Game Of Thrones: 10 Greatest Fears Of Every Person In House Lannister

In both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, there are few great houses of Westeros prouder than House Lannister. Often more arrogant than even the Targaryens, the Lannisters, who had once been the undisputed rulers of the Westerlands, are often unwilling to allow any bannermen to step out of line.

Despite the formidable strength of the lions of Casterly Rock, few would claim that House Lannister is without its weaknesses. Though they may be unwilling to admit it, the Lannisters aren’t infallible. There are some things of which every member of House Lannister is rightfully afraid.

House Lannister’s Bannermen

Every lord in Game of Thrones suffers occasional problems from their bannermen. House Stark struggled to cope with the flaying Boltons; House Tyrell reckoned with the power-hungry Florents; and Stannis Baratheon was forced to watch all of his men flocking to Renly’s side. Yet House Lannister takes it a step further.

Though the Lannisters are one of the most important houses in Westeros, their bannermen at times disagree. Relations with their bannermen grew so poor that Tywin eventually resorted to completely extinguishing his own men, the Reynes and Tarbecks. Even in the aftermath of that brutal assault, Tyrion struggled to actually gain the respect of Lannister men.

Being Laughed At

A major aspect of Tywin’s brutal nature and his hatred for Tyrion is that the Lannisters fear laughter. Many members of the family take themselves far too seriously to allow themselves to be turned into jokes. It’s part of why they respond so violently to any threat.

It’s also a major reason why Tyrion murders Shae. After she reveale that she called him “my giant of Lannister,” the hall devolved into laughter, and Tyrion despised it. It’s the same reason that Cersei despised the Tyrells, who often viewed her as a joke. When Lannisters are laughed at, they tend to lash out.

Losing Power

Given that the Lannisters are introduced in Game of Thrones at the height of their power, they typically fear even the hint of losing influence in the Seven Kingdoms. It can be easy to sum up House Lannister as power-hungry lions, but when they have power, they are loath to lose it.

Cersei destroys the Sept of Baelor, Tyrion defects to the Targaryens, Tywin causes the Red Wedding, and Jaime pushes a little boy out of a window, all in a vain attempt to avoid a Lannister decline. Of course, their fear eventually causes exactly what they worried about, and the family ended Game of Thrones nearly extinguished.

House Stark

The direwolf isn’t exactly a natural enemy of the lion, but the Starks and Lannisters for the most part spend Game of Thrones at each other’s throats. Since Tywin sacked King’s Landing during Robert’s Rebellions, tensions between the family were rising. By the time it exploded during the show’s first season, Ned Stark was dead, Bran Stark had been pushed out of a window, and Tyrion had been Catelyn’s captive.

The Starks are no different than the Lannisters in that they can also respond brutally to insults, and with Ned dead, they would stop at nothing to get their vengeance and the Lannisters feared the forces of the North. It’s a major reason that they married Tyrion to Sansa and instructed Lord Frey to orchestrate the Red Wedding.

The Discovery Of Joffrey Baratheon’s Parentage

During the days of King Robert’s reign, there was no one more dangerous than Prince Joffrey. Though the boy had little to no actual power before sitting the Iron Throne himself, the fact that he was actually the bastard son of Jaime and Cersei Lannister would have been more than enough to bring Robert’s wrath down on them.

While King Robert Baratheon was a good character in Game of Thrones, he wasn’t a good man. Having been willing to kill Daenerys Targaryen simply because she existed, it was almost certain that he would have had heads on spikes if he realized the truth. There’s a reason Cersei feared the realization, and it’s why she rushed the assassination.

Stannis Baratheon

One of the biggest threats to Joffrey’s reign was the true heir to Robert: Stannis Baratheon. With the force of the Stormlands behind him, he could have easily sacked King’s Landing if not for the intervention of the Tyrells and Tyrion’s brilliant tactical plays.

The situation was so dire that Jaime feared for Cersei’s life. Meanwhile, Cersei was sat beside little Tommen with a bottle of poison for them both. It was clear that the Lannisters were genuinely terrified of what Stannis would do to them, especially with Joffrey’s parentage revealed.

The White Walkers

Few things in Game of Thrones were as horrible as the Night King and his white walkers. They were so terrifying to the Lannisters that Jaime finally left Cersei’s side to go to Winterfell and risk his life in the fight against the undead. Even Tyrion was terrified of them, as he was trapped in the crypts with them.

Only Cersei seemed to be able to stand the concept of them, but she was still certainly afraid when a captive wight snapped at her face. Though the Battle of Winterfell was ultimately disappointing to Game of Thrones viewers, it’s undeniable that the white walkers were a legitimate threat to Lannister rule — and the realm itself.

Losing Wealth

The Lannisters are their wealth. Their identity is defined by the gold mines in Casterly Rock, and their bread and butter is handing out gold on a whim. It’s no wonder why there’s a fairly common misconception in the Seven Kingdoms that the Lannister words are, “A Lannister always pays his debts.”

Yet with the gold mines drying up, Casterly Rock is no longer the force that it once was. Even before Daenerys’ return, House Lanniseter could no longer lavishly spend money on any minor convenience. It was terrifying to them, especially since it meant that the source of their power was diminished. It’s partly why Cersei was forced to negotiate with the Iron Bank. She had no other choice.

Losing Family

As much as the Lannisters craved power, the most terrifying concept to them was the thought of losing their family. With each of them having idolized their father, even Tyrion was terrified and beside himself when he killed Tywin. With so many sad deaths in Game of Thrones, the Lannisters feared losing their own family along the way.

Their fears came true. Cersei was always terrified that her children would die before her, and they did. Tyrion feared being alone, and he was. Tywin feared leaving behind no legacy, and House Lannister died not long after him. Even Jaime feared losing Cersei, and he eventually died with her in his arms. It’s incredibly tragic, but very fitting for a family who killed everyone around them.

Each Other

Yet, while the Lannisters feared losing each other, they also feared the other members of their family. Often terrified of Tywin, the younger Lannisters were rarely willing to stand up to him. Yet, even outside of their terror in the face of their father, they also warred among themselves.

Tyrion and Jaime feared what Cersei was capable of, Jaime feared what Cersei could do for power, and Tyrion feared how Cersei and Jaime would react to him in the wake of their father’s murder. They always worried that the other Lannisters would lash out against them in their own individual quests for powers. In the end, they were right to worry.

Next: 10 Game Of Thrones Characters Who Contributed The Most To Cersei Lannister’s Downfall

Originally published at https://screenrant.com on October 14, 2022.