Hershel Greene (TV Series)

"You step outside, you risk your life. You take a drink of water, you risk your life. And nowadays you breathe, and you risk your life. Every moment now...you don't have a choice. The only thing you can choose is what you're risking it for. Now, I can make these people feel better and hang on a little bit longer. I can save lives. And that's enough reason to risk mine."

- Hershel to Rick and Maggie about the prison and the flu.

Hershel Greene is a farm owner, who lives in rural Georgia and has lived there for many years with his family. Hershel is the father of Maggie and Beth Greene. He married twice, his first wife being Josephine Greene and his second wife being Annette Greene, who brought along her son from a previous marriage. As of Seasons 3 and 4, Hershel has become the adviser of Rick.

Appearance
Hershel is a 60-something Caucasian male of average height and build. He commonly wears slacks, a beige button-up shirt, and suspenders. When first introduced he was clean-shaven with short hair but later grew his hair out into a ponytail and beard, a style which he retained until his death. Following being bitten on the leg by a walker in Season 3, Hershel had one leg amputated, which was later replaced by a prosthetic leg.

Personality
Hershel is the quintessential stubborn farmer. He believes strongly in what he considers to be right and was known to be uncompromising in defense of his morals. He also cares deeply for his family and protecting them (particularly his daughters Maggie and Beth) is one of the few times he would go against even his own moral code and do what needed to be done. As of Seasons 3 and 4, Hershel is shown to be a skilled diplomat, often talking down the other survivors from taking disastrous actions or talking them into taking the right ones, though these talks did not work with everyone.

Greene Family Farm
Hershel's family originated from Ireland. As a young child, he was given a pocket watch by his father, whose own father had passed to him. He had kept the watch until he pawned it to pay for his drinking habit. His wife bought it back and waited until he sobered up to give it back. He then gave it to Glenn.

He had grown up on the farm which had been in his family for 160 years, but moved out when he was fifteen because of a bad relationship with his father (partly due to his father's alcoholism).

He never let go of the grudge he held against him and avoided any form of contact, resulting in him not being present at his father's deathbed. It is a matter which, to this day, he doesn't regret.

In his later years, he became a veterinarian because of his love for animals. Around this time however, he also had begun to descend into alcoholism much like his father. He was frequently forced by his wife Josephine to sleep on the downstairs couch when he returned drunk from the local bar.

He was fortunately able to give alcohol up once their daughter Maggie was born. When Maggie was 6 years old, Beth was born and Hershel had hired Otis as his ranch foreman. Otis and his wife Patricia become close friends to the family.

Hershel's wife died of unknown causes when Maggie was young. When Maggie was 6 years old, he married another woman named Annette, who had a newborn son, named Shawn from her previous marriage.

Initially, he had faced hostility from Maggie for marrying Annette, however much to his pleasure he found her gradually warming up to his new wife.

As the outbreak started, Annette and Shawn were bitten by their undead fellow townspeople, and soon died and turned. Hershel, not believing their deaths and thinking they were merely under a disease of some kind (as the television/radio broadcasts seemed to imply) had Otis put them in the barn for holding until what seemed like an epidemic to him would blow over. He barricaded his remaining family and friends within the farm and had Otis continue to wrangle the townspeople that came onto the premises and put them in the barn.

"Bloodletting"
Hershel makes his first official appearance where he attempts to save Carl, who was hit by a stray bullet during a hunting accident, but is only able to remove one of the six bullet fragments. He explains that he will need better supplies, so Otis and Shane agree to go to a local high school to scavenge the appropriate medical tools. While waiting for the equipment, Hershel and Rick discuss a possible cure for the zombie outbreak. Rick states that there is no cure, but Hershel believes otherwise.

"Save The Last One"
While continuing to wait for Shane and Otis's return with the medical supplies, Hershel watches Carl's vitals carefully and informs Rick and Lori that if he doesn't get the medical supplies he needs soon, then they would have to decide whether to risk operating on Carl or not. However, near the end, Hershel receives the required medical equipment he needs to save Carl's life and in fact does so near the end of the episode. Hershel is also the one who tells Patricia that Otis was killed by walkers.

"Cherokee Rose"
Hershel continues to monitor Carl's condition after a funeral for Otis. After, he provides Rick with a map to help locate Sophia but informs that Rick and Shane need to relax and rest before they wind up hurting themselves. Hershel enforces the rules for his property and Rick agrees to follow his rules and tells him that once everyone is ready to travel again, they must move on and cannot stay at his farm.

