Game of Thrones was a popular HBO series based on a series of novels called A Song of Fire and Ice written by George R. R. Martin. The series follows two families as they struggle for power over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and to sit on the Iron Throne. From kings and queens to dragons and direwolves, Game of Thrones is jam-packed with fantastical and medieval lore. During its initial run, the series earned a plethora of accolades, including a whopping total of 59 Primetime Emmy Awards. The series has been most praised for its character development, especially that of the villains.
Cersei Lannister, played by multi-Emmy-nominee Lena Headey, is one of the main antagonists of the series. Mother of Joffrey and sister of Tyrion, Cersei’s selfish ways lead to a variety of heinous acts that are committed under her orders. Known for her cruelty, Cersei is a true force to be reckoned with. While there are some moments that make her human, those are quickly extinguished by every evil act she commits. These are Cersei Lannister’s most evil moments in Game of Thrones.
7 Responsible for the Death of Sansa’s Direwolf
Animals are some of the most innocent creatures within the Game of Thrones universe, including direwolves. After Arya’s direwolf bites Joffrey for taunting the wolf, the wolf runs before it can be killed for its wrong-doing in mistreating the eldest son of the King. With no direwolf to punish, Cersei orders the next best thing: for Sansa’s direwolf Lady to be slain despite Lady being innocent. The action was carried out by Eddard Stark who insisted that Lady have a quick death, so he should be the one to do it. Cersei’s horrible action here establishes her lack of compassion for both humans and animals alike, feeling no remorse or regret for anything she’s done. As this happens quite early in the series, this is our first glance into Cersei’s cruelty.
6 She Targeted Tyrion’s Supposed Lover
Cersei’s tyranny knows no bounds, even targeting her blood-relatives like her younger brother Tyrion. When Tyrion sends Cersei’s daughter Myrcella to Dorne without gaining Cersei’s blessing first, Cersei swears to get revenge on her brother by hurting someone he loves. After seeing Ros wearing a pendant given to her by Tyrion in Winterfell, Cersei assumed them to be having an affair and had Ros captured and thrashed. Little did Cersei know, Ros was not the woman in question. This heartless action displays Cersei’s selfish need for revenge overpowers any sense of morality she may have, gaining satisfaction from the suffering of others.
5 Forcing Ellaria to Witness the Death of Her Daughter
Cersei has managed to unlock the secret to the deepest form of suffering, and that is watching someone you love be hurt. As Cersei administers the same poison that killed her own daughter, Myrcella, to Ellaria’s daughter Tyene, she then forces Ellaria to watch as the poison drains the life from her daughter's body. What's more, Ellaria is incapable of doing anything to stop the process. As much as Cersei is getting revenge for the death of her own daughter, she didn’t have to watch her daughter die a slow and painful death. Forcing Ellaria to watch makes the act one of the most horrific things Cersei has ever done.
4 Had a Girl Severely Beaten During Her Childhood
While some make the argument that no one is born evil, that argument could not be made for Cersei. While this is a moment that takes place before the time of the series, we still find out about the occasion when Cersei was only 9 years old and ordered a servant girl to be beaten. The beating was so severe that the girl even lost her eye. While this helps us understand more about her character, this somehow makes her even eviler as the audience is shown that there is little to no love in her heart, and there never has been. She was not hardened by trauma or loss, but was born to be the cruel woman she is today.
3 Having Robert’s Illegitimate Children Killed
While this is something that happens off-screen, it doesn’t make the act of killing babies any less gruesome. According to Petyr Baelish AKA Littlefinger, a maid at Cersei’s home gave birth to illegitimate twins, fathered by her husband (and King) Robert Baratheon. When Cersei discovered this, she sold the mother to a slaver and had the infants slain. While there is no concrete evidence to support this happening, Littlefinger tends to know more than the average person. Also, with Cersei’s long history of having people she doesn’t like murdered, this came as no surprise to the audience.
2 She Blew Up The Great Sept of Baelor
When Cersei is taken and held captive by the High Sparrow, she suffers a great deal of maltreatment and embarrassment. She managed to free herself by confessing to sleeping with her cousin, leading to her walk of shame in which rotten fruit, dirt, and feces were thrown at her. Typical Cersei vows revenge after all of this and boy does she get it. After everyone who has wronged her enters the Sept upon discovering that Tommen is engaged to Margaret Tyrell, Cersei orders Qyburn to ignite barrels of wildfire beneath the Sept. As a result, the building explodes, killing everyone inside. When Tommen sees the destruction, he takes his own life. The massacre destroyed a holy site in the capital of Westeros and led to Cersei slaying the leaders of the Faith of Seven, Tommen's fiancée, and countless others.
1 Beheading Missandei
Missandei was Daenerys’ best friend and most loyal confidante, the woman who helped her with everything. Cersei blindly choosing to have her beheaded after doing nothing wrong is a truly heinous crime with no purpose apart from angering Daenerys. The beheading of Missandei is part of what led Daenerys to become The Mad Queen who burns King’s Landing to the ground (which didn’t turn out well for anyone, including Cersei). Not only is this one of Cersei’s most evil moments, but it is part of what ruined the hopeful future of the Kingdom.