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{{Character 
{{Redirect2|Sam|Samwell|others with the same or a similar name}}
| Character_name = [[file:Tarly.png|50px]] Samwell Tarly [[file:Minigdn.png|50px]]
{{Infobox character
| image = [[File:Samwell Tarly.png|300px]]        
| firstname    = Samwell
| Played_by = John Bradley
| lastname      = Tarly
| image_caption =  
| epithet      = the Slayer
| Alias = Sam the Slayer
| arms          = Tarly
| Title =  
| arms2        = Night's Watch
| Allegiance = [[Night's Watch]]
| image = [[File:Samwell Tarly.jpg|300px]]
| Race =
| image_caption = Samwell Tarly, by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/martin.html Amok] ©
| Culture = [[Westeros]]
| Alias = Sam{{Ref|AGOT|26}}<br>Ser Piggy{{Ref|AGOT|26}}<br>Lady Piggy{{Ref|AGOT|26}}<br>Lord of Ham{{Ref|AGOT|26}}<br>Sam the Slayer{{Ref|ASOS|33}}<br>Fat Sam{{Ref|ASOS|46}}<br>Sam the Scared{{Ref|ASOS|46}}<br>Black Sam{{Ref|AFFC|35}}
| Spouse =  
| Title = [[Novice]]{{Ref|AFFC|45}}
| Place_of_Birth = [[Horn Hill]]
| Allegiance = [[House Tarly]]<br>[[Night's Watch]]<br>[[Citadel]]
| Date_of_Birth =
| Race =
| Place_of_Death =  
| Culture = [[Dornish Marches|Marcher]]
| Father        = Lord [[Randyll Tarly]]
| Mother        = Lady [[Melessa Florent]]
| Spouse =
| Lover        = [[Gilly]]
| Place_of_Birth= [[Horn Hill]]{{Ref|AWOIAF|Samwell Tarly}}
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|283}}<ref>''See the [[Years after Aegon's Conquest/Calculations Ages (Continued3)#Samwell Tarly|Samwell Tarly]] calculation.''</ref>
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]]<br>[[A Clash of Kings]]<br>[[A Storm of Swords]]<br>[[A Feast for Crows]]
| Books = ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' (appears)<br>''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' (appears)<br>''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' (POV)<br>''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' (POV)<br>''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (appears)<br>''[[The Winds of Winter]]'' (appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[w:John Bradley (English actor)|John Bradley]]
| TV_series = ''[[Game of Thrones]]'':<br>[[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|2]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 3|3]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 4|4]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 5|5]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 6|6]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 7|7]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 8|8]]
}}
}}
'''Samwell Tarly''' is the eldest son of Lord [[Randyll Tarly]]. Although fat, timid, and unsure of himself, he is intelligent and thoughtful. He is a steward of the [[Night's Watch]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] he is played by John Bradley.<ref>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
 
'''Samwell Tarly''' is the eldest son of Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] and his wife, Lady [[Melessa Florent]]. A recruit of the [[Night's Watch]] originally from [[House Tarly]],{{Ref|AGOT|26}} he is popularly called '''Sam'''. He becomes a [[POV character]] in ''[[A Storm of Swords]]''.
 
In the television adaptation ''[[Game of Thrones]]'', Samwell is portrayed by [[List of actors of Game of Thrones#John Bradley, Samwell Tarly|John Bradley]].<ref name=HBO/>
 
==Appearance and Character==
{{See also|:Category:Images of Samwell Tarly|l1=Images of Samwell Tarly}}
Samwell is very fat, with dark hair, pale eyes, and a large [[moon]]-shaped face.{{Ref|AGOT|26}} [[Jon Snow]] initially estimates Sam to weigh 20 stone (127 kg/280 lbs).{{Ref|AGOT|26}}
 
When he arrives at the [[Wall]], Sam wears a fur-trimmed surcoat embroidered with the striding huntsman of [[House Tarly]],{{ref|AGOT|26}} and his great wood-and-leather shield also has the Tarly arms. Sam brings with him a padded doublet, boiled leather, mail, plate, and helm, but Ser [[Alliser Thorne]] has them replaced with the black equipment of the [[Night's Watch]].{{ref|AGOT|26}} Sam later has an enormous black hooded cloak,{{ref|ACOK|13}} cap, surcoat, and chainmail hauberk.{{ref|ASOS|18}}
 
Samwell is a timid craven frightened of many things, including high places,{{ref|AGOT|26}} [[prostitutes]],{{ref|ACOK|6}} and bloodshed.{{ref|AFFC|5}}{{Ref|AGOT|26}} He dislikes martial activities, hunting,{{ref|AGOT|48}} and the cold,{{ref|AGOT|26}} and he is a poor [[horse|rider]].{{ref|ACOK|6}} Although he is insecure and awkward, Sam is observant,{{ref|AGOT|52}} intelligent, and liked by animals.{{ref|AGOT|48}} He is fond of music, songs, and soft velvets,{{ref|AGOT|26}} and he loves books and scrolls.{{ref|ACOK|6}}{{ref|AFFC|5}} The youth likes old items,{{ref|ASOS|43}} [[kitten]]s,{{ref|AGOT|26}} and dancing, even though he is clumsy.{{ref|AGOT|26}} Sam likes to eat,{{ref|AFFC|5}} enjoying [[lemon cake]]s and blueberry tarts.{{ref|AGOT|26}}


==History==
==History==
Samwell's childhood was spent clashing with his stern, militaristic father, who tried to mold the timid and gentle Samwell into a proper knight. Sam lived in fear of his father, but could not change to appease him. After Sam's appropriately aggressive brother Dickon was born, Sam was left to enjoy his music, kittens, and food in peace. However, when Sam reached maturity, Randyll threatened Sam into joining the Night's Watch so that he would not stand in the way of his proper son's inheritance.
Samwell was the first child of [[Randyll Tarly]], [[Lord of Horn Hill]], and his wife, [[Melessa Florent]]. Randyll, regarded as one of the finest military commanders in the [[Seven Kingdoms]], did everything in his power to raise his son into what he deemed a proper heir, but Samwell frustrated him at every opportunity, resisting every effort made to change his nature. A dozen [[Master-at-arms|masters-at-arms]] failed to toughen him. Attempts such as beatings, starving him, dressing him in his mother's clothes and parading him, forcing him to sleep in chainmail, and being bathed in [[aurochs]] blood by two [[Qarth]]een [[warlocks]] failed to raise his valor. He even wept to see a chicken slaughtered.{{Ref|AGOT|26}} When Lord Tarly had Sam thrown into Horn Hill's pond to teach his son to swim, Ser [[Hyle Hunt]] had to rescue the boy.{{Ref|AFFC|15}}
 
Randyll insisted that young Sam attend him while holding court at [[Horn Hill]], and he brought Sam to [[Highgarden]] during a visit to see Lord [[Mace Tyrell]].{{ref|AGOT|48}} When he was ten,{{Ref|AWOIAF|Samwell Tarly}} Sam accompanied his father on a trip to the [[Arbor]], but the [[House Redwyne|Redwyne]] twins [[Horas Redwyne|Horas]] and [[Hobber Redwyne|Hobber]] bullied him and Lord Randyll brought him back home. Sam's mother revealed to him that Randyll had meant for Samwell to remain at the Arbor, to serve as Lord [[Paxter Redwyne]]'s page and squire. Had Sam pleased Paxter, he would have been [[Betrothal|betrothed]] to his daughter, [[Desmera Redwyne|Desmera]].{{Ref|AFFC|15}}
 
