History Characters / GameOfThronesCerseiLannister

* TheDarkChick: The pretty one of the family, who Tywin plans to marry into House Tyrell and previously married into House Baratheon.

** Tyrion's trial is a prolonged HumiliationConga orchestrated by her to inflict as much psychological pain as possible (though in her view it's KickTheSonOfABitch, as she mistakenly thinks that Tyrion murdered her son).

* KickTheSonOfABitch:
** In Season 6's finale, she finally gets back at Septa Unella, by throwing several goblets of wine at her face, chanting 'Confess! Confess!', calling her out on her hypocrisy, and gloating about the truth of the crimes Cersei herself has been accused of. It quickly morphs into DisproportionateRetribution though, as she subjects the septa to death by torture at the hands of Ser Gregor.
** She orchestrated Grand Maester Pycelle being stabbed to death by various harlots and Qyburn's child spies.
** Her torture of Ellaria and the Sand Snakes is not exactly her greatest of sins, especially considering that they murdered her own daughter, who had done nothing wrong, in nearly the exact same way.

* UngratefulBitch: Never has anything good to say about Tyrion or Loras, despite both of them being vital in saving her and Tommen's lives at the battle of Blackwater. Tywin even calls her out on her ingratitude for the Tyrells. Probably the most blatant example of this was her framing Ned Stark as a traitor after he warned her to save herself and her children; though it was mixed with PragmaticVillainy, since they would be forced to go into exile if she accepted Ned's scenario.

* TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask: As Joffrey is only 16, she's technically the ruling sovereign of the Seven Kingdoms; her official title is even "Queen Regent". She even tries to assert her authority as such early on, but Joffrey takes a shotgun to that notion with six little words: "[[WhamLine Ser Ilyn, bring me his head]]!" She still attempts to rule while Joffrey spends his time performing various cruelties, but Tyrion compromises much of her power and repeatedly outmanoeuvres her when she tries to take it back, Tywin wastes no time controlling everyone once he comes back from fighting the war, and then the Tyrells join in by marrying Margaery to both of Cersei's sons, making Margaery the would-be reigning Queen.

!!!'''Dubbed By:''' Creator/LaurenceBreheret (European French)

* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:The second one for Season 8. Despite outliving the Night King and it looking like she would be the FinalBoss of the series her evil actions [[CreateYourOwnVillain inadvertently drive Daenerys mad]] who proceeds to level King's Landing and kill Cersei. In the end Daenerys takes over as the FinalBoss of the series.]]

* AdaptationalWimp: In the books, she's Queen Regent through all of Joffery and most of Tommen's reign, here, while she is regent for Joffery it seems like she has some how lost the position of regent. In a small council meeting, she says she is merely acting as Hand of the King until Tommen comes of age.

** She ''does not'' approve several of Joffrey's actions, like ordering Ned Stark's execution and ordering a massacre of children. She even admits to Margaery that Joffrey would have been her "nightmare" as her husband and that "the things he did shocked [her.]"

* {{Narcissist}}: Cersei, much like her father, has a pronounced sense of self-worth. She is also practically a [[AmbiguousDisorder textbook case]]. Cersei sees herself as far more intelligent and powerful than she actually is. Her love for her brother Jaime is because she sees him as [[ScrewYourself a reflection of herself if she were a man]] (which is also why she is notably distraught over his missing hand rather than any impact that it could ever have on his life). She loves her children, but moreso as extensions of herself than as human beings. She takes any perceived (real or not) slight extremely seriously and will often come up with forms of DisproportionateRetribution for it, [[EvilIsPetty even when she has absolutely nothing to gain by doing so]]. She also often tends to devalue and ruthlessly criticize and tear down those who come into contact with her. So, truly, due to the way Cersei's mind works, she is almost fundamentally incapable of ''not'' thinking everything is about her and ties back to her. So even on a more general level, Cersei is truly incapable of placing anyone's interest before her own.