"Chupacabra"
Hershel begins to grow more and more impatient with Rick and his group of survivors as they begin to borrow things of his without asking and both groups co-existing too well. He has hinted towards Maggie and her relationship with Glenn as well as Rick taking Jimmy along with him to search for Sophia without Rick asking and finally Daryl taking one of his horses. He then talks to Rick and tells him that he wants Rick to control his people and he will control his. Later he finds out that Carol and Lori decide to prepare a meal for everyone without asking to use his kitchen. After, Daryl is accidentally shot by Andrea and Hershel's medical expertise is needed again to patch up Daryl and he says he's amazed that Rick and his people have made it this far since they are more careless than he is. Hershel joins everyone for a quiet dinner and later Glenn discovers Hershel's dark secret about the barn.

"Secrets"
After Glenn discovers the barn of walkers, Dale confronts Hershel about it, but to no avail. Hershel remains unswayed, and continues to suggest that Rick and his group should move on.

"Pretty Much Dead Already"
Rick confronts Hershel about the barn, telling him that the survivors can handle the situation for Hershel. Hershel states there is no situation, and that the group needs to be off of his farm by the end of the week. Rick tells him that they can't go back out on the road and that Hershel doesn't truly know what the undead are like. Hershel continues to refuse, prompting Rick to reveal Lori's pregnancy; telling Hershel to reconsider sending the group off the farm. Hershel decides to give Rick a chance, and brings him and Jimmy out to attempt to wrangle some undead that got stuck in some mud to prove that Rick is willing to let go of killing. Seeing this, Shane confronts Hershel, who is driving a walker to the barn with a noose. Shane shoots the captive walker held by Hershel several times while asking how it's still "alive" and moving, before finally putting it down with a bullet to the head. Hershel collapses to the ground and helplessly watches as Shane, Andrea, Glenn, Daryl, and T-Dog slaughter the walkers in the barn. He also sees the undead Sophia exit the barn, and her death at Rick's hands. Hershel realizes that he was wrong about the walkers and commits himself to protecting his family and farm from them.

"Nebraska"
Hershel is still numb and in shock after the barn massacre. Patricia and Maggie, on either side of him, gently guide him back to the farmhouse. Shane repeatedly accuses him of knowing that Sophia was in the barn, which Hershel insists he didn't know. Shane goes to grab Hershel, but Maggie steps in and slaps him. Later, devastated by the violence at the barn, he secretly leaves the farm and goes to town so he can drink at a bar. Beth suffers a breakdown and it is discovered Hershel is absent. Rick and Glenn leave the farm in order to locate Hershel and bring him back to the farm so he can tend to his daughter. The two locate Hershel at The Carriage Bar, a local tavern Hershel frequently attended before Maggie's birth. Hershel gives an impassioned dialogue during which he admits the barn massacre has caused him to finally realize the truth. He admits that Rick was right and he was wrong about the disease and its aftermath. Hershel agrees to return to the farm but as they are about to leave, the doors to the bar open and two new survivors, Dave and Tony appear. Hershel says very little during the tense exchange, quietly following the lead of Rick as the former law man attempts to keep the location of their safe haven under wraps. Hershel takes stock of the situation as things quickly take a turn for the worse.

"Triggerfinger"
The group of three starts to head back to the farm, but are pinned down by a scouting party of Dave and Tony's gang. Gang members Randall, Sean, and Nate ask about their lost friends, both of whom are lying dead on the bar's floor. After Rick reveals they're dead the gang opens fire on them. Rick tells Hershel and Glenn to head toward the back of the bar where they can escape to the car. Rick follows them later and tells Hershel to cover Glenn. After the two are outside, a man named Sean fires at Glenn. Hershel, who used to be against the use of firearms, knows how to use them and shoots Sean in the chest. A walker, drawn to the gunfire, approaches Sean while he is still alive in agonizing pain. Hershel attempts to put down that walker, but realizes that Sean cannot be saved and leaves him. Rick goes after Glenn, who is frozen in terror behind a dumpster outside the bar. The youngest member of Dave and Tony's gang, Randall, is set up as a sniper on top of the pharmacy across the street. Randall fires at the trio. Nate calls for Randall to join him as they escape before the area is overrun by walkers and Randall jumps from the top of the pharmacy, impaling himself on a wrought iron fence. Rick heads for Randall, who has been left behind by Nate. Hershel tries to cover Sean, who is still alive, from walkers, but the gang member is easy prey for the walkers. Hershel is momentarily distracted by the carnage before racing to diagnose Randall's fate. Hershel, whose world view has completely changed in the wake of the barn massacre, suggests putting Randall down to spare him the fate suffered by his former counterpart. Rick pleads with Hershel, who argues there's nothing they can do to save him. Glenn suggests amputation and Hershel begins to take stock of the situation but it quickly becomes apparent time is not on their side. With the walkers getting closer, Rick pulls Randall's leg off the fence and the four leave for the safety of the farm. Once home, Maggie completely ignores Hershel as he diagnoses Randall's situation and informs the group the outsider won't likely be able to walk for at least a week. Later, he came upstairs to check on Beth. Maggie yells at him for leaving Beth alone. When the group decides whether or not they should abandon Randall or not, Shane thinks they should kill him and Hershel yells at him and reminds him that he still haven't forgave him after what he did to their barn by releasing and killing every walkers on sight that the Greene family managed to capture.

