Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Yankunan da ke yammacin Kogin Iskar sun kasance masu 'yanci kuma' yan Bulgarian sun sami damar sake haɗuwa da 'yan uwan Cometopuli huɗu. A shekara ta 976, ƙarami daga cikinsu, Sama'ila, ya tattara dukkan iko a hannunsa bayan mutuwar 'yan uwansa. Lokacin da a cikin 976 magajin da ya cancanci gadon sarauta, ɗan'uwan BorisII Roman (r.971<unk>997), ya tsere daga bauta a Constantinople, Samuel ya gane shi a matsayin Sarkin sarakuna, wanda ya kasance babban kwamandan sojojin Bulgaria. Zaman lafiya ba zai yiwu ba; sakamakon ƙarshen alama na Daular Bulgaria bayan BorisII ya yi watsi da mulki, Roman, kuma daga baya Samuel, an gan su a matsayin 'yan tawaye kuma Sarkin Byzantine ya tilasta aiwatar da ikon mallakar mulkin mallaka a kansu. Wannan ya kai ga fiye da shekaru 40 na yaƙi mai tsanani. Janar mai iyawa da kuma dan siyasa mai kyau, da farko Samuel ya sami nasarar juya dukiyar ga Bulgarians. An ci sabon Sarkin Byzantine Basil II da yaƙi a Yaƙin Trajan Gates
a 986 kuma da kyar ya tsere da ransa. Mawallafin Byzantine John Geometres ya rubuta game da shan kashi: