Samwell Tarly

Samwell 'Sam' Tarly is the maester of the Night's Watch. He is the eldest son of Lord Randyll and Lady Melessa Tarly of Hornhill, the father of Jon Tarly and adoptive father of Samwell Tarly II, and the husband of Gilly Tarly. Having been forced to disinherit his family lineage by Lord Randyll, Sam joined the Night's Watch and became the closest friend of Jon Snow. He witnessed the wight invasion of the Land of Always Winter and slayed a White Walker. After returning to the Wall with Gilly, he was later sent to the Citadel to train as the Watch's maester. Here, he became a noted advocate for the White Walker threat and was a close ally to Brandon Stark, helping him accrue the knowledge needed to defeat the Army of the Dead during the Second Long Night.

Characterisation
After arriving at the Citadel to begin his studies, Sam is initially wowed by his surroundings but quickly becomes frustrated by the widespread scepticism and disdain for his warnings about the Army of the Dead, including from the maesters. He is also faced with an overwhelming dilemma; whether to fulfil his duty to the Night's Watch and the Citadel by committing himself to them, or whether to abandon these traditions and commit himself to Gilly and his new de facto family. After initially trying to balance the two, it is only after throwing himself fully into advocacy for his Night's Watch brothers that he begins to make headway at the Citadel, in the process learning his duty to guard against the greatest threat to life in Westeros must compel him to abandon the life of dreams that he had previously been leading. These sacrifices are ultimately rewarded when the large societal changes after the Second Long Night result his reconciliation and marriage to Gilly, his adoption of Little Sam and his fathering of his own son, Jon Tarly.

Season Seven
At the Citadel, Sam goes through his paces as an acolyte Maester, mostly through menial tasks like returning books in the library, cleaning up the facilities to an absurd degree and transcribing old and mundane texts for posterity. We also seem him in classes on a range of subjects like history, words and science. In the latter class, he is taught by Maester Severyn. They have a short and curt argument in front of the class on the subject of the real and the magical. Sam suggests that the extent of Severyn's knowledge and expertise stops at the Wall.

Severyn angrily dismisses Sam as superstitious and more concerned with stories than with truth.

“Everything that exists,” he says, “can be explained within our understanding of the world, even if that means adjusting that understanding. The world never changes.”

Sam is cowed and embarrassed.

That night he eats dinner with Gilly and complains about his day. Gilly in turn complains that she and Little Sam have little to do but sit and wait for him. She is an outsider here, and does not feel welcome. Sam insists that he'll make a home for them all soon, once he has his purpose. Gilly points out that she doesn't have a purpose herself. Sam is troubled by this.

The next day, he speaks with Archmaester Perestan – historian and chronicler – and asks if there's a role Gilly can fulfil in the Citadel. Perestan is distracted and snaps at Sam, but quickly apologises and admits that he's troubled by events elsewhere. As a chronicler, he is supposed to make sense of events in the world, but he can't with such madness abound. Sam agrees, and tells him about his experiences. This includes beyond the wall and slaying a White Walker. Perestan is more amused than shocked, and says he's read about all of this before. He then notes that if such stories are to be believed, Dragonstone is the seat of all real power in Westeros. Sam blinks, as if struck by deja vu, and asks Perestan to explain. Perestan says that Dragonstone has a cache of dragonglass, and that by Sam's word the dead are rising and dragonglass stops them.

“What ends the greatest threat,” he says, “is of the greatest value.”

Sam swallows and then politely asks if he might be allowed to send a letter. (7.1, Behind the Wall)

A harbour walk in Oldtown. Little Sam is walking now, and holds Sam's hand as they and Gilly take their slow stroll. It's a fine day and the sun is out in full. They're talking about brothers and sisters. Sam notes that as much as Dickon is kind and occasionally inspirational, he was never especially good to confide in. Talla is much easier to talk to in this respect. Gilly says that her sisters were her strength growing up.

“If it weren't for them, I'd have wished I was born a boy after all.”