"18 Miles Out"
Hershel is not seen on camera during the episode but is mentioned by Maggie that he is tending to Beth's self-inflicted injuries inside the farmhouse.

"Judge, Jury, Executioner"
Dale goes to Hershel, asking for his support. "I don't want to know," Hershel insists. "I leave it with Rick." In the farmhouse, Glenn finds Hershel checking up on Beth. Hershel asks Glenn about his family and tells him about his own Irish heritage. He hands Glenn a pocket watch that belonged to his grandfather. "No man is good enough for your little girl," Hershel says, "until one is." Hershel's cows escape and are wrangled back. It appears at least one was not recovered, as Dale finds it with its entrails ripped out. Distracted by the cow, Dale is attacked by a walker. Rick calls for Hershel and asks him if Dale can survive his injuries; Hershel shakes his head. Rick cannot bring himself to shoot Dale, so Daryl takes Rick's gun and mercy-kills Dale with a shot to the head.

"Better Angels"
Hershel permits the group to move into his house, though he voices concern about Shane to Rick. He is also seen helping to bring the things of the Atlanta survivors into the house and telling Lori that she can have his room and he will sleep on the couch. Later that day he is seen investigating the barn after Randall's escape. Rick demands T-Dog and Hershel gather everyone into the house for safety.

"Beside the Dying Fire"
Hershel is first shown inside the house with the others, waiting for Rick, Shane, Daryl, and Glenn to return from their search for Randall. When walkers invade his farm, Hershel tells the group that it is his farm, and he will die defending it. Hershel shoots many of the approaching walkers with a shotgun while the others slowly retreats from the farm one by one. Rick saves Hershel from a walker who sneaks up behind him by shooting the walker in the back of the head. Rick pulls Hershel to a car and they flee the farm while the barn burns. In the back seat of the car, Hershel looks at the over-run farm. Hershel later insists that Rick take Carl to a safe place, and offers to stay at the section of highway where Sophia got lost to wait for the rest of the group, even if it means his death. But the remaining survivors, except Andrea, arrive just before Rick departs. Hershel embraces Maggie and Beth and the group learned from one another about Shane, Andrea, Jimmy, and Patricia's fate. The group discusses their plans for the future and start heading down the road. After Rick reveals that everyone is infected, he listens to Maggie and Glenn second-guessing Rick's leadership, but Hershel shuts them down, being one of only two people (along with Daryl) to still trust Rick.

"Seed"
Hershel and the rest of the group discover a prison Rick believed could be their new home. Before settling into the prison, Hershel talks to Rick about Lori and the possibility that she may have lost the baby due to stress and over exerting herself. Hershel and the others went into the prison's fence and Rick assigned Hershel to shoot the walkers from one of the towers together with Carl. That night, Hershel suggested that they should plant some seed so they can grow crops. Also, Hershel asked Beth to sing one of Paddy Riley's song at the campfire, but Maggie declined by saying "Daddy, not the one please." Hershel then changed his request and told Beth to sing "The Parting Glass." Beth then proceeds to sing, and Maggie eventually sings along with her sister. The day after Rick, Glenn, Daryl, T-Dog, and Maggie cleared out cell block C, Carol called for Hershel to come over as Lori wanted to talk to him about the baby. Lori expresses to Hershel her fears and assumptions that her son can't stand her and that Rick hates her for putting him in difficult situations. That day, Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, Maggie, Glenn, and Hershel attempt to clean out another section of the prison. The group soon runs into small herds of walkers and is forced to retreat. During this, Glenn and Maggie become split up from the group by walkers and lock themselves in a closet.

