Throughout seven seasons of Game of Thrones, fans watched Jaime Lannister go from being one of the most hated characters to ranking as most loved. Despite how unsatisfyingly his arc ended, his character development was among the best of the entire series. To be sure, Jaime changes with every season, evolving into a better version of himself with each passing experience that tests his will and humanity. However, no matter how far his progress is in the right direction, the eldest son of Tywin Lannister is still responsible for a startling amount of pain, some of which can never be undone. And with that being the case, Jaime was given a reminder of his mistakes when he lost his hand.

Jaime’s journey towards redemption starts in the memorable Season 3 episode “The Bear and Maiden Fair,” where he and Brienne of Tarth are held prisoner by Bolton's man-at-arms, Locke, in the Riverlands. After Catelyn Stark asks Brienne to safely escort Jaime home to King’s Landing in exchange for her daughters, Sansa and Arya, the two set out in secret across Westeros. While bickering and insulting each other back and forth along the way, Jaime and Brienne have an impromptu duel upon reaching a bridge but are interrupted then captured by Locke and his gang of House Bolton soldiers.

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Locke Cuts Off Jamie Lannister's Hand On Game Of Thrones

That night, while they make camp, the soldiers attempt to gang-rape Brienne and Jaime, vastly growing a conscience, intervenes. He informs Locke that Brienne is a noblewoman and the only heir of Lord Selwyn Tarth, a wealthy lord that will pay a high ransom for her if she is returned to the Sapphire Isles unharmed. Citing the name of her ancestral homeland, Jaime convinces him that the area earned its name from its abundance of jewels and not for the color of the water for which it actually received its name. Subsequently, Locke believes his lie and stops his men from assaulting Brienne because of Jaime’s words.

Things start to go sideways for Jaime from here on out when he attempts to bribe Locke into releasing him, too, explaining that his famously rich and powerful father would greatly reward Locke for removing him from capture. Consequently and rather gruesomely, Jaime’s scheme backfires, and, in a rage, Locke viciously cuts off Jaime's sword hand with a carving knife, ending his career as one of the best swordsmen that Westeros has ever known.

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Jaime Lannister talking with Bran Stark in Winterfell

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the actor who plays Jaime, said, “He’s defined as one of the greatest swordsmen of all time. He draws a lot of confidence from that. And if you have something that so clearly defines you — not only the way you see yourself, but also the way the world sees you, and then you lose it … Now anyone can kill him! And it’s not like he’s the most popular guy.” Of course, had Jaime known the price he would have to pay for saving Brienne’s life, he might not have spoken up for her at that point in the story.

Nonetheless, this traumatic moment in his history proved the point of no return for the character. From that episode on, Jaime becomes much more vulnerable, humble and decides to reevaluate his entire life, including how he interacts with the world at large. So, while Jaime Lannister's most redeeming act came at a great cost, in the end, losing his hand is what helped save his soul.

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