Podrick Payne has to be one of the luckiest characters on Game of Thrones -- not only because he's still alive as the series heads into Season 6 (a rare feat these days), but because he's had two of the best mentors in Westeros.
Samwell Tarly has changed a lot since the early days of Game of Thrones, and according to actor John Bradley, there's only one thing that could cause him to backslide again: the loss of his best friend and Lord Commander, Jon Snow (Kit Harington).