The group, noticing the disappearance of the two, plan to go back and search for them. While they are searching, Hershel is seen stepping over what appears to be a dead inmate. The group circles back, safe from the walkers and Hershel is again seen stepping over the inmate, which shockingly awakens. The formerly dormant walker grabs Hershel by the leg and bites into his calf. Rick shoots the walker in the head and the group quickly responds to the tragedy that has taken place. They are last seen inside a vacant cafeteria where Rick examines the bite. Rick, quickly thinking, removes his own belt and ties it above the bite before taking a hatchet and messily amputating Hershel's lower leg to save him. During the amputation, Hershel loses consciousness. Stuck inside the cafeteria, the group looks up and sees a group of living human inmates staring back at them.

"Sick"
Hershel is rushed into one of the cells in C Block, and the team attempts to stop the bleeding. Carol eventually slows it down with help from Carl who retrieved medical supplies from the infirmary. At one point during the episode, Hershel appears to stop breathing. Lori checks his pulse multiple times, and eventually gives him mouth-to-mouth CPR. He soon darts up and grabs Lori in much the same way the dormant walker had grabbed him, but she is pulled away from Hershel. He appears to be alive, as his eyes are still their normal color, and he soon falls back asleep. As a precaution should Hershel turn, he is handcuffed to the bed frame. Soon, when Rick returns from helping the other prisoners clear another cell block, and enters the cell Hershel is in, Hershel wakes up. He raises his hand, and holds Rick's hand, but doesn't say a word. He soon falls back asleep.

"Walk With Me"
Hershel does not appear in this episode.

"Killer Within"
Hershel is shown in this episode to have recovered well from his amputation and is beginning to walk with crutches. When Walkers start to pour into the prison after Andrew took his revenge, Hershel and Beth hide behind a gate and remain there throughout the episode. At the end of the episode, Hershel is present when Maggie emerges from the prison carrying Lori's newborn child in her arms and witnesses Rick's sad, distraught fit. He appears to be saddened by Lori's loss as well.

"Say the Word"
Hershel appears in this episode standing on his crutches, talking to Glenn as he mourns the deaths of Lori, T-Dog, and Carol. While Hershel believes that the two remaining prisoners, Axel and Oscar, are good people, Glenn believes that all of the prisoners should have been killed at first sight.

"Hounded"
Hershel is seen first in the episode, eating with the others in the cafeteria of the prison. He later visits Rick, who is still in the prison's boiler room waiting for the phone. Rick tells him about another group of survivors, and how he is trying to join up with their group for safety, but tells Hershel not to say a word to the others about it. Hershel offers to sit with Rick, but Rick says no. Hershel is seen holding Judith when Rick returns to the group a second time. He passes Judith to Rick, who has finally come to embrace his newborn daughter. Afterwards, he, Rick, Judith, Carl, and Beth walk triumphantly out to the prison-yard as the group realizes that things seem to be looking up.

"When the Dead Come Knocking"
Hershel is seen behind Rick as he opens the gate to retrieve Michonne's unconscious body. He also asks Rick if she has any bites, to which he replies that it is only a gunshot wound. He is seen with the other survivors as they interrogate Michonne. He is also seen stitching up Michonne's gunshot wound (inflicted by Merle). Afterwards, despite the gentle treatment, she replies with a stern "thank you."

"Made to Suffer"
Hershel appears mostly by Beth's side during this episode. Hershel puts Judith to sleep in her crib and talked to Beth and Carl, sitting on the stairs. When Carl hears a noise emanating from elsewhere in the prison, Hershel attempts to stop him from investigating the noise but ultimately decides to let him go. He is later seen when he sees the new group arriving in another cell. Sasha glares at him and yelled at them to unlock the door when Carl locked it. Tyreese calms her down and gives Hershel and the group his assurances that they're not looking for trouble.

"The Suicide King"
Hershel is seen in the common room, doctoring Allen's leg. Hershel bonded with Tyreese and the two shares some of their stories since the outbreak began. Hershel told Tyreese that he shouldn't get too comfortable here, as he can't make the decision whether Tyreese's group can stay here or not. When Rick, Glenn, Maggie, and Michonne return to the prison, Hershel and Beth hugs Maggie and he told Beth to take her sister inside to get some medication. Back in the cell, he examines Glenn's injuries in his cell, surprised that Glenn sustained no broken bones. He informs Glenn that he is like a son to him, before leaving to talk to Maggie. Hershel told Maggie if she has anything to talk about and also notice her strange behavior around Glenn. He told her that he is proud of her and that she got her mother's spirit and stubbornness. She lay down in his arms and the two bonded with each other. Later that evening, Hershel wanted Rick to let Tyreese's group join their cause. When Rick says no while deciding the fate of Tyreese's group, Hershel argues against the decision due to their shortage in manpower following Oscar's death and Daryl's abandonment. Shortly after, Rick screams around the room, and Hershel stared at Rick, confused about his act of sudden tantrum.

