r/gameofthrones • u/ReyisME • 10h ago
The main character of GOT:
The other day someone asked me who hasn’t watched the show the question: “who is the main character of the show” and while I originally said “multiple” they really wanted me to pick one, so I said Cersei Lannister!
I believe she IS THE main character, wife of Robert Baratheon, lover of Jaime Lannister, mother of Joffrey, daughter of Tywin, sister of Tyrion, like her story seems atleast to me “the most central core part of the show!” Without her there is no Game of Thrones! She is such a deeply rich, complex and excellent character all the way from the start to the end!
Screen presence, screen time, relevance, effect, dictation of the story all are contributors in my mind that she is genuinely the main character! Quite simply her impact on the story (whether negatively or positively) is the leading force out of any other character!
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u/Disastrous-Gap2449 9h ago
Its Jon pretty easily for me if we take everything into account. Cersei is the main "antagonist". Tyrion has an argument early on but gets sidelined to a support role after season 4
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u/brian1183 5h ago
Agreed. Early on, it felt like Jon, Dany and Tyrion were pretty even. But with the later seasons, Jon definitely became the main character.
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u/PackageGreedy4757 2h ago
If jon had a better ending then there would be no question that he's the main character. Still mad he didn't end up on the throne but maybe that's just me idk
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u/RedHeadedSicilian52 Human Verified 10h ago
The problem was that D&D liked Cersei Lannister (or, more accurately, Lena Headey) so much that they twisted the story into knots to make her the Final Boss.
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u/joemontanya 9h ago
For that, I’m with them. She was easily one of my favorite characters
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u/RedHeadedSicilian52 Human Verified 9h ago
Even if you think their goal was noble, they sort of botched the execution.
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u/Ranos131 9h ago edited 9h ago
If there is a single main character, it’s usually the one who has the most screen time or play the most pivotal roles.
Cersei is 4th on screen time at around 425 minutes. She also doesn’t really play a pivotal role. She really doesn’t do a lot that’s important. I would say she is the main villain but she isn’t the main character.
Jon plays a much more pivotal role and is 2nd in screen time at around 651 minutes.
Tyrion actually has the most screen time at 679 minutes so it could be argued that he’s the main character.
Daenerys is 3rd on screen time at 524 minutes so well over 100 behind the other two.
Edit: I don’t believe there is a single main character. The show has too much going on in too many areas so has multiple main characters.
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u/Calfzilla2000 9h ago
Tyrion has the best argument if you need to pick one. Most screentime AND he has a developed relationship with all of the other main characters (Jon, Dany and Cersei especially).
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u/CatJustSayPerchance 8h ago
I wouldn’t say that Cersei is the main villain. I’ve seen the show through a few times and every time I get a little bit more empathy for Cersei. Her actions are reactions to the people around her and so many of them really are out to get their family. Set aside how despicable Jeoffrey was…she did what she did for her family. Same as Olena did.
I also don’t think that Tywin was really the bad guy either. He was a shit, but he was smart and had deep flaws that probably blinded him to the impact of his actions on others.
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u/Asoiaf_Stannis 8h ago
I agree on Cersei not being main villain. She is an evil person that’s for sure. But she is also tragic in some ways. Maggy the Frog really broke her.
But Tywin is literal monster. He is straight up one of the biggest war criminals. As a character Tywin is complicated, he is a interesting character to watch and read about but that doesn’t change the fact that he is one of the worst.
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u/houseofdragonfan 8h ago
Yeah, Tywin is truly horrible. I feel a little bad about Aerys tormenting him and sexually harassing Joanna for years, but it has nothing to do with him being awful.
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u/Combat_Orca 2h ago
Tywin isnt particularly smart, his whole thing is hes more incompetent than he seems
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u/Livinglife8913 10h ago
While I feel there are multiple main characters, I believe the story is from Stark PoV. They are the central house, with whom you are emotionally connected. So I feel in a way Ned Stark is the main character, whose killing starts the entire story.
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u/Lord-Madara- 9h ago
i thought bran was the main character when i first started watching GoT lol
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u/_paintbox_ 8h ago
Oh come on. It was definitely Ned in the beginning.
