Cersei

Cersei Lannister is a fictional character in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. A member of House Lannister, she is the eldest child of Tywin and Joanna Lannister and the twin sister of Jaime. She is the mother of Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen. In the books and the series, she becomes queen consort through her marriage to King Robert Baratheon and later acts as regent for her sanctioned heirs, pursuing power and influence at the center of the capital, King’s Landing.

Her storyline centers on political maneuvering, alliance-building, and ruthless means to secure her family's position. Cersei seeks to control succession, suppress rivals, and manipulate institutions such as the Small Council and the Faith Militant to maintain power. Her actions contribute to significant upheavals in the realm, including conferring advantages to the Lannisters while provoking enmity with several noble houses and factions.

In the television series, Cersei is portrayed by Lena Headey. The adaptation emphasizes her scheming, ruthlessness, and devotion to her children, while diverging at points from the books. In the later seasons, she consolidates power in King’s Landing and the Crown, culminating in a dramatic downfall tied to the series’ climactic events. The character has been widely discussed for her complexity, moral ambiguity, and enduring presence in both the source novels and their adaptation.