Following the conclusion of the Game of Thrones season six finale, it was Cersei Lannister that was sitting on the Iron Throne. With her son Tommen committing suicide following Cersei’s masterplan of blowing up half of King’s Landing, it was clear she was well on her way to Mad Queen status.
So while it may be good to be Cersei when the hit HBO show returns this Summer, that feeling may not last very long. Cersei has a long list of people gunning for either her or the Iron Throne, meaning her stay on top may not last all that long. And if someone happens to take the Throne away from her, more likely than not it will mean Cersei is not around at all for season eight.
So let’s start with the biggest threat of all. Daenerys Targaryen. Dany is on her way to King’s Landing along with a fleet of ships and dragons to accompany her. In the prophecy flashback in the season five premiere, a young Cersei was told she was be overthrown by a younger and more beautiful woman. So it is only a matter of time, and Dany is clearly a favorite to be that younger more beautiful woman.
Along with Dany is Cersei’s younger brother, Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion and Cersei have not had the greatest relationship over the course of their lifetimes and it is safe to say he would love to see her lose her power. It is also probably a good bet that he would love to be the one to take her down once and for all.
[Kenny]
Next up we have the team from the North. The Starks are back in control and they have a long history with the Lannister family. If Jon and Sansa decide to travel to King’s Landing, it is clear they would love to take the Mad Queen down. Sansa could be a darkhorse candidate for the younger and more beautiful woman who takes Cersei’s place. It is not clear that the leaders of the North will be making their way South, given the arrival of Winter and the pending arrival of the White Walkers however.
But there is another Stark who is currently acting as a lone-wolf and she just so happens to have the name Cersei Lannister on her kill list. Arya Stark has it out for Cersei and she proved at the end of last season she is willing to get her hands dirty as she slit the throat of Walder Frey. We took a closer look at Arya’s potential role in the coming season last week, which you can read here.
If all of those characters were not enough, we also have one true darkhorse contender who could be the reason Cersei does not make it out of the season alive. That character would be Cersei’s twin brother Jamie. In the season six finale, following the death of Tommen, Jamie arrived back at King’s Landing to see Cersei on the Iron Throne. As he looked at his sister he had a look of disapproval on his face, as he seemed to know she was responsible for their son’s death.
He is also the man responsible for taking down the Mad King years ago. Deep down, Jamie is a good man who wants what is best for the people. As Cersei shows more and more aggression and abuse of power, the more distant the two will become. The leading theory is that one of her younger brothers will strike her down. While it is widely thought that Tyrion would be the one, Jamie is technically younger as well. So it would not be a complete surprise to see Jamie finally turn his back on his twin as she loses herself in her power.
Add up all of these pieces and the odds to not look good for the current Queen on Game of Thrones. Almost every other character on the show is going to be gunning for her. She may have just gained the power she has always desired, but odds are, it will only last for a season. As the show marches towards its end, big moments are coming, and they are coming fast. By the time season eight rolls around, do not expect to see Lena Headey’s character to be around.