Tyreese (Comic Series)

"Had a girlfriend in high school. It was a long time after we broke up. Well, a few months, but when you're in high school, that's a long time. She committed suicide. I took it hard-- even though I know it had nothing to do with me. But I dealt with it. I came to terms with it. Suicide... any more it just pisses me off. Makes me angry at the person who did it. It's not something to be sad about, I think. Carol doesn't deserve my sorrow."

- Tyreese about his high school girlfriend's, Carol's, Julie's and Chris' suicides.

Tyreese is a main character first encountered in Issue 7 of Image Comics' The Walking Dead and the protagonist in the Tyreese Special. He is a prominent member of the survivors, and is additionally a central character within the series. Following the death of Shane, he fills the role of Rick's right-hand man. He is portrayed as a strong and charismatic survivor who often acts as a leader. When the group decides that the pressure of leading was too much for Rick alone, Tyreese became a member of the new committee along with Rick, Hershel, and Dale and later a strong ally and good friend to Rick.

Characteristics and Role
Tyreese was a central figure within the survivor group. Shortly after his introduction, it was clear his traits and skills were on par with Rick. He was a physically strong, able-bodied man, able to hold his own against any zombie threats that the group encountered. His strength with his hammer and his stamina was recognized, and Rick often specifically requested his assistance in clearing out the undead. He was also a friendly, approachable man, genuinely caring about the well-being of the entire group, and he actively volunteered to help and defend them. He was shown as a stern but loving father, caring deeply for Julie's safety and wary of Chris's irresponsibility.

Although his weaknesses weren't as exposed as other characters, they were highlighted. While travelling on the road, he was revealed as a terrible shot with any firearm, which Andrea often mocked him for. He focused instead on being primarily a melee fighter. He also had trouble controlling his emotions, such as when he killed Chris, after he killed the undead Julie, despite Chris's actions clearly saving Tyreese's life. Another instance was when Rick later confronted him about Carol and he engaged in a bloody brawl with the former. He showed the most emotional vulnerability when tempted with the sexual advances of Michonne; this resulted in the first major conflict against Rick that affected the entire survivor group and their opinions.

His tragic death clearly had a significant impact on the survivors; not just emotionally, but practically. As Tyreese often took the initiative as a secondary leader and was one of the more physically strong defenders, the remaining members of the group who survived the attack of The Governor had more difficulty adapting to the dangers and obstacles when back on the road. It was only with the introduction of Abraham Ford that someone filled the power void Tyreese's death created.

His role as a strong defender of the group and generally righteous man has had an lasting impression. Glenn is seen much later in the Alexandria Safe-Zone re-telling the story of Tyreese's miraculous survival in The Prison gym to the community locals, and admiration and respect is evident in his reminiscing.

Much later after the destruction of the prison, Michonne sadly refers back to Tyreese when confiding in Rick about her loneliness, signifying he had more a lasting emotional impact upon the detached Michonne than she had previously led her fellow survivors to believe.

Location Unknown
Before the outbreak started, Tyreese played in the NFL Atlanta Falcons team in the 1998 season. However, he revealed that he was never very good and got himself injured trying to go for the "glory." After he was forced off the team due to his injury, Tyreese got a job as a bouncer, working for some of the toughest bars in Atlanta. However, he quit this job and took on doing odd-jobs for a few weeks. He finally settled into a job as a cars salesman for five years, before the outbreak started. Sometime during his high-school years, Tyreese had a girlfriend that committed suicide, after breaking up with him. Tyreese had one daughter Julie before the zombie apocalypse.

Tyreese Special
In the early days of the outbreak, Tyreese is seen taking shelter in his house, along with his daughter, Julie and her boyfriend, Chris. One day, while on a supply run in his neighborhood, Tyreese is ambushed by a large group of zombies. He tries to use his gun to fend them off, but his horrible aim prevents him from killing any of them. He is almost bitten, but manages to grab a nearby hammer, which he uses to clear the area of zombies and secure the supplies. He arrives back at his house, and is almost hit in the face with a fire-poker. Tyreese manages to grab it and discovers that it was Chris who almost hit him. Tyreese berates him for this and Julie asks him if he found the gun. He tells her that it was where he thought it would be, and that he did not have enough time to get a car. Chris then asks him for the gun, saying he can shoot, but Tyreese tells him that he ran out of bullets and tossed it away. Chris then angrily snaps back, asking if Tyreese actually got anything. Tyreese tells him that he got a hammer that he is about to put through his skull, then asking Chris to give him some space. Julie approaches him and tells him that Chris is just scared and so is she. Tyreese comforts her, saying that he will always protect her and never leave her alone with Chris, no matter how much she wants him to. She then tells him that there is already a hammer in their house, however, Tyreese tells her that this one is special, as it saved his life.

Miles Behind Us
Sometime after a month into the outbreak, Tyreese, Julie, and Chris leave their home and head out onto the road, due to a lack of food and heating. After a few weeks of travelling, the three of them run into Rick Grimes' group of survivors. They are almost shot by Rick, who thinks they are zombies. Tyreese manages to stop him and Rick apologizes for almost shooting him. Tyreese explains his story to Rick and is welcomed into his group, Rick even offers to let Tyreese, Julie and Chris sleep in the RV. Tyreese, however, declines this offer, saying the kids are not good around strangers.