"Home"
After Rick's outburst towards the hallucination of Lori and indirectly towards Tyreese, Hershel is seen with the group inside of The Prison. He listens to Glenn's proposal on how to defend themselves from The Governor, but recommends that the group leave the prison rather than risk retaliation from Woodbury. He later comments that Glenn's decision to take over the leadership from Rick may be unwise at this time since Maggie is still recovering from her and Glenn's detention and torture in Woodbury, also advising Glenn to comfort his daughter. Later, when Glenn is outside and about to leave the Prison to scout, Hershel advises him to stay and take stock. Glenn ignores his council and leaves. Distraught, Hershel notices Rick wandering outside the Prison. There, he notices Rick outside of the fence, deciding to counsel him about his mental status. Rick confesses to Hershel his visions of Lori and Shane and Hershel urges him to come back inside of The Prison, where it is safe, but before Rick refuses. Just then, The Governor attacks them. Hershel ends up pinned down within the prison fence where the "walker bomb" is deployed. Hershel is rescued by Michonne and Glenn before he can be harmed.

"I Ain't a Judas"
Hershel is seen with the rest of the group discussing the Woodbury situation. When Rick attempts to wander off, Hershel yells at him to get back here and do something, but Rick ignores him and wanders outside. Hershel visits Merle in his cell, where they bond over their amputations and a Bible verse. Merle tells Hershel of The Governor's planned pecking order during a second attack, with Merle being the first death and Rick being the last because The Governor wants Rick to watch his family and friends die around him. Andrea returns to the Prison, and appears shocked to see that Hershel has lost his leg. He then informs her of Lori's fate and the birth of her baby girl, and asks why she's so sure that The Governor is willing to negotiate. Later that night, while Beth is singing by the candlelight, Hershel voices his concerns about Andrea's inner conflict and The Governor's numbers. Rick agrees and says that they need to match those numbers, then decides to go for a supply run in the morning with Michonne and Carl to try and find some bullets and new weapons. Rick then tells Daryl and Hershel that they will be in charge while he's gone.

"Clear"
Hershel does not appear in this episode.

"Arrow on the Doorpost"
Hershel goes along with Rick and Daryl to the meeting with The Governor. Later, he is seen talking to Milton Mamet about his amputation, and even jokes about his question regarding the leg, the two seem to form a bond of sorts because of this. When the meeting is over, he leaves with Rick and Daryl. Back at the prison when the meeting is over, Hershel privately mentions the group's sentiments about going to war with Woodbury. He and Carol believe they think the group should leave the Prison behind and take their chances on the road to avoid any more hostility from Woodbury and The Governor, but they would go along with whatever Rick felt was best. It's then that Rick reveals the truth: the Governor asked for Michonne. Hershel stands up for Michonne, saying she earned her place. However, when asked if he would risk Maggie and Beth's lives for her, Hershel cannot counter.

"Prey"
Hershel does not appear in this episode.

"This Sorrowful Life"
Hershel is still against the idea of Rick handing over Michonne to The Governor, and agrees with Daryl when he says that the decision is not like them. Later on, Hershel and his daughters pray with a bible and he said he would do anything to keep Maggie and Beth away from harm. While in his cell, Glenn visits him and says that he now understands why Hershel gave him the pocket watch and tells Hershel that he wants to marry Maggie. Hershel gives Glenn his blessing. Hershel is later seen on the outside of the Prison, along with the other remaining members of the group as Rick denounces having sole leadership.

"Welcome to the Tombs"
Hershel is first seen packing important medical supplies in bags, he then hides out in the woods with Carl as the Woodbury army ambushes the Prison and retreat when they are ambushed themselves. Jody, one of the Woodbury soldiers, runs off into the woods where he comes across Hershel and Carl. Despite surrendering his gun, Carl shoots him anyways. Hershel tells Rick about what really happened with Jody, as Carl had lied to Rick. Hershel tells Rick that Carl gunned Jody down and Jody had no intentions on killing either of them.

Later, at the end of the episode, Hershel cheerfully guides the remaining Woodbury survivors to their new home in the Prison, most of whom are children or elderly.

Season 4
Within the time gap between Season 3 and Season 4, Hershel has started a garden out on the prison yard. He also now has a prosthetic leg that Daryl found on a supply run.

"30 Days Without An