From the very start of the series, Jaime Lannister was one character that immediately made his presence known to the viewers. From his undeniably evil origins in the first couple of seasons to eventually becoming a fan favorite down the line, it is pretty clear that very few characters in the entire show have gone through as much character development as Jaime.
Needless to say, it’s best not to dwell on the last 2 seasons of the show as Jaime was one of the the characters who were destroyed and ruined most by the incompetent writing. So, with that out of the way, we will focus on his best moments from the first 6 seasons of the show because that was when he was still a well written character (for the most part).
1. The things we do for love (Season 1, Episode 1)
This is one of the defining scenes of Jaime’s as a character. When we are introduced to him initially, he is seen as the typical and handsome knight trope, thought to be a good guy through and through, pure of heart and one that will always put the needs of others before the needs of himself. However, as the episode ends, we see that he is not at all the kind of person we thought he was at first glance.
From here, we see him as evil and selfish. However, this still isn’t the full picture. This scene serves to create a very certain image of him in our mind but as the show progresses, we see that there is so much more to him than just this. He is a nuanced and brilliantly written character who, despite doing some undeniably evil things, has so many layers and is one person who has the room to redeem himself.
2. Jaime fighting Ned (Season 1, Episode 5)
This scene is much more overplayed than it is in the books, but it seriously cements Jaime as an undeniable badass. He is one of the most famous characters in the entire world, a legendary fighter that was also the youngest person to ever receive a knighthood. He has songs written about him and if anyone is brought in front of him to fight him, it is already considered a death sentence for them.
In season 1, after Tyrion is captured by Catelyn Stark, Jaime suddenly appears in front of Ned in order to kill him, as he thinks this was all under Ned’s orders. What follows is a fight where Jaime kills Ned’s right hand man and seriously injures Ned. Though the show makes Ned put up somewhat of a fight, the book makes it very clear that Ned had no chance. Regardless, it’s still a great way to show us the prowess of the legendary Kingslayer.
3. Conversation with Tywin (Season 1, Episode 7)
This is one of the most captivating scenes in the entire first season of the show for 2 reasons. The first reason is that it is the episode that introduced the powerhouse Tywin Lannister. The second reason is the conversation that Jaime and Tywin end up having in the tent.
The conversation that they end up having is about legacy and the role that Jaime must play for the survival of his family. Jaime is and always has been Tywin’s favorite child and is also the one who Tywin chooses to continue on the bloodline, so the conversation really boils down to Tywin telling his son to realize his destiny as a Lannister.
4. Lion in the cage (Season 2, Episode 7)
Season 2 of Game of Thrones was very light on the Jaime Lannister content, but the 2 main scenes including him that we got were absolutely amazing. The first was when Robb confronted him, but that was more of a Robb Stark centered scene so we didn’t include it in the list. The second, however, was Jaime speaking with Cat and boy, was it a good one!
The scene itself is Jaime and Cat talking, but through her insults and moral high standing, she just can’t seem to shake or get the better of Jaime. He insults her, calls her out and makes it clear to her face that he is not scared of her in any capacity. The scene itself is great and makes Jaime out to be someone who is virtually fearless, ending with the scene that officially begins his redemption arc.
5. Escape and fight with Brienne (Season 3, Episode 2)
This scene takes place quite some time after Jaime’s escape at the end of season 2, where Brienne plans to take him to Kings’ Landing to free Sansa. On the way, Jaime proves to be difficult and unwilling, causing a sword fight to take place between the two of them at one point. Despite Brienne winning the bout, this fight really shows us how good Jaime truly was as a fighter.
After being captured for weeks, starved, bound and with no training, Jaime was incapable of being the fighter he truly was. Despite all this, however, his fight with Brienne was still very close and he almost got her a few times as well, leading her to win by the skin of her teeth. In the books, Brienne says that had he been in perfect form, no one in the 7 kingdoms could match him.
6. Maimed (Season 3, Episode 3)
In the very next episode from the fight, both Brienne and Jaime get captured by the Brave Companions who then plan to ransom Jaime off to his father for a very large sum of money. This then turns into a very precarious hostage situation which Jaime is able to talk himself out of.
The leader of this group, Vargo Hoat, still says that some sort of payment still needs to be made. So, he cuts off Jaime’s right hand. This completely destroys Jaime mentally because without his main hand, he can no longer be the legendary warrior that he once was. This also prompts a massive change in him as a character as he now has a very different outlook on everything.
7. Jaime’s confession (Season 3 ,Episode 5)
This is the most important scene for Jaime as a character in the whole show. After his gruesome punishment, Jaime is mentally broken. He enters a bath where Brienne is also washing herself and they start talking. This leads to Jaime finally telling someone his whole backstory in this tragic and brilliantly acted scene.