The next morning, Tyreese joins Rick on top of the RV. He apologizes for not taking Rick up on his offer the night before, saying that he just can't be too careful of strangers, telling Rick of the time an old man tried to rape Julie. He tells Rick that he killed that man and does not feel sorry for it, saying that the end of the world changes people. Before they can continue their conversation, two zombies stumble into view, heading towards the RV. Rick and Tyreese quickly band together to kill them and manage to dispatch them with ease. Later that day, Tyreese assists the group in moving a wrecked car from the road. While doing so, Rick thanks him for staying with the group, saying he has been a big help. Many others take this opportunity to thank Tyreese, Carol even begins to flirt with him. Later that night, Carol and Tyreese continue to flirt after thanking Glenn for his hard work in gathering supplies.

After travelling on the road for many more days, Tyreese and the others stumble across the Wiltshire Estates. Tyreese and the others split up in an effort to thoroughly search the estates for any signs of zombies. Rick is soon ambushed by two zombies and is almost bitten, however, Tyreese comes to his aid and tackles one of the zombies, killing it shortly after. Rick thanks him for saving his life and they both dispose of the zombie corpses, discussing their pre-apocalyptic lives in the process. Later that night, Tyreese bumps into Donna, who gives him extra blankets for the night. Tyreese thanks her for this and tells her that he is grateful that the group let him tag along, telling her that he most probably would have been dead if they didn't.

The next morning, Tyreese and the others discuss their plans to search the estate, splitting into smaller groups to search the surrounding houses. After a short while, Donna is bitten and devoured by a large group of zombies. Allen tries to save her, but, Tyreese holds him back, saying that there is nothing he can do now. Suddenly, an even larger group of zombies emerge on the estate's street. This causes Tyreese and the others to flee back to the RV. However, Tyreese notices Julie and Chris are missing and asks Andrea where they are. She tells him they are upstairs and Tyreese tells her to get to the RV, saying he will go and get them. He finds them attempting to have sex upstairs in the house. They try to explain, but, Tyreese tells them there is not time for that. Rick suddenly bursts through the door, thankful that he managed to find Julie and Chris. Rick tells him their is no way out the front door and Tyreese quickly orders everyone through the window. They become trapped on the window ledge by the zombies below and it seems like they have no hope of escape, but, Dale drives through the zombie group with the RV, allowing the Tyreese, Rick, Julie and Chris to escape unharmed.

Soon after the group abandons the Wiltshire Estates, Tyreese accompanies Glenn and Rick into a store looking for food. They find that the place has been ransacked and determine that hunting is their best option. Later that day, Tyreese accompanies Rick and Carl on a hunting trip. When they are deep inside a wooded area, they think they hear an animal nearby and investigate. However, Carl is suddenly shot through the torso. Tyreese demands that whoever fired the shot come out immediately. A man named Otis reveals himself as the shooter and Rick goes berserk, almost killing Otis. However, Tyreese tells Rick that Carl is still breathing and can be saved. Otis tells them that he knows someone who can help, telling Rick that if he brings back Carl to a farm he lives at, he thinks he can be saved. Rick and Tyreese quickly roll him up into Rick's coat and Rick tells Tyreese to inform the others of what happened. Tyreese quickly rushes back to the RV and informs Lori and the others of what happened and they all quickly get on the RV and drive towards the farm.

After arriving on the farm, Tyreese and the group are introduced too it's owner, Hershel Greene, who tells them about himself and his farm. He says they are welcome to stay at the farm for awhile and everyone soon disperses from the farm house. Tyreese later confronts Otis about shooting Carl. Otis apologizes for shooting him, saying he would never even hurt a fly. Tyreese tells him there is no use beating himself up for it now, also telling Otis about their group's troubles on the road, such as their close encounter with zombies at the Wiltshire Estates. Otis tells him that he and Patricia used to be hold up there, but left when it was overran. He goes on to say that he is thinking of going to Atlanta, in a hope that it is safe there. Tyreese then tells him the city is doomed and overrun, to which Otis can not believe, stating that he thought it would be safe. Tyreese later comes to say hello to Carl, who has recovered from his wound. He gives Carl his hat back and attempts to try and persuade Rick to talk to Otis. Rick tells him he can't, saying he can't just forgive him for shooting his son.

Later that day on the farm, Tyreese catches Julie and Chris alone together again. He tells them that he will not put up with their behavior any longer. Saying they are too young to be doing things like this and to think about what they are doing before something bad happens. He is later seen comforting Carol while she is reading. Rick drops in on them, asking Tyreese if he wants Julie and Chris to take part in target practice. Tyreese says he does not trust them enough, saying he does not know what is going through their heads. Rick understands what he is saying, but manages to convince Tyreese to let them come to target practice. He, Julie and Chris arrive at Rick's handmade shooting gallery and start to practice. Julie is berated by Tyreese for not taking this seriously, Chris tells him that he does not have to worry and that they both are taking this very seriously. Suddenly, a zombie approaches, Rick attempts to shoot it, but, Hershel stops him and tries to lure it into the barn. However, he is knocked back by a zombie that bursts through the barn doors. Arnold and Lacey Greene come to his aid but are killed. Tyreese and the others then come to his aid, killing all of the zombies in the barn, later attending the funeral for the dead. Later that night, Tyreese is confronted by Julie and Chris, who hand their guns back to him, saying Rick forgot to take them. Tyreese tells them both to keep the guns, saying they will be safer with them, than without them.