--->'''Olenna:''' You have no support, not anymore. Your brother is gone; the High Sparrow saw through that. The rest of your family abandoned you. The people despised you. You're surrounded by enemies, thousands of them. You're going to kill them all by yourself? You've lost, Cersei. It's the only joy that I've find in this misery.

* PsychopathicWomanchild: Although she's generally [[DownplayedTrope more sophisticated and poised]] than tantrum-throwing Joffrey and Viserys, Cersei has been known to behave in a childishly petty and petulant manner at times, especially when things aren't going her way. Her 'I'm queen so I can do whatever I want' attitude, tendency to [[IRejectYourReality ignore opinions and hard facts that inconvenience her]] and spiteful KickTheDog moments can make her resemble a BrattyTeenageDaughter in a grown woman's body. Lena Headey herself says that she plays Cersei as a "kind of wayward 15-year-old, who's never had any real parenting". Seeing as her mother died when she was very young, her lord father is very emotionally detached from all his children, and she grew up quite sheltered and spoiled, [[JustifiedTrope it wouldn't be surprising]] that Cersei is emotionally stunted and immature to a degree.

** It's very cathartic to see a look of terror on her face when the wight Jon and Daenerys have brought to show the greater threat, already pissed off at being roused from its crate, goes straight for Cersei with seemingly every intention of wrapping its fingers round her neck.

* SmugSmiler: There probably isn't a character from any medium ever to compete with that contemptible, irritating smirk that she wears constantly, except for when her schemes backfire on her.

** Despite considering herself a keen player in the game of thrones, none of her plans ever truly succeed. Indeed, in most cases, her actions end up backfiring on her horribly, particularly her plan to rule Westeros behind the scenes while Joffrey sat on the throne. The most Cersei ever appears to achieve are very small, petty victories over people much less powerful than her, and that desire for short-lived sense of satisfaction irrespective of whether it actually improves her position or accomplishes anything in the long run is textbook example.

* SmartBall: This is debatable, as in Season 7 she manages to turn around a war in which she was hopelessly outmatched to one that she has a very slim chance of actually winning. Of course, a good deal of this is due to Jaime's influence, Tyrions decreasing intellect, and the rest due to a lack of those to restrain her leading to her willingness to sacrifice a ''lot'' of long-term stability for short-term victories that ultimately mean very little. It doesn't completely erase her shortsighted behavior and her ItsAllAboutMe attitude gets exponentially worse.

** In "The Bells", [[spoiler:when Daenerys lays siege to King' Landing and completely decimates all of her forces, Cersei completely drops the SmugSnake act and is reduced to sobbing as she realizes she has lost and there is no way she can come out victorious]].

** In the show, she and Robert had a child once[[note]]which is described to be black-haired, a true Baratheon look[[/note]]; but it died of a fever shortly after being born, leaving her heartbroken and suggesting that she truly loved and wanted this child. In the books, Robert got her pregnant once, after which she had the child aborted behind his back out of hatred and spite.
** In season 1, Cersei reveals during a private conversation, that she had feelings for Robert "for quite a while, actually", despite knowing he didn't love her back. These changes introduce a much more tragic and human side to her character, whereas in the corresponding book there's no real indication that she wasn't a cruel, contemptuous and hateful person from the start. In the books, Cersei already resented Robert before they marry because he killed Rhaegar, her lifetime crush; she also has no problem having sex with Jaime the morning of her wedding day.

** In the show, she and Robert had a child once[[note]]which is described to be black-haired, a true Baratheon look[[/note]]; but it died of a fever shortly after being born, leaving her heartbroken. In the books, Robert got her pregnant once, after which she had the child aborted behind his back out of hatred and spite.
** Season 1 also implies that she genuinely wanted this child by Robert; it's also suggested, during a private conversation, that Cersei had feelings for Robert "for quite a while, actually", despite knowing he didn't love her back. These changes introduce a much more tragic and human side to her character, whereas in the corresponding book there's no real indication that she wasn't a cruel, contemptuous and hateful person from the start. In the books, Cersei already resented Robert before they marry because he killed Rhaegar, her lifetime crush; she also has no problem having sex with Jaime the morning of her wedding day.

