Game of Thrones season 8 is almost out, and that means time is running out for characters who will die in the show's final season - and Cersei Lannister is someone who's supposed to die at the hands of the Valonqar. While there are plenty of characters with a question mark hanging over their heads going into Game of Thrones season 8, there are a few who are almost certainly going to meet their end - and top of that list is Cersei (Lena Heady).
Over the years, several characters from Game of Thrones season 1 have perished, usually not by natural causes, and as the series continues to progress, it seems many high ranking people have started to die at the hands of Cersei. It's understandable given that she's either been Queen or Queen Regent since the very beginning, and she's someone who's fiercely loyal to her family - at least the ones that truly matter to her.
And now, the scheming Queen is starting out Game of Thrones season 8 in a position of power; she's on the throne, her family's debts have been mostly paid off, she has several key alliances, and of course, she's pregnant with Jaime's baby. Should she win out over Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei will have an heir to her throne, and everything she has ever wanted (except for her other children alive, of course). However, fans of the Game of Thrones books know that she also has the Valonqar prophecy to contend with - and one that says she will be killed very soon.
The Valonqar prophecy that predicts Cersei's death was given to her by Maggy the Frog when she was a young girl; she was hoping to see if she'd have children and become a queen in the future. Audiences saw this prophecy being delivered in a flashback in Game of Thrones season 5, which predicts Cersei's marriage to a king, the birth (and death) of three children, and her own death at the hands of the Valonqar.
Cersei: When will I wed the prince?
Maggy: Never. You will wed the king.
Cersei: I will be queen, though?
Maggy: Aye. Queen you shall be... until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.
Cersei: Will the king and I have children?
Maggy: Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds, she said. And when your tears have drowned you, the Valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.
The majority of this has already come to pass; Cersei did not marry the prince that she expected, but did marry King Robert Baratheon. He had multiple illegitimate children, while she had three with Jaime, not with the king. Of these children, two have worn golden crowns as king (Joffrey and Tommen), and Myrcella has had her fair share of golden circlets, although she was never officially crowned. And, of course, all three of her children have now died. Two younger queens have also appeared to "take all she holds dear," although whether the prophecy refers to Margaery Tyrell or Daenerys isn't entirely clear.
This leaves only one part to be fulfilled: the Valonqar strangling her to death. The word "valonqar" means "little brother" in High Valyrian, which has given rise to plenty of theories about which "little brother" will be the one to do the deed. However, there are several possible Valonqars in Westeros, and any one of them may be the one to choke the life out of Cersei before Game of Thrones season 8 ends.
Although Game of Thrones fans and book readers seem convinced that there will be a Valonqar who kills Cersei in season 8, it's worth noting that Game of Thrones actually chose to leave out the Valonqar part of the prophecy in the flashback scene - which means that this may not make it onto the small screen at all. Plenty of A Song Of Ice And Fire has been cut from the show already, and it may be that the decision to leave the Valonqar out of the flashback means that Cersei's end will be very different. It could also be that we have yet to see the rest of the flashback, of course, or that the prophecy will be fulfilled without being explicitly referenced.Whether Cersei dies at the hands of a "little brother" or not, though, it does seem like she will still not make it to the end of the Game of Thrones series. The rest of Maggy's prophecy has been fulfilled, and it included only three children, not four. Given that Cersei is now pregnant, it follows that she will not live to give birth (although she may also have a miscarriage). At this point in the game, it would be satisfying for book fans to see the prophecy be fulfilled in its entirety, but it's not necessary for that to happen for the show to wrap up her story in a gratifying way.
All that said, there's plenty of possible candidates going into Game of Thrones season 8...
