If ever there was a character who so clearly illustrated the concept of shades of gray morality, Jaime is he. The legendary swordsman kicked off the series with the despicable act of smugly pushing a child out of a tower, just to hide the (not so) secret that he was copulating with his twin sister. Right away, we as viewers knew we hated this guy. When he was captured at the hands of Robb Starks army, he murdered his own family as a distraction in a desperate attempt to escape. It wasnt until he began bonding with Brienne that the audience began to see a different side of Jaime. He risked his own life to protect her from a bear, and several times committed selfless acts that were out of character for the man we had grown to despise. The story where he recounts killing the mad king and earning the title of Kingslayer was particularly moving. To use wrestling terminology, he was undergoing a face turn, becoming one of the good guys. And then he raped his sister next to his son/nephews corpse, and all bets were off. Now theres much debate over the intent of the scene and if the sexual act was consensual, but even if it was, its still a pretty disgusting thing to do. But then he reminds us why he was winning us over when his love for his brother drove him to make an agreement with Twyin that would spare Tyrions life an agreement later nullified due to the trial by combat. Jaime is a man with many layers, and his charm and compassion for those he cares about weigh in heavy contrast with the heinous acts hes committed. Hes an integral ingredient in the captivating formula that is Game of Thrones, and we need him to stick around for a while.
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