** In the show, she and Robert had a child once[[note]]which is described to be black-haired, a true Baratheon look[[/note]]; but it died of a fever shortly after being born. In the books, Robert got her pregnant once, after which she had the child aborted behind his back.
** Season 1 also implies that she genuinely loved this child by Robert, and their private conversation together suggests that she still had feelings for Robert himself at the time the child was born (saying she loved him "For quite a while, actually."), despite knowing he didn't love her back. These changes introduce a much more tragic and human side to her character, whereas in the corresponding book there's no real indication that she wasn't a cruel, contemptuous and hateful person from the start. In the books, Cersei already despises Robert before they marry because he killed Rhaegar, her lifetime crush, and she has no problem having sex with Jaime the morning of her wedding day.

** She ''does not'' approve several of Joffrey's actions, like ordering Ned Stark's execution and ordering a massacre of children. She even admits to Margaery that Joffrey would have been her "nightmare" and that "the things he did shocked [her.]"

** She ''does not'' approve several of Joffrey's actions, like ordering Ned Stark's execution and ordering a massacre of children.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Cersei has a black and white view of friends and enemies (with nearly everyone falling under the latter), is prone to risky behaviors like her incest and alcoholism, has a poor control of her emotions, and has difficulty empathizing with anyone who's not her kids. It's widely theorized by the fan base that she has Borderline Personality Disorder.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: All her life, Cersei wanted to be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She originally became queen by marrying Robert Baratheon, only for the marriage to end up a disaster from day one and she lacks any real power. She finds out the hard way that being queen regent is actually [[TheChainsOfCommanding incredibly difficult]], especially with an uncontrollable nutcase like Joffrey on the throne, and everyone from her daughter-in-law to her own dad is soon trying to wrest control from her. She ''finally'' becomes queen in her own right at the end of Season 6, but it has cost her almost everyone she cares about and her realm is extremely unstable, making it a rather [[PyrrhicVictory hollow victory.]]

* PyrrhicVillainy:
** Cersei's smirking victory over Tyrion and later the Tyrells become meaningless as it comes with a high price. Her champion Ser Gregor Clegane winning over Oberyn Martell in Tyrion's trial on Joffrey's murder breaks new tensions from Dorne and leads to Myrcella's death. Jaime, out of sympathy for Tyrion, helps him escape only for Tyrion to kill Tywin on the way out, leaving the kingdom in her less-than-capable hands. Her reinstatement of the Faith Militant as a means to get back at the Tyrells backfires when she herself gets arrested and punished for her own crimes which also leads her own son Tommen to accept the Faith as part of their alliance to the Iron Throne.
--->'''Olenna:''' You have no support, not anymore. Your brother is gone; the High Sparrow saw through that. The rest of your family abandoned you. The people despised you. You're surrounded by enemies, thousands of them. You're going to kill them all by yourself? You've lost, Cersei. It's the only joy that I've find in this misery.

* TheBadGuyWins: Season 6 ends with her on the Iron Throne and her most immediate enemies dead, though [[PyrrhicVillainy it's rather clear she has more, and few allies]].

* InVinoVeritas: Cersei is rather unpleasant, but is capable of hiding it when she's sober. When she's drunk, like in the Battle of Blackwater, she's far more cruel and brutally honest.

* CorneredRattlesnake: If her back is to the wall she will do things that while not safe for her in the long run will make her enemies regret pushing her as reviving the Faith militant and exploding the sept shows.

** Hubris. Cersei thinks she's way better than she really is and better than anybody else, which makes her think nothing about hurting people, and in her arrogance, she is reckless, deaf to council and unable to evaluate herself or make any kind of amends.

