Game of Thrones: 10 Reasons Why Cersei & Qyburn Aren’t Real Friends

The epic series Game of Thrones was largely defined by the relationships created in the show. While it saw a lot of action through its fantasy elements, most of the drama came through the personal connections, the alliances, families, and of course. friendships.

Cersei has very people in her life. She’s close to her brother Jaime, but outside of that she has very few allies. While Qyburn sticks by the evil queen, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest they aren’t real friends. Here are 10 reasons why that’s the case.

10 DIDN’T CARE ABOUT DEATH

Qyburn was one of the many characters to die towards the end of the show. His death was extremely sudden after his head is cracked open due to being thrown down some stairs by the towering Mountain.

Although Cersei feared for her own life in that moment, due to the fact her former pet had gone rogue, she clearly did not care for the death of her supposed friend. In fact, she gave him one look and then carried on walking as if it had never happened.

9 ONE-WAY LOYALTY

This behavior, along with so much more, showcases that loyalty only runs one way in this friendship. Perhaps Qyburn is aware of this due to the nature of their relationship, but Cersei is not loyal to him at all, and would side with someone else swiftly if the situation called for it.

Although she knows she can always rely on the outcast maester; he, on the other hand, shouldn’t trust her nor rely on any kind of loyalty. Cersei got him out of trouble a few times but she’d just as quickly throw him under the bus.

8 EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP

The relationship between these two should be characterized more as a boss and an employee. Although Cersei has this with everyone due to the fact she is the queen, her relationship with Qyburn started on this footing and never changed.

Qyburn takes orders from her and although he can offer his advice, this is not a two-way street. There can never be equality in this friendship and there never has been. It begs the question of whether it’s even a friendship at all.

7 OFTEN IN DANGER

Qyburn is deliberately put in situations that are incredibly dangerous, while Cersei stays far back out of the danger, whether it’s plotting to get wildfire, which she can frame Qyburn for, or even delivering dangerous messages.

Whatever the case, Cersei remains out of the fire while Qyburn constantly sits in the frying pan. It’s almost as if she doesn’t really care what happens to him at all. It’s clear in some instances that he’s fed up of always being the person whose life is at stake.

6 TOOL TO USE

Qyburn in many ways isn’t a friend at all but simply a tool. He comes with a lot of useful abilities that makes him very easy to use in some of Cersei’s most evil plans. He is intelligent, has a great tactical mind, and can take the brunt of accusations.

His loyalty means that his usefulness is unending and he is constantly getting value from this as his research can continue. In many ways he is the perfect tool for any ruler to use, and perhaps other kings would have lasted longer with their own Qyburn.

5 MONETARY VALUE

Qyburn can see a lot of monetary value in his role, and so can Cersei. The two have a lot of financial success manipulating the system. This funding helps his research and props up her own reign further. Of course, they have had money troubles too.

With massive loans from the Iron Bank, they are both betting big and in some ways are locked together in this financial struggle. In many ways they are business partners running this kingdom together, not friends.

4 IN IT FOR TITLES

Qyburn is also in it for various titles. He has already been named as the archmaester and Hand of the Queen, therefore becoming a bit of a one-man court. All this power is perfect for him as he enjoys being in a position of authority.

Cersei knows that she can keep him loyal and interested if she keeps on giving him more power. At some stage she will have to limit his progress in theory, but a friendship based on promotions is not a friendship at all.

3 FEARING FOR SAFETY

Qyburn doesn’t only fear for his safety due to some of the difficult situations he’s put into; he also fears for it due to the fact that Cersei is incredibly unpredictable. She’s had men executed for tiny offenses.

It can’t be much of a friendship if he is constantly worried about getting killed off. In Westeros this is a common phobia, although it’s never normally from those genuinely close to royalty.

2 FAMILY FIRST

House Lannister is one of the most selfish of the houses in this show. It’s important to note that the relationship that Cersei has with her twin is definitely not right, and they are far too close. This does put Qyburn at a disadvantage.

Cersei will always listen to her family before turning to her lead adviser. Therefore, it’s wise for Qyburn to try to appease her family as best he can and manipulate all of them. This certainly weakens any friendship between him and Cersei.

1 TOO MUCH IMPORTANCE

There’s too much going on in this relationship for it to simply be a friendship. The fact is, if these two are going to work together, there’s a lot at stake. They can’t function like normal friends.

The way they talk to each other, manipulate one another, and operate in general all suggest this is a working relationship and not a friendship. Very few kings and queens appoint their friends as their second-in-command.

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