Jaime reveals that the reason he killed The Mad King and got the nickname of Kingslayer wasn’t to keep himself safe. Instead, he did this because Aerys planned to kill everyone in the entire city, be they man woman or child. On top of this, he ordered Jaime to bring him the head of Tywin, Jaime’s own father. Jaime pleaded and pleaded with the King but he wouldn’t listen, leading Jaime to putting a sword in his back.
He also knew his reputation and knew that no one would ever believe him, especially considering that Ned Stark found him and people would always take Ned’s word over his own. This led to him being shunned by everyone and gave him a cynical outlook to life, which he embraced fully. This scene cements Jaime as an extremely tragic character who did what he had to and was hated by everyone for it.
8. Saving Brienne from the bear (Season 3, Episode 7)
This is the scene that really shows us that Jaime has actually changed for the better. After his talk with Roose Bolton, his safety is guaranteed as his release from captivity has been negotiated. Jaime then starts to ride back to Kings’ Landing but sees that Brienne is no longer with him. He finds out that she has been kept by the Brave Companions and will always be in danger.
This causes Jaime to ride back to where she is, finding her in a pit where she is forced to fight face to face with a bear. Uncharacteristically, Jaime jumps into the pit and starts to help Brienne fight the bear and saves her life. This selfless act truly shows Brienne the real kind of person he actually is and starts to make the audience love him.
9. Visiting Tyrion in the cell (Season 4, Episode 4)
This is a fairly quiet scene that most people tend to forget about. It happens when Tyrion’s trial is approaching and Jaime comes to visit him. This is also the moment when the 2 brothers go over their lives and their current situation. There isn’t really much flashy stuff going on in this scene, but it really does build up the relationship between the characters and shows how they truly do love each other.
10. Deal with Tywin (Season 4, Episode 6)
Yet another scene that shows Jaime as he truly is; selfless and kind. This happens in the break in Tyrion’s trial where all hope seems lost and Tyrion seems to be headed for certain death. Then, during the break in the trial, Jaime makes a deal with Tywin to spare Tyrion’s life in return for Jaime renouncing his role in the Kingsguard and taking his seat at Casterly Rock.
This does such a good job at showing Jaime’s growth as a character as well as the love he has for his brother. Fighting and being a knight was his whole life and the thing he loved more than anything else, but he was willing to forego that in order to save his brother's life. If you compare this Jaime to the Jaime from season 1 who pushed Bran, they’re virtually different characters.
11. Crushing Beetles (Season 4, Episode 8)
Yet another scene which shows brotherly love between 2 fan favorites. This scene has the brothers bonding over their simple-minded cousin who loved to crush beetles in his spare time. It does an excellent job in bringing them closer to one another, as well as doing an incredible job in showing these 2 as actual, real people.
12. Saving Tyrion (Season 4, Episode 10)
Jaime saves Tyrion after his champion, Oberyn, died in his trial by combat. Upon letting the Gods decide his fate, Tyrion finds himself at his deathbed but Jaime ends up saving his life. In a plan concocted with Varys the Spider, Jaime plans to secretly whisk Tyrion away to Essos, under the noses of everyone in court.
This instance in the show, in my opinion, is better done than in the book. It shows that Jaime is the kind of person that is willing to risk absolutely everything in order to protect the ones he loves. He is done trying to let his past define him.
13. Saving Myrcella (Season 5, Episode 10)
The entire Dorne subplot of season 5 was definitely one of the weakest aspects of the whole season and seeing as how the entire thing followed Jaime, there weren’t very many good scenes with him in this season. However, in the season finale when he saves Myrcella, it was a great scene.
He tells Myrcella the truth of who her father truly is, to which she admits to always have known. This leads to them embracing for the first time as father and daughter instead of uncle and niece. It is a nice scene which unfortunately ends in tragedy.
14. Riverrun (Season 6, Episode 8)
This scene is when Jaime arrives at Riverrun, with his massive host face to face with the army of the Blackfish. This siege is very well done from a filming perspective and despite Jaime having only one hand, the scene also shows him as still a very capable fighter and a very effective and smart general. The Lannister Army ends up staying outside and eventually taking over the castle of Riverrun and defeating the Blackfish.
15. Dissing Walder Frey (Season 6, Episode 10)
Walder Frey is a character that most people still have a hatred for after the Red Wedding all the way back in season 3, so no one really liked it when we met him again. This scene, however, was great because while Walder was hyping himself and his house as being significant and powerful and feared, Jaime humbled him quickly and told him people only fear the Lannisters. If not for the Lannisters, then no one would care about the Freys.
I know this isn’t the most exciting of scenes, but the decline of the show really started in season 5, leading to some more stale scenes for many of the characters.
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