* AGlassOfChianti: A goblet of red wine increasingly becomes Cersei's favourite accessory. A notable example is in "The Winds of Winter", where she watches the Sept of Baelor and all her rivals go up in green flames while sipping on wine.

* InelegantBlubbering: Cersei gets reduced to this twice: firstly in Season 5 where [[ComeToGawk the mockery and taunts of the peasants]] of King's Landing reduce her to tears, though she quickly recovers herself when Qyburn presents her with the reanimated Gregor Clegane and Cersei clearly starts contemplating the possibilites for revenge. The second time is [[spoiler:during Season 8's ''The Bells'', where after finding her and Jaime's only escape route out of the Red Keep has been cut off by rubble, Cersei breaks down sobbing at the realisation she has no cards left to play and that she is not getting out alive]].

** At the end of Season 6, while she does eventually manage to outmanoeuvre her enemies to become crowned Queen, the rather extensive point made under PyrrhicVictory above mean that this isn't exactly the glorious triumph it might otherwise seem to be.

* SympathyForTheHero: It's an ''extremely'' rare occurrence, but she has been known to sympathise with more heroic characters.
** She makes an effort to comfort Catelyn when Bran falls from a tower (which was actually Cersei and Jaime's fault) and may not wake up, empathising with her due to having lost a child herself. When Sansa is distressed over getting her first period and the prospect of marrying Joffrey, Cersei actually appears to feel some pity for her and tries giving her a bit of advice on how to cope with her situation based on her own experience, albeit in a rather blunt and cynical manner. It should be noted that her sympathy towards them doesn't last long, though, as Cersei is not very forgiving of those she perceives as being a threat to herself (whether that threat is real or not).

* AuthorityInNameOnly: Cersei's title as Queen Mother only holds weight before Joffrey, and later Tommen, were officially wed. Despite sitting in on Small Council Meetings, Cersei technically has no real authority. Her title as Queen Cersei, first of her name, also counts as this since she only gained this position after [[KillThemAll killing most of her political enemies]] and [[TyrantTakesTheHelm usurping the position for herself]] and she has no allies to speak of apart from Jaime and those at King's Landing. And even those are under extreme question at this point. In the Season 7 premiere, Jaime even brings this up.

!!!'''Dubbed By:''' Creator/LaurenceBreheret ([[UsefulNotes/FrenchLanguage European French]])

* DrowningMySorrows: Increasingly, she uses alcohol as a coping mechanism for the pressures of ruling and her tumultuous personal life, to the point of becoming a LadyDrunk.

** When Ned Stark offers her the chance to escape King's Landing with her children and live in exile, she famously tells him that "When you play the game of thrones, you live or you die. There is no middle ground." While the line is meant to portray Ned as GoodIsDumb, [[spoiler:this is exactly what happens to Cersei and her family. Cersei loses all her children to the game by the end of Season 6, and after becoming queen herself, she dies with Jaime in Season 8]].

* AssholeVictim: While Cersei's death scene may have been presented as a tragedy, it's hard to feel bad for her overall when one remembers that she spent eight seasons being absolutely vile, slowly evolving into one of the most monstrous tyrants in modern fiction. And she [[LaserGuidedKarma brings her death on herself]] -- she refused to offer help or a truce in the face of [[ZombieApocalypse the White Walkers' invasion]] because she stupidly wanted to cling to power, executed an innocent woman because she wanted to spite Daenerys, and used her own citizens as human shields while pretending to protect them, which got most of them killed. Her downfall and death was a long time coming, and her despair as she felt everything crumble were deserved.

* HumanShield: UpToEleven in Season 8. [[spoiler:Cersei orders the population of King's Landing to shelter in the Red Keep to 'protect them' from Daenerys' army, but she makes it clear her actual intention is to protect herself, as Dany won't be able to attack her without endangering and likely killing multiple civilians]].