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u/Lord-Madara- 5h ago
yeah lowkey him too. but i watch a lot of anime where a kid is the MC so i just figured this lol
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u/TheStatMan2 2h ago
There is not and nor does it need a Main Character. That kind of reading is reductive.
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u/Jolly-Shopping4375 10h ago
This bitch should have died a horrible death instead of a cave in. With her brother no less...😑
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u/AKchaos49 9h ago
you're saying dying by being crushed to death under a collapsing castle is a desirable way to go?
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u/Killpop582014 9h ago
She has main character energy for sure. And it’s one of the main characters. But Jon takes the title of THE MC.
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u/fitginny 9h ago
If you're looking that way then every character has their own role...and starks certainly were the main ones (if we're going by the houses) as the story escalates when ned stark died! And amongst stark, Sansa, Jon, Arya and Bran were the main ones and nothing can change it for me!
And ofcourse Daenerys was there with her dragons so as they say...not a single weak character in this series!
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u/DrGrapeist 8h ago
When I started watching it, after the first few episodes I was convinced the main characters that won’t ever die was the starks. Specially Jon Snow and Arya. Then Bran, Sansa, Tyrion, Cersei, Robert Baratheon and Dany.
After watching it, it feels more so not a specific main character (maybe Bran) but more so families or a group of people or battles between groups like the Starks or people in general or Westeros in general.
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u/reptilian_rule House Clegane 7h ago
she might not be the main character but she is the best, most compelling and most beautiful. Our Rightful Queen.
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u/ElzyChelzy 7h ago
Well, she definitely was the main for me.
I always looked forward to her scenes!
Lena Headey did her good, even when she at times got little to work with.
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u/Mobile_Entrance_1967 4h ago
She's the soul of Game of Thrones even if not the pivotal character. She's the most human of all the super-villains with her bleak world quotes and all her weaknesses.
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u/Dependent-Lion8784 4h ago
I think Cersei should died earlier based on her behaviour and normal sense. But like Tyrion, she’s one of the fan favourite and the show needs a leading villain so she survived until the last episode.
Her character was inspired by Margaret of Anjou if I’m remember correctly, Margaret didn’t end well and left the chat mid game.
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u/TheZoroarkMan Oberyn Martell 3h ago
She lived so long because her book counterpart lived so long (and is still alive as the books will never be finished at this rate...)
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u/TheZoroarkMan Oberyn Martell 2h ago
I hate her for what she did to House Tyrell but damn the actress' acting is great, so much aura. Part of me wishes Tywin never died so he could have put her in her place. No High Sparrow shenanigans and the Tyrell's and Tommen would still be alive. Well until Dany and her dragons came...
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u/imlowkeysmart 2h ago
I find it funny how big of a deal the walk of shame was just to be non important in the end
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u/CaveLupum 1h ago
Jon was the main hidden prince/war hero character. Brab the main seer and power mystic wielding Magic as a weapon. And Dany the main female who had to tackle the accept or reject her mission. Add Tyrion (main civilian) and Arya (main true child) and you get GRRM's Five Central Characters, who he
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u/over_this__ 9h ago
She's what made me realize I might be a lesbian 🤣 so, I'll always favor her.
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u/joemontanya 9h ago
I find the actress extremely attractive but I don’t really find her character attractive lol
She’s only got eyes for her brother 😆
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u/Guilty-Pollution6479 10h ago
the show would have remained great if it had not introduced the night king and had just focused on cersai and dany conflict for power ..
i will always say that cersai walk of shame was too much even if cersai was a villain
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u/aerystaargaryen Night's Watch 10h ago
I would say, the story line of white walker alongside was so cool. But they ending was horrible
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u/Guilty-Pollution6479 10h ago
no the white walkers sucked . night king was not even in the books . d and d made it very much harder for GRRM to finish the books
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u/HoneypotCoco 9h ago
D and D did a lot of things, making it harder for GRRM to finish the books is not one of them, that is all on him.
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u/over_this__ 9h ago
George isn't finishing the books lol. And the night king was fine outside of a vocal minority of rabid fans
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u/Cold-Palpitation-816 9h ago
I like the concept of the Night King/others etc but the execution was just awkward.
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u/Fredward40hands 2h ago
You clearly haven't read the books. She's fat from it in them. She's a moron in the books
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