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23 Moments From 'Game Of Thrones' That Will Make You Swoon For Brienne & Jaime
Spoilers ahead for Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 4. Jaime and Brienne have long been one of the most shippable couples of Game of Thrones and while it may have seemed like it would never happen, they got together during "The Last of the Starks." Fans have been shipping Jaime and Brienne on Game of Thrones since Season 3 and they finally consummated their relationship after the Battle of Winterfell. They have one of the most profound relationships of the entire series and as Gwendoline Christie herself has said in interviews, Brienne has helped to transform Jaime into the somehow likable character he is in Season 8. And while he left her to go back to King's Landing to presumably fight Cersei, these Brienne and Jaime moments prove this pair's romance in "The Last of the Starks" was long overdue.
Brienne is one of the most purely noble of all the Game of Thrones characters while Jaime is one of the most morally complicated. But when Catelyn Stark tasked Brienne of Tarth with taking Jaime Lannister back to King's Landing in order to ensure her daughters' freedom, their unlikely bond was forged. What started as an antagonistic guard-captive relationship evolved into one of deep respect, admiration, and love. While the very fan-fictiony romance between them in "The Last of the Starks" was short-lived, Brienne and Jaime got their love scene to the delight of many fans. Sorry, Tormund shippers.
Even if you weren't feeling the love between these knights, these shippable Jaime and Brienne moments — complete with all the longing looks — show that this couple's romance was inevitable ... and inevitably tragic.
1Jaime Sees Brienne Fight For The First Time
When three Stark soldiers approach the traveling pair in Season 2, they bond for the first time by quickly concocting a lie to hide Jaime's true identity. Yet, their deception doesn't work, so Brienne takes matters into her own hands by killing them all. (They had just raped and hung three women, so she was particularly motivated.) With his hands tied, all the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard can do is look on and appreciate her impressive skills.
2Jaime Tells Her, 'We Don't Get To Choose Who We Love'
Off the bat, Jaime enjoyed antagonizing Brienne about her sex life. He zeroes in on how she loved Renly even though he was gay and how she's a virgin. (The latter is something Tyrion rudely brings up in "The Last of the Starks," but leads to Jaime and Brienne having sex for the first time.) When Brienne takes offense to his offensive comments, Jaime shows his softer side to her for the first time. "I don't blame him. I don't blame you either. We don't get to choose who we love," he says, referring to his well-known incestuous relationship with Cersei.
3Their Fight On The Bridge
Jaime and Brienne go sword to sword after he snags one of her weapons. He taunts her, "See? If you were willing to hurt me, you might have had me there." Did she already have fond feelings for the trash-talking Lannister all the way back then? Maybe. But that didn't hold her back from defeating him ... that is until Locke and his men interrupt and take them both captive.
4Jaime Loses His Hand Protecting Brienne
As Jaime had warned her, Locke and his men are planning to rape Brienne. But to stop this assault, Jaime lies and tells Locke that Brienne's dad is extremely rich due to sapphires and would pay him very well if "she's alive, her honor unbesmirched." Jaime later has a very problematic rape scene with his sister Cersei, but in this moment, he has a conscious — and his confidence in defending Breinne led him to lose his hand.
5Brienne Defends Jaime
Weak from losing his hand, Jaime falls off his horse while headed to Harrenhal with Locke. The soldiers then take advantage of the fallen Kingslayer by beating him. Brienne tries to help the suffering Jaime, but once they have a few swords pointed at her throat, she gives up. Still, by this moment, their bond is officially solidified.
6Brienne Doesn't Let Jaime Feel Sorry For Himself
Jaime is depressed after losing his sword hand and just wants to die. But Brienne gives this spoiled Lannister the tough love he needs to go on.
7The Bath Scene
The Harrenhal baths scene is not only one of the more famous scenes of Game of Thrones, but it's also a top-notch shipping moment — and that's not just because they see each other's naked bodies. After Jaime mocks Brienne for being unable to protect Renly, he apologizes and admits he trusts her. He then launches into his side of the Kingslayer story. Brienne finally understands why he killed the Mad King and when he begins to faint, she holds him and calls for help. "Call me Jaime," he weakly tells her — resulting in the last time that she'll ever call him Kingslayer.
8Brienne Helps Jaime Cut His Food
Jaime's adjustment to life without his dominant hand is a struggle, like during this mealtime scene with Roose Bolton. So she helps him out with cutting his food ... and he helps her out by stopping her from cutting Lord Bolton.
9Brienne Calls Him "Ser Jaime"
Lord Bolton lets Jaime goes, but continues to hold Brienne prisoner. Before he leaves for King's Landing, Jaime promises, "I will return the Stark girls to their mother, I swear it." Even though she knows that alone with Locke, she will be tortured and sexually abused, she approves of his leaving and tells him, "Goodbye, Ser Jaime." And the look on his face shows how much her calling him by his real name means to him.
