Probably the most powerful and feared person in Kings Landing, Cersei Lannister is one of the most hated and most loved characters in the series. Claiming that shed do things for her family you couldnt imagine, Cersei makes her motivations clear from the outset and we all know exactly what lengths shed go to in order to protect her brood, even almost poisoning her own son Tommen at the Battle of Blackwater so he would avoid being slaughtered by the armies outside. She has committed some horrendous acts and associated herself with evil all her life, yet she has become one of the most enduring and sympathetic characters in the series. We love Cersei because shes witty, powerful and fiercely loyal, all characteristics we ourselves desire. Even when shes threatening to have her daughter-in-law strangled in her sleep, her loyalty to her family is clear. Her ruthlessness should be hated by fans of the show but she has some of the best scenes recent television has offered us. Her drunken insults to Sansa in Blackwater and her reaction to her son dying in her arms in The Lion and the Rose show that Lena Headey is an outstanding actress, and whimpering my son as Joffrey takes his last breath can inspire sympathy in the most stone-hearted of viewers.
