Jaime Lannister has one of the best redemption arcs in Game of Thrones - and these lines trace his journey from villain to hero (and back again).
Game of Thrones is known for its complex characters, and their ever-shifting morality. While the show definitely deals in concepts of good vs. evil, most of the characters inhabit a morally gray landscape, their actions neither good nor bad. And in a show filled with captivating antiheroes, Jaime Lannister may be the most captivating of them all.
Jaime obviously begins the story loyal to the Lannisters - specifically his sister, Cersei. But as the story progresses, viewers are given deeper access into Jaime's mind and motivations, and he undergoes a touching character arc. The result is a slew of both loving and hateful quotes.
Season 3's 'Kissed by Fire' is arguably the most important episode in terms of Jaime Lannister's development as a character. It's here that viewers finally learned the truth about his Kingslayer moniker, as he regals Brienne with the tale in Harrenhal.
King Aerys had planned to burn King's Landing to the ground, and Jaime killed him before the plan could be carried out. When Brienne asks why Jaime didn't clarify the truth with Ned Stark, Jaime simply responds, "By what right does the wolf judge the lion?" For once, the viewers are on the side of Jaime Lannister, and the quote helps throw preceding events into a new (and sympathetic) light.
Viewers certainly don't get a good first impression of Jaime Lannister, as the pilot ends with him throwing a boy off a tower. Bran is a very curious boy, and he likes to climb the walls of Winterfell. Unfortunately, he comes across a dangerous secret - that Jaime and his sister Cersei are in a romantic relationship.
In order to keep Bran quiet, Jaime pushes him out the window, telling Cersei, "The things I do for love." And with that, viewers instantly hating this (attempted) child-killing monster.
Jaime's King Aerys speech ends in spectacular and touching fashion - even if it is a bit on the nose. Jaime stands in the bath and grows weak from his injury, prompting Brienne to catch him. As she cradles Jaime in her arms, she yells, "Help! The Kingslayer!"
Jaime, utterly sick of being called the Kingslayer, responds with, "Jaime. My name is Jaime." It's a great bit of character development, and it's arguably the first time that viewers see him as a human being rather than a shallow villain.
Jaime is at his most hateful throughout season 1. By the season finale, Catelyn has suffered some incredible tragedy, including the near-death and permanent injury of her son, the essential kidnapping of her daughter, and the death of her husband.
As she approaches Jaime, he utters one of his most vile speeches: "You look lovely tonight Lady Stark. Widowhood becomes you. Your bed must be lonely, is that why you came? I'm not at my best, but I think I could be of service. Here, slip out of that gown and we'll see if I'm up to it." It's a horrific thing to say to someone, let alone after a personal tragedy.
Contrarily, Jaime is at his most likable throughout the eighth and final season, such is the result of his fantastic character arc. By season 8, the threat of the White Walkers is readily apparent, but Cersei isn't having any of it.
She intends to let the White Walkers invade, hoping that the invasion decimates her opponents' armies, thereby allowing her to rule unchallenged. Jaime isn't having any of that, telling his sister, "I pledged to ride North. I intend to honor that pledge." It helped viewers see Jaime as a hero, and it fulfilled the heroic potential that everyone knew he had.
Of course, Jaime's character arc is utterly obliterated in the second half of season 8, as he returns to Cersei following the news that Daenerys will invade King's Landing. He makes his way to King's Landing and his sister, and they become trapped underneath the crumbling Red Keep.
As Cersei panics, Jaime holds her and forces her to look into his eyes, telling her, "Nothing else matters. Only us." It was one of the most hated parts of the final season, the result of a tarnished character arc that brought Jaime back to square one.
The relationship between Jaime and Brienne is one of the greatest in the show. Following Ned Stark's execution, the Stark longsword Ice is kept in King's Landing. It is then melted down and made into two Valyrian steel longswords. One is Widow's Wail, given to Joffrey.
The other is Oathkeeper, which Jaime gives to Brienne to fulfill her mission of rescuing Sansa Stark. As he touchingly tells Brienne, "You'll use it to defend Ned Stark's daughter." It's a very poetic gesture, and it allowed viewers to see just where Jaime's loyalties lay.
Contrary to Jaime's plan, Bran miraculously survives his fall out the window. However, he is obviously left severely injured, and Cersei is left incredibly paranoid that he will tell others of what he saw.
Jaime is less concerned, telling her with confidence, "The boy won't talk. And if he does, I'll kill him." It's very indicative of Jaime's character that he has no qualms about outright murdering a child...
One of the greatest scenes of season 8 sees Jaime knighting Brienne at Winterfell. The sequence is wonderfully written and gorgeously shot, Brienne and Jaime shadowed by the comfortable glow of the nearby fire.
Jaime brushes Brienne's shoulders with her sword, uttering the words she has longed for her entire life: "Arise, Brienne of Tarth. A knight of the Seven Kingdoms." It's a very touching gesture, and the words prove highly emotional. Her face afterward speaks volumes.
Following the news of Daenerys' impending invasion of King's Landing, Jaime hightails it out of Winterfell, telling Brienne that he is not a good person. To use an example, he tells her, "I would have murdered every man, woman, and child in Riverrun for Cersei."
Not only is it a hateful quote that turns Jaime back into a villain, but it's also weirdly out of character considering the story of him, Aerys, and King's Landing.
