Kingslayer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual recognized for the act of murdering a sovereign, frequently linked to themes of betrayal and power struggle in literature and history
2. A person who is notorious for the assassination of a ruling monarch, embodying the concepts of treachery and political turmoil in their endeavors
3. A figure infamous for executing a royal leader, often characterized by elements of treason and chaotic shifts in authority throughout history

Etymology: "Kingslayer" is a plain compound: "king" joined to "slayer," the agent noun from "slay." Old English "slēan" meant to strike down or kill, and "slayer" has been the English word for a killer since Old English times, so the combination describes someone who kills a king with no special coinage behind it. The word's literary fame owes most to Tolkien and George R. R. Martin. In Tolkien's writing Kingslayer is an epithet that follows Lord Lebannen, while in Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" it is the nickname given to Jaime Lannister, who killed the mad King Aerys II, a deed that earned him public scorn and a title that stuck to him for the rest of the story.