In a political fantasy series like Game of Thrones, there are bound to be some tense relationships, but none is quite as fraught as the one between Cersei and Tyrion Lannister. Even though the two are siblings, their dislike for one another is apparent from their very first interaction. And although things between the two of them become more complicated as the series progresses, it's hard to get past all the times they've betrayed one another.
Given how often Cersei has gone out of her way to thwart her younger brother -- even to the point of trying to have him executed -- and given how little credit Tyrion has ever given Cersei, it's perhaps understandable that they're so terrible to one another. Still, it's hard to deny that their fights go well beyond petty squabbles between siblings.
Here are the 5 worst things Cersei ever did to Tyrion (& the 5 worst things he did to her).
Cersei: Refused To Acknowledge Him As Hand Of The King
When Tywin Lannister sends his youngest son to King's Landing to serve as Hand of the King in his stead, Cersei is not pleased -- and she makes no effort to mask that. As soon as Tyrion arrives at his first Small Council meeting, she storms out. It's clear she refuses to take him seriously, even if she's forced to comply with Tywin's command to make Tyrion the new Hand.
And Cersei does whatever she can to thwart Tyrion's every move while he's acting as Hand -- even if she's rarely ever successful. She's blinded by hatred, as Tyrion is actually quite a good strategist. And her blatant refusal to acknowledge his talents only serves to push her out of the picture more.
Tyrion: Took Her Out Of The Decision-Making
During his tenure as Joffrey's Hand of the King, Tyrion doesn't exactly go out of his way to include Cersei in decision-making, despite her role as Queen Regent. While this could easily be attributed to her outward dislike of her younger brother, it doesn't help the situation in the capitol. We all know how much Cersei wants to be steering the ship, and Tyrion takes matters into his own hands, something his sister can't sit by and accept.
Had Cersei given Tyrion more credit, and had Tyrion actually given Cersei some responsibility, it's possible the two would have found a way to maintain the Lannister's hold on the throne. Unfortunately, that's not how things unfold.
Cersei: Used His Relationship Against Him
When Tywin sends Tyrion to King's Landing, he has one rule: Don't bring any whores with him. Of course, that's the first rule Tyrion breaks, unable to let go of his blossoming relationship with Shae.
Cersei immediately picks up on the fact that Tyrion has a romantic relationship with someone in the palace, and she spends much of her time attempting to figure out who that person is. She uses Tyrion's love life as blackmail, hoping to control him through threats to his lover. It's terrible, not just because it's a cruel thing to do to her brother, but also because she's threatening someone who has nothing to do with the feud between them.
Tyrion: Sent Myrcella To Dorne
During the second season of Game of Thrones, Tyrion makes the decision to form a political alliance with Dorne using Myrcella. He doesn't consult Cersei before engaging her only daughter to a Dornish prince, nor does he give her much time to cope with the fact that her daughter is being shipped off to another part of Westeros.
It's a harsh decision to make without any input from Cersei, and it's one that's made worse by the eventual result. Later in the series, Myrcella is poisoned by the Dornish as an act of revenge -- and even if Tyrion couldn't have anticipated this, it's something that wouldn't have happened had he listened to Cersei.
Cersei: Accused Him Of Murdering Joffrey
When Joffrey is poisoned at his own wedding, Cersei's immediate reaction is to have Tyrion arrested. To be fair, the situation doesn't look good for Tyrion -- he is the cup-bearer when it happens, and that's after being butt of Joffrey's jokes throughout the evening.
Still, Cersei never hears Tyrion out or gives him a fair trial, despite the fact that there's no concrete evidence against him. One has to wonder whether or not she truly believes her brother murdered her eldest son -- or if it's merely a convenient way to get a hated family member out of the picture.
Tyrion: Killed Tywin And Left Her To The Wolves
Tyrion alters the political landscape of Westeros -- and especially King's Landing -- when he murders his father at the end of season 4. The Lannisters remained a respected and feared family because of Tywin's influence, and once that influence disappears, other powers in Westeros become bolder.
Ill equipped to handle the Tyrells or the High Sparrow, Cersei is forced to resort to extreme measures to regain power in King's Landing -- and that's after she's put through terrible things at the hands of her enemies. If Tyrion hadn't killed Tywin and left, Cersei wouldn't have had to clean up such a mess, and she says as much the next time they see one another.
Cersei: Went Back On Her Promise To Help Fight The Night King
Tyrion and Cersei have a private discussion when Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen bring a wight to King's Landing, hoping to convince Cersei and her armies to fight the Night King with them. And although Tyrion convinces Cersei to accept a truce and offer aid, she immediately goes back on her word.
Given their terse relationship, it must have taken a lot for Tyrion to extend such trust to Cersei. He seems genuinely disappointed when she doesn't do what she promised, and it marks a true end to their relationship with one another.
Tyrion: Backed Daenerys' Claim To The Throne
Knowing how much his sister wants the throne, backing Daenerys' claim to the Seven Kingdoms is probably the worst thing Tyrion could do to Cersei. It's hard to blame him after the events of the fourth season, but his helping Daenerys certainly put his sister in a predicament.
Given Daenerys' way of doing things, agreeing to help her take back her throne is also paramount to Tyrion sentencing his siblings to death. Although he tries getting them to surrender the throne to his new queen, he likely knows things will end in tragedy when he bends the knee to Dany. Still, he does it anyway.
Cersei: Killed Missandei Despite Tyrion's Pleas
During the final season of Game of Thrones, Cersei kidnaps Daenerys' advisor and closest friend and threatens to take her life if the Dragon Queen doesn't surrender. Tyrion begs Cersei not to stoop to this level, afraid of what Daenerys will unleash on the city if his sister actually goes through with killing Missandei.
Despite Tyrion's warnings and pleas, Cersei still executes Missandei. Not only does it bring about the damage Tyrion feared, but it essentially secures Cersei's fate. There's no way Daenerys was letting her live after that.
Tyrion: Setting Daenerys Loose On King's Landing
While Tyrion himself isn't responsible for Dany's assault on King's Landing, he might have prevented it had he listened to Lord Varys. The Spider warns Tyrion what will happen if he stands by and trusts their queen to invade the city -- and Tyrion does so anyway, only realizing it's mistake afterward.
Betraying Varys and continuing to back Daenerys doesn't only hurt the people of King's Landing, either. It kills Cersei and Jaime, both of whom might have escaped if Tyrion had decided to back Jon's claim or at least made an effort to stop Daenerys.