Samwell Tarly (a POV character) is the elder son of Lord Randyll Tarly. Fat, timid, and unsure of himself, he is nonetheless intelligent and thoughtful. He is a Brother of the Night's Watch. Initially bullied by the other recruits and taunted by the trainer, Ser Alliser Thorne, for his cowardice, Sam was then befriended by Jon Snow, who was instrumental in having Sam made Maester Aemon's steward. While beyond The Wall with the Lord Commander Mormont, Sam slew an Other, discovering their susceptibility to obsidian, for which he was nicknamed "Sam the Slayer."

He was instrumental in the selection of Jon Snow as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, cleverly manipulating the other candidates for the Lord Commander's post so that they all supported Jon Snow. At Jon's command, Sam traveled to the Citadel, with Maester Aemon and the wildling Gilly, to train as a maester. At sea, he began a relationship with Gilly, but was ashamed as a brother of the Night's Watch must never marry and have children. He planned to take Gilly and her son to his father's seat at Horn Hill where she and the baby would be safe. At Maester Aemon's command, he tried to get a maester sent to Daenerys Targaryen; upon hearing Sam's tale, Archmaester Marwyn (derisively called the Mage by his peers) set off to find her. Sam agreed to stay at the Citadel and train to be a maester, after which he intends to return to the Wall.

From "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R R Martin