Jamie Lannister is Dead. Long Live Jamie Lannister

Last Sunday’s Game of Thrones, The Spoil’s of War, was one of the biggest episodes to date. Daenerys, acting against both Tyrion and Jon Snow’s advice, unleashed Drogon against Lannister forces. At the end of the episode, we see Jamie sinking ever so slowly to a watery grave. But is Jamie Lannister dead?

I’ve written a lot in my little Game of Thrones wrap ups and reviews about how Jamie Lannister is one of the best characters in the series. Notice how I didn’t say he was a good person or even someone I would kick back a flagon of ale with at the corner tavern. As a character, Jamie Lannister is the best-written character in the series.

One of our first introductions to Jame Lannister was when he was having sex with Cersi, his sister. Unfortunately, there was a little coitus interruptus when Cersei noticed Bran Stark having a little peep show at their expense. Jamie shoved Bran Stark out a tower window hoping the fall would kill him.We know how that turned out.

In around about way Jamie’s action lead Bran to become the Three Eyed Raven. At the time, we viewers didn’t know Bran would one day become the creepy Three Eyed Raven. We were just mad that Jamie pushed a child to his death and grossed out he was having sex with his sister. It would be fair to say Jamie Lannister was not a favorite character during the first season of Game of Thrones.

Then something happened, Jamie started to change. Jamie was taken hostage by Robb Stark. After a period of captivity, Catelyn Stark had Brienne of Tarth escort Jamie back to King’s Landing to be exchanged for Sansa and Arya. It was during this time the first changes in Jamie can be seen. Jamie prevents Brienne from being raped by Bolton soldiers. After Roos Bolton freed him to return to King’s Landing Jamie returns to save Brienne from certain death in a bear pit. Not something the old Jamie would have done.

Seasons four, five, and six also saw Jamie changing into someone else. After Jamie takes Riverrun back from the Tullys he lets Brienne slip out a back door. Even as he thinks Tyrion killed his son he lets him escape. After he returns from Dorne with his daughter’s corpse he keeps Trystane Martell aboard his ship because he knew Cersei would have her revenge on him. These are only a few examples of how Jamie Lannister has changed from the character we loved to hate to the character we love to love.

As much as Game of Thrones likes to kill off characters it also likes to bring back characters we thought were dead. The Hound survived Brienne of Tarth’s beating. The Mountain survived by magical means. Melisandre brought Jon Snow back from the grave.

The same thing will happen with Jamie Lannister, but not in any mystic manner. If you remember, Jamie was saved from being turned into ash when he was tackled into the water. Was it Bronn, as so many people think? Maybe it was Dickon? No matter if it was Bronn, Dickon, or someone else Jamie will survive.

In Queen’s Justice, Jamie finally learned the truth about who killed Joffrey. Cersei had him convinced it was Tyrion who poisoned him. The look on Jamie’s face after he learns the truth of who killed Joffrey could be read two different ways. The first: Jamie was mad at Olenna Tyrell for killing his son. The second: Jamie was mad at Cersei for having lied to him and convincing him his brother had killed his son. The second reason is far more likely. Even as he was defending Cersei and trying to explain how Cersei could change and be a good there was something in his voice that made it seem he wasn’t trying to convince Olenna but himself.

We seem to have forgotten over the course of seven seasons why Jamie Lannister is called the Kingslayer. Way back, before the first credits rolled and during Robert Baratheon’s rebellion, Aerys Targaryen ordered Jamie to burn King’s Landing to the ground. Jamie refused and killed the Mad King instead. Yes, Jamie killed Targaryen while his back was turned. However, his action saved the lives of thousands, not the action of a totally evil bastard.

We know from the last episode of season six Cersei has no problem with burning people alive. We also know she has done other vile and nasty things. Cersei may be more Mad King than the Mad King. It’s only a matter of time before Cersei commands something of Jamie that goes against what Jamie has become since season one. Whether it’s the murder of thousands or just one person, Jamie will turn on Cersei. Jamie will survive his plunge because before the end of the series Jamie will be called Queenslayer.