Sam notes that her brothers are all now White Walkers, but visibly regrets this immediately. Gilly doesn't appear to notice. She instead wonders aloud whether Little Sam will have brothers or sisters. After a worried pause, Sam smiles and says he hopes both.

Later on, we see Sam continuing the grind of his education. After one of the classes, Sam talks with his fellow acolytes. They discuss the fields they are likely to go in. Both Sam and Pate agree on alchemy. Pate asks Sam about his previous argument with Maester Severyn. Sam talks more about his experiences, and how he used to think the world was a certain way, only to be shown something else. Pate is excited by this and says that he hopes he gets to see magic himself.

The acolytes leave the Citadel at the end of the day, and most of them are going to a tavern. Sam does not, however. He's a kept man, Pate laughs.

Sam continues his classes, though he is clearly distracted. A maester interrupts one such seminar to summon Sam. He is brought to the office of Archmaester Marwyn. Ebrose is present. Marwyn has another message from the Wall, and quizzes Sam on the situation there. Sam is impassioned in his report of the White Walker threat, but the Marwyn is unmoved. There is simply no proof. Afterwards, Ebrose walks with Sam and talks to him. He is more agreeable than Marwyn, but admits that evidence is everything at the Citadel. Even a thousand testimonies could be dismissed. Sam mockingly suggests sending for a walking corpse, and Ebrose admits that it might take such a measure. Afterwards, Sam returns to the rookery with another request. (7.3, The Marches)

A message from Dolorous Edd arrives at the Citadel, and is read by Archmaester Perestan. As he collects books from Perestan's desk, Sam sneaks a look over his shoulder at the scroll and his eyes widen in panic.

Oldtown. It's the end of another day, and the sun sets on the coastal town. The Citadel casts a thick and long shadow like a sundial. Sam leaves the building with his fellow novices, including Pate. They ask if he wants to join them. He looks ready to answer in the affirmative, but looks up and sees Gilly and Little Sam waiting for him. She is upset. He makes his excuses and hurries off. They meet and Little Sam hugs Big Sam's leg. Sam tries to greet Gilly, but she glares at him.

Oldtown. Gilly and Little Sam take a walk down by the harbour, taking in the early morning sun. Sam stands watching them from the door to their home, pained and hands clenching, unable to follow but desperate too. Then he sighs and walks to the Citadel. He's approaching the doors when Pate appears from them, carrying a sack over his shoulder. He makes to walk past Sam at a canter without looking, until Sam calls on him. Pate turns calmly and smiles. His demeanour is different and there's no real recognition there.

“You alright?” Sam asks, “it's not like you do be in so early.”

“I woke up and decided that I wanted to see the sun rise, from as high as I could. Have a fine day.”

Pate walks away, and Sam watches him bemused, but then visibly shrugs it off as he returns to his grumpy state. (7.4, Castle Black)

The Citadel. Sam goes about his usual day of study, though he's notably downcast and distracted still. During one of his classes, he is quiet and this is noted by Archmaester Perestan. Once this session ends, he hurries off. His fellow novices note his behaviour, and then they ask each other whether anyone has seen Pate.

We follow Sam, who goes across a wooden drawbridge from the main building to the ancient Isle of Ravens. Outside the rookery is a large garden. The very many plants and flowers blooming from a series of simple yet ingenious watering mechanisms and refracted sunlight through large panes of glass on the outer walls. Sam is dazzled by this improvised greenhouse and wanders through it. Archmaester Walgrave notices him and follows.

Sam comes to a large space outside the rookery. A weirwood tree sits there, its red leaves lush and its branches long and twisting. Ravens perch sleeping along it. He stares at it for a long time, until Walgrave comes to him.

“Most people have never seen one,” he remarks, giving Sam a shock. “There was supposed to have been one in Dorne once, but nobody seems capable of finding proof. They say none survive south of the Neck now, that all of them are in the North and beyond. I knew a man once who said the Crannogmen have one, but that's a song at best. Winterfell might have the southernmost survivor beyond this one. But they've left a footprints with their seeds and leaves. They were everywhere once, until we killed them one by one.”

