next on the chopping block. I hope I am wrong.

I'd love to see him in charge of defending Westeros from a Dany who has fully succumbed to the Targaryen madness.