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Losing fan-favorite and notable characters was a pillar of The Walking Dead’s 11-season run on AMC. And one of the most beloved survivors whose storyline was cut short was Hershel Greene, an elder moral compass of the group.
Unlike his daughter Beth who only existed on the television show, Hershel was an early central figure on both paper and screen. Played by the late Scott Wilson, Hershel first appeared on The Walking Dead in season 2 and issue No. 10. After Carl Grimes was accidentally shot by Otis, the main crew of survivors — including central protagonist Rick Grimes — took refuge at Hershel’s farm. A veterinarian, Hershel agreed to treat Carl and allowed the group to stay at his farm until the young Grimes recovered.
Long story short, they stuck around longer than Hershel had hoped, and the farm eventually fell forcing Hershel and the rest of his remaining family members to set out on foot alongside Grimes’ crew. They eventually found a prison which they took as their own. Hershel spent the rest of his days as a sound voice for Rick and the others. His storyline ultimately wrapped at the prison, but the comics and television shows had him die in different ways. But, it was at the hands of the same villain.
Let’s look at the comics first. Hershel was killed during issue No. 48, which originally came out in Apriil 2008. The arc’s main antagonist, The Governor, brought his Woodbury army to the prison’s grounds, and after running a tank through the fence, all hell broke loose. Several main characters died during the chaos, including Lori and Judith Grimes.
Billy Greene was shot and killed by Smitty, a Woodbury resident. Seeing his dead son halted Hershel’s desire to continue living. The Governor eventually stumbled upon Hershel holding a lifeless Billy, and he shot and killed him.
Then, he died in the television series during “Too Far Gone” — season 4, episode 8 — which aired in December 2013. Hershel had been captured by The Governor ahead of the tank plowing down the prison’s fence. And what the villain did to Hershel was one of the most savage main character deaths in AMC’s The Walking Dead. After a brief back and forth with Rick, The Governor sliced Hershel’s throat with Michonne’s katana for everybody to see. Fighting immediately ensued, and The Governor finished the job with Hershel by decapitating his head.
Once the battle finished, Michonne stumbled upon Hershel’s head. He had transitioned into a walker, and she put him to rest.