'Game of Thrones' Season 8: Is the bookish Sam Tarly the Azor Ahai in HBO show?

'Game of Thrones' Season 8: Is the bookish Sam Tarly the Azor Ahai in HBO show?

We've mentioned many candidates for Azor Ahai over our past few articles, but it's only because the Prince that was Promised could be anyone ranging from Robin Arryn to even Cersei Lannister. We see the Red Priestess, Melisandre, use the term "Azor Ahai" and "The Prince that was Promised" interchangeably, and that's the way we'll follow the usage in our article.

With so much mystery surrounding the character, it shouldn't come as a surprise that we've chosen Sam Tarly as our likely candidate as the savior of Westeros.

To get you up to speed, the Azor Ahai was a legendary hero who wielded a burning sword called Lightbringer in order to fight the darkness that was taking over the land.

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The Azor Ahai or The Prince that was Promised was only able to make Lightbringer by forging the sword for 100 straight days and then plunging it into the heart of his loving wife, thereby bringing into being the legendary sword Lightbringer aka The Red Sword of Heroes.

Sam Tarly (John Bradley) figuring out the secrets of Westeros and Essos in 'Game of Thrones'.
(Source: IMDB)
Sam Tarly (John Bradley) figuring out the secrets of Westeros and Essos in 'Game of Thrones'.
(Source: IMDB)

 

We take Sam Tarly as the candidate for the Azor Ahai, just because of his unlikeliness to become one in the show. We all are pretty familiar with George RR Martin's love for underdogs, where seemingly small players (at the beginning of the show) like Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and even Tyrion Lannister were all elevated to positions of power by the end of the show, and Sam Tarly is the king of underdogs at the moment.

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There's a theory going around that Sam isn't actually a Tarly but a Targaryen instead. Sam Tarly was actually born as Aegon Targaryen, who was the son of Rheagar Targaryen and Elia Martell, and most people believed that the baby Aegon died at the hands of The Mountain.

However, we believe that Aegon was actually smuggled out of the city by Varys and the original plan was for Varys to see Sam/Aegon rise to power on the Iron Throne. But as we all know, this didn't happen, and Lord Tarly (Sam's supposedly adoptive father) sent Sam to the Night's Watch in order for his firstborn to inherit his House Sigil.

Gilly (Hannah Murray) and Sam Tarly (John Bradley) running from the White Walkers in 'Game of Thrones'.
(Source: IMDB)
Gilly (Hannah Murray) and Sam Tarly (John Bradley) running from the White Walkers in 'Game of Thrones'.
(Source: IMDB)

 

If this is true, Sam has the same Targaryen blood and connection to Dragonstone that Daenerys has. In addition to the more straightforward prophecy elements that we've been fed, there have been other hints throughout the series that leads us to believe that there's more to Sam than meets the eye.

Sam may not be the bravest, but he's the first person in the show to kill a White Walker and has survived more encounters with them than many others, something which not many can boast about on the show.

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Despite his size and treatment from the other brothers of the Night's Watch, he has proven himself to be a capable warrior. He may not be the best, but he still holds his ground with his new Valyrian steel sword, Heartsbane (one of very few left in Westeros), which is an important element to defeating the White Walkers.

Sam Tarly (John Bradley) contemplating stealing Heartsbane, his family's Valyrian steel sword in 'Game of Thrones.
(Source: IMDB)
Sam Tarly (John Bradley) contemplating stealing Heartsbane, his family's Valyrian steel sword in 'Game of Thrones.
(Source: IMDB)

 

While he's yet to make a sacrifice in order to forge Lightbringer in order to save the Kingdom, he may just plunge his burning sword into the heart of his loving wife Gilly in order to save the kingdom from darkness.

Who do you think will be the next Azor Ahai? Do let us know in the comments below!

'Game of Thrones' will return for the series finale on 14 April only on HBO.



 

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