After Lady Melessa bore her husband three girls in three consecutive years, Samwell's brother [[Dickon Tarly|Dickon]] was born.{{Ref|AGOT|26}} When Sam and his mother sang "[[The Song of the Seven]]" to the baby, Randyll reprimanded his wife and his heir.{{ref|ASOS|46}} Randyll also forbade Sam from sleeping in the same bed as his sisters.{{ref|ASOS|46}} Dickon showed all of the physical vigor that Samwell lacked, and Randyll's attentions turned to raising his more promising younger son to take Sam's place. For a time Sam was left to enjoy his music, food, and other soft pursuits, though Randyll forbade him from traveling to [[Oldtown]] to study at the [[Citadel]], horrified at the notion of a member of [[House Tarly]] wearing a [[maester]]'s chain. To discourage the boy, Randyll had Sam chained and manacled to a wall for three days.{{Ref|AFFC|5}}
 
When Sam turned fifteen, his father bluntly told him that he was not worthy of their house's ancestral [[Valyrian steel]] [[greatsword]], [[Heartsbane]], and that he must join the [[Night's Watch]] and renounce his family name so that he would not stand in the way of Dickon's inheritance. Failing that, Randyll promised that Sam would suffer an unfortunate hunting accident on the morrow. Sam chose to take the black.{{Ref|AGOT|26}}


==Recent Events==
==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
===''A Game of Thrones''===
Samwell arrives at The Wall to face bullying, taunting, and abuse at the hands of his fellow recruits as well as from the master-at-arms, Ser [[Alliser Thorne]], who derisively nicknames him "Ser Piggy" and orders the other recruits to continue beating him even after he has yielded. He finds a friend in [[Jon Snow]], however, and Jon takes it upon himself to persuade (and threaten, when necessary) his fellow recruits to stop their abuse.
[[File: Ardenbeckwithsamwelltarly.jpg|thumb|350px|Sam by Arden Beckwith © Fantasy Flight Games]]
Samwell is escorted to the [[Wall]] by men provided by his father, Lord [[Randyll Tarly]], and the youth sees snow for the first time while in the [[barrowlands]].{{ref|AGOT|26}}
 
Sam arrives at [[Castle Black]] shortly after [[Jon Snow]] and is immediately mocked for his size and timid nature. Ser [[Alliser Thorne]], the master-at-arms, joins in the mocking, nicknaming him "Ser Piggy" and doing nothing to prevent [[Jon Snow's Night's Watch recruitment group|the other recruits]] from bullying Sam and hurting him during their training. Miserable, Sam finds a friend in Jon, with whom he shares his story. Jon takes pity on Sam and, to Alliser's annoyance, takes it upon himself to persuade (and threaten, when necessary) his fellow recruits to stop their abuse.{{Ref|AGOT|26}}
 
Samwell is not helped by Alliser's training and remains an incompetent warrior. Because of this, he is initially deemed not ready to take his vows and become a man of the [[Night's Watch]] with Jon and his fellow recruits. Jon, fearful of what will happen to Sam once he is no longer able to protect him, persuades Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] to allow him to join the [[stewards]], convincing him that despite his uselessness as a soldier, Sam's literacy and intelligence may be of great value to the Watch. Aemon agrees, and gives Samwell a position assisting him in the [[rookery]] and library at [[Maester Aemon's tower]], displacing [[Chett]].{{Ref|AGOT|48}} Jon is disappointed at himself being named to the stewards instead of the [[rangers]], but Sam points out that his friend is being groomed for command by serving under [[Jeor Mormont]], [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]].{{ref|AGOT|48}}
 
Despite having been born and raised into the [[Faith of the Seven]], Samwell decides to take his Night's Watch vows with Jon at at a [[weirwood grove]] in the [[haunted forest]].{{Ref|AGOT|48}} He is able to impress Lord Commander Mormont by noting some of the odd details of the corpses of [[Othor]] and [[Jafer Flowers]]. Jon saves Jeor's life when Othor rises as a [[wight]] and attacks the Lord Commander.{{Ref|AGOT|52}}
 
Sam consoles Jon when they learn about the [[arrest of Eddard Stark]], Jon's father, in [[King's Landing]]. When Alliser calls Jon a traitor's bastard in the common hall, Sam places his body between them to stop Jon from stabbing the master-at-arms.{{ref|AGOT|52}} Sam informs Jon that his half brother, [[Robb Stark]], has marched south from [[Winterfell]]. Lord Commander Mormont gives a repaired [[Longclaw]] to Jon as a reward for having saved him from the wight. Sam travels to [[Mole's Town]] to purchase [[garnet]]s for the new pommel of the [[Valyrian steel]] sword.{{Ref|AGOT|60}}


Samwell is not helped by any of Ser Alliser's training and remains an incompetent warrior, and as such is initially deemed not ready to take his vows and become a man of the Night's Watch with Jon and the others. Jon, fearful for what will happen to Sam once he is no longer able to provide protection for him, persuades [[Maester Aemon]] to allow him to join the Stewards.  Aemon agrees, and gives Samwell a position assisting him in the rookery and library.  Despite having been born and raised into the [[Faith of the Seven]], Samwell decides to take his Night's Watch vow with Jon Snow at a Heart Tree.  He is able to impress [[Jeor Mormont|Lord Commander Mormont]] by noting some of the odd details of the corpses of [[Othor]] and [[Jafer Flowers]].
When Jon deserts in the middle of the night to join Robb in the south, Sam unsuccessfully tries to stop his friend from leaving Castle Black. After Jon leaves, Sam informs other mutual friends—[[Grenn]], [[Pypar|Pyp]], [[Todder|Toad]], [[Halder]], and [[Matthar]]—who ride off in pursuit. These black brothers convince Jon to return to the Wall and an anxious Sam.{{Ref|AGOT|70}}


===''A Clash of Kings''===
===''A Clash of Kings''===
Samwell is made part of Commander Mormont's massive ranging, and placed in charge of the ravens.  At [[Craster's Keep]] he is befriended by [[Gilly]], a daughter and wife of [[Craster]], who is pregnant and fearful that if she has a boy, Craster will sacrifice it to the [[Others]]. Samwell, unsure of what to do, turns to Jon for help, but there is nothing Jon can do to help her.
In preparation for the [[great ranging]] venturing [[beyond the Wall]], Aemon sends Sam into the [[vaults of Castle Black]] to search for maps, and the youth spends hours looking at maps, scrolls, and books.{{Ref|ACOK|6}} Pyp, Halder, and Toad invite Sam to join them when they take Grenn to the [[Mole's Town brothel]], but Sam declines out of fear of the [[whores]].{{Ref|ACOK|6}}
 
The apprehensive Sam is placed in charge of the [[raven]]s as Lord Commander Mormont's aide for the great ranging.{{Ref|ACOK|6}} He gains some confidence, teaching the birds a few words and working on maps for Maester Aemon.{{ref|ACOK|13}} When the expedition stays a night at [[Craster's Keep]], Sam draws a map for the Lord Commander based on [[Craster]]'s descriptions of [[Mance Rayder]]'s whereabouts. Samwell is befriended by [[Gilly]], a pregnant [[Craster's wives|daughter-wife of Craster]]. Gilly is fearful that if she has a boy, Craster will sacrifice it to the [[Others]]. Samwell, unsure of what to do, turns to Jon for help, but there is nothing that Jon can do. {{Ref|ACOK|23}}
 
Ghost discovers a cache of [[dragonglass]] weapons near the [[Fist of the First Men]] and leads Jon to it.{{Ref|ACOK|34}} Jon gives Sam a [[Old warhorn|cracked warhorn]], a spearhead, and a dozen arrowheads from the bundle.{{ref|ACOK|43}} Jon gives him a dragonglass dagger as well.{{ref|ASOS|18}}{{ref|AWOIAF|Samwell Tarly}}


===''A Storm of Swords''===
===''A Storm of Swords''===
Sam is among the survivors of the [[Battle of the Fist of the First Men]], but gets separated from the majority of the men in retreat, along with [[Grenn]] and [[Paul|Small Paul]], who carried Samwell much of the way from the Fist. There they are attacked by an Other, who attacks Small Paul and kills him, but Paul's weight disarms the Other as he falls. Samwell, who is carrying a [[dragonglass]] dagger that was among the cache found by [[Ghost]], uses the opportunity to attack, and blindly stabs the Other, who dies instantaneously from the dragonglass blade.  Killing the Other earns him the nickname "Sam the Slayer".
[[File:Samwell Dragonglass.jpg|350px|thumb|Samwell facing an [[Other]], by Amok ©]]
Sam practices his archery while the [[great ranging]] remains encamped at the [[Fist of the First Men]]. A small group of mutineers led by [[Chett]] plot to kill [[Jeor Mormont]] and desert, with Chett planning to personally slit Sam's throat for having replaced him as Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon's]] steward.{{ref|ASOS|Prologue}} [[Wight]]s begin attacking the Watch's camp, however, and Sam sends ravens to alert [[Castle Black]] and the [[Shadow Tower]]. When the Watch loses the [[fight at the Fist]], Sam releases the rest of the birds but forgets to include messages with them.{{Ref|ASOS|18}}
 
Sam escapes with a group of about fifty survivors led by [[Jeor Mormont]]. The march is hard on Sam, but [[Grenn]] encourages him not to give up and [[Small Paul]] begins carrying the youth. The trio lag behind and become separated from the other survivors. Paul is attacked and killed by an [[Other]], but the weight of his body disarms it as he dies. Samwell, who still carries the dagger given to him by [[Jon Snow]], blindly stabs the Other, which dies instantaneously from the [[dragonglass]] blade.  


He and Grenn rendezvous with the remaining survivors at Craster's Keep, where Gilly gives birth to a son. Shortly thereafter, however, violence erupts in the keep, with some Night's Watch men believing that Craster was holding out on the food he provided for him, and others still harboring mutinous intentions toward Commander Mormont.  Craster and Mormont are both killed in the fighting, and Sam is forced to flee, joined only by Gilly and her newborn.  They make it as far as a village Sam believes to be [[Whitetree]] but are then attacked by wights, including a reanimated Small Paul, who attackes Sam first.  Sam fights him off and stabs him with the dragonglass dagger, but it proves ineffective.  Desperately, Sam strikes him with a piece of charred wood, which catches him on fire, killing him.  They run, but are beset by additional wights, and are saved at the last moment by [[Coldhands]].
Sam and Grenn rendezvous with the remaining survivors at [[Craster's Keep]]. Killing the Other has earned Samwell the nickname "Sam the Slayer", but many members of the Night's Watch use it mockingly as they do not believe Sam's feat. Grenn respects the name, however. Lord Commander Mormont discusses the obsidian weaponry with Sam. [[Gilly]] gives birth to [[Monster|a son]], and Sam angers [[Craster]] by suggesting that the Watch could take Gilly and the child with them.{{Ref|ASOS|33}}


Gilly and Sam are led back to the wall by Coldhands, who has informed them that there will be one in the [[Nightfort]] that must be sent to him. Entering the Nightfort through the castle's Black Gate, Samwell encounters [[Bran Stark]], along with [[Hodor]] and [[Meera Reed|Meera]] and [[Jojen Reed]], whom he leads back to Coldhands.
Violence erupts in the keep, with some Night's Watch men believing that Craster is holding out on the food he provided for the Watch, and others harboring mutinous intentions toward Lord Commander Mormont. After Craster is murdered and Jeor is stabbed during the [[mutiny at Craster's Keep]], Grenn slaps and shouts at Sam in an attempt to rouse the shocked youth. Sam is unresponsive, however, so Grenn and others leave him behind.{{ref|ASOS|33}}{{ref|ASOS|48}} Jeor gives Sam his dying wish, that his son, the exiled Ser [[Jorah Mormont]], join the Watch.{{Ref|ASOS|33}}


Sam returns to [[Castle Black]] following the events of the [[Battle of Castle Black]], with [[Stannis Baratheon]] present and urging the swift election of a new Lord Commander and threatening to name one himself if none can achieve the required two-thirds majority. In the voting, [[Janos Slynt]] is gaining ground on the leading candidates [[Cotter Pyke]] and [[Denys Mallister]]. Believing Slynt would be a disastrous Lord Commander, Sam approaches Pyke and Mallister independently, and lies to each regarding Stannis's intentions to name the other to the office, thus convincing them both to support Jon Snow as a compromise candidate, leading to Jon's election.
Two of Craster's older wives encourage Sam to flee with Gilly and her child.{{Ref|ASOS|33}} They make it as far as a village Sam believes to be [[Whitetree]]. Sam prays before the village's [[heart tree]] and then sings the "[[The Song of the Seven]]" to Gilly and her baby in the longhall. A reanimated Small Paul attacks them in the night. Sam fights it off and stabs it with the dragonglass dagger, but the blade shatters on Paul's iron mail. Sam desperately trikes the wight with a piece of charred wood, which catches the dead man's face on fire, destroying it. Sam and Gilly are then beset by at least a score of wights near the [[weirwood]]. Hundreds of ravens suddenly attack the wights, however, and a mysterious rider helps the humans escape on his giant [[elk]].{{Ref|ASOS|46}}
 
[[File:Kerry Barnett passing the wall II.JPG|thumb|350px|Samwell at the [[Black Gate]], by Kerry Barnett © Fantasy Flight Games]]
 
Sam, Gilly, and her son are led back to the [[Wall]] by the rider, [[Coldhands]], who has informed them that there will be one in the [[Nightfort]] that must be sent to him. Entering the Nightfort through the ruined castle's hidden [[Black Gate]], Samwell encounters [[Bran Stark]], along with [[Hodor]], and [[Meera Reed|Meera]] and [[Jojen Reed]]. Remembering that Bran is Jon Snow's brother, Sam agrees to keep knowledge of Bran's survival a secret. Sam recites the vows of the Night's Watch at the Black Gate, and he leads Bran's party to Coldhands.{{Ref|ASOS|56}}
 
After leaving the Nightfort on the south side of the Wall, Sam and Gilly follow a track near [[Deep Lake]] and [[Queensgate]]. They are joined by Ser [[Denys Mallister]] and [[Bowen Marsh]]'s party, also en route to [[Castle Black]] from the [[Shadow Tower]].{{ref|ASOS|75}} Sam weeps when he is reunited with [[Dywen]], [[Bedwyck|Giant]], and [[Eddison Tollett|Dolorous Edd]]. [[Pypar]] cheers when he sees Sam, and Grenn gives him a fierce hug. Sam suggests to Jon that Gilly and her son could be sent to live with his family at [[Horn Hill]], lying that the baby was fathered by him. Sam reluctantly does not tell Jon about having met Bran.{{ref|ASOS|75}}
 
In the aftermath of the [[battle beneath the Wall]], [[Stannis Baratheon]] and his [[red priest]]ess, [[Melisandre]], ask Sam about his having killed the Other, and the king tells Sam that he wants to eventually be shown the Black Gate below the Nightfort. The blind Maester Aemon has Sam describe Stannis's sword, [[Lightbringer]], and Sam later admits to Aemon that the blade emits no heat.{{ref|ASOS|78}}
 
Stannis urges the swift [[election]] of a new Lord Commander and threatens to name one himself if none can achieve the required two-thirds majority. In the voting, [[Janos Slynt]] gains ground on the leading candidates, [[Cotter Pyke]] and Denys Mallister. Believing Janos would be a disastrous Lord Commander and inspired by Aemon, Sam approaches Cotter and Denys independently. He lies to each regarding Stannis's intentions to name the other to the office, thus convincing them both to support Jon Snow as a compromise candidate.{{Ref|ASOS|78}} When a bird emerges from the selection kettle and lands on Jon's shoulder during the next choosing, Sam shouts that it is [[Mormont's raven]]; the Night's Watch then enthusiastically choose Jon as the new Lord Commander. Grenn and Pyp tell Jon that Sam was behind Jon's selection, but Sam insists he had nothing to do with the raven.{{Ref|ASOS|79}}


===''A Feast for Crows''===
===''A Feast for Crows''===
One of Jon Snow's first acts as Lord Commander is to send Samwell South to [[Oldtown]] so that he might study there as a [[Maesters|maester]] for Castle Black. With him he sends [[Dareon]], whom he appoints as a recruiter for the Night's Watch, as well as [[Maester Aemon]] and the infant son of [[Mance Rayder]], so as to deprive [[Melisandre]] of the chance to sacrifice them for their king's blood. He also sends [[Gilly]], separating her from her child, so that she might nurse Rayder's son. Maester Aemon falls ill on the voyage, however, and stopping in [[Braavos]] they are forced to spend their coin on an inn and a healer. Aemon's condition worsens nonetheless, though he briefly wakes and wishes to hear the stories of [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys's]] dragons that are spreading throughout the city, having the revelation that Daenerys may be the true fulfillment of the prophecy of the [[Azor Ahai|Prince who was Promised]].
[[File:Only water by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|350px|Sam and [[Gilly]] on the ''[[Cinnamon Wind]]'', by cabepfir ©]]
Samwell searches the [[vaults of Castle Black]] for information about the [[Others]].{{ref|AFFC|5}} One of Jon Snow's first acts as Lord Commander is to send Sam south to the [[Citadel]] of [[Oldtown]], where he might study to become Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]]'s successor. Jon also sends [[Dareon]], whom he appoints as [[wandering crow|a recruiter]] for the Night's Watch, as well as Aemon and the [[Aemon Steelsong|infant son]] of [[Mance Rayder]], so as to deprive [[Melisandre]] of the chance to sacrifice them for their king's blood. He also sends [[Gilly]], separating her from [[Monster|her own child]], so that she might nurse Rayder's son.{{Ref|AFFC|5}}{{Ref|AFFC|15}} Maester Aemon falls ill on the voyage, however, and stopping in [[Braavos]] they are forced to spend their coin on an inn and a healer. Aemon's condition worsens, though he briefly wakes and wishes to hear the stories of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]'s [[dragon]]s that are spreading throughout the city, having the revelation that Daenerys may be the true fulfillment of the prophecy of [[the prince that was promised]].{{Ref|AFFC|35}}
 
Samwell urges Dareon to sing at the local taverns to earn money so that they might buy passage on a ship to Oldtown, but Dareon spends most of what he earns on wine and trade from the city's whores. Sam confronts Dareon in a brothel and accuses him of breaking his vows, and Dareon responds with his intention to abandon them and desert the Night's Watch, resulting in a fight whereupon Sam is pulled off Dareon and thrown into a canal. He is pulled out by [[Xhondo]], who heard him speaking of dragons and had seen them in [[Qarth]].{{Ref|AFFC|26}} Xhondo offers them passage on his ship, the ''[[Cinnamon Wind]]'', in exchange for work and for some of the last of their possessions.{{Ref|AFFC|35}} Dareon remains behind and is eventually killed by [[Arya Stark]].{{ref|AFFC|34}}
 
Maester Aemon dies early in the journey from Braavos to Oldtown, and in mourning for his death Gilly briefly becomes a lover to Samwell. She names Mance's child "[[Aemon Steelsong]]" after Maester Aemon,{{Ref|AFFC|35}} and it is planned that upon landing at Oldtown she will be sent to Sam's childhood home of [[Horn Hill]] with the story that her child is a [[bastard]] fathered by him.{{Ref|AFFC|5}}
 
Samwell continues to the Citadel, where he goes to the [[Seneschal's Court]] to speak with the [[Seneschal]]. Sam is forced to wait a long while before he will be admitted. When his patience starts to run thin, he is approached by the acolyte [[Alleras]], who brings him to Archmaester [[Marwyn]] and [[Leo Tyrell (son of Moryn)|Leo Tyrell]] at the [[Ravenry]]. Upon hearing Sam's story, Marwyn orders Sam to keep Aemon's prophecies and Daenerys's dragons a secret from the other [[archmaester]]s. Marwyn immediately departs the city with the stated intention of going to Daenerys and becoming her maester. Alleras informs Sam that Marwyn's [[glass candle]] had anticipated Sam's arrival, and [[Pate (novice)|Pate]] gives Sam a cell near Archmaester [[Walgrave]]'s chamber.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}
 
==Quotes by Samwell==
[[File:Samwell Tarly by Jroahn.jpg|thumb|350px|Samwell by Jroahn ©]]
{{Quote|'''Samwell''': I've never had a friend before.<br>'''Jon''': We're not friends. We're [[Night's Watch|brothers]].{{ref|AGOT|26}}|Samwell and [[Jon Snow]]}}
 
{{Quote|'''Samwell''': I'm to assist Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] with the library and the [[raven|birds]]. He needs someone who can read and write letters.<br>'''Jon''': You'll do well at that.{{ref|AGOT|52}}|Samwell and [[Jon Snow]]}}
 
{{Quote|'''Jon''': You're more than fond of [[Gilly]], aren't you?<br>'''Samwell''': Gilly's good. She's good and kind. She ... she made me braver, Jon. Not brave, but ... braver.{{ref|ASOS|75}}|[[Jon Snow]] and Samwell}}
 
{{Quote|'''Stannis''': You are the one that killed [[Other|the creature]] in the snow.<br>'''Melisandre''': Sam the Slayer.<br>'''Samwell''': No, my lady. Your Grace. I mean, I am, yes. I'm Samwell Tarly, yes.{{ref|ASOS|78}}|[[Stannis Baratheon]], [[Melisandre]], and Samwell}}
 
[[File:Samwell_Tarly_by_Debustee.png|thumb|350px|Sam by Debustee © ]]
 
{{Quote|Sam thought of all the trials that he and [[Gilly]] suffered, [[mutiny at Craster's Keep|Craster's Keep]] and the death of the [[Jeor Mormont|Old Bear]], snow and ice and freezing winds, days and days and days of walking, the [[wight]]s at [[Whitetree]], [[Coldhands]] and [[weirwood|the tree]] of [[raven]]s, the [[Wall]], the Wall, the Wall, the [[Black Gate]] beneath the earth. What had it all been for? No happy choices and no happy endings.{{Ref|AFFC|15}}|Samwell's thoughts aboard the ''[[Blackbird]]''}}
 
{{Quote|The worst isn't done. The worst is just beginning, and there are no happy endings.{{Ref|AFFC|15}}|Samwell to [[Dareon]]}}
 
{{Quote|No matter where he went in [[known world|this wide world]], his fears went with him.{{Ref|AFFC|26}}|Samwell's thoughts}}
 
{{Quote|'''Samwell''': I am Sam, from [[Horn Hill]]. Lord [[Randyll Tarly]]'s son.<br>'''Leo''': Truly? I suppose you are. Your father told us all that you were dead. Or was it only that he wished you were? Are you still a craven?<br>'''Samwell''': No. I went [[beyond the Wall]] and fought in battles. They call me Sam the Slayer.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}|Samwell and [[Leo Tyrell (son of Moryn)|Leo Tyrell]]}}
 
==Quotes about Samwell==
[[File:Samwell Tarly HBO.jpg|thumb|350px|John Bradley as Samwell in ''[[Game of Thrones]]''.]]
{{Quote|Nobody likes cravens. I wish we hadn't helped him. What if they think we're craven too?{{Ref|AGOT|26}}|[[Grenn]] to [[Pypar]]}}
 
{{Quote|The world was full of cravens who pretended to be heroes; it took a queer sort of courage to admit to cowardice as Samwell Tarly had.{{Ref|AGOT|26}}|[[Jon Snow]]'s thoughts}}
 
{{Quote|It was [[Ghost]] who knew what to do. Silent as shadow, the pale [[direwolf]] moved closer and began to lick the warm tears off Samwell Tarly's face. The fat boy cried out, startled .. and somehow, in a heartbeat, his sobs turned to laughter.{{Ref|AGOT|26}}|[[Jon Snow]]'s thoughts}}
 
{{Quote|You're fat but you're not stupid, boy. You did well back there.{{ref|AGOT|52}}|[[Jeor Mormont]] to Samwell}}
 
{{Quote|Tarly, when I was a lad half your age, my lady mother told me that if I stood about with my mouth open, a [[weasel]] was like to mistake it for his lair and run down my throat. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, beware of weasels.{{ref|ACOK|6}}|[[Jeor Mormont]] to Samwell}}


Samwell urges Dareon to sing at the local taverns to earn money so that they might buy passage on a ship to Oldtown, but Dareon spends most of what he earns on wine and trade from the city's whores.  Samwell confronts Dareon in a brothel and accuses him of breaking his vows, and Dareon responds with his intention to abandon them and desert the Night's Watch, resulting in a fight whereupon Samwell is pulled off of Dareon and thrown into a canal.  He is pulled out by [[Xhondo]], who heard him speaking of dragons and had seen them in [[Qarth]].  Xhondo offers them passage on his ship, the ''Cinnamon Wind'', in exchange for work and for some of the last of their possessions.
{{Quote|I don't care if you're so scared you foul your breeches, and I don't care if a thousand [[wildlings]] are coming over the walls howling for your blood, you get [[raven|those birds]] off, or I swear I'll hunt you through all [[seven hells]] and make you damn sorry that you didn't.{{Ref|ASOS|18}}|[[Jeor Mormont]] to Samwell}}


Maester Aemon dies early in that journey, and in mourning for his death Gilly briefly becomes a lover to Samwell.  She names the child after Aemon, and upon landing at Oldtown is sent to Samwell's childhood home of [[Horn Hill]] with the story that her child is a bastard fathered by Sam. Samwell continues to the [[Citadel]], where he encounters [[Alleras]], who has sought him out and brings him straight to Archmaester [[Marwyn]], who asks Samwell to repeat for him Aemon's final words.  Upon hearing the story, Marwyn immediately departs the city with the stated intention of going to Daenerys and becoming her maester.
{{Quote|You have no father. Only brothers. Only us. Your life belongs to the [[Night's Watch]], so go and stuff your smallclothes into a sack, along with anything else you care to take to [[Oldtown]]. You leave an hour before sunrise. And here's another order. From this day forth, you will not call yourself a craven. You've faced more things this past year than most men face in a lifetime. You can face the [[Citadel]], but you'll face it as a Sworn Brother of the Night's Watch. I can't command you to be brave, but I can command you to hide your fears.{{Ref|AFFC|5}}|[[Jon Snow]] to Samwell}}


==Appearance==
{{Quote|You're a man who appreciates cooking, Slayer. We need more o' your sort.{{Ref|AFFC|5}}|[[Hobb]] to Samwell}}
He is very fat with dark hair. He has pale eyes with a large moon-shaped face.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 26|Chapter 26]], Jon</ref>
 
{{Quote|The [[Citadel]] is not what it was. They will take anything these days. [[Alleras|Dusky dogs and Dornishmen]], [[Pate (novice)|pig boys]], [[Mollander|cripples]], cretins, and now a black-clad [[whale]]. And here I thought [[leviathan]]s were grey.{{Ref|AFFC|45}}|[[Leo Tyrell (son of Moryn)|Leo Tyrell]] to [[Alleras]]}}


==Family==
==Family==
{{Tarly tree}}
{{Tarly tree}}


==References and Notes==
==Behind the Scenes==
{{references}}
Samwell Tarly is apparently inspired by [[w:Samwise Gamgee|Samwise Gamgee]], a character from ''[[w:The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of the Rings]]'' by [[w:J. R. R. Tolkien|J.R.R. Tolkien]].<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [https://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Many_Questions2 Many Questions], June 13, 2001</ref>
===See also===
 
*The [http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Samwell_Tarly Samwell Tarly article] on the [http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Game_of_Thrones_Wiki Game of Thrones wiki]. 
==References==
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire}}
{{References|refs=
{{Template:POV Characters}}
  <ref name=HBO>HBO.com: [https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew Game of Thrones Cast & Characters]</ref>
[[Category:Stewards of the Night's Watch|Tarly, Samwell]]
}}
[[Category:Nobles|Tarly, Samwell]]
 
[[Category:Characters from the Reach|Tarly, Samwell]]
==External links==
[[Category:House Tarly]]
*{{WP}}
[[Category:POV characters|Tarly, Samwell]]
*{{WoW}}
 
{{POV Characters}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarly, Samwell}}
[[Category:House Tarly|Samwell Tarly]]
[[Category:283 AC births]]
[[Category:Characters from the Reach]]
[[Category:Characters with dark hair]]
[[Category:Characters with pale eyes]]
[[Category:Characters with round face]]
[[Category:Homages]]
[[Category:Members of the Night's Watch]]
[[Category:Nobles]]
[[Category:Novices of the Citadel]]
[[Category:POV characters]]
[[Category:Stewards of the Night's Watch]]
 
[[es:Samwell Tarly]]
[[fa:سمول تارلی]]
[[fr:Samwell Tarly]]
[[fr:Samwell Tarly]]
[[it:Samwell Tarly]]
[[pt:Samwell Tarly]]
[[ru:Сэмвелл Тарли]]
[[tr:Samwell Tarly]]
[[zh:山姆威尔·塔利]]

Latest revision as of 03:05, 11 August 2026

"Sam" and "Samwell" redirect here. For others with the same or a similar name, see Sam (disambiguation).
Samwell Tarly
the Slayer
Image of Samwell Tarly
Samwell Tarly, by Amok ©
Aliases
Title Novice[5]
Allegiances
Culture Marcher
Born 283 AC[6]
Horn Hill[7]
Father Lord Randyll Tarly
Mother Lady Melessa Florent
Lover Gilly
Books
Played by John Bradley
TV series Game of Thrones:
Season 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Samwell Tarly is the eldest son of Lord Randyll Tarly and his wife, Lady Melessa Florent. A recruit of the Night's Watch originally from House Tarly,[1] he is popularly called Sam. He becomes a POV character in A Storm of Swords.

In the television adaptation Game of Thrones, Samwell is portrayed by John Bradley.[8]

Appearance and Character

[edit]
See also: Images of Samwell Tarly

Samwell is very fat, with dark hair, pale eyes, and a large moon-shaped face.[1] Jon Snow initially estimates Sam to weigh 20 stone (127 kg/280 lbs).[1]

When he arrives at the Wall, Sam wears a fur-trimmed surcoat embroidered with the striding huntsman of House Tarly,[1] and his great wood-and-leather shield also has the Tarly arms. Sam brings with him a padded doublet, boiled leather, mail, plate, and helm, but Ser Alliser Thorne has them replaced with the black equipment of the Night's Watch.[1] Sam later has an enormous black hooded cloak,[9] cap, surcoat, and chainmail hauberk.[10]

Samwell is a timid craven frightened of many things, including high places,[1] prostitutes,[11] and bloodshed.[12][1] He dislikes martial activities, hunting,[13] and the cold,[1] and he is a poor rider.[11] Although he is insecure and awkward, Sam is observant,[14] intelligent, and liked by animals.[13] He is fond of music, songs, and soft velvets,[1] and he loves books and scrolls.[11][12] The youth likes old items,[15] kittens,[1] and dancing, even though he is clumsy.[1] Sam likes to eat,[12] enjoying lemon cakes and blueberry tarts.[1]

History

[edit]

Samwell was the first child of Randyll Tarly, Lord of Horn Hill, and his wife, Melessa Florent. Randyll, regarded as one of the finest military commanders in the Seven Kingdoms, did everything in his power to raise his son into what he deemed a proper heir, but Samwell frustrated him at every opportunity, resisting every effort made to change his nature. A dozen masters-at-arms failed to toughen him. Attempts such as beatings, starving him, dressing him in his mother's clothes and parading him, forcing him to sleep in chainmail, and being bathed in aurochs blood by two Qartheen warlocks failed to raise his valor. He even wept to see a chicken slaughtered.[1] When Lord Tarly had Sam thrown into Horn Hill's pond to teach his son to swim, Ser Hyle Hunt had to rescue the boy.[16]

Randyll insisted that young Sam attend him while holding court at Horn Hill, and he brought Sam to Highgarden during a visit to see Lord Mace Tyrell.[13] When he was ten,[7] Sam accompanied his father on a trip to the Arbor, but the Redwyne twins Horas and Hobber bullied him and Lord Randyll brought him back home. Sam's mother revealed to him that Randyll had meant for Samwell to remain at the Arbor, to serve as Lord Paxter Redwyne's page and squire. Had Sam pleased Paxter, he would have been betrothed to his daughter, Desmera.[16]

After Lady Melessa bore her husband three girls in three consecutive years, Samwell's brother Dickon was born.[1] When Sam and his mother sang "The Song of the Seven" to the baby, Randyll reprimanded his wife and his heir.[3] Randyll also forbade Sam from sleeping in the same bed as his sisters.[3] Dickon showed all of the physical vigor that Samwell lacked, and Randyll's attentions turned to raising his more promising younger son to take Sam's place. For a time Sam was left to enjoy his music, food, and other soft pursuits, though Randyll forbade him from traveling to Oldtown to study at the Citadel, horrified at the notion of a member of House Tarly wearing a maester's chain. To discourage the boy, Randyll had Sam chained and manacled to a wall for three days.[12]

When Sam turned fifteen, his father bluntly told him that he was not worthy of their house's ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword, Heartsbane, and that he must join the Night's Watch and renounce his family name so that he would not stand in the way of Dickon's inheritance. Failing that, Randyll promised that Sam would suffer an unfortunate hunting accident on the morrow. Sam chose to take the black.[1]

Recent Events

[edit]

A Game of Thrones

[edit]
Sam by Arden Beckwith © Fantasy Flight Games

Samwell is escorted to the Wall by men provided by his father, Lord Randyll Tarly, and the youth sees snow for the first time while in the barrowlands.[1]

Sam arrives at Castle Black shortly after Jon Snow and is immediately mocked for his size and timid nature. Ser Alliser Thorne, the master-at-arms, joins in the mocking, nicknaming him "Ser Piggy" and doing nothing to prevent the other recruits from bullying Sam and hurting him during their training. Miserable, Sam finds a friend in Jon, with whom he shares his story. Jon takes pity on Sam and, to Alliser's annoyance, takes it upon himself to persuade (and threaten, when necessary) his fellow recruits to stop their abuse.[1]

Samwell is not helped by Alliser's training and remains an incompetent warrior. Because of this, he is initially deemed not ready to take his vows and become a man of the Night's Watch with Jon and his fellow recruits. Jon, fearful of what will happen to Sam once he is no longer able to protect him, persuades Maester Aemon to allow him to join the stewards, convincing him that despite his uselessness as a soldier, Sam's literacy and intelligence may be of great value to the Watch. Aemon agrees, and gives Samwell a position assisting him in the rookery and library at Maester Aemon's tower, displacing Chett.[13] Jon is disappointed at himself being named to the stewards instead of the rangers, but Sam points out that his friend is being groomed for command by serving under Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.[13]

Despite having been born and raised into the Faith of the Seven, Samwell decides to take his Night's Watch vows with Jon at at a weirwood grove in the haunted forest.[13] He is able to impress Lord Commander Mormont by noting some of the odd details of the corpses of Othor and Jafer Flowers. Jon saves Jeor's life when Othor rises as a wight and attacks the Lord Commander.[14]

Sam consoles Jon when they learn about the arrest of Eddard Stark, Jon's father, in King's Landing. When Alliser calls Jon a traitor's bastard in the common hall, Sam places his body between them to stop Jon from stabbing the master-at-arms.[14] Sam informs Jon that his half brother, Robb Stark, has marched south from Winterfell. Lord Commander Mormont gives a repaired Longclaw to Jon as a reward for having saved him from the wight. Sam travels to Mole's Town to purchase garnets for the new pommel of the Valyrian steel sword.[17]

When Jon deserts in the middle of the night to join Robb in the south, Sam unsuccessfully tries to stop his friend from leaving Castle Black. After Jon leaves, Sam informs other mutual friends—Grenn, Pyp, Toad, Halder, and Matthar—who ride off in pursuit. These black brothers convince Jon to return to the Wall and an anxious Sam.[18]

A Clash of Kings

[edit]

In preparation for the great ranging venturing beyond the Wall, Aemon sends Sam into the vaults of Castle Black to search for maps, and the youth spends hours looking at maps, scrolls, and books.[11] Pyp, Halder, and Toad invite Sam to join them when they take Grenn to the Mole's Town brothel, but Sam declines out of fear of the whores.[11]

The apprehensive Sam is placed in charge of the ravens as Lord Commander Mormont's aide for the great ranging.[11] He gains some confidence, teaching the birds a few words and working on maps for Maester Aemon.[9] When the expedition stays a night at Craster's Keep, Sam draws a map for the Lord Commander based on Craster's descriptions of Mance Rayder's whereabouts. Samwell is befriended by Gilly, a pregnant daughter-wife of Craster. Gilly is fearful that if she has a boy, Craster will sacrifice it to the Others. Samwell, unsure of what to do, turns to Jon for help, but there is nothing that Jon can do. [19]

Ghost discovers a cache of dragonglass weapons near the Fist of the First Men and leads Jon to it.[20] Jon gives Sam a cracked warhorn, a spearhead, and a dozen arrowheads from the bundle.[21] Jon gives him a dragonglass dagger as well.[10][7]

A Storm of Swords

[edit]
Samwell facing an Other, by Amok ©

Sam practices his archery while the great ranging remains encamped at the Fist of the First Men. A small group of mutineers led by Chett plot to kill Jeor Mormont and desert, with Chett planning to personally slit Sam's throat for having replaced him as Maester Aemon's steward.[22] Wights begin attacking the Watch's camp, however, and Sam sends ravens to alert Castle Black and the Shadow Tower. When the Watch loses the fight at the Fist, Sam releases the rest of the birds but forgets to include messages with them.[10]

Sam escapes with a group of about fifty survivors led by Jeor Mormont. The march is hard on Sam, but Grenn encourages him not to give up and Small Paul begins carrying the youth. The trio lag behind and become separated from the other survivors. Paul is attacked and killed by an Other, but the weight of his body disarms it as he dies. Samwell, who still carries the dagger given to him by Jon Snow, blindly stabs the Other, which dies instantaneously from the dragonglass blade.

Sam and Grenn rendezvous with the remaining survivors at Craster's Keep. Killing the Other has earned Samwell the nickname "Sam the Slayer", but many members of the Night's Watch use it mockingly as they do not believe Sam's feat. Grenn respects the name, however. Lord Commander Mormont discusses the obsidian weaponry with Sam. Gilly gives birth to a son, and Sam angers Craster by suggesting that the Watch could take Gilly and the child with them.[2]

Violence erupts in the keep, with some Night's Watch men believing that Craster is holding out on the food he provided for the Watch, and others harboring mutinous intentions toward Lord Commander Mormont. After Craster is murdered and Jeor is stabbed during the mutiny at Craster's Keep, Grenn slaps and shouts at Sam in an attempt to rouse the shocked youth. Sam is unresponsive, however, so Grenn and others leave him behind.[2][23] Jeor gives Sam his dying wish, that his son, the exiled Ser Jorah Mormont, join the Watch.[2]

Two of Craster's older wives encourage Sam to flee with Gilly and her child.[2] They make it as far as a village Sam believes to be Whitetree. Sam prays before the village's heart tree and then sings the "The Song of the Seven" to Gilly and her baby in the longhall. A reanimated Small Paul attacks them in the night. Sam fights it off and stabs it with the dragonglass dagger, but the blade shatters on Paul's iron mail. Sam desperately trikes the wight with a piece of charred wood, which catches the dead man's face on fire, destroying it. Sam and Gilly are then beset by at least a score of wights near the weirwood. Hundreds of ravens suddenly attack the wights, however, and a mysterious rider helps the humans escape on his giant elk.[3]

Samwell at the Black Gate, by Kerry Barnett © Fantasy Flight Games

Sam, Gilly, and her son are led back to the Wall by the rider, Coldhands, who has informed them that there will be one in the Nightfort that must be sent to him. Entering the Nightfort through the ruined castle's hidden Black Gate, Samwell encounters Bran Stark, along with Hodor, and Meera and Jojen Reed. Remembering that Bran is Jon Snow's brother, Sam agrees to keep knowledge of Bran's survival a secret. Sam recites the vows of the Night's Watch at the Black Gate, and he leads Bran's party to Coldhands.[24]

After leaving the Nightfort on the south side of the Wall, Sam and Gilly follow a track near Deep Lake and Queensgate. They are joined by Ser Denys Mallister and Bowen Marsh's party, also en route to Castle Black from the Shadow Tower.[25] Sam weeps when he is reunited with Dywen, Giant, and Dolorous Edd. Pypar cheers when he sees Sam, and Grenn gives him a fierce hug. Sam suggests to Jon that Gilly and her son could be sent to live with his family at Horn Hill, lying that the baby was fathered by him. Sam reluctantly does not tell Jon about having met Bran.[25]

In the aftermath of the battle beneath the Wall, Stannis Baratheon and his red priestess, Melisandre, ask Sam about his having killed the Other, and the king tells Sam that he wants to eventually be shown the Black Gate below the Nightfort. The blind Maester Aemon has Sam describe Stannis's sword, Lightbringer, and Sam later admits to Aemon that the blade emits no heat.[26]

Stannis urges the swift election of a new Lord Commander and threatens to name one himself if none can achieve the required two-thirds majority. In the voting, Janos Slynt gains ground on the leading candidates, Cotter Pyke and Denys Mallister. Believing Janos would be a disastrous Lord Commander and inspired by Aemon, Sam approaches Cotter and Denys independently. He lies to each regarding Stannis's intentions to name the other to the office, thus convincing them both to support Jon Snow as a compromise candidate.[26] When a bird emerges from the selection kettle and lands on Jon's shoulder during the next choosing, Sam shouts that it is Mormont's raven; the Night's Watch then enthusiastically choose Jon as the new Lord Commander. Grenn and Pyp tell Jon that Sam was behind Jon's selection, but Sam insists he had nothing to do with the raven.[27]

