Sam Temple

Samuel "Sam" Temple is the main protagonist of the Gone Series. After the first poof, Sam becomes the leader until challenged by his twin brother Caine and the Coates students. Sam and Caine fight for power until it becomes clear that the true enemy is the Gaiaphage. Sam moves to Lake Tramonto and helps to defeat Gaia. After the FAYZ, he lives with his girlfriend, Astrid, who he later marries. The two help out the Rockborn Gang in the Monster Trilogy. He was born on November 22nd.

Description
Sam is of medium build (later described as 5'10" by Michael Grant ) with tanned skin, dark brown hair with lighter brown streaks and blue eyes. After the FAYZ it is said that he carries more weight in the shoulders and arms. He is usually a happy-go-lucky surfer but begins to become increasingly stressed, snappy, and responsible as the series continues, although he remains loyal to his friends. When the FAYZ ends he becomes unsure of what to do with his life, after having such a large role in the leadership and combat. He is Astrid Ellison's boyfriend and eventually marries her (between Monster and Villain). He is Caine Soren's fraternal twin brother, and the son of Constance Temple and Taegan Smith.

Power and abilities
Sam has the power of generating piercing green light from his hands. He can use this power to create non-focused orbs (known as "Sammy Suns") or highly focused laser beams capable of incinerating almost anything in their path and which can travel through the FAYZ barrier (after it turned transparent). He is one of only two four-bar ability holders (the other being Caine). In the beginning, the intensity of this power was hard to control, which made it dangerous and unstable. Sam develops a very good aim after he gets used to the power, and he can control it without trouble.

In Hero, his morph allows him to create transparent orbs that are impenetrable. These are hollow, very similar to the FAYZ sphere itself.

Sam is also a good tactician, as seen on multiple occasions when he comes up with winning battle strategies on the spot. He also has the skill and the bravery to pull these strategies off.

Appearances

 * Gone

After all the adults vanish, Sam, Quinn Gaither, and Astrid Ellison begin searching for their parents. Finding nothing, they go to the town square and Sam tries to save a girl from a burning building but fails because she attacks him with her power (shooting fire out of her hands). After this Sam, Quinn, Astrid, and Edilio Escobar search for Little Pete and find him at the Nuclear Power Plant; soon thereafter Sam reveals that he has a power of burning light and Sammy suns (glowing orbs of green light).After the Coates kids come to town, Sam is put in charge of the firehouse. he is betrayed by Quinn, landing him in a fight with Caine during which Sam discovers that he and Caine are fraternal twins. Sam is saved by Quinn and they go into hiding with Astrid, Pete, Edilio, and Lana Arwen Lazar until they are captured by Drake Merwin. However, they and the other captives are freed by Pete and Sam burns Drake's arm off. Sam prepares for the Thanksgiving battle and fights Caine. He wins, resists the poof, and is elected as mayor. He also begins dating Astrid.


 * Hunger

Sam begins to suffer from PTSD and depression, mainly due to all the problems he has to solve including lack of food, kids deaths, Caine and Drake and many other things. Sam and Astrid begin to argue, although they pulled through in the end. He begins to suspect that Caine is planning something, and is proved right; however, he loses the ensuing battle. Sam is almost whipped to death by Drake but manages to make it to the Gaiaphage's lair with help from Brianna. After being healed by Lana, Sam becomes a part of the new Town Council.


 * Lies

Sam discovers Orsay's cult and decides to keep it a secret. He also discovers a gagged Jill, who is in a hole where a now-living Brittney should be buried. Astrid discovers these secrets, which adds to the argument between her and Sam about how to govern the FAYZ, which soon reaches boiling point. They break up and Sam moves out of the home he, Astrid, Mary, and John had shared.

After the fire of Perdido Beach, which was started by the Human Crew during the The Human Crew rampage, Sam leaves town due to having encountered Drake. He is given advice by Hunter (who is now living in the woods) and is brought back by Brianna. He cannot bring himself to kill Brittney, who has become one with Drake (sometimes being Brittney and sometimes being Drake) so he locks her and Drake up. He then resigns from the council.


 * Plague

Having gotten drunk to stave off loneliness and depression, Sam kisses Taylor on the bluff near Clifftop. He agrees to Albert Hillsborough's plan of finding Lake Tramonto and goes with Taylor, Dekka, and Jack to locate it. Early in the trip, Sam is forced to kill Hunter to spare him from the bugs that had eaten through his body. While incinerating Hunter's body, Sam is surprised to learn the bugs are immune to his light.

Sam's group continue around the north side of the FAYZ barrier and discover a derailed train and National Guard Base where Toto was being held. Toto tags along with the group and they continue west, eventually discovering the lake. Sam then encounters the bugs and Drake again at the lake. Sam and his group escape from the fight at the lake and hurry back to town. Sam figures out Dekka is being eaten alive by the bugs the same way Hunter was. He uses his light to cut open Dekka's abdomen to extract the bugs and save her life.

Astrid confronts Sam, and she feels overwhelmed with guilt after she threw Little Pete to his death, hoping to end the FAYZ. Sam tells her that he still loves her, but Astrid walks away into the woods. Sam is deeply saddened by this, but he still gives a speech. Sam, Jack, Edilio, Dekka, Brianna and Diana then move to Lake Tramonto, along with about one-third of the town. Sam looks for Astrid in his crowd of people, but she is not found.


 * Fear

Sam decides that he needs to retrieve missiles that he found earlier in the derailed train wreck. He, Dekka, and Jack go to find them but discover that it's a trap and someone else already has them. Sam immediately suspects Caine. However, he discovers that the barrier is turning black, and writes a letter to Caine and Albert that Mohamed is given the task of delivering that proposes an alliance. Astrid returns to Lake Tramonto, and she and Sam sleep together. They both come to terms and agree that they still love each other and that they can't fight anymore. However, Mohamed returns, reporting Drake. Sam puts the lake on lockdown, but Astrid runs off to deliver the letter and Sam tries to get Brianna to bring her back. Dekka, knowing that Brianna most likely wouldn't survive running full speed in the dark, tries to stop him but fails. Edilio arrives at the lake and, after Sam tells him that because Edilio does not appear to be in a relationship, he wouldn't understand what it's like to care for someone else. Edilio snaps and reveals his increasing irritation in that Sam doesn't keep his personal business personal and is putting his relationship with Astrid before everyone else.Sam is stopped from trying to find Drake as he is the only person that can create light, and the entire FAYZ is going dark. After it becomes clear that no one else is able to do it, Sam eventually rescues Astrid from where she is stranded near fields of zekes. He joins forces with Quinn and Caine to defeat Gaia, Diana, Drake, and Penny. He does not succeed on his first attack but during the second attack, he prevents them from doing anything more than turning the FAYZ wall transparent. Gaia, Diana, and Drake flee.


 * Light

Sam and Astrid regularly make love and are in love so much that it annoys everyone. Sam decides to hunt Gaia down, despite Astrid telling him that she loves him and doesn't want him dying. Astrid makes him promise to her that he will do anything to survive and that they would walk out of the FAYZ together. Sam proposes to Caine that Edilio should replace him as the leader of Perdido Beach. In response, Caine attacks him but the ensuing fight is stopped by Edilio. Caine reluctantly joins Sam and they collapse the mine shaft, and encounter Gaia on several occasions but keep losing. Eventually, Sam is badly injured and can barely move, but Taylor finds him and asks Quinn to save him. Sam learns that Gaia can only use his power if he's alive and so decides to confront her, content with the fact that he'll probably die. However, Gaia wraps him in chains, but Jack manages to loosen them and Quinn frees him completely. Sam tries to commit suicide but is stopped by Astrid and Edilio. When he discovers that Drake tried to kill Astrid, he tries to kill Drake but, as Gaia and Little Pete are now both dead, Sam cannot use his power. Luckily, Drake's body comes apart now that it cannot be held together, and Sam throws Drake's head into the fire. He is badly injured, and authorities find him on his knees in severe pain.He is brought to a hospital and treated for severe burns. His mother arrives and Sam confronts her about him and Caine. He escapes from the hospital with the help of Quinn to find Astrid. His mother emancipates him, and Sam, Astrid, and Diana buy a house, with Sam and Astrid sharing a bed.


 * Monster

Sam becomes an alcoholic for two and a half years due to trauma, although he eventually stops with help from therapy. It is mentioned that he still lives with Astrid, but Diana has moved out. At the end of the book, he gives sanctuary to Aristotle Adamo and Dekka.


 * Villain

Sam is now married to Astrid. At the beginning of the book, he is still housing Dekka and Armo, but they soon leave to go stop Dillon in Las Vegas. When Sam discovers Drake is still alive, he buys a shotgun in hopes that it will slow him down if he attempts to attack Astrid.

Hero

Sam finds undrunk ASO particles in an empty cup of orange juice. He realizes that Astrid has had a dose of the rock and has a talk with her.

Later in the book, Edilio brings Sam to the armory. Sam joins the the Rockborn gang, and it is revealed he has the power to create impenetrable hollow orbs.

Sam gets on a helicopter trying to catch up with a train Vector is on. Sam puts the train in an orb and the train crashes.

Afterward, Sam is transported to Site L, where Malik finds out the world is a simulation created by himself. Sam votes on whether to end the universe or not, but his answer has not been confirmed by any canon sources.

Relationships

 * Astrid Ellison

Sam first has a crush on Astrid before the FAYZ. After the first poof, they begin to grow closer until they become a couple. However, when Sam is the mayor and when the Town Council governs the town, they argue increasingly about what is best for the town, until they break up and Sam moves out. They eventually get back together, much closer than before, and are currently living and sleeping together. Sam moves in with Astrid after the FAYZ and it mentions that they got married in Villain.


 * Quinn Gaither

Sam and Quinn are friends before the FAYZ, but after the first poof it becomes clear that they are very different people, and Quinn betrays Sam to Caine. However, he later rescues Sam, although Sam no longer likes or trusts him. They eventually put aside their differences and remain friends.


 * Caine Soren

Originally, Sam does not like Caine. After learning that Caine is his brother and that Caine wants to rule everyone, Sam begins to hate Caine as much as Caine hates him. After working with Caine to defeat Gaia, the two seem to have mutual respect, although they still do not like each other. Sam is not seen mourning Caine's death.


 * Connie Temple

Sam and his mother get along well until she poofs. Sam begins to realize that he hates his mother, as she knew about his power but never mentioned anything more. He refuses to go with the image of his mother that asks him to come to her. After meeting his mother again, Sam is much more confrontational and demands to know why she never told him about Taegan or Caine. She emancipates him after the FAYZ ends. They are no longer on speaking terms.


 * Edilio and Dekka

Edilio Escobar and Dekka Talent are essentially Sam's wingmen. Sam finds Edilio "potentially interesting" before the FAYZ but soon begins to trust and respect him. Edilio later becomes his equal instead of his wingman. Dekka, however, is content as Sam's "strong right arm", although Sam appears to be helping her now instead of the other way around.

Gallery

 * Trailer images