8 Game Of Thrones Moments That Are So Much Better In The Book

2. Sam Tarly Kills A White Walker In Front Of Members Of The Night's Watch

Oh, Sam. It seems you're forever destined to be beaten and downtrodden. Throughout the show and books, Sam is seen as a laughing stock by the other members of the Night's Watch, useless at both combat and being courageous. One of the first major acts of skill and bravery committed by Sam, then, happens when he manages to kill a White Walker. In the show, this encounter is incredibly secluded, witnessed only by Gilly (and versus a Walker that has its back turned to Sam and is on foot). For this reason, most of the Night's Watch don't believe poor old Sam, and continue to treat him with as little respect as before. In the book, however, the scene is completely different. For a start, there are witnesses. Sam, Grenn and Small Paul fall slightly behind several other members of the Night's Watch. Though Small Paul is killed (proving Sam to be a more proficient fighter than someone, no easy task) Sam manages to stab a White Walker that's riding an undead horse and kill it. This is seen by Grenn, who manages to convince the others of the truth of what happened. Sure, there's no Gilly involved, but it's a huge piece of character development for Sam, as he manages to astound those who have spent so long making fun of him for his incompetence.