This psychologist's analysis of Cersei sheds new light on her behaviour in 'Game of Thrones' Season 6

"Cersei is a classic narcissist."
 By 
Sam Haysom
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Warning: Contains spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 6.

Brace yourselves: the sheer detail involved in analysing Game of Thrones has reached a whole new, scary level.

Forget the fan theories, predictions and close scrutiny of interviews -- we now have an actual expert opinion from a clinical psychologist (well, an apparent clinical psychologist -- they could of course simply be exaggerating for sweet Internet points) on the state of Cersei Lannister's mental health.


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On Tuesday, reddit user Rain12913 wrote an impressively lengthy breakdown of what might be going on in the mind of Westeros' current ruler.

They started off with a disclaimer.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Then, they launched straight into the diagnosis: "Cersei is a classic narcissist."

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The key takeaway is Cersei's apparent inability to truly love.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

And as for Tommen? Rain12913 argues she no longer cared about him at the end.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

So, is it plausible?

Well, it's certainly possible. Compared to Cersei's response to Joffrey's death, her muted reaction to seeing her youngest child's body seems to indicate she's reached a place where she either a) no longer cares or b) has become numb to what she's seeing.

Via Giphy

Then again, at another point in the scene she appears to be holding back tears, and it's also worth remembering that she did still actively stop Tommen from attending the trial.

What does it mean for Cersei in Season 7?

Whether she's a classic narcissist or not, things aren't look good for Cersei -- or those around her -- in the next season. The one thing that seems clear from the final shot of her sitting on the Iron Throne is that she's at the end of her tether -- with the death of her children and the rapidly advancing tension between her brother, Cersei is now well and truly isolated.

And whether you believe she ever did truly love her family or not, they still formed a part of her decision-making process in previous seasons.

Now, the only driving force she's got left is rage, bitterness and a desire for revenge.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

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Sam Haysom

Sam Haysom is the Deputy UK Editor for Mashable. He covers entertainment and online culture, and writes horror fiction in his spare time.

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