‘Game of Thrones’ Season 1 Moment May Allude to Sam’s Death

Could Game of Thrones go down a similar path as Harry Potter and give one of the “bumbling” supporting characters a moment of high glory? Another fan theory about the path of Sam Tarly in the series wants to do just that heading into the show’s final season.

If you’re still reading, you’re open to any and all Game of Thrones talk and likely feel like Sam’s story needs something major to bring it to a close before the finale. That said, six episodes do not leave much room and it might have to be very big to provide the impact.

That’s where this theory comes into play, even if it is may spell doom for the character in the end.

Spoilers ahead for Game of Thrones season 8.

So the running idea is Sam Tarly is set up to bring down the Night King before the final episode. It’s a theory from user WowBaBao on Reddit that has a lot of parallels with an idea from the Harry Potter franchise where Neville Longbottom is the actual child of prophecy and not the titular character we’ve followed for seven books.

But the theory in reference to Game of Thrones does have some foreshadowing courtesy of prior seasons and prior characters of Westeros lore. It goes back to Robert Baratheon talking about his first kill of the rebellion that brought him to the throne.

“‘Mine was some Tarly boy at the battle of Summerhall,’ Robert says. ‘My horse took an arrow, so I was on foot, slogging through the mud. He came running at me, this dumb high-born lad, thinking he could end the rebellion with a single swing of his sword.’”

It doesn’t go well for that Tarly, but the theory goes on to say that Sam Tarly is not cut from the same cloth of his relative and might not be killed by a king on the battlefield.

As it goes on to lay out, we’ve met Sam as a coward and shamed member of his family from the start. He has cowered in fear of the White Walkers early on, only slowly building up his knowledge and courage throughout the series. He’s a survivor and he’s ready for the endgame, with possible major consequences for the final story in the series.

“Fast forward to Sam taking his fathers sword and then forward again to when Sam is in old town talking to Gilly right before they leave: ‘Are you sure you want to do this? You’ve always wanted to be a maester.” In which Sam replies, “I’m tired of reading about the achievements of better men,’” the post on Reddit reads.”I propose that all these scenes are foreshadowing Sam dealing the final blow to the Night King, finally being the man his father wanted him to be. He will do this wielding Heartsbane.”

Heartsbane is one of the few remaining Valyrian steel weapons in Westeros, one of the few weapons that can kill the White Walkers without shattering. If anything, we’re set up for Sam to join the battle and actually do some fighting.

Will Sam become Azor Ahai, as the theory presents? That’s hard to say. Thousands of words have been written about Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen becoming the mythical hero, but no one has said Tarly could be on the list. It is unlikely.

Instead, it is probable that Sam shows his heroism in other ways, possibly dying in the massive battle at Winterfell while trying to end the war with the White Walkers by striking down the Night King. He’s killed a White Walker in the past and will likely have to thrust himself into battle again.

The big difference from the theory on Reddit is that Tarly is likely destined to fail, like his relative, but earn the honor he’s spent the entire season searching for on his journey.

No matter what, Sam didn’t take his family’s sword just to look at it. Its status immediately puts it in the thick of the action this final season. Just don’t expect to see him become the main hero. Fans would likely lose their minds.

Game of Thrones season 8 premieres Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.