Sam suggests that they met the same fate as the Children of the Forest, and Walgrave agrees. But, he says, he could stand talking about ancient history until the point because just that. He asks Sam why he's there, and Sam says he's looking for a rare and beautiful flower for research purposes. Walgrave is amused, but agrees to help. They talk about his botanical collection, about where everything comes from. All over, from Dornish sandflowers to Vale mountain lillies. Very little from the North, however.

Sam asks why. Walgrave is puzzled at the thought. He says that many maesters have tried to decipher this little mystery; the plants and flowers and trees of Westeros indicate millenia after millenia of growth and development. The North does not, and seems to be younger than the rest of the nation by a significant amount of time. “Perhaps they simply do not want to grow there,” Walgrave says. They get back to the point and find a glowing orange flower that requires almost constant watering, but is luminescent at night like a candle. Sam says it's perfect.

That evening, Sam returns to his digs. Clearly Gilly and Little Sam have not come to see him, and he looks nervous. He sits and tries to read books while waiting, but grows restless and impatient. Eventually Gilly returns, with Little Sam, who is delighted to see him. Gilly is less so. Little Sam takes the flower to be a gift for him and, when a glance confirms that Gilly is not pleased by it, Sam confirms that it is. He tells Little Sam he can look after it but has to water it very often to keep its light. After a brief chat, Little Sam is sent away to his room.

Sam tries to talk to Gilly, but she resists this. Initially it looks like he's going to keep his distance, but then he snaps. He knows that it's difficult with him being away all day and her having to balance Little Sam and her new occupation, but he doesn't have a choice. Punishing him only makes things worse. Gilly counters that she isn't angry because Sam's away all day; she's angry because he's dragging her along where she doesn't belong, from the Wall to Hornhill to the Citadel. Worse still, he's a brother of the Night's Watch and training to be a Maester, positions which must be held by chaste men. They can never marry and any children they have must be bastards like Little Sam and all his brothers sacrificed to the winter. Sam has spent so long now simply living out all the dreams he never thought he could that he hasn't stopped to ask if they can all work together. He isn't a soldier, he isn't a freeman, he isn't a lord. He can't have it all. So he has to choose.

Sam is stung by this, stunned, and rather weakly says that he can't decide. He loves Gilly and wants brothers and sisters for Little Sam, but also that it's his duty to the Night's Watch. He has to help them how he can, which is to study and learn how to defeat the army of the dead.

“So you won't choose then?” Gilly asks.

Sam stands silent, so she walks through to her son. He numbly walks out of their tiny dwelling and out into the street and looks up at the Citadel. A lone torch burns in a high window. (7.6, Home)

The acolytes are shocked to hear about Pate's mysterious death, reported as being of “natural causes.” One of the maesters note that even young bodies can sometimes surrender having appeared fully functioning until the final moments. Sam mentions that Pate was behaving strangely the last time they crossed paths. One of the other students teases him, suggesting that Pate had been turned by a White Walker. Sam is not amused by this, and launches into a filibuster about the White Walker threat and the scores of Night's Watch and wildlings who have already died. When he sees how unconvinced or unimpressed the other students are, he storms off. He goes to Ebrose in some state, and the maester has to talk him down before he can speak clearly. He is anxious and ridden with guilt and doubt about his fellow crows, and feels he's in the perfect position to help them yet is doing nothing. He needs advice. Ebrose repeats his previous suggestion, that Sam provide usable evidence to convince the archmaesters. Sam appears resolved.

We see him crafting messages on scrolls, which he then brings to the rookery. Then he writes reports of his own, detailed descriptions including the battle at the Fist of the First Men, the various occurrences building up to this showdown, and even his own encounter with a White Walker. He finally sneaks into older sections of the library, even climbing with little nimble skill on to different levels to avoid locked doors. We see the titles of these very ancient texts, including histories of the Andals and songs about the Children of the Forest. Sam finds books about the Long Night, life North of the Wall and climate cycles in Westeros. (7.8, The Dragon and the Wolf)

An exhausted Sam struggles to stay awake during of his classes. Afterwards, he heads back to the library but is stopped by a fellow student, Sarella. They talk. Sam is clearly avoiding his home life, but is more motivated to prove the truth of the White Walker threat with his dossier. He explains his rationale to a bemused Sarella: if he can convince the archmaesters of the threat, they will inform the maesters of every house and shift the narrative. The most trusted advisers to the noblest families up and down Westeros will be counselling their charges that the threat is real. People will gradually begin to believe it, and as they do, they will finally start to help the Night's Watch.

