Portrayed by John Bradley

Status: Alive

Age: 25 (in his final season)

Date of Birth : 280 AC

Origin: Horn Hill

Episode Appearances: 48

First Seen: ‘Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things’

Last Seen: ‘The Iron Throne’

BACKGROUND

Samwell Tarly is the oldest son and former heir of Lord Randyll Tarly, the head of House Tarly and Lord of Horn Hill. House Tarly is a noble house from the southern region of the Reach and formerly a vassal who swore fealty to House Tyrell of Highgarden. House Tarly’s stronghold is the castle known as Horn Hill. They have a militarist tradition and possess a Valyrian steel sword named Heartsbane. The Tarly sigil is a striding huntsman, red on green. Their house words are "First in Battle."

By rights, Samwell would have grown up to be one of the top ranking lords of the Seven Kingdoms. However, his father Randyll Tarly is one of the most skilled military commanders in Westeros, and hoped for a son who would carry on his legacy and lead House Tarly into battle. Much to Lord Tarly's dismay, his firstborn turned out to be an overweight, scholarly-minded boy with no thirst for violence. On the outside, Samwell may appear completely antithetical to the standards of his house, as he is extremely timid, awkward, cowardly, nervous and easily frightened. However, his extreme personal loyalty is one of his best qualities, never considered by his father as evidence of strong leadership. Randyll, ashamed of his son, forced Samwell to take the black under threat of death in order to disinherit him. Had Sam refused to join the Night's Watch, his father bluntly told him that he would arrange a "hunting trip" with his son in the woods, and then kill Sam in such a way that it looked like an accident, though it is unknown if Randyll would really have done this.

The Night's Watch is a military order which holds and guards the Wall to keep the wildlings and the mythical White Walkers from crossing into the Seven Kingdoms. The order is a shadow of its former strength and its meager forces as well as fortresses have been decimated by recent attacks from the wildlings. For the past couple of centuries, the order has been led from the main castle of Castle Black. As Samwell departs for the Wall, he leaves his younger brother  Dickon as heir to House Tarly. Sam is a virgin leaving home, and is a bit despondent about the restriction of the Night’s Watch vows, which forbids him from ever taking a wife in the future.