The next morning, Tyreese is seen comforting Carol. They continue to flirt with each other, while Chris and Julie angrily look on. After Rick's group is kicked off Hershel's farm, Tyreese helps the others to continue searching for food. Soon after, Tyreese, along with the other group members, discover the prison and decide to make it their home.

Safety Behind Bars
After the group decides that the prison is a home worth fighting for, Tyreese, Rick, and Andrea volunteer to clear the prison courtyard of zombies. They manage to kill all of them, but notice a noise coming from inside the prison. Suddenly, a massive group of zombies stumble out of the prison. Andrea rushes back to the RV to get more ammo and Tyreese and Rick stay back to kill the oncoming zombies. They begin to do so, but, are quickly outnumbered by the zombie horde. Andrea comes to their rescue with more ammo, and the three of them manage to clear the horde out. Later that night, Tyreese is seen relieving Rick of guard duty. They discuss the prison fences, saying that they need to fix the gates if they intend to live there. Tyreese jokingly states that he will shoot himself in the face if he has to live in the RV for one more night. This worries Rick and Tyreese tells him to lighten up.

The next morning, Tyreese and Rick venture into the prison, hoping to clear out any left-over zombies. While inside, they stumble across one of the prison's cell-blocks and find it empty. They continue to search the dark corridors, making sure the area is safe. They come across the prison cafeteria doors, which have been locked shut from the outside. They remove the pipe locking them and rush in. However, to their surprise, they find four people in prison jumpsuits, who ask if they would like some meatloaf. Rick and Tyreese's immediately quick to accept this offer. They inform the prisoners, Dexter, Andrew, Axel, and Thomas, about the zombie outbreak, since the prisoners do not know of the current situation.

Later that Night, Tyreese and the other group members move into their own cells. While doing so, Rick tells Tyreese that he wants to bring Hershel and his family to the prison. Tyreese does not agree, but, Rick manages to sway him and everyone else into agreeing with him. He tells Tyreese to take charge while he is away and to start burning the zombie bodies.

Tyreese is later seen finishing burning the zombie bodies when Rick arrives back at the prison. Rick asks him how things have been and he tells him that everything has gone well, saying that the prisoners seem like good people and that he double checked the prison's outer perimeter fence for any roamers. Rick thanks him for his help and they both head off to greet Hershel and his family.

After hearing a shot fired inside the prison, Tyreese is the first to investigate. When he arrives at the shot's location, he finds Julie dead on the floor and Chris cowering in the corner. He rushes over too Julie's corpse and starts to weep over her death. Rick soon finds them and Chris says that it never was supposed to end like this. Tyreese immediately turns to him and demands to know what he did to his daughter. Chris says that they were supposed to fire at the same time and kill each other, leaving them together forever. Tyreese's ignores him for the moment and asks a dead Julie to come back to him. Rick tells him that she was not bit and even if she was, he would not want her to come back like that. Tyreese tells him to shut-up and that she will come back. Suddenly, to his and Rick's surprise, she re-animates into a zombie, attacking Tyreese. Rick tells him to push her head up, so he can get a clear shot. Tyreese tells him not to shoot, saying that he if he talks to her enough, she may come back to her senses. However, Chris shoots her and finally kills her. Tyreese sees this as murder and lunges at Chris, strangling him to death. Rick tries to talk to him, but, Tyreese tells him that he wants to put down Chris again, slower this time. Rick then leaves him alone to deal with Chris when he reanimates.

The next day, Tyreese is seen burning the bodies of Julie and Chris. Rick approaches him, and tells him that he told everyone that Julie and Chris killed each other. Tyreese thanks him for this and tells him they need to get back to work. Rick tells him that he does not expect him to do anything, but, Tyreese tells him that he is fine and walks away, leaving a worried Rick behind.

After Rick leaves the prison to put down a re-animated Shane, he leaves Tyreese in charge. Tyreese quickly rounds up Andrea, Glenn and Billy Greene to help him clear the prison's gymnasium. However, when they start to clear out the zombies, Tyreese rushes ahead in anger, thinking of Julie's death, which causes him to become trapped by the zombies. Andrea tries to save him, but, the sheer amount of zombies forces her, Glenn and Billy to retreat, causing everyone to think Tyreese is dead. However, after Rick arrives back at the prison, he, Dale, and Glenn, go to check if Tyreese has re-animated. To their surprise, Tyreese has cleared the entire gymnasium of zombies without being bitten. He later returns to his cell and comforts Carol, who thought he had died, as well as many other people. Rick later confronts him about his miraculous survival, and asks how he managed to kill all of the zombies. Tyreese says it all happened in a blur, and it felt like dream. Rick then asks him about his daughter's death and he responds by telling him that she is resting in peace, not having to worry about the zombies any more, like they do. He finishes by saying that Julie is at peace and that is nothing to be sad about.

The next day, Tyreese and Carol are seen cleaning up the gymnasium. While doing so, they continue to flirt with each other, which causes them to have sex on the gymnasium's floor. However, they are cut short when they hear the commotion outside and go to investigate. They arrive and find Rick beating Thomas to death, over killing Rachel and Susie. Tyreese stops Rick from killing Thomas and asks him to look at what he has done, starring down at Thomas' almost lifeless body. Later on, Tyreese is seen helping relocate Thomas to another cell, moving him from the bathroom area. Rick asks him why he was in there, and Tyreese says he liked the idea of "him wallowing in his own shit."

After Maggie kills Thomas, Tyreese helps a few other people throw his body outside to the zombies. However, after doing so, they are suddenly confronted by Dexter and Andrew, armed with many guns. They both demand Tyreese and the group leave the prison immediately..

