NOTE: This article is only for the original version of Hershel Greene. For the TV version go to Hershel Greene (TV series).
It's all about faith, honey. My faith ain't never been stronger.Hershel professing his faith in god to Maggie
Can I give you some advice? I don't know who you are or what you did, but you have got to become a better liar and fast. Let's say things don't get better in a few days, or they get worse before they do. You're gonna have to depend on the honesty of strangers if you're gonna make it. And if those same people get to questioning yours, you're gonna be in trouble. But at least you have the common sense to listen to a man giving you advice.Hershel giving Lee advice.
Hershel Greene is a major protagonist in Image Comics, The Walking Dead and a supporting character in the first season of The Walking Dead Telltale Series. He is the owner of Greene Family Farms as well as the father of seven kids, Lacey, Arnold, Shawn, Maggie, Billy, Rachel and Susie. He is a farmer and religous man who becomes an ally to Rick Grimes and helps him and his group cultivate the prision by growing produce and providing wisdom in times of need. However he is ultimately killed by the Governer during his invasion of the prision, but in spite of this, his legacy would live on through his daughter Maggie who kept the Greene family name alive and even named his grandson named after him.
Apperance
Heshel was a tall elderly man at around the age of fourty-nine with gray hair and a stubble. For his attire he wore a light blue dress shirt with blue jeans and a black belt with a holtser holding his handgun. During the beggining of the apocolypse he appered to have a beard but he presumably shaved it later on. He also wore a green dress shirt with a unknown logo on it's left pocket and arm as well as matching green pants.
Personality
Hershel was a kind, reasonable, noble and upbeat man with strong moral and religious principals. His devotion to god came after his wife's death as he felt needed purpose in life. When the outbreak first started he did not take it seriously even ignoring his son Shawn's concerns and desire to reinforce their fence. However he soon paid the price for this when Shawn was killed by walkers. Even then in the midst of the apocolypse he refused to give up his moral principals, which he why he refused to kill anyone even zombies intead opting to lock them in his barn. This ultimately put him at odds with Rick who insisted that zombies were mindless animals that needed to be killed.
He has heavy faith in God and believes that the apocalypse, in spite of how horrible it is, thinks it's still apart of the lords plan, quoting Isaiah 26:19, "Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead." He was also digusted when he caught Maggie and Glenn having pre-marital sex. He was a very kind and generous man having helped both Lee Everet and Rick Grimes by offering them and their groups shelter at his farm. He even related and showed sympathay for their struggles and hardships, even giving Lee advice on taking care of Clementine and not judging him for his previous action of commiting murder. He also gained immense respect for Rick and his group but he was not afriad to question them from time to time.
Saying he cares deeply about his family would be an understatement. He does everything in his power to keep them safe and raise them right, which is why he can be quite upset when they act irrationally, he scolded Billy for taking the lords name in vain and as mentioned previously and got angry at Maggie for her promiscuity, however he does aknowledge that his kids are adults and have the right to make their own descisions. He even personally paid for their college education when needed. He also utterly refused to kill Shawn even after he became zombified despite that fact that his son would be in a state worse than death. He even tried to communicate and get through to his undead son to no avail, showing how far his denial went. He almost immedietly tried to kill himself when he was forced to put down Lacey, Arnold and Shawn with Rick having to step in to stop him.
Despite his moral high ground, Hershel however had a nasty temper and flew off the handle several times when provoked. He blamed Lee for the death of Shawn and immedietly kicked his group out of the farm and he did the same with Rick when he indirectly caused the deaths of Lacey and Arnold and forced him to put down a zombified Shawn. Although he did admit Rick was right he was still understandibly angry at him and almost attacked his wife Lori when she called him out for being unreasonble. He even tried to attack Glenn when he found out he was having sex with Maggie. He also showed hatred an contempt for Thomas Richards when he murdered his twin daughters Susie and Rachel, even watching his corpse get devoured by walkers for the sake closure. In the end when Hershel lost almost all his children he lost his will to live with it and became a broken man begging for the Governer to end his life which he obliged.
Synopsis
Hershel Greene was born in 1954. He grew up on his families farm and gained a affinty for animals becuase of it and decided to become a veternarian. He later went to the big city to attend college to get his degree and it's there he met the love of his life. They soon married and had seven kids, Lacey, Arnold, Shawn, Maggie, Billy and twins Susie and Rachel. Hershel later started his own veternarian hospital with his wife handling the buissness end while he tended to the animals. However tragdy struck when his wife sadly passed away. Hershel then looked to god to find purpose in his life and became a religous man to cope with his grief. His vet office soon failed and was shutdown so he decided to honor his late father's wished and inherited the family farm. Him and his family moved back to the farm and each of the sibling were required to do menail chores around the place. He even went out of his way to pay for their college education at one point.
The Walking Dead: Telltale Series.
In the summer of 2003, during the intial outbreak of the zombie virus Shawn went out into Atlanta and returned with a man named Lee Everett and a little girl named Clementine. Although Hershel intially questions Lee and Clementine's relationship he trusts them after Clem vouched for Lee. Hershel then notices that Lee's leg is injured and promtly bandages it for him. In the midst of tending to Lee, Shawn tells Hershel that tommorow they need to reinforce the fence around the house in case any walker come by. However, Hershel does not take his son's claims seriously and dismisses the outbreak entirely. Hershel then questions the circumstances of Lee's injury. Lee has the option of lying about it or telling the truth. Hershel then allows Clementine and Lee to sleep in the barn for the time being. The next day assuming Lee made the choice to lie, Hershel calls him out for it. Hershel claims that Lee needs to trust people more even strnager if he ever has any hope of surviving in the apocolypse. It's also revealed that Hershel invited a family of three to stay at the farm for shelter. A man named Kenny and his wife Katjaa and son Duck.
Afterwards, Hershel tasks Shawn, Lee and Kenny with reinforcing the fence. However tragedy strikes when Duck accidentally runs Shawn over with a tractor causing him to be pinned beneath it and the fence to be damaged allowing zombies to attack. Hershel then gets his shoutgun and fends of the zombies. Lee can either save Duck or Shawn but either choice he makes will result in Shawn being bitten to death by the walkers. Hershel heartbroken by his son's death angrily kicks out Lee and his group and tells them to never come back.
The Walking Dead
Miles Behind Us
Sometime afterwards Shawn ultimately end, he re-animated as a zombie. Hershel could not bring himself to kill his son so he locked him away in the barn. Hershel would then begin to do the same with any walkers that wondered onto his farm to the point his barn was filled with them. He would also provide shelter to his neighboors Otis and his wife Patrica. In early 2004, Otis went on a hunting trip and accidentally shot a young boy named Carl Grimes. His father Rick and his group rush him back to the farm where Hershel is able to tend to his wounds by removing the bullet. Hershel then has Carl rest for a couple days to heal from his injuries. In the meantime, Hershel introduced Rick and his group to his family and offers them his hospitality and a warm dinner. Hershel and Rick the go out to the feild and converse with eachother. Hershel confides with Rick about the struggles he's gone through in the past few years follwing his wife's death and his resposibilties on the farm. He tells Rick that while they can stay, they can't sleep in the house as there is not enough room so they will have to sleep in their RV. Rick inquires about staying in the barn but Hershel denies this revealing that is where they keep their "dead ones" much to Rick's shock.
Rick is angry at Hershel for his irrational decision to keep zombies in his barn has their a danger to everyone. Rick then demands they kill every zombie in the barn but Hershel vehemently refuses explaining that his son is one of them. Rick shows sympathy for Hershel but he tells him that what Shawn is now is no longer his son. Hershel then flies off the handle on Rick as he believes they could be returned to normal ant any point and admonishes him for just killing them. Rick doesn’t agree with Hershel but with convincing from Tyreese he sets it aside. The next day Hershel is greeted by Rick and the two make amends for the incidents yesterday. As a peace offering Rick gives Hershel a few of the guns they got from Atlanta
The next day when the group is doing _target practice but Hershel demands they stop. He claims that their shooting in the direction of his neighbors house the Thompson’s and he doesn’t want their home to be damaged. Suddenly a zombie appears outside the perimeter of the farm and Hershel enlists Rick’s help in trapping it in his barn. Hershel and Rick direct it to the barn but as soon a they open the door the zombies inside surge out. Hershel is almost attacked by a zombie but he is saved by his son Arnold. However Arnold is attacked by a zombified Shawn. Hershel tries to plead with Shawn to stop attacking Arnold but his mind is all but gone due to the virus. Soon enough Lacey is attacked as well and eaten alive by zombies. Hershel seeing he has no choice tearfully pulls out his pistol and puts down the remaining zombies as well as Shawn and Arnold. Hershel breaks down in tears and apologizes to his sons over and over before pointing the gun at himself preparing to kill himself out of grief. However Rick stops him before he can. Later Hershel holds a funeral for Shawn, Lacey and Arnold and finally admits that Rick was right about the zombies. The next day Hershel goes to Maggie’s room only to find her and Glenn in bed together realizing they had sex. Angered at Glenn he prepares to attack him, however Maggie stops him claiming that she is an adult and she can do what she wants. Hershel then backs down and leaves. Later on he tends to one of his horses and Rick talks to him, he asks if it's possible they could stay on the farm however Hershel angrily denies them and demands they leave after Carl is healed. He blames Rick for the deaths of Shawn, Lacey and Arnold and wants nothing more to do with him or his group. Lori eventually confronts Hershel over his irrational anger.Lori says that if they weren't there with their guns they would all be dead and blames Hershel's stupidity on his children's deaths causing him to slap her. Rick and Hershel argue and eventually Hershel puts a gun to Rick's head to force them to leave. Eventually Herhsel retreats inside his house and cries admitting to Otis that he has lost his mind and laments what he has become.
Trivia
- Mentioned in Letter Hacks, Hershel was originally the one who was about to lose a leg after going to the Prison generator room. Robert Kirkman thought Hershel had lost most of his children and that was tragic enough for him, so he decided Allen would be the one to lose the leg.
- Hershel is one of only two characters to have appeared in every form of Walking Dead media, having appeared in the comic series, TV series, Social Game, video game, and novels. The other is Glenn.
- Hershel is one of the five characters from either the comics and/or TV series who made an appearance in the video game, the four others so far being Michonne, Shawn, Pete, and Glenn.
- In season 1 of The Walking Dead Telltale series Hershel was shown to have a noticable beard when the outbreak began. By the time the comics kick off it can be assumed he shaved at some point.
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