2. Jaime's Road To Redemption
Early in season 1, Jaime Lannister immediately establishes himself as a figure of hate when he pushes the innocent child Bran Stark from a window for witnessing his incestuous relationship with his sister, Cersei, crippling the boy for life. Captured by the Starks at the end of the season and held captive for much of the second, in which he remorselessly kills his own cousin in an escape attempt, he has found himself released by Catelyn Stark, who desires to exchange his freedom for the promise that he will not raise arms against them again, as well as the safe return of her two daughters, Sansa and Arya, who she believes to be held captive by Jaime's family in the capital. Accompanying him to ensure that he keeps his end of the deal is Brienne of Tarth, a hideous female warrior who Jaime initially mocks, but after losing his sword hand and sinking into a depression, he opens up to the woman, confessing to her that his most infamous act, killing the realm's previous king, was done to save the lives of thousands, a fact unknown to the masses who mockingly refer to him of the Kingslayer. He follows this by risking his own life to save hers after initially abandoning her to a barbaric mercenary, before saving the life of his falsely condemned brother Tyrion and becoming disillusioned with Cersei and the rest of his family, much more concerned with rebuilding his honour and staying true to his promise to Catelyn than their assorted whims and ambitions.