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When we think of power in Game of Thrones, names like Daenerys Targaryen or Jon Snow come to mind. But Cersei Lannister, cold, calculating, and ruthlessly ambitious, remains one of the series' most indelible monarchs. She didn't inherit dragons or wrap herself in prophecy. She achieved greatness by sheer force of will, strategic calculation, and an absolute faith that the ends justify the means. While Westeros played at the game, Cersei was remaking its rules.
Unlike most of her predecessors, Cersei Lannister did not crave validation or moral high ground; she led with steel in her spine and wildfire in her blood. Her choices were frequently brutal, incendiary, and personally motivated, but always driven by a singular objective: surviving by dominating. Whether she was walking the treacherous paths of politics, playing politics among the devout, or consolidating her dominance by removing the opposition, she knew what most people seemed to forget: power.
This countdown explores seven moments that encapsulate what made Cersei such an interesting and formidable leader. Love her or hate her, there's no argument that Cersei Lannister taught us what it really takes to rule in a world in which mercy is a bad thing and survival is everything.
Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.
Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones showed us what it actually takes to rule
1) The Day Cersei Blew Up Tradition and Her Enemies
In Season 6's explosive series finale, Cersei demonstrated that ruling sometimes means wiping out opposition literally. By plotting the destruction of the Sept of Baelor using secret wildfire, she dispatched the High Sparrow, Margaery Tyrell, and more in a single brutal sweep. It was a chess move with catastrophic ramifications, not the least of which was Tommen's suicide. What makes the moment unforgettable isn't so much its spectacle, but Cersei's utter emotional detachment. Lena Headey subsequently explained that she acted out Cersei as "calm and at peace," showing how unchecked power had anesthetized her sorrow. To her, the rule meant surviving at any price.
2) How She Played the Faith Militant Like a Game of Thrones
Cersei's move to bring back the Faith Militant seemed righteous at first, but was all power play. She outfitted a religious militia to destroy the Tyrells, most notably Queen Margaery, and it succeeded, temporarily. But this idea came back to haunt her, landing her in prison and giving us the infamous Walk of Atonement. Nevertheless, it indicated her aptitude for manipulating ideologies in influencing political gains. Interestingly, Lena Headey shared in interviews that Cersei’s fall here made her rise more brutal later. It was a reminder that rulers may bend morality for gain but must always control the tools they unleash, or risk destruction by them.
3) Cersei’s Bold Coronation: No Heir, No Husband, No Problem
With her children fled and her foes burning in the ashes of the Sept, Cersei proclaimed herself Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. No inheritance claims by birth or by marriage, only brute force and intimidation. It was a fleeting glimpse in Westeros: a woman taking power unapologetically. The costume design benefited from it, her coronation gown a mock-up of armor, deliberate, as costume designer Michele Clapton explained. Cersei’s rise wasn’t through love or loyalty, but domination. In her rule, symbolism mattered: the absence of Tywin, Robert, and even Tommen reminded everyone that she had outlasted them all, and Westeros now belonged to her.
4) Silencing Margaery: A Dangerous Power Move Gone Wrong
Cersei’s tactical strike against Margaery Tyrell was not only vindictive; it was a scheme. By introducing the Faith Militant to arrest Margaery on charges of perjury and immorality, she aimed to create a rift in any Tyrell control of the court. However, in so doing, she overplayed her hand, miscalculating Margaery’s cleverness and forfeiting herself. Such an error exemplified, ironically, Cersei’s way of ruling: strike first, ask questions later. This was a gamble that came with a few short-term gains but no buyouts for long-term damage. In a recent Game of Thrones behind-the-scenes feature, it was disclosed that Cersei believed chaos was a ladder, a dangerous echo of Littlefinger, who had taught her well.
5) Twisting Euron Greyjoy Into a Pawn of Her Power
Cersei’s alliance with Euron Greyjoy was transactional. She dangled marriage, demanded loyalty, and received the Iron Fleet and a captured Ellaria Sand. Her manipulation of Euron wasn't about romance, it was about optics and arms. What’s often overlooked is how Cersei, even while pregnant, used her body and status as tools in her power arsenal. Showrunners later admitted that Cersei’s pregnancy arc was intentionally ambiguous, reinforcing her deceit. She never trusted Euron, she only employed him until he was no longer useful. It was Machiavellian politics in action: love nobody, dominate everybody, and always carry a dagger in the back.
6) Living the Prophecy and Still Choosing to Rule
The prophecy handed to young Cersei by Maggy the Frog, predicting the death of her children and her own demise, plagued her life. But far from falling victim, she turned it into a weapon. In Season 5, her dark acceptance of fate was a turning point: she would outwit destiny, not yield to it. Interestingly, Cersei imbibes wine even when pretending to be pregnant, a subtle hint at either deceit or contempt for fate. Lena Headey has since revealed that Cersei's personal motto became "If I'm going to die, I'll rule like hell before I do." It wasn't fear that characterized her reign, it was defiance.
7) Betraying the Realm to Protect Her Reign
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While Jon Snow and Daenerys fought the White Walkers together, Cersei made her most ruthless move: lying that she supported them and secretly planning to let both sides weaken each other. Her sending Euron to fetch the Golden Company from Essos was not cowardice; it was calculation. She weighed the survival of the realm against her dominance. A cut Season 8 scene featured Cersei miscarrying, which provided emotional depth to her brutality. She wasn't defending her crown, but the legacy she thought she'd left behind. To her, it wasn't about honor but about being the survivor.
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