Jaime Lannister, played?Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, is the eldest son of Tywin Lannister, the younger twin brother of Cersei Lannister, and the older brother of Tyrion Lannister.

Early Life

Jaime was born and raised at Casterly Rock, the ancestral home of House Lannister. Early in his life he became involved in an incestuous relationship with his twin sister Cersei, one that would continue into his adult years.

In his youth, he was highly regarded as a swordsman, and became the youngest person ever appointed to the Kingsguard at the age of 20. He was appointed to the Kingsguard of King Aerys II Targaryen, better known as the "Mad King." During the sack of King's Landing, the Mad King decided to burn down the entire city and everyone in it using a cache of wildfire. To prevent this from happening, Jaime killed the man he was sword to protect, earning the ignominious nickname of "Kingslayer" that would follow him fort he rest of his life.

In the years that followed, Jaime and Cersei had three children together, despite Cersei's marriage to King Robert Baratheon, and Jaime's vow of celibacy as a member of Robert's Kingsguard. All three children, Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella, were publicly presumed to be Robert's.

The War of the Five Kings

Following the death of the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn, Jaime accompanies King Robert Baratheon north, where Robert plans to name Eddard Stark the new Hand.

At Winterfell, he and Cersei are caught by Bran Stark having sex in one of the castle towers. To prevent the knowledge of their relationship from getting out, Jaime pushes Bran from the tower. Bran survives, but is permanently crippled, and cannot remember what he saw there.

Jaime returns to King's Landing with King Robert, only to learn that his brother Tyrion had been kidnapped by Catelyn Stark, who suspects him in the attempted murder of her son. In retaliation, Jaime confronts Eddard Stark in the streets of King's Landing, nearly killing him.

Jaime then travels north to join his father, Tywin Lannister, in the field, where fighting has broken out between Lannister and Tully forces. Jaime leads 30,000 of his father's men to assault the Riverlands. He wins several skirmishes against the Tully armies, before laying siege to Riverrun itself. Soon after though, Jaime is caught in an ambush led by Robb Stark, and is taken prisoner. Soon after, Robert Baratheon dies, and Eddard is executed on the order of the new king, Joffrey.

Jaime is freed months later by Catelyn Stark, on the promise that he will travel to King's Landing and release Catelyn's two daughters, Sansa and Arya. Brienne of Tarth is sent to escort him to the city.

On the way, the two are captured by men loyal to House Bolton, who have joined the Stark cause, and Jaime's hand is cut off by the sadistic Locke. He is taken to Harrenhal, where Roose Bolton has set up camp, and is later freed and returns to King's Landing with Brienne and a disgraced maester named Qyburn.

Return to King's Landing

On his return, Tywin Lannister presents Jaime with a Valyrian steel sword, crafted from Eddard Stark's melted down sword, Ice. Tywin urges his son to resign from the Kingsguard, so he can act as Lord of Casterly Rock. Jaime refuses though, wishing to remain in King's Landing with Cersei.

At his wedding though, Jaime's son Joffrey is assassinated, and Jaime's brother Tyrion is accused of the murder. To save his brother from being executed for a crime he didn't commit, Jaime frees him and allows him to flee the city. As a result though, Tywin Lannister is killed after a confrontation with Tyrion.

A Mission in Dorne

With one of their children dead, Cersei implores Jaime to go to Dorne to bring back their daughter, Myrcella, who had been betrothed to Trystane Martell. Jaime recruits Ser Bronn of the Blackwater on this mission, deciding to go personally instead of sending an army, in order to avoid open war with Dorne.

Jaime is nevertheless caught and imprisoned though, but is freed by the Dornish ruler Doran Martell, and sent back to King's Landing with Myrcella. As they depart however, Ellaria Sand poisons Myrcella, resulting in her death en route to the city.

War in the Riverlands

With two of their children and their father dead, Cersei refocuses her efforts on seizing control of Westeros. When the newly armed Faith Militant arrest and imprison Maergery Tyrell, as a result of a plot by Cersei, Jaime confronts the leader oft he faith, the High Sparrow. Soon after though, Jaime's son, and the king following Joffrey's death, Tommen Baratheon removes Jaime from the Kingsguard.

Jaime is dispatched to the Riverlands to take Riverun, which had been recently recaptured by Tully forces led by Brynden Tully. Jaime is successful in ending the siege and taking the castle, but on his return to King's Landing, finds that Cersei has orchestrated the deaths of Maergery Tyrell, Mace Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, and the High Sparrow. As a result, Tommen too is dead, having committed suicide after witnessing the destruction.

With no family left in Westeros, Cersei declares herself Queen, beginning a new Lannister dynasty. Horrified, but still loyal to his sister, Jaime leads her forces in against Daenerys Targaryen's alliance, sacking Highgarden and ending the line of House Tyrell.

Shortly after this victory though, the Lannister forces led by Jaime are ambushed by Daenerys's army, led by the Dragon Queen herself atop one of her dragons. Jaime's forces are decimated, and he survives only due to the intervention of Bronn.

Upon his return to King's Landing, Jaime attempts to convince Cersei to find a diplomatic path with Daenerys, having seen what she is capable of. Cersei refuses this, planning on hiring a mercenary army from Essos.

After meeting in secret with his brother Tyrion, who has returned in the service of Daenerys, Jaime convinces Cersei to a temporary armistice with her enemies. Cersei reveals to him that she is pregnant with their fourth child.

The Dragonpit

Jaime joins his sister for a gathering at the Dragonpit in King's Landing. There he witnesses first hand that the army of the dead is real, and urges Cersei to call a temporary truce.

When she agrees to not only a ceasefire, but also to march the forces of House Lannister north to aid in the fighting, Jaime begins the war planning preparations to move the armies he will be commanding.

He is surprised to find out though that this was all a ruse, and Cersei has no intention of fighting against the undead threat. Instead, she has dispatched the Iron Fleet to Essos, in order to ferry back a mercenary army called the Golden Company.

Shocked by her betrayal and unwilling to break his own pledge, Jaime abandons his sister, riding north as the first snows of winter begin to fall.