Game of Thrones Predictions V: The Mad Queen
In the lead up to the premiere of Season 7 of Thrones, I will be writing about 7 predictions for the upcoming season. We’re looking deep here and reflecting on past seasons to refresh. And remember, Winter is Coming.
We’ve talked about Cersei. We’ve talked about Daenerys. Now, let’s talk about them both. Who is more likely to go mad and resemble Mad King Aerys Targaryen II? There are theories that support one or the other, but of course, neither could also go as madly insane as the Mad King. Cersei Lannister, who has now positioned herself atop the Iron Throne, is a likely candidate because she doesn’t have anything to lose. However, as we’ve seen over the course of the series and her genetic predisposition, Daenerys has a strong chance as well.
For this installment, we’ll assign percentages for the likelihood that either one will become a Mad Queen, but we’ll focus mostly on who’s the winner (or loser, rather) of the Mad Queen crown. We’ll dive into a little backstory for the Targaryen lineage and briefly discuss how much further Cersei could go with her vengeance.
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
So in honor of the Seven Kingdoms, the Faith of the Seven and Seven episodes of Season Seven; here are 7 predictions for the upcoming season of the critically acclaimed drama. Let’s look at the fifth prediction:
Who will descend into madness?
History time!
The Targaryen family is an ancient Valyrian family of conquerors from the land of Essos across the narrow sea.
They’re family sigil is a dragon because they were famous for using dragons to conquer lands and build connections with the large beasts. It is said that they were able to continually forge these bonds with the dragons because they kept their bloodline pure with Targaryen blood through years and years of inbreeding. This act of keeping the bloodline pure didn’t result in what you might think of from horror movies and inbred cannibals, but it did seem to trigger insanity amongst some of the Targaryens. Most notably: the Mad King. As Queen Cersei (our other Mad Queen candidate) noted:
“Half the Targaryens went mad, didn’t they?… What’s the saying? ‘Every time a Targaryen is born the gods flip a coin.’”
Rhaegar Targaryen, by Ser Barristan Selmy’s accounts, was a kind Prince who enjoyed singing and the harp. While Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen was convinced that if he drank wildfire, it would turn him into a dragon. I know this is a world of people controlling animals and cold, dead bodies being reanimated, but the idea of drinking an explosively flammable substance is batshit.
So if it appears that any two Targaryens can be two different sides on the same coin, which side did Daenerys fall on? By viewing the show, one might argue that Viserys, Dany’s brother, was the looney tunes half of the sibling pair. He lashed out irrationally, sold his sister off for an army, and boasted loudly that he it was his birthright to rule the Seven Kingdoms. However, there are instances where the similarities between Daenerys and her Mad King father come into play. She has an affinity for fire and has actually burnt alive several of her enemies without flinching. Like it or not, she’s an arrogant conqueror who fully believes that the Seven Kingdoms are hers. A trait that Viserys first displayed as stated before.
To be fair, Dany has also displayed some more passionate traits. Slavery is an atrocity to her and she seeks to liberate all those enslaved. She loved Khal Drogo and her unborn son more than any and she cares a great deal about those closest to her.
There’s a Game of Thrones theme to watch closely, however. Those that believe they are entitled to power and actively seek it often die, lose their humanity, or both. Robb Stark sought to be self-governing, and was killed. Renly Baratheon thought he deserved to be king because people liked him more than Stannis, and was killed. Joffrey, Stannis, Viserys, and Ramsey all thought they were meant to be rulers. They all lost their humanity (if they had any to begin with) and then they were killed. This precedent does not bode well for Dany and this emphasizes my next point.
If the Targaryens all have a 50/50 chance to go mad and Rhaegar (Dany’s oldest brother) didn’t appear to be mad and Viserys did; then shouldn’t that put Dany in the clear?
Not necessarily.
If we continue down the Targaryen line just one more position, we find our favorite former bastard: Jon Snow/Targaryen. Jon is a bit of a brooding fellow, but in no way is he mad nor does he think he has the right to rule. So with Jon in the fold, it very well could go: Rhaegar (not mad), Viserys (mad), Daenerys (mad) and Jon (not mad). As Cersei stated, the Gods flip a coin and chance could have landed two mad children in a row.
Queen Cersei, as we discussed here, has plenty of reason to go mad. The biggest question will be if she has the opportunity to fully fall into that darkness. She does have an anchor left in Jaime, but it’s up to him if he’s evolved enough as a character to show her the compassion to pull her back towards the light. Didn’t think we’d be here in the first season when Jaime pushed a child out of a window, right?
Cersei could also be full of regret! Look at all of her actions so far during this series. Season 7 could finally be the season in which she realizes that it is her own actions that are propelling her to complete Maggy the Frog’s prophecy for her.
But I doubt it.
The strongest possibility for Cersei is that she continues to get in her own way causing her reactions to become more and more desperate. By resisting her destiny so much, she is working against herself and throughout the entire series we’ve only seen her work one step ahead. Cersei isn’t the type to be playing 3-dimensional chess and thinking 4, 5, or 6 moves ahead.
So maybe it’s not a matter of her personality showing insanity, but rather her actions being insane as she tries to survive and hold onto what she has left.
As I stated before, neither could go full Mad Queen, but there’s also a chance that they both do. Westeros has plenty of room for crazy as we have seen thus far. So how likely are each to go mad?
Prediction: Cersei- 75%, Daenerys- 40%
Reasoning: Remember, this prediction is more about who is going to take the Mad Queen crown. Even if both go off their rocker, there can only be one true Mad Queen in this article. The biggest difference comes with the supporting cast. In prior prediction pieces, we talked about Cersei having nothing to lose whereas Daenerys has everything to lose. If Dany goes mad, she risks losing all that she built over the years and those that she holds dear. Cersei has Jaime and that’s roughly it. Tough to know how much compassion she might have for Franken-Mountain.
Despite, Dany having the genetic predisposition to insanity, she has a strong and influential supporting cast. And she’s smart enough to realize this. Her and Viserys were all each other had growing up and now she sees that she has loyal companions that will sacrifice anything for her. She has her closest confidant: Missandei. She willingly sought out the council of Ser Barriston, Jorah Mormont and Daario Naharis. Sure, she’ll enjoy barbecuing a slave owner every now and then, but she executes these as calculated plans. Daenerys is driven by her family name and desire to rule.
Cersei is driven by fear.
If there is a Mad Queen, just remember that they’re not the final boss.
Winter is coming.
Thanks for checking out Parts I-V of the Predictions Series check out the previous predictions below and more!
