Cersei Lannister was the longest reigning queen in Game of Thrones, but was she worthy of the Iron Throne and the title of queen of Westeros?

Few people predicted Cersei's rise to power in Game Of Thrones, but in season 6 the Lannister queen shocks the world by destroying the Great Sept of Baelor and seizing the Iron Throne. The odds seem stacked against her when the High Sparrow convinces King Tommen to outlaw trial by combat. Cersei's doom appears imminent, but the fierce schemer outsmarts her enemies and ascends the throne as Queen of Westeros.

Cersei was despicable but determined. Like her father Tywin, the Lannister lady was ruthless and ambitious, coveting power from the beginning of the series. Queen Cersei was willing to do whatever necessary to secure her crown, but does this make her worthy of the Iron Throne?

10 Worthy: She Outsmarted Other Political Figures To Get What She Wanted

Cersei schemed against some of the best in Game Of Thrones. The Starks, the Martells, and the Tyrells all came up short when dealing with the cunning queen. Many obstacles stood in her way, but ultimately, Cersei outsmarted her rival claimants to become Queen of Westeros.

Cersei's schemes keep her illegitimate children safe (for a period) and guarantee them crowns as they masquerade as Robert's heirs. After their deaths, Cersei takes the throne for herself, finally achieving her ambitions.

9 Unworthy: She Seized The Throne For Herself When Tommen Died

Season 6's "The Winds of Winter" features the death of one monarch and the subsequent crowning of the next. In the wake of the Sept of Baelor's destruction, Cersei's actions prompt Tommen to commit suicide by plummeting from the Red Keep.

Cersei is visibly less shaken by Tommen's death than she is by Joffrey and Myrcella's. The queen calmly observes her son's body before immediately moving to seize the throne.

8 Worthy: Became Queen Through Conquest

She didn't fight for it physically, but Cersei still won the Iron Throne through conquest. The deaths of Tommen, Margaery, and the rest of the people inside the Sept leave nobody left to stand in Cersei's way when she seizes the throne for herself.

Her husband, Robert Baratheon, also won the throne by conquest when he toppled the Targaryen dynasty. Cersei learns from his example and replaces the faux Baratheon rule with the reign of House Lannister.

7 Unworthy: Didn't Care About Her People

The Lannister queen makes it clear that she cares little for her subjects throughout the series. From season 1, Cersei shows nothing but disdain for the commoners. Her children are all that matters; everybody else is an enemy.

A worthy queen would have done right by her people instead of herself. Cersei covets the crown for personal power rather than the liberation and well-being of the country's inhabitants.

6 Worthy: She Had Been Queen For Over Seventeen Years

Cersei bears a crown throughout the entirety of Game Of Thrones. Initially, she is the Queen Consort of King Robert Baratheon. After Robert's death, she becomes Queen Regent and Queen Dowager, before assuming sovereignty and installing herself on the Iron Throne in season 6.

The Lannister lady bore a queenly title for over 17 years in the HBO series. She had experience with the ruling of kingdoms, as well as a deepened knowledge of Westeros' political landscape.

5 Unworthy: She Had No Claim To The Throne

Many lords and ladies in the Seven Kingdoms reject Cersei's reign in the later seasons. Despite being the mother of kings, the Lannister monarch has no blood claim to the throne, leading many to view her as illegitimate.

If another contender had survived the wildfire explosion then Cersei's claim could have been challenged before Daenerys' arrival. Cersei was fierce, but apart from Qyburn and Gregor Clegane, she had little support in the city.

4 Worthy: Outsmarted Daenerys And Tyrion

Cersei faces her biggest threat early into her reign. As she is crowned queen, Daenerys finally sets sail from Meereen with her dragons and armies. With Tyrion Lannister at her side, the Targaryen claimant wastes little time declaring war on Cersei for the Iron Throne.

Daenerys has a bigger army, allies, and dragons, but Cersei doesn't go down without a fight. The Lannister queen outsmarts Dany and Tyrion in season 7, dealing the Dragon Queen multiple crushing defeats.

3 Unworthy: She Killed King Robert And Queen Margaery

Cersei is no novice when it comes to regicide. In season 1, the scheming queen orchestrates the death of her husband, King Robert. Season 6 sees her claim the life of another monarch when Queen Margaery Tyrell perishes in the fiery Sept explosion.

The conniving Lannister had to take out other, more worthy contenders for the throne to secure her rule. Like other violent monarchs like Aerys and Joffrey, Cersei's murderous tendencies made her unworthy of her crown.

2 Worthy: She Survived Until The End Of The Series

Throughout Game Of Thrones, Cersei outsmarts and outlives many characters who vied for her position. The Lannister queen survives until the very end of the series, meeting her end during "The Bells" when Daenerys attacks the city with her dragon.

Cersei knew that, when it came to the game of thrones, she could either win or die. Against the odds, she manages to win until finally perishing during the Dragon Queen's fiery attack.

1 Unworthy: Hid From Daenerys Behind A Shield Of Civilians

Even in her final days, Cersei clung onto power and refused to surrender to Daenerys. With the Targaryen queen's attack on King's Landing looming, Cersei invites the common people into the Red Keep as a human shield against Dragonfire.

Cersei's disregard for human life was one of the many traits that made her ill-suited to wear the crown. She fought harder than most others for the Iron Throne, but in the end, Cersei was too selfish and cruel to ever be a worthy queen.

NEXT: Game Of Thrones: 5 Ways Daenerys Was A Worthy Queen (& 5 Ways She Wasn't)

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