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Why didn't Jaime take the throne?


TheNiggardlyBastard

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Nope. Killing the king doesn't make you king, monarchy doesn't work like that.



Robert Baratheon had the backing of the Stormlands, Riverlands, the Vale and the North. Jamie had nobody's backing; not even Tywin would support him if he tried to make a claim. And, if Tywin were crazy enough to try support Jamie, you can be sure that the Dornish and the remaining Targayren loyalists would side with Robert against the traitor who killed Aerys and the man who ordered the butcher of Elia and her children.


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  • 2 weeks later...

: about half of aGoT


Cersei tells Ned in the Red Fortress' godswood (from her view of things, of course) that the throne was there for Jaime to take it; that he sit on it, and in the heat of the moment Ned forced him off, saying it was madness. However, it's clear that Jaime would have no support for his kingship, and he probably wouldn't even want it.



Just imagine, you're surrounded by rebels like you, you just kill your king right in the throne room and you sit on it with everyone looking at you, knowing who they will name as the new King... and that is not you. Would you be crazy enough to claim it? Cersei thought he wanted it, but I doubt it.


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First Jaime is a kings guard so no way any Respecting lord would bow down to an oath breaker, example Lord Eddard asked for him to be sent to the nights watch. Second for him to take the iron would be an insult to those who fought in the rebellion, seeing as the Lannisters only helped deliver the Coup De Grace when the war was coming to a head. Finally if he had tried i'm pretty sure the Lannisters would have been executed by the rebels for their war crimes. Also Robert is a distant relation to the targaryen line so he at least has a small claim were as Jaime has none.


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Yeah, and unless he could make Cersei his Queen, I don't see him having any desire to sit the Iron Throne.



He seems to do everything for two reasons (in the beginning of the series). Either he does things to be near his sister/lover, or he does things for swordplay/action. Of course, later in the series he does things for his brother, or for his new found friend Brienne.



But he gives up his claim to Casterly Rock, against his father's will. So he doesn't want to be the wealthiest lord in the Seven Kingdoms, so why would he want to be King of the Seven? It wouldn't fit his personality.

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I always felt that the scene describing Jaime sitting on the throne is actually quite tragic.



The reason is because I don't actually think Jaime wanted to be king in any shape, form or fashion and would be content to be (arguably) the best swordsman in Westoros and have Cersei warm his bed every night.



So when, Ned, a few Lannister men and a couple of others I think come across him sitting on it, they all seem to think he is implying he should be king or has such aspirations.



In actual fact I think he is actually a really emotionally sensitive charcter, more than anyone gives him credit for, and so sitting on the throne was on the one hand a kind of personal defence mechanism i.e. ha, ha I don't care what anyone thinks, but also more likely he was probably deep in reflection that his father's men were sacking the city, and especially that he had just slain the King, and so sitting on the throne was his way of basically working out in his own mind 'so this is what everyone is fighting for?'.



I feel really sorry for Jaime as the series continues. I won't spoil anything, but I just feel that as you get to know him, if you read between the lines he is actually one of the good guys of Westeros. Of course everyone has shades of grey and he is capable of being nasty piece of work, but ultimately I don't think he is bad at his core like some characters.



So when his father, Ned, and essentially the entire realm constantly force him to fit their own expectations of what he should be, and don't allow him to just be himself, I feel really bad for him at time.




EDIT



Plus, in case it wasn't stated, deep emotional analysis aside lol, there was never a hope in hell of him taking the throne even if he wanted it (which as I argued I dont believe he did). Robert was on his way, Ned arrived in the middle of the sacking I think, and he quite simply had no claim to be king. Even worse he was a Kingsguard so entitled to no lands or property and had just broken his vows.



Nobody in the realm would have accepted him, and I doubt even Tywin would have been pushing for him to be King as how was it ever going to happen when the only support he would have would be Lannister forces? While all the power of the North, Trident, Riverlands, Stormland etc supported Robert and powerful houses like the Tyrells supported Aerys and by default his blood successors, it just was never, ever on the cards IMO.


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Let's be honest in a world which has a semblance of order, what person would follow a man who breaks the rules. Example say he was the King, if the people bowed to the Knight who slayed the King he was ordered to protect what man wouldn't feel disgusted. While Robert may have had rocky relationship with the people at least he had his reasons for wanting the Mad King Dead. Though Jaime had motives of his own they remain only to him. Also seeing how most people would've been disgusted if he became King, i'm pretty sure his reign would be short lived as i'm sure the people would contest his leadership.


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  • 3 months later...
  • 6 months later...

Also Jaime swore an oath as a member of the Kingsgaurd making him ineligible.

Well, he also swore an oath to protect the king, and yet he nevertheless killed him himself. In addition, Robert Baratheon wasn't a Targaryan, so that technically made Robert ineligble also.

During rebellions I don't think technicalities matter that much.

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@Ko Rakharo: You stated that Cersei thought Jaime wanted the throne. I think that's just her projecting her own wishes upon her twin brother. She's hungry for power, Jaime's not. I think when she tells Ned that Jaime wanted the throne that day, she's really talking about herself.


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While Robert may have had rocky relationship with the people at least he had his reasons for wanting the Mad King Dead. Though Jaime had motives of his own they remain only to him

What good reasons did Robert have, that Jaime or anyone else did not? The Mad King was mad and dangerous and had to go.

Robert's broken heart and pathetic jealousy is what is only his own personal motivation and is hardly deserving anyone's respect.

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Sitting on the throne doesn't make one king.

I think that scene was more about the possibility of him being a kingmaker than it was him being king. People start asking him what to do, and he thinks about it- but defers.

Contrast that with his journey later on, and it might possibly foreshadow what is to come.

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Yeah, and unless he could make Cersei his Queen, I don't see him having any desire to sit the Iron Throne.

He seems to do everything for two reasons (in the beginning of the series). Either he does things to be near his sister/lover, or he does things for swordplay/action. Of course, later in the series he does things for his brother, or for his new found friend Brienne.

But he gives up his claim to Casterly Rock, against his father's will. So he doesn't want to be the wealthiest lord in the Seven Kingdoms, so why would he want to be King of the Seven? It wouldn't fit his personality.

I think this best describes my own opinion. Also there is supporting evidence for this in aCoK. Jaime is a character we are quick to judge and slow to understand (Me included)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, he also swore an oath to protect the king, and yet he nevertheless killed him himself. In addition, Robert Baratheon wasn't a Targaryan, so that technically made Robert ineligble also.

During rebellions I don't think technicalities matter that much.

But in this case it was his oath to protect the king vs. his oath to protect the people. 1 vs. 500,000. He was going to break one either way.

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Too many things were against Jaime to just sit and claim the Throne. He was Kings Guard,he killed his king(i dont fault him one bit),he has no one to back his claim and one thing that keeps slipping people's minds is that Jaime has/had no ambition besides being in the Kings Guard and boning Cersei.

I do however think Ned could have been the King. He just had to sit on the damn thing. He would have been a good one.

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