The Heart's Desire
Tyreese is seen being held at gunpoint by Dexter and Andrew, who both want Tyreese and the rest of the group to leave the prison. However, a large group of zombies emerge out of A-block, caused by Dexter and Andrew retrieving guns from the armory there. Tyreese and everyone else starts to fend them off. However, in the chaos, Tyreese sees Rick shoot Dexter through the head. After fending off the zombie incursion and welcoming Michonne to the prison, Tyreese confronts Rick about murdering Dexter. Tyreese tells him that he understands why he did it, but, tells Rick that he should rethink his whole "you kill, you die" rule, as murdering Dexter throws the whole thing out the window.

Tyreese is later seen with Carol in the gymnasium, discussing their plans for the day. They start kissing, but, are interrupted by Michonne, who asks were the weight station is. Tyreese directs her too it and follows her over there, alongside Carol. He asks Michonne what she thinks of the prison, and she tells him that it is much better than being on the outside. Tyreese tries to inform her about the events that took place last week such as Julie's death, but, is cut off by Michonne who says she recognizes him from the "Falcons" NFL team. Tyreese is taken back by this and asks if she used to follow football. She tells him that the "Falcons" were her second passion, after weight lifting. Carol asks Tyreese to leave, but, he tells her that he will in a second, leaving a worried Carol speechless.

Tyreese later joins Rick, Dale, Allen and Axel to help make sure A-Block is secure. While exploring the block and clearing any left-over zombies, Tyreese and the others stumble across a dark hallway leading two different ways. Rick tells Tyreese and Dale to split up and head in the opposite direction. Tyreese and Dale soon hear a gunshot in the opposite direction, but, think it is just Allen getting startled again. They soon stumble across the prison's generator room and investigate if it still works, hoping to power up the prison again. However, they are forced to stop when they hear Allen's screams in the opposite direction and go to investigate. Tyreese and Dale find that Allen has been bitten and help move him outside. Once there, Tyreese and Rick argue about cutting Allen's leg off to try and save him. Tyreese wants no part of it and turns his back while Rick does the deed.

After moving an unconscious Allen back to his cell, Tyreese heads to the gymnasium to "blow off some steam". Michonne finds him playing basketball and continues to flirt with him. Tyreese starts to tell her about Allen, but, she interrupts him and starts to give him oral sex. Unbeknownst to both of them, Carol watches in tears from the gymnasium doors. Later that night, Carol confronts Tyreese about it and tells him that she wants him out of her cell by the morning.

Tyreese does as Carol asked, and moves out of her cell. He is later found in an empty cell by Michonne who asks him if he would like some company. Tyreese tries to stop her, but, she forces herself upon him and they start to make-out. However, they are soon interrupted by Rick, who has come to tell them that Carol has slit her own wrists open. However, Rick snaps at Tyreese when he sees him making-out with Michonne and he starts to berate Tyreese over Carol's attempted suicide, saying he caused her to do this. Tyreese slams Rick against a wall and tells him that it was not possible he could have known this would happen. Rick brings up Julie's death and Tyreese's snaps and punches Rick in the face. He continues to beat on Rick who keeps telling him that he practically killed Carol. Tyreese's stops beating on Rick before he kills him. Rick, however, keeps verbally assaulting Tyreese, saying that he murdered Chris in cold blood. Upon hearing this, Tyreese admits that he enjoyed killing and mutilating Chris, saying that in the past three months it is about the only thing he has enjoyed. Tyreese also brings up Rick's murder of Dexter, saying that he enjoyed killing him and mutilating Allen. This causes Rick to snap and ram Tyreese against a balcony railing in their prison cell block. Glenn and Maggie try to stop them fighting, but, Tyreese and Rick continue to insult each other and trade blows. However, after Tyreese punches Rick again, Rick faints and falls over the railing. Tyreese attempts to save him and jumps over the railing. He lands hard and injures his foot. He attempts to help Rick, who has passed out. However, Rick kicks Tyreese in the face when he attempts to help him up, saying that he tried to murder him by pushing him over the railing. Tyreese tries to tell him he passed out, but Rick denies it. Glenn, Maggie and Lori come to their aid, but, they both keep shouting insults at each other. Andrea soon finds them and informs them that Allen has died. Rick gets up and goes to put him down, leaving an injured Tyreese to collect his thoughts.

During the time Rick is unconscious, after having blacked-out a second time, Tyreese is voted to be part of a group leadership committee, along with; Rick, Dale and Hershel. After Rick wakes up, he confronts Tyreese and the rest of the group. Tyreese tells him that they are trying to rebuild humanity and not turn into savages, but, Rick cuts him off, saying that they are already savages and they are "the walking dead."

The Best Defense
A week after his brawl with Rick, Tyreese is seen roaming the prison corridors looking for Rick and Dale. He is almost shot by Rick and Dale after he startles them around a dark corner. Dale asks what he is doing in the prison tunnels, and Tyreese tells him that he is there to inform them that all the zombie bodies have burnt. However, they are interrupted by Glenn and Maggie, who inform them that they have found the armory. Tyreese and the others head over there and begin to inspect the weapons. Tyreese finds the riot gear and says that Dexter would have stood a better chance if he was wearing a riot helmet. Rick glares at him and Dale steps in, telling them they should get back to the rest of the group.