10Jaime Goes Back For Brienne & They Fight A Bear
Cersei's favorite experimenter Qyburn tells Jaime that Locke will most likely kill Brienne because of his sapphire lie. So he not only rushes back to Harrenhal to reason with Locke, but he jumps in the fighting pit with her to fight a bear. When they get out, he insists she comes back with him to King's Landing, ensuring her safety.
11Brienne Show Sympathy When He's Not Recognized In King's Landing
Life for Jaime Lannister is grim without his sword hand and when he's mistaken for a "country boy" on the streets of King's Landing, Brienne's eyes show how badly she knows he feels.
12Brienne Doesn't Deny Loving Jaime
At Joffrey's wedding, Cersei is unimpressed that Brienne is grateful to Jaime. And quite predictably, Cersei instantly goes for the jugular by accusing Brienne of loving him. Brienne's silence says it all and it leaves Cersei more jealous than ever. Just wait until Cersei hears that Jaime temporarily shacked up with Brienne.
13Jaime Sends Brienne Back On Her Mission
Even after Sansa was suspected of killing his son Joffrey, Jaime wanted Brienne to uphold her promise to Catelyn Stark. So he gave Brienne his Valyrian steel sword that had been forged from Ned Stark's own sword. "You'll use it to defend Ned Stark's daughter. You swore an oath to return the Stark girls to their mother. Lady Stark's dead. Arya's probably dead too, but there's still a chance to find Sansa and get her somewhere safe," he tells her. He also gives her new armor and a squire in Podrick, resulting in another fan-favorite traveling duo.
14She Names Her Sword Oathkeeper
Since Jaime was known as an oathbreaker, it's particularly meaningful that Brienne decides to call the sword he gave her Oathkeeper. So you were surely feeling all the feels when they said farewell to one another in Season 4.
15Jaime & Brienne Reunite At Riverrun
Jaime and Brienne had no interaction from Season 4 Episode 4 until Season 6 Episode 8. Although Jaime is back to serving the Lannisters, he allows her to try to talk to the Blackfish and tells her that Oathkeeper "is yours, it will always be yours." If that part of their reunion didn't have you in tears already, they then acknowledge that they might need to fight one another. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Jaime says — and thankfully, it didn't
16Jaime Sees That Brienne Escaped Riverrun Safely
There's a lot unsaid between Jaime and Brienne and no scene captures that more perfectly then when Jaime sees that she and Podrick have made it out of Riverrun alive. From a distance, they solemnly say goodbye again with their longing looks.
17They See Each Other At The Dragonpit
Fans didn't have to wait another two seasons for their next interaction since they meet again in the Season 7 finale at the Dragonpit. And the looks that they share don't go unnoticed by Cersei, who isn't pleased that Jaime is a bit distracted by Lady Brienne.
18Brienne Tells Him To "F*ck Loyalty"
The always-loyal Brienne shocks Jaime when she tells him, "F*ck loyalty," after he plans to not fight the White Walkers on the orders of Cersei. And you better believe Brienne's words were ringing in his ears when he finally walked away from his sister and headed North.
19Brienne Vouches For Jaime
Jaime understandably doesn't receive the warmest of welcomes in Winterfell when he arrives in Season 8. But after he subtly acknowledges that Brienne is the reason he's there, she stands up and ensures that he gets to fight for the living by vouching for him to Sansa Stark. In the process, she displays just how much he means to her and, again, his face shows the sentiment is reciprocated.
20Jaime Looks At Brienne From The Winterfell Battlements
Out from under the watchful eye of Cersei, Jaime reunites with his brother Tyrion on the Winterfell battlements. But as his brother rambles on, Jaime only has eyes for Brienne.
21Jaime Asks To Fight Under Brienne's Command
While Brienne is suspicious of Jaime's intentions since he's actually being kind to her, he truly does mean he'd be "honored to serve" under her command in the Battle of Winterfell.
22Jaime Knights Brienne
It might have been Tormund's idea, but Jaime is the one who makes Brienne's dream of becoming a knight a reality, which had everyone in the room — and everyone watching from their couches — cheering for Ser Brienne. And possibly cheering for these two to just kiss already.
23They Fight Side-By-Side In The Battle Of Winterfell
Jaime and Brienne had never truly fought alongside in battle together until Season 8's "The Long Night." And they both made sure they would live to see another day.
Jaime might have broken Brienne's heart by going back to King's Landing, but their time together in "The Last of the Starks" fulfilled a major Game of Thrones ship. And Brienne will surely be on Jaime's mind when (not if) he tries to kill Cersei. Yet, even if he does succeed in killing his sister/former lover, that doesn't mean you should expect a happy ending for Ser Jaime and Ser Brienne. But these moments will let you always remember the peak shipping days of Jaime and Brienne.
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