A Feast for Crows

[edit]
Sam and Gilly on the Cinnamon Wind, by cabepfir ©

Samwell searches the vaults of Castle Black for information about the Others.[12] One of Jon Snow's first acts as Lord Commander is to send Sam south to the Citadel of Oldtown, where he might study to become Maester Aemon's successor. Jon also sends Dareon, whom he appoints as a recruiter for the Night's Watch, as well as Aemon and the infant son of Mance Rayder, so as to deprive Melisandre of the chance to sacrifice them for their king's blood. He also sends Gilly, separating her from her own child, so that she might nurse Rayder's son.[12][16] Maester Aemon falls ill on the voyage, however, and stopping in Braavos they are forced to spend their coin on an inn and a healer. Aemon's condition worsens, though he briefly wakes and wishes to hear the stories of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons that are spreading throughout the city, having the revelation that Daenerys may be the true fulfillment of the prophecy of the prince that was promised.[4]

Samwell urges Dareon to sing at the local taverns to earn money so that they might buy passage on a ship to Oldtown, but Dareon spends most of what he earns on wine and trade from the city's whores. Sam confronts Dareon in a brothel and accuses him of breaking his vows, and Dareon responds with his intention to abandon them and desert the Night's Watch, resulting in a fight whereupon Sam is pulled off Dareon and thrown into a canal. He is pulled out by Xhondo, who heard him speaking of dragons and had seen them in Qarth.[28] Xhondo offers them passage on his ship, the Cinnamon Wind, in exchange for work and for some of the last of their possessions.[4] Dareon remains behind and is eventually killed by Arya Stark.[29]

Maester Aemon dies early in the journey from Braavos to Oldtown, and in mourning for his death Gilly briefly becomes a lover to Samwell. She names Mance's child "Aemon Steelsong" after Maester Aemon,[4] and it is planned that upon landing at Oldtown she will be sent to Sam's childhood home of Horn Hill with the story that her child is a bastard fathered by him.[12]

Samwell continues to the Citadel, where he goes to the Seneschal's Court to speak with the Seneschal. Sam is forced to wait a long while before he will be admitted. When his patience starts to run thin, he is approached by the acolyte Alleras, who brings him to Archmaester Marwyn and Leo Tyrell at the Ravenry. Upon hearing Sam's story, Marwyn orders Sam to keep Aemon's prophecies and Daenerys's dragons a secret from the other archmaesters. Marwyn immediately departs the city with the stated intention of going to Daenerys and becoming her maester. Alleras informs Sam that Marwyn's glass candle had anticipated Sam's arrival, and Pate gives Sam a cell near Archmaester Walgrave's chamber.[5]

Quotes by Samwell

[edit]
Samwell by Jroahn ©

Samwell: I've never had a friend before.
Jon: We're not friends. We're brothers.[1]

—Samwell and Jon Snow

Samwell: I'm to assist Maester Aemon with the library and the birds. He needs someone who can read and write letters.
Jon: You'll do well at that.[14]

—Samwell and Jon Snow

Jon: You're more than fond of Gilly, aren't you?
Samwell: Gilly's good. She's good and kind. She ... she made me braver, Jon. Not brave, but ... braver.[25]

—Jon Snow and Samwell

Stannis: You are the one that killed the creature in the snow.
Melisandre: Sam the Slayer.
Samwell: No, my lady. Your Grace. I mean, I am, yes. I'm Samwell Tarly, yes.[26]

—Stannis Baratheon, Melisandre, and Samwell
Sam by Debustee ©

Sam thought of all the trials that he and Gilly suffered, Craster's Keep and the death of the Old Bear, snow and ice and freezing winds, days and days and days of walking, the wights at Whitetree, Coldhands and the tree of ravens, the Wall, the Wall, the Wall, the Black Gate beneath the earth. What had it all been for? No happy choices and no happy endings.[16]

—Samwell's thoughts aboard the Blackbird

The worst isn't done. The worst is just beginning, and there are no happy endings.[16]

—Samwell to Dareon

No matter where he went in this wide world, his fears went with him.[28]

—Samwell's thoughts

Samwell: I am Sam, from Horn Hill. Lord Randyll Tarly's son.
Leo: Truly? I suppose you are. Your father told us all that you were dead. Or was it only that he wished you were? Are you still a craven?
Samwell: No. I went beyond the Wall and fought in battles. They call me Sam the Slayer.[5]

—Samwell and Leo Tyrell

Quotes about Samwell

[edit]
John Bradley as Samwell in Game of Thrones.

Nobody likes cravens. I wish we hadn't helped him. What if they think we're craven too?[1]

—Grenn to Pypar

The world was full of cravens who pretended to be heroes; it took a queer sort of courage to admit to cowardice as Samwell Tarly had.[1]

—Jon Snow's thoughts

It was Ghost who knew what to do. Silent as shadow, the pale direwolf moved closer and began to lick the warm tears off Samwell Tarly's face. The fat boy cried out, startled .. and somehow, in a heartbeat, his sobs turned to laughter.[1]

—Jon Snow's thoughts

You're fat but you're not stupid, boy. You did well back there.[14]

—Jeor Mormont to Samwell

Tarly, when I was a lad half your age, my lady mother told me that if I stood about with my mouth open, a weasel was like to mistake it for his lair and run down my throat. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, beware of weasels.[11]

—Jeor Mormont to Samwell

I don't care if you're so scared you foul your breeches, and I don't care if a thousand wildlings are coming over the walls howling for your blood, you get those birds off, or I swear I'll hunt you through all seven hells and make you damn sorry that you didn't.[10]

—Jeor Mormont to Samwell

You have no father. Only brothers. Only us. Your life belongs to the Night's Watch, so go and stuff your smallclothes into a sack, along with anything else you care to take to Oldtown. You leave an hour before sunrise. And here's another order. From this day forth, you will not call yourself a craven. You've faced more things this past year than most men face in a lifetime. You can face the Citadel, but you'll face it as a Sworn Brother of the Night's Watch. I can't command you to be brave, but I can command you to hide your fears.[12]

—Jon Snow to Samwell

You're a man who appreciates cooking, Slayer. We need more o' your sort.[12]

—Hobb to Samwell

The Citadel is not what it was. They will take anything these days. Dusky dogs and Dornishmen, pig boys, cripples, cretins, and now a black-clad whale. And here I thought leviathans were grey.[5]

—Leo Tyrell to Alleras

Family

[edit]
 
 
 
 
Randyll
 
Melessa
Florent
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Samwell
 
Talla
 
Two
daughters
 
Dickon
 
Eleanor
Mooton
 
 


Behind the Scenes

[edit]

Samwell Tarly is apparently inspired by Samwise Gamgee, a character from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.[30]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 26, Jon IV.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 33, Samwell II.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 46, Samwell III.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 35, Samwell IV.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 45, Samwell V.
  6. ↑ See the Samwell Tarly calculation.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Samwell Tarly.
  8. ↑ HBO.com: Game of Thrones Cast & Characters
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 13, Jon II.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 18, Samwell I.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon I.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 5, Samwell I.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 48, Jon VI.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 52, Jon VII.
  15. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 43, Arya VIII.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 15, Samwell II.
  17. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 60, Jon VIII.
  18. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 70, Jon IX.
  19. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 23, Jon III.
  20. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 34, Jon IV.
  21. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 43, Jon V.
  22. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Prologue.
  23. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 48, Jon VI.
  24. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 56, Bran IV.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 75, Samwell IV.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 78, Samwell V.
  27. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 79, Jon XII.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 26, Samwell III.
  29. ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 34, Cat Of The Canals.
  30. ↑ So Spake Martin: Many Questions, June 13, 2001
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