Later that day, Tyreese is seen helping Rick and Glenn retrieve gas from a few cars nearby. He stands guard on the gate while they go and retrieve gas. However, Rick suddenly runs up to him and asks if he saw the helicopter. He tells Rick he didn't, but, they are interrupted by Michonne who says she saw it and is ready to go with Rick and Glenn to find it. Tyreese asks Rick if he wants him to come along, and Rick tells him that it is best he keep things running and inform everyone where he, Glenn and Michonne are.

Tyreese is later seen in the courtyard of the prison. Axel approaches him and asks what they should do about Rick, Glenn and Michonne's disappearances. Tyreese tells them they have to wait outside all night, in case Rick and co. arrive late and need the fence opening. Tyreese is later seen sitting with Axel waiting for Rick and co. They discuss the three's disappearance and Tyreese says he is not worried for them, rather, he is worried about what they found at that helicopter. Axel says that he has no clue and asks Tyreese if he will be moving into A-block soon. Tyreese says he will and asks Axel if he will be doing the same. Axel tells him he does not know yet, and just enjoys the thought of having an option, saying sleeping with the cell door open is much different than sleeping with it closed. Tyreese says that it is a whole different world now and calling a prison home is a strange thing. Axel agrees with him and reluctantly says that he prefers the new world better.

Tyreese later decides to leave the prison and scout for Rick, Glenn, and Michonne, as they have been missing for over a day. While scouting for the three of them, he comes across the car they traveled in, abandoned on the side of the road. He tries to get it started, but, it fails and he is forced to run back to the prison, though the many hordes of zombies. After arriving back there, he is greeted by Lori, who asks him what he found. He tells her that he lost their tracks in the forest and could not locate the helicopter. He also mentions that he wrecked the bike he was riding while searching for them. Lori starts to cry, but Tyreese tells her that until he sees bodies, he is not labeling them as dead. He then leaves to try help the others close the fence, hoping to stop the zombies breaking through.

This Sorrowful Life
After Rick, Glenn, Michonne, Alice, and Martinez arrive back at the prison, Tyreese and the other group members greet them in the prison cafeteria. Tyreese and the others inform Rick of what has happened while he was away, and of how the zombies breached the prison fences. Rick starts to order people around, but Tyreese tells him that he is already on it and that he wants Rick to sit this one out. Rick starts to argue with him, but Tyreese tells him that he is disabled and could not possibly handle a roamer if it got close to him. Rick continues to argue with him, saying that he can't order him around. Tyreese asks him to look at the state Lori is in and if he wants to leave her like this again, going on to say that he will knock Rick out if he tries to help with the clean-up. Tyreese then leaves Rick with his family and begins to assist with the clean-up.

Later that day, Tyreese is seen burning the corpses of the fallen zombies with Axel. They start to joke about the zombies seemingly getting heavier, but, are interrupted by Glenn. He asks Tyreese and Axel not to burn any of the female zombie bodies, saying he wants to look over them. Tyreese and Axel agree to this, not even bothering to ask why Glenn wants to look over them, deciding to take a break instead. Tyreese is then approached by Rick, who asks him how things are going. Tyreese informs him that everything is under control and that he is ready to put their fight and fall-out behind him. Rick thanks him for this and tells him that he feels the same way. Rick then asks Tyreese if he has seen Martinez around. Tyreese says he has not and Rick suddenly starts to panic, saying that he is running off back to Woodbury. Tyreese tries to ask Rick to explain, but, he gets in the RV and drives off after Martinez, leaving Tyreese alone with Carl. Carl asks Tyreese if he thinks Rick actually loves him, saying that he keeps leaving him and Lori alone all the time. Tyreese reassures Carl that he does and tells him that Rick keeps leaving to keep them all safe and protected.

Tyreese is later seen finishing burning the bodies of the zombies with Axel. They continue their discussion about the zombies getting heavier and Axel asks Tyreese if Michonne has opened up to him about her ordeal at Woodbury. Tyreese says that she has been keeping it to herself and also says that he doubts he will ever know the entire story. Their conversation is yet again cut short, this time by Rick, who has returned from killing Martinez. Tyreese is then seen at the meeting Rick holds about Woodbury, where is tells the group they need to be ready when The Governor's forces attack.

The Calm Before
A few weeks after the zombie invasion of the prison, Tyreese is seen sleeping in his cell. However, he is woken up by Michonne who gets in his bed with him and starts crying over her ordeal at Woodbury. Tyreese tries to talk to her, but it is to no avail, and he lays there with Michonne in his arms.

The next day, Tyreese is seen playing basketball with various other members of the group. After finishing playing basketball, Tyreese heads over to the prison armory with Rick and Dale. When they get there, they discuss their preparations against the probable Woodbury attack. Dale says that they are not prepared enough for the attack and need to head to the nearby National Guard station. Tyreese is picked to lead this expedition and he, Axel, Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, and Andrea set off towards the station.

Tyreese is later seen sleeping in the RV. After he wakes Andrea up, he joins her outside. They talk about the Woodbury situation, saying that they have to find the National Guard station today. Suddenly, a zombie slowly walks towards them, Tyreese asks Andrea if he can borrow her rifle to shoot it. She tells him he can and Tyreese tries to shoot the zombie, missing it's head and hitting it's shoulder instead. Andrea then takes the rifle from him and kills the roamer herself. Tyreese apologizes for wasting the bullet and says that he has never been good with guns. He then asks Andrea if she can give him some pointers when they get back to the prison. She tells him that she will, saying that they need as many shooters as possible when Woodbury attacks. Axel soon finds the two of them and asks what the plan is. Tyreese and Andrea tell him that they should arrive at the station today, and that they have to get closer to Woodbury if they hope to find it.

