The case for Cersei Lannister to end up on the Iron Throne
Who should end up on the Iron Throne? We've got some ideas.
OK folks, it's time to get serious. Game of Thrones Season 8 is almost here and some of you are still operating under the illusion that there's some kind of happy ending in the making for any of these characters.
Put aside the betrayal of the Starks, the fall of Winterfell, the Red Wedding, the existence of Ramsay Bolton, and all the other horrible shit that's happened since the show started. Game of Thrones is a reflection of reality, and in reality the bad guys win a lot of the time.
I'm not here to make a case for Cersei hanging on to the Iron Throne in the end because it's something that serves the story. I'm making the case because she's the Game of Thrones "winner" we all deserve. If art imitates life, then Cersei Lannister is the only possible Iron Throne contender.
At least until a marauding army of White Walkers overwhelms King's Landing and completes the transformation of Westeros into an icy graveyard.
Cersei is Donald Trump. She's reckless and impulsive. She's prone to making deeply unpopular, horrifically brutal decisions. She does have a wall, unlike her bloviating IRL counterpart, but she's more interested in sticking it to her perceived enemies than defending her borders from actual threats.
Think about where we left Cersei. She holds the Iron Throne already, and it's a queenhood built on the backs of bloody betrayals and shattered rules of law. She has firsthand knowledge of the White Walker threat, and yet she's focused on using that information to double-cross Jon Snow and Danaerys Targaryen. She also has another Lannister baby sired by her own brother on the way.
In short: Cersei is cornered. Threats are closing in from all sides and all she's really got left is her limitless capacity for vengeance and the loyalty of an armed fighting force. She's not about protecting Westeros; Cersei simply wants to maintain her grasp on power.
That's all Game of Thrones is in the end: a power struggle. Cersei is the purest distillation of the show's ruthless take on murder-politics. I've read all sorts of well-reasoned explanations for why she has no rightful claim to the Iron Throne. My point is: none of it matters.
Again and again, Cersei has proven that the rules don't apply to her. She's not driven by anything other than self-interest. That survivor instinct is going to lead her to a dark ending, but not before she gets the last laugh.
Jon and Dany will suffer her betrayal as they're caught between an approaching White Walker army and a hostile King's Landing. They'll be wiped out, along with all their friends. And in the end, when the White Walkers cut down the only true defenders of Westeros and converge on the kingdom's last safe haven, Cersei will be all that's left.
And as an icy death banishes the last shreds of life and the credits roll on Game of Thrones forever, the Mad Queen will smile and claim her hard-won last laugh.
Who else might end up sitting on the Iron Throne in the end? More ideas:
Topics Game Of Thrones HBO
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
