Samwell Tarly

Samwell Tarly is a character in Game of Thrones. He is played by John Bradley-West and will first appear in the first season.

Samwell Tarly is the oldest son and former heir of Lord Randyll Tarlyof Horn Hill. He is popularly called 'Sam', and disparagingly as 'Ser Piggy.' He is a large boy who, though having grown up in a comfortable setting, was consistently abused by his father, his instructors and his peers. His father, ashamed of him, forced Samwell to take the black under threat of death.

Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things
Samwell Tarly arrives at Castle Black. Ser Alliser Thorneidentifies him as a soft, pampered lordling and has the other recruits attack him harshly. Jon Snowdefends Samwell, to Alliser's annoyance. Samwell tells Jon that he is craven, and about how his father told him to come to the Wallor face a 'hunting accident'. Jon convinces the other recruits to go easy on Sam, even using Ghost to intimidate Rast into doing so.

Thorne, furious at Jon's actions, confronts him and Sam and tells him of the harsh conditions that exist beyond the Wall and how men are driven to do terrible things to survive out there, especially in winter. He tells them that by avoiding the harsh discipline of the Night's Watch, they are condemning themselves to death.

You Win or You Die
The trainees become men of the Night's Watch and Samwell is assigned to the stewards, specifically to the service of Maester Aemon. When Jon complains about his appointment as a steward to Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, Sam points out that Mormont could be grooming him for command. Sam, feeling that his own gods have abandoned him, elects to say his oath to the Watch before a heart tree like Jon. After the ceremony, they are surprised when Ghost arrives, carrying a dead hand in his mouth.

The Pointy End
Some time later, two dead guardsman are recovered from beyond the Wall. Sam notes that there is no smell of rotten flesh on them. The Lord Commander orders the bodies examined, and tells Sam that he may be a coward, but certainly not stupid.

After Jon Snow and the Lord Commander are attacked by one of the dead, who has risen as a wight, Sam and others watch the two corpses being burned. Sam tells the others that, according to an old book he read, the reviving of the dead can only be achieved by the touch of the White Walkers, who sleep for thousands of years beneath the ice. When the others ask what will happen when they wake up, he only says that he hopes the Wall is high enough.

Fire and Blood
Samwell tries, unsuccessfully, to stop Jon leaving the wall. He then purses him with Pyp and Grenn. He resites his vows and brings Jon back.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Tarly is a loyal vassal of House Tyrell. Lord Randyll is a famous general, probably the best battlefield commander in the Seven Kingdoms, with a string of significant military victories to his name. During Robert's Rebellion he defeated Robert Baratheon at the Battle of Ashford, despite having inferior numbers. He also had a senior role in Lord Mace Tyrell's long siege of Storm's End.

Lord Randyll is a stern, fierce taskmaster and disciplinarian who holds martial valor and military skill above all other attributes. His eldest son Sam is soft, kindhearted, bookish and fat, enjoying music and reading over fighting and war, although his younger son Dickon shows much more military promise. Furious with Sam's lack of military potential, Ser Randyll sends him packing to join the Night's Watch on the Wall, making Dickon heir in Sam's place.