After driving around the outskirts of Woodbury a bit, Axel finds the road sign for the National Guard station. Tyreese and the group use it to find the station. When they arrive, Tyreese orders people to start looking for ammo and weapons. However, Tyreese is almost run-over by truck driven by Glenn. Tyreese berates Glenn for his stupidity, but, thanks him for finding the truck, saying it will be useful for stockpiling ammo. Tyreese in then confronted by Andrea, who tells him that she thinks Woodbury is getting their gasoline and ammo from the station. She goes on to say that they should blow the whole station sky-high. Tyreese thinks her proposition over and eventually agrees with it, and the group blow the National Guard station up.

Soon after leaving the National Guard station, Glenn and Maggie ask Tyreese if they could scavenge the nearby Wal-Mart, saying Woodbury will be too busy dealing with the destruction of the station to notice them at the Wal-Mart. Tyreese says they will all go and scavenge it, but, they need to be quick about it. However, while scavenging the store, they are located by Bruce and his men. Glenn tries to reason with them, but, is shot in the chest by Bruce. Andrea and Michonne quickly spring to action and dispatch Bruce and the other Woodbury soldiers. Tyreese and the others quickly rush over to Glenn, who turns out to be still alive, protected by the riot armor he was wearing. Tyreese tells everyone they need to get back to the prison immediately, fearing Glenn has punctured a lung.

After arriving back at the prison, Tyreese helps move a bitten Dale into the prison's clinic. He watches Rick sever his leg to save him and heads off to help unload the supplies from the guard station.

Tyreese is later seen attending a target practice Andrea set up. Andrea jokes about him still not being able to shoot any of the targets and Tyreese tells her to shut-up. However, they are later seen joking about this and Andrea gives Tyreese special focus to help him learn. This leaves a jealous Dale watching from the sidelines.

Later that week, Tyreese is yet again seen playing basketball with other members of the prison group. Dale continues to watch him and Andrea is jealousy, believing Andrea does not love him anymore. However, their basketball game is interrupted when Carol feeds herself to a zombie the group have been studying. Tyreese is the first to rush too her aid, and he comforts Carol in her dying moments. When she passes away, Tyreese starts to ask why she would kill herself, but suddenly, Carol re-animates and almost bites him, but is put down by Andrea before she can do so.

Tyreese is then seen helping Andrea stockpile ammo in one of the prison guard towers. While doing so, they discuss Carol's suicide. Andrea asks Tyreese how is he dealing with it and Tyreese says that he once had a girlfriend who committed suicide. Tyreese then says that he hates suicide and it makes him angry at the person who did it, and that Carol does not deserve his sorrow. He and Andrea later visit Dale in his cell and give him a peg-leg they made for him. He thanks them both for this, but, asks Tyreese if he could leave him and Andrea alone for a minute, as he wants to discuss his relationship with Andrea. Tyreese walks off, back to his cell. He finds Michonne there and they start to have sex and Tyreese tells her that she has been great to him, especially after Carol's suicide. Michonne tells him that she does not want him ruining what they have by talking, and they continue to have sex.

The next morning, Tyreese is seen discussing the zombies around the fence with Rick. Tyreese wants to get rid of them, but, Rick says they might prove useful if someone attacks them, saying that they will have to get though them first. Tyreese agrees, but says Woodbury has probably forgotten about them as it has been two months since Rick, Glenn and Michonne's escape from the town. Later on, Tyreese and Michonne are seen playing basketball. However, they, and everyone else, are interrupted by The Governor and his army approaching from over the ridge, intending to take the prison from the group.

Made To Suffer
Tyreese is seen taking cover from the incoming fire from the Woodbury army. He tries to fire back at them, but Michonne takes his gun from him and uses it instead, saying that Tyreese wouldn't be able to hit anything. After Woodbury retreat for the moment, Tyreese and others discuss their plans of defense. Tyreese says that when they return, the first thing they will do is blow the towers up. Michonne counteracts this by saying that they barely even know how to drive the tank, let alone fire the canon. Tyreese agrees with her, but, they quickly turn their attention to both Rick, and Andrea, who have been shot in the crossfire.

After helping Rick and Andrea into the prison's clinic, Tyreese is seen in a heated argument with Michonne over if they should follow Woodbury back to their camp and attack them. Tyreese says they simply do not have the manpower to counterattack. Michonne tells him that they do not need any manpower, and that the two of them would be enough. Tyreese reluctantly agrees with her plan, and they suit up in riot gear and head towards the Woodbury camp.

After leaving the prison grounds, Tyreese asks Michonne if they are safe enough just to run towards them. Michonne says that she is counting on The Governor's arrogance not to have any snipers posted around the Woodbury camp. They then resume silence and enter the wooded area around the Woodbury camp. Once they get there, Michonne quickly decapitates a lone Woodbury guard. However, another guard sees this and Tyreese tries to stop him from sounding the other guards by tackling him. This however, proves futile, and the guard manages to get a shot off before Tyreese kills him. Gabe, and many other Woodbury soldiers rush to the area and start shooting at Tyreese and Michonne. The two of them managed to hide behind a nearby log, but, the soldiers find Tyreese while Michonne escapes. Off-panel in the comic, Tyreese and The Governor have a slight interaction, along with Lilly Caul. Tyreese accepts his fate, but still tries to annoy his hijackers; he headbutts The Governor while handcuffed and tells the two a story from the Bible, which causes Lilly to snap and hit Tyreese in the forehead. Gabriel and the soldiers take the captured and wounded Tyreese back to camp and The Governor proceeds to tie him up and places him on a truck.

Killed By
After being loaded onto a truck by The Governor and his men, Tyreese is beaten and brought back to the prison. The Governor reveals a bloody and beaten Tyreese to the prison group, asking them to give up the prison for his safety. Tyreese desperately tells the group not to surrender, and The Governor hits him over the head to shut him up. After Rick and group decide not to give into The Governor's demands, he uses Michonne's katana, and slowly cuts off Tyreese's head until it is fully decapitated. He then boots Tyreese's head closer to the prison's fence in anger and leaves when Billy Greene opens fire on him, leaving the group to grieve over Tyreese's brutal execution.
 * The Governor

After the destruction of the prison at the hands of the now deceased Brian Blake, Michonne finds Tyreese's re-animated head and puts it down, shedding a tear as she does so.
 * Michonne (Zombified, Out of Mercy)

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Tyreese has killed:
 * Chris (Alive and Zombified)
 * Numerous counts of zombies and at least one unnamed man.

Relationships
{{Scroll-1|

Julie
"Don't be scared. I'm here... I'll protect you. I'll keep you safe. I'm not going anywhere, Julie. I'm sure as hell never going to leave you alone with Chris, no matter how much you want me to."

- Tyreese to Julie after she tells him she is scared.

Being his daughter, Julie was naturally one of the most important people to Tyreese. Not much was shown of their relationship as she was mostly with Chris or in the R.V. while he dealt with the issues the group had to face. However, he showed he was extremely protective of her and cared for her greatly. Julie's death severely overwhelmed Tyreese, and tested his emotional stability. Although he claimed that he was fine; later on he lost control and attacked a large group of zombies. He later tells Rick that he is somewhat happy that she is gone, because she doesn't have to deal with the 'bullshit' that they do.

Carol
"Goddamn it, Carol. Why? Fuck. I can't she--did she--?"

- Tyreese after seeing Carol kill herself.

The pair established a romantic relationship after Tyreese's introduction to the group. He often acted as an emotional protector as well as a physical one for the more vulnerable Carol, before their abrupt and costly break-up. After Carol was bitten, Tyreese was shown to still have some lingering feelings towards her as he was the first to reach her and cried as she lay on the ground dying.

Michonne
"Tyreese, shut up. Don't fuck up whatever it is we have between us by talking about it."

- Michonne to Tyreese.

Tyreese and Michonne eventually formed a romantic/sexual relationship on the basis of mutual need despite the beginning of their relationship being rife with controversy and trouble. Tyreese needed Michonne more for emotional comfort and Michonne needed him to just have someone. Despite this, genuine mutual affection was established, though they never got to develop upon it. The pair had worked closely together in the fight against zombies and Woodbury up until their failed retaliation attempt in the forest surrounding the Prison. Tyreese's death left Michonne deeply saddened.

Rick Grimes
"Rick, it's--it's good to have you back, man. All that shit between us before, I just wanted to say--I'm done with it if you are."

- Tyreese to Rick reconciling their friendship.

Tyreese and Rick formed a close friendship on the road almost immediately. Being physically adept, he saved Rick several times from the constant zombie threats they encountered, and always helped the group to the best of his ability. A significant point was when he saved a downed Rick in Wiltshire Estates, which helped him gain Rick and the rest of the group's trust. Tyreese also shared many traits and interests with Rick, such as football, and the two were regularly seen conversing. Tyreese's characteristics and reliability quickly solidified Rick's respect and trust in him. This also resulted in an unstated, but obvious leadership position alongside Rick. Tyreese was actively involved and regularly sought for opinion on the next course of action by much of the survivor group, and was evidently trusted with unofficial leadership of the group that traveled to the Army station for supplies. Even though they had a major turning point with the incident involving Carol and Dexter respectively, Tyreese and Rick regained respect for each other before the former's untimely death.

Lori Grimes
"Stop that. Until I see their bodies--I can't accept that. I won't--I refuse. They're not dead. They're still out there--somewhere. I know it."

- Tyreese to Lori about Rick, Michonne, and Glenn's disappearances.

Tyreese and Lori got along pretty well. Lori appreciated Tyreese's help to the group and Tyreese respected Lori as Rick's wife. Their relationship took a blow after Tyreese's fight with Rick, but mended over time. Lori was shocked and broke into tears to hear of Tyreese's death.

Carl Grimes
"Listen, son. Your dad loves you very much--he's just a good man, your dad. When he leaves, he's doing it to protect you and your mother--all of us. Your dad is a great man, he holds this group together--even when he's not here. Everyone looks to him for advice and leadership--and it's a terrible burden on him. Your dad does what he has to--no matter what it is--for the good of us all. Understand?"

- Tyreese to Carl about his father's disappearances.

Tyreese took care of Carl multiple times during Rick's absence or when Rick was busy, such as when Rick chased down Caesar Martinez after Martinez fled from the Prison. Being a father himself, Tyreese often assured the distraught and confused young boy that Rick frequently left Carl and Lori not because he did not love them, but because he was a great leader and loved them immensely, and wanted to keep everyone safe as his main priority. His kindness is remembered fondly by Carl, whom specifically names Tyreese when he speaks about people he misses when awaking from his later coma.

