I firmly believe that not Jon Snow but this underrated character was the real hero of Game of Thrones

If I look back on Game of Thrones, I find myself wondering at the widespread adoration of Jon Snow. Sure, he was courageous, upright, and unequivocally at the heart of the story. He commanded the Night's Watch, brought the North together, and even died and resurrected—impressive, I'll grant that. But if I actually think about who drove the wheel forward quietly, persistently, and unselfishly, I don't see Jon holding Longclaw. I envision Samwell Tarly clutching a book, discovering truth after truth, and altering the course of history, never once drawing a sword.

I truly think Sam was the true hero of Game of Thrones, and I say that not to belittle Jon Snow but to draw attention to a character who has always been overlooked. He didn't possess a dragon. He didn't command armies. But he lived. He learned. He saved lives. And more than once, he provided others with the means to win battles that he could not fight himself. His courage was not thunder—it was a whisper. And that, to me, is even better than any kind of resurrection.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Game of Thrones. Reader discretion is advised.

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The first person to kill a White Walker in over a thousand years in Game of Thrones

Let's begin with the obvious: I saw Samwell Tarly do something no one else had done in more than a thousand years—kill a White Walker. And he didn't do it in an epic fight with war whoops and movie camera angles. He did it in the snow, terrified, with Gilly and her baby in the background, and only a shard of dragonglass to his name.

Yet he held his ground. While we were all fixated on who was going to kill the Night King (and yes, Arya amazingly killed him), we forget sometimes that Sam was the one who initially established that White Walkers could actually be killed in the first place. I recall seeing that scene and understanding that he wasn't merely fortunate—he was significant.

His reflex to hold onto that dragonglass knife, his capacity to respond in the midst of a flurry of activities, and the mere fact that he survived to report it changed the course of the war with the dead. That deed wasn't simply courageous; it was monumental. And yet Sam's name seems hardly mentioned when we discuss the "heroes" of the North.

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He uncovered what Jon Snow couldn't: Secrets hidden in books of Game of Thrones

I have always thought it a bit funny that while Jon Snow was touted as the one who "knew nothing," the person who actually knew everything was Sam. When Sam got into the Citadel, he had unlimited access to old scrolls and records—something no lord or warrior had ever enjoyed. He discovered dragonglass at Dragonstone and handed it straightaway to Jon in Game of Thrones.

That alone enabled Daenerys and her forces to mine weapons powerful enough to battle the dead. And what came next was even more remarkable: Sam pieced together Rhaegar and Lyanna's marriage, which utterly transformed Jon's identity. This wasn't a rumor—it was the secret to knowing the Targaryen-Stark bloodline and rearranging political allegiances.

Without Sam, Jon would've still thought he was a bastard with no right. The irony? Jon didn't discover who he was by staring into a mirror or learning it from Bran alone—it was Sam who did the legwork.

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Compassion in a cruel world: Sam's actions were humane in Game of Thrones

Something that caught my eye throughout the series was how Sam was able to remain kind in a world that frequently punished kindness. He saved Gilly and her son from Craster's Keep, putting his life on the line to do so. He cured Ser Jorah Mormont of greyscale when everyone else was afraid to attempt it. That wasn't a tactical decision. That was heart.

I believe what makes Sam so special is that he never required power to do what was right. He did what was right out of conscience, not convenience. Even when the Citadel ridiculed him or his father cast him out, he remained loyal to what he felt was right. That kind of courage, the kind that doesn't involve armor or titles, rings a lot more true to me.

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A scholar, a survivor, a symbol of change in Game of Thrones

Samwell Tarly didn't only survive eight seasons of Game of Thrones—he grew. He started as the guy everyone made jokes at. He was deemed a joke, a coward. But gradually, he became the guy people looked up to for guidance. His fate transitioned from shame for reading to accolades for it. In a series so fixated on legacies, swords, and thrones, Sam showed that learning was as powerful as brutality.

And let's be honest—when Westeros finally set about constructing a new system of leadership after Daenerys's failure, who was there? Sam. As Grand Master. Not a king, not a knight, but a scholarly man who embodied the possibility of growth, of reason, of even peace. He didn't have to sit on the Iron Throne—he sat at the council table where actual change occurs.

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Why I’ll always call him the true hero of Game of Thrones

Heroism isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s in the quiet persistence of a man who refuses to give up on what’s right. That’s what Samwell Tarly showed me. He was never chosen by prophecy. No one ever wrote songs about him. But he killed the first White Walker, uncovered life-saving secrets, defied cruelty with compassion, and outlived almost every warrior on the show.

In the world of Game of Thrones, where fire and blood often ruled, Sam brought light, logic, and loyalty. I’m not saying Jon Snow didn’t matter—he did. But if we’re talking about who actually carried the realm forward with integrity, intelligence, and invisible courage, then Samwell Tarly is my answer. No dragons required.

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