Ser Jaime Lannister is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation Game of Thrones, where he is portrayed by Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Jaime becomes a prominent point of view character in the novels beginning with A Storm of Swords (2000). Introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996), Jaime is a knight of the Kingsguard and one of the best swordsmen in the seven kingdoms. He is a member of House Lannister, the wealthiest and one of the most powerful families in the kingdom of Westeros. He is the elder son of Tywin Lannister, twin brother of Cersei, with whom he has a longstanding incestuous relationship, and brother of Tyrion. Although Jaime first appears to be unscrupulous and immoral, he later proves to be more complex, honorable, and sympathetic. His lengthy character development has been praised by critics of the novels and the television show. Jaime is one of the most popular characters in both versions of the series. Coster-Waldau received critical praise for his portrayal and several award nominations including a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television, a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Anti-Hero, and two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nominations. He and the rest of the cast were nominated for five Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Character description In A Game of Thrones (1996), Jaime is introduced as one of the Kingsguard, the royal security detail, the son of the wealthy and powerful Tywin Lannister (the former Hand of the King), and one of the greatest swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms with few able to match him, such as Ned Stark, Jon Snow and Brienne of Tarth. Jaime's twin is Cersei, the Queen of Westeros by virtue of her marriage to King Robert Baratheon. Perhaps the greatest swordsman in the kingdom, Jaime is derisively referred to as "the Kingslayer" because he killed the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen in the coup that put Robert on the Iron Throne. Eric Dodds of TIME described Jaime as "handsome, an incomparably skilled fighter and disarmingly witty". The New Yorker called the Lannisters "a crowd of high-cheekboned beauties ... who form a family constellation