Entertainment

Jaime Lannister's New Look In 'GoT' Season 8 Says A LOT About His Final Storyline

by Stephanie Downs
Helen Sloan/Courtesy of HBO

Game of Thrones Season 7 spoilers ahead. The next, and final, season of Game of Thrones is still a long way away, unfortunately. However, one of the HBO drama's stars is spilling some details about the final episodes that may tide you over as you wait for the series' conclusion. According to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's interview with ShortList, in Game of Thrones Season 8, Jaime Lannister's appearance will be very, very different from where we last left him. However, his "new" look may be one that fans may actually be familiar with.

In the interview, Coster-Waldau discussed his "beard situation" and revealed an interesting detail about Jaime in the process. He told the publication, "I’m shooting the last season of Thrones. Generally speaking, I’m not crazy-hairy, but I have a full beard." But he then couldn't help but throw in a little dad joke about his (and Jaime's) new look. "Call me Hairy Styles," he added.

The actor further discussed Jaime's infamous Season 4 haircut, and may have let it slip that his hairy appearance in Season 8 may mean something big for his character. He said, "He was due a haircut. Especially after spending two seasons dragged through the mud. There was a big change in the character, so a haircut is a way to signal that." Is this his way of saying that there's something major in store for Jaime in Season 8, seeing as though he's got a new look going on? Considering where the character left off in Season 7, it would make sense.

At the end of Season 7, Jamie left King's Landing after a falling out with his sister and... partner, Cersei Lannister. His sister originally made a pact with Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Tyrion Lannister to put aside their fight for the Iron Throne in order to battle the growing White Walker army. Of course, since Cersei is Cersei (a.k.a. the true HBIC of Westeros), she went back on her word almost instantly.

Now, Jaime was seemingly for helping Dany's crew fight off the White Walkers and, you know, saving the world. His difference of opinion caused Cersei to nearly order Jaime's death at the hands of the Mountain, and he left King's Landing, his role as the head of the Queen's guard, and his sister, seemingly on a mission to help defend the realm. It's obviously a major change for Jaime to potentially join forces with his longtime love's enemies. While he hasn't always agreed with his sister's actions, he's always been by her side throughout the series. So, it would make sense that the character would have a different, hairier look heading into Season 8 in order to reflect a new phase in his journey.

It's been some time since fans have seen a scruffier version of the fan-favorite character. The last time that he sported a beard, and longer locks, was in Seasons 2 and 3. At the time, his hairier state also seemed to underline the major changes in his life; he was a captive of the Starks, and was later transported, as a captive, back to King's Landing by Brienne of Tarth. His journey during those seasons presented a totally different, humanized version of the character, which caused him to go from the guy who pushed Bran out a window to a fan favorite.

It appears that Jaime may not be the only character with a new look in the series' final season. As Watchers On The Wall noted, courtesy of some spoiler-filled photos, Cersei also has a slightly different look going on in Season 8. Hers isn't as major as Jaime's, but she does have some newly serpentine accents in her clothing as she took a meeting with someone who appears to be Jon Snow. Thrones' costume designer has confirmed in the past that Cersei's outfits hold meaning, on HBO's BTS blog, but, it's unclear what her new dress signifies, if there's any special significance to it at all.

While these character clues do certainly get theorizing fans' wheels turning, it will be anyone's guess as to what they really mean for the characters until Thrones finally returns for its grand finale in 2019.