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Why does Jaime sit on the throne?


Mirri Maz Duur

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Eddard says that he found Jaime sitting on the iron throne. What... why would he do this? It's not like he wanted to be king or anything. It's not like sitting on it on the first place would do anything. It's not like it's a particularly comfortable chair to sit on.

Probably because he wanted somewhere to sit.

He had just committed regicide. It's a pretty big deal, and probably takes it right out of you. Especially when you've been horrified at the notion of so many dying if you don't do what must be done - taking the final step must have been exhausting, not to mention terrifying. He couldn't have known whether he'd live or die, regardless of who his father was.

And there was the Iron Throne, and him with weary legs - and why not? If you can't sit a throne after you kill a king, when can you?

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Jaime was in shock as to what he had just done. He was 15 at the time and the magnitude of it was starting to hit him all at once. Ned came in and assumptions rolled from there. Ser Jaime never told anyone until he told Briene why he did it. He should have explained sooner.

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I believe he was waiting for whomever would claim the throne. That, and it was also a statement. Him being his arrogant self. I think it represents his transformation from the boy who became part of the Kingsguard, to the Kingslayer we see at the beginning of AGoT.

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Jaime was in shock as to what he had just done. He was 15 at the time and the magnitude of it was starting to hit him all at once. Ned came in and assumptions rolled from there. Ser Jaime never told anyone until he told Briene why he did it. He should have explained sooner.

I'm pretty sure he was 17 at the time. He was named to the KG at age 15, but that was in 281, during the Harrenhal Tourney. The sack of KL took place in 283.

Still, not much different from what you're saying, just a technical detail.

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I think it's interesting how Jamie's and Barristan Selmy's journeys are the same yet different.

Jaime killed the Mad King, everyone hates him for it, but deep down he thinks it's the best thing he's ever done.

Selmy saves the Mad King, everyone thinks he's awesome for it, but deep down he thinks it's the worst thing he's ever done.

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He saves thousands of lives and kills a crazy tyrant and expects mountains of gratitude to be thrown on him. So he just hangs out on the throne being somewhat cocky and arrogant after 'saving the day'.

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I think it's interesting how Jamie's and Barristan Selmy's journeys are the same yet different.

Jaime killed the Mad King, everyone hates him for it, but deep down he thinks it's the best thing he's ever done.

Selmy saves the Mad King, everyone thinks he's awesome for it, but deep down he thinks it's the worst thing he's ever done.

As I remember, the Mad King was not yet Mad before Selmy saved him; he was thought of as eccentric; but had not become a tyrant. It was his captivity at Duskendale that seems to have triggered, or escalated, Aerys' paranoia and cruelty.

As for why Jaime sat on the Iron Throne after killing Aerys - because he could. Jaime was either covering his inner horror at the kingslaying by doing another brazen act and behaving proudly before the world (he was not the sort, even as a boy, who would willingly show weakness in public) or he was proud of his act and wanted to show it.

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