There is a stunned silence, and Sam makes to walk away, but Sarella admits that she believes him. His confidence is clearly boosted by this. But she advises that he goes home. He is somewhat deflated, but she explains to him that he is of no use to anyone if he is exhausted, troubled or distracted. “You must win your battles at home before you can hope to win them afar.”

Sam concedes, and rather than going to the library, he leaves the Citadel.

He goes back to his lodgings, to Gilly. He says that he is sorry, that he knows he didn't properly think about where she was supposed to fit into his life, and that he always just hoped that things would fall into place for them. But the Night's Watch have their vows, the maesters have their vows, and Westerosi society is such that Sam's only way to be useful are down those paths. He has to be useful now because the White Walkers will kill everyone and everything unless somebody stops them, and now Sam is in a position to help. He loves Gilly, he loves Little Sam, but that's all he knows and all he can say.

Gilly considers this calmly. Then she explains that for a long time, she was happy just to accompany Sam out of Craster's Keep, out of the Land of Always Winter, past the Wall and beyond. If Sam hadn't taken her, she'd be dead and her son would be dead. But she's no longer a scared and helpless wife, she has responsibilities and a place in life, and cannot just hide away in lodgings and be Sam's dirty secret. She understands what he has to do, but she won't be with him unless they can be openly together, and to seven hells with the traditions of the land. Sam is, again, left speechless.

The next day, Sam sits outside of the chambers of the archmaesters with a collection of scrolls and parchments, melancholy and lost in thought. He is startled out of this state by Perestan leaving the chambers. He approaches Sam and, with a heavy demeanour, shakes his head. Sam is clearly hurt by this, and grimaces. “You need to get their attention, Tarly,” Perestan tells him. Sam ponders this, then quietly thanks Perestan before walking away.

Some time later, one of the archmaesters leaves the office, and Sam approaches him and begins lobbying for his cause. He cites the many documents and writings he has which are worth consideration, and begs for a meeting to put a case forward to the archmaesters. The archmaester is startled but doesn't budge, fobbing Sam off. Sam looks annoyed, but then hurries away. We see him harrying other archmaesters in a montage, including Walgrave and Marwyn, waving his scrolls at them and trying to show them statements. Few ever seem to give him more than a few seconds. This takes place over various days, as we see Sam harass at the end of the day, in the early hours, between classes and during appointments. After one of the archmaesters runs away at the very sight of him, Sam pauses. He goes back the writing desks, and we see him scribbling again.

We then see Sam talking not to the archmaesters, but to his fellow acolytes. He hands over pamphlets, containing maps and illustrations, and talks about shocking similarities in statements from Night's Watch brothers or Free Folk to the old descriptions of the White Walkers found in the ancient texts hidden away in the library. He notes the obvious change in temperature which is forcing even the Dornish to add an extra layer to their robes. The Citadel themselves have sent out the white raven, confirming the beginning of winter, and this after a sustained period of reported White Walker activity North of the Wall, as per the legends. The students are more impressed than the maesters, and we see him talking to many, like Sarella and friends in a class, or others in the library, or more in the corridors. Maesters look on with concern. We see one of them seizing a pamphlet from an acolyte. He then marches to the offices of the archmaesters.

The next time we see Sam, he has a sack with more pamphlets. He is the library, passionately discussing the funeral pyres used by the Free Folk, and just how modern a practice this is, specifically motivated by real life threat. He is interrupted by a group of maesters led by Severyn, who approach and tell Sam that he is to cease his harassment of staff and students of the Citadel. “This is a place of knowledge,” Severyn says, “not your fantasies.” Sam laughs in Severyn's face and tells him that, if he's so keen to dismiss what he has to say as fantasy, he should walk to the Wall and take a quick peek over the top. Severyn says he doesn't need to, then states that if Sam does not drop the matter, his studies will be suspended, Sam ejected from the institution and a new student sought from the Night's Watch. Sam ponders this for a moment, then walks to the nearest library overwatch and empties his sack over the side. The pamphlets flutter down like snowflakes over the acolytes, librarians and maesters alike. “I'll march myself out,” Sam tells Severyn. (7.9, Defender of the Vale)

Sam and Gilly are in their lodgings, Sam still suspended from the Citadel. It is night-time, and they lie in the bed together, clearly on better terms than last we saw them, though there is still some tension. “It's a broken system anyway,” Sam says. “If I can't get their help by following their terms, then I'll need to follow my own way. In all things, I suppose.”

“What will you do?” Gilly asks.

“Whatever I have to,” Sam replies.

They are interrupted by a knock at the door, which Sam responds to. It is a messenger from the Citadel, who tells him that he is summoned to attend a meeting with the archmaesters immediately. Gilly is alarmed by the lateness of the call, but Sam shrugs that the Citadel doesn't ever truly sleep despite how hold he is. “Let's get this over with then,” he says.

He goes with the messenger to the Citadel, and is surprised to be admitted into the restricted medical floors of the Old Tower. Having originally walked confidently and sharply, Sam becomes more uncertain and hesitant. The messenger leads him to a large metal door guarded by armed troops, and tells Sam to go through. Sam does so, nervously.

On the other side, a group of maesters wait for him in an examination room, Ebrose, Perestan, Marywn, Walgrave and the other archmaesters among them. As the group parts, Sam sees what they have all come to observe. The decayed wight captured by Bran's eagle is chained tightly to a bed, closely watched by more soldiers. Sam stares at the creature, then a grim smile passes his lips.

“Imagine our surprise,” Marywn says, “when your own brothers appeared to show us the error of our ways. They even thought to arrive as we discussed exactly how to ensure that you could never be allowed back into these halls again. In fairness, how were we to know? Even after our own witnesses travelled to the Wall and corroborated the reports, what were we to make of this? How could anyone even begin to believe such a thing, even after seeing it themselves?”

“It's not an easy thing,” Sam murmurs.

Ebrose looks at Sam with some pride. The maesters look at him with more respect, but also serious trepidation. There is fear in the room. Marwyn explains that ravens have been dispatched to every house in Westeros – including that which reigns in King's Landing – vouching for the warnings coming from the Night's Watch, and urging that all and sundry immediately take action against the real and dire threat coming from North of the Wall. But, Archmaester Perestan notes, they will require the expertise and reliable testimony of a witness and expert.

“In this day and age,” he says, “there would be appear to be no greater expert than you, Tarly.”

Some time later, by daylight, Gilly walks with Little Sam by the sea in Oldtown. The sky has darkened and the air is clearly colder, the city's inhabitants insulating themselves. Flecks of frost and snow fall gently from the sky. Sam appears, exhausted but smiling, and he approaches Gilly and Little Sam. He explains what happened, and that he has spent hours and hours sharing every last morsel of his knowledge about “White Walkers, wights and creepy crawlies.” They are both elated, Gilly almost crying with grinning pride.

“They believed you,” she says, and Sam nods. “I bet they feel stupid for making you leave now.”

Sam's smile fades away. He heavily tells her that he has been readmitted to the Citadel. It is more important than ever that he study and become a maester, for the benefit of the institution and the Seven Kingdoms as much as for the Watch. He has to, for the sake of everyone.

Gilly is devastated. “You've chosen then,” she says, and a sorrowful Sam nods before looking down. Gilly hands something to him and says “I won't be needing this anymore. I'm so sorry, Sam. I love you so much, I'll always love you for what you've done for me, we both will. But I need some place I belong.”

She turns and walks away with Little Sam, while Sam looks out to sea at the burgeoning sky and begins to weep too. He turns the thimble over in his hand, then looks up at the Old Tower looming over the city skyline. Flocks of ravens are leaving the rookery atop the tower. (7.10, Lord of Light)