Cersei looms large over Game of Thrones. She’s the ultimate villain and the character with the most texture. And she gets all the best lines. It doesn’t hurt having someone as talented as Lena Headey making every barb, insult, drag, or bon mot into 24-karat gold. But what makes Cersei such a great villain and a factory for memorable lines is that no matter how terrible she is, we understand her. She suffered in an abusive marriage, with no autonomy or agency. And she’s lost all her children and everyone she loved. Of course she’s going to murder enemies, blow up septs, and have children thrown out of windows. So here are Cersei Lannister’s best quotes from Game of Thrones.
Cersei on Running
“He’s right to be afraid and a coward to run.”
Cersei is Westeros’ commander-in-chief of bitchy turns of phrase, and there is very little as satisfying as when you think she’s showing empathy but actually is just being Queen Shade. All the better when she does it while Euron Greyjoy is still basically in earshot.