These are the characters you need to know before 'Game of Thrones' season 7

So many characters died in season six of "Game of Thrones," while so many others were seemingly discarded in a form of exile: Daario, to run the city of Meereen; Melisandre, ordered to go south; Benjen, who can't cross the Wall. As we head into season seven, this is understandable — the ever-sprawling show needs to trim down to the essentials and focus on the endgame. Still, we might get a few new characters, or spend a little more time with some folks we've just started to get to know. Here are a few of them:

At the Citadel

Sam's gone off to Maester U, and a lot of what he needs to learn will come from other people. Sam could meet other novices, including Leo Tyrell, one of the Tyrell cousins, whose character might be changed somewhat given how much of his family was just wiped out. In the books, Leo is nicknamed "Lazy Leo," acts like a spoiled brat, and is generally disliked by his fellow students. Alleras, who is nicknamed the Sphinx, is much more likable, if more mysterious, and could take an interest in Sam's arrival. (Alleras might also be a woman passing as a man, given the Citadel's gender-discrimination policies — the prevailing theory is that he/she is actually Sarella Sand, Oberyn's daughter.) One of the other novices who might greet Sam could be Pate, who starts off a little down on his luck and desperate for money. Without giving too much away, let's just say his desperation could turn him into someone dangerous. But perhaps the most crucial character Sam could meet at the Citadel is an against-the-grain maester named Marwyn, who is the equivalent of the cranky professor who drinks with his students during office hours and tells them the way the world really works. In this case, that involves the magical underpinnings of Westeros. Prepare to have your mind blown, Sam.

The Tarlys

Don't tell us Sam Tarly went all the way home to Horn Hill, and we'll never see any of the other Tarlys again? Not if Randyll Tarly is worth his mettle. The son he disinherited just stole his ancestral sword — his priceless, spell-forged, impossible-to-replace sword. Surely he's going to want that back? That is, of course, if he's not preoccupied with his primary function as a seasoned battle commander. The Tarlys are sworn to the Tyrells, so it's possible he'll join Olenna Tyrell (and any other surviving Tyrells) as part of Team Dany. Or perhaps he'll be called upon to defend nearby Oldtown, should it come under siege. In the meantime, as Dany hunts for Westeros's most eligible bachelors, Randyll could offer up his son Rickon (played by Freddie Stroma, a.k.a. suitor Adam Cromwell on the first season of "UnREAL," so he's got some experience in that department).

Euron Greyjoy

Making a thousand ships takes time, but once he has his fleet, Euron is going to make up for lost time. The show could give him his book plot, which means he might start raiding the coasts of Westeros, causing trouble for Cersei Lannister (unless she makes him an ally).