Andrea
"When we get back to the prison--later today--do you think you could give me some pointers--help me out?"

- Tyreese asking Andrea for help with target practice.

The two weren't shown to interact much until half-way through their time at The Prison. Their mutual leadership skills, fitness, and interest in sport, as well as their generally sociable nature allowed the pair to be close friends. A strong trust between the two was displayed, such as when Andrea requested Tyreese help make the crutch gifts for the wounded (and wrongly jealous) Dale. Andrea also regularly teased Tyreese about his inability to accurately fire a gun. The two worked closely together on several occasions, such as the initial clearing of zombies within the Prison and their joint unofficial leadership of the supply-run on Woodbury's Military center.

Donna
"Hey, Tyreese. I don't think I've gotten a chance to welcome you to our group. I'm really glad you've decided to stick around. You've really been a big help, and Julie is the sweetest little girl."

- Donna thanking Tyreese for helping the group.

Despite being somewhat suspicious on Tyreese's arrival to the group, Donna latter admitted that she really appreciated Tyreese's contributions to the group and complimented Tyreese on the behavior of his daughter, Julie.

Chris
"Yeah. Leave him. He'll be coming back soon, and I'm going to kill him again. Slower this time."

- Tyreese to Rick about Chris.

Tyreese seemed friendly towards Chris but was always wary of what Chris and Julie were up too. Tyreese walked in on Julie and Chris about to have sex several times, furiously asking them if they wanted to be in the same situation that Rick and Lori were in. At the prison, Julie and Chris had sex late one night and had planned to shoot each other immediately afterward in a suicide pact but Chris pulled the trigger too fast and accidentally killed Julie. Tyreese heard the gunshot and ran in and held Julie in his arms weeping; he immediately roared at Chris asking him what has he done. When Julie came back as a roamer, Tyreese tried talking to it, seeing it as a way for his daughter to come back since she wasn't bitten but Chris knew it would not work and shot her to put her out off her misery. Tyreese saw it as Chris killing his daughter twice. Immediately Tyreese attacked and strangled Chris, and when Chris came back Tyreese told Rick he killed Chris again but slower and he enjoyed every second of it which again shows that Tyreese hated him for killing his daughter.

Axel
"It's a new world, man. Imagine how weird it must be to us to live in a prison... and come to call it home. We're sleeping in rooms with bars on one wall. All we see all day is fences and bars and we're happier than we've been since this whole shit started."

- Tyreese to Axel about living in a prison.

The pair formed a close-working relationship and were on friendly terms, evident by their frequent co-operation in the zombie clearings and their private talks while guarding the Prison at night. Tyreese considered Axel enough of a friend to confide in him about his fears for Michonne when she returned from Woodbury, and his regret in ruining his relationship with Carol.}}

Appearances
{{scroll
 * content =

Novel Series

 * "The Fall of the Governor"

Comic Series

 * Tyreese Special

Volume 2: Miles Behind Us

 * Issue 7
 * Issue 8
 * Issue 9
 * Issue 10
 * Issue 11
 * Issue 12

Volume 3: Safety Behind Bars

 * Issue 13
 * Issue 14
 * Issue 15
 * Issue 16
 * Issue 17
 * Issue 18

Volume 4: The Heart's Desire

 * Issue 19
 * Issue 20
 * Issue 21
 * Issue 22
 * Issue 23
 * Issue 24

Volume 5: The Best Defense

 * Issue 25
 * Issue 26
 * Issue 27
 * Issue 30

Volume 6: This Sorrowful Life

 * Issue 35
 * Issue 36

Volume 7: The Calm Before

 * Issue 37
 * Issue 38
 * Issue 39
 * Issue 40
 * Issue 41 (No Lines)
 * Issue 42

Volume 8: Made To Suffer

 * Issue 44
 * Issue 45
 * Issue 46

Volume 9: Here We Remain

 * Issue 49 (Zombified)

Volume 12: Life Among Them

 * Issue 72 (Flashback)

Volume 13: Too Far Gone

 * Issue 75 (Vision)
 * }}

Trivia

 * Tyreese is afraid of the dark, suffering from Achluophobia.
 * Tyreese is terrible at using firearms, and always prefers his signature hammer.
 * He is featured in the Tyreese Special, which reveals the origin of his hammer.
 * In The Fall of the Governor, Tyreese is revealed to be somewhat religious. He mumbles fragments from the Bible while being tortured and before his decapitation.
 * Tyreese is one of the few celebrities encountered in the Comic Series.
 * Tyreese revealed that he was a fan of the Minnesota Vikings football team.
 * Tyreese is one of the playable characters in The Walking Dead Board Game.
 * Tyreese is one of the few characters Robert Kirkman misses and regrets killing.
 * Kirkman about Tyreese's death in Letter Hacks:
 * "Tyreese has been one of my favorite characters in the book for a long time. I'm just as sorry to see him go as, I'm sure, a lot of you reading this are...While some deaths in this series are very spur of the moment actions that I try not to think through (because it makes things more spontaneous, like real life) Tyreese's death has been planned almost since his introduction. It's always been something I've known about and have been working toward. It will have great impact on the series and well, frankly...nobody lives forever in this book. Nobody. So these things will continue to happen for the duration of the series. Characters have to die...that's just how the book works. So while I will miss Tyreese, I have the luxury of knowing what's ahead for the rest of the crew in this book, and so I know things will be okay.So, uh...don't flip out."

Тайриз (комикс)