Lena Headey has a better ending for Cersei in Game of Thrones

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"They made different choices"

Game of Thrones
(Image credit: HBO/Sky)

The final season of Game of Thrones remains one of the most divisive ends to a series in TV history, and it’s not just viewers who wished for a different ending. Lena Headey has shared her dream curtain call for her character Cersei Lannister, and we’ve got to admit, it sounds pretty epic.

"I think all of us did, to be honest," she told The Hollywood Reporter about if she’d thought about a dream final storyline. "You start trying to write the story yourself. And [Arya Stark actress Maisie Williams] and I would fantasize about a Cersei and Arya showdown; that she would come back as Jaime. That was our dream. But they made different choices."

In reality, Cersei met her end in the show’s penultimate episode when Daenerys Targaryen went rogue and attacked King’s Landing. Reunited with Jaime Lannister, the pair were crushed to death under the falling Red Keep before Tyrion Lannister found their bodies in the series finale. 

It was a slightly underwhelming end for the epic GoT villain, and we would have loved to see her face Arya one final time. If she’d been disguised as Jaime too, it may have given audiences a satisfying fake-out to avoid undoing his character development of growing past Cersei. Oh, what could have been…

Despite sharing her dream scenario, Headey also admitted to THR that she’s aware of the pressure that the showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss faced to end the popular fantasy series. "I think in hindsight, everybody understands that," she added. "You’re in it, and you’ve been so invested, there’s a moment of, 'Why?' But I absolutely get it."

Game of Thrones remains high in our list of the best TV shows of all time, and if you’re after more from Westeros, check out our guide to House of the Dragon season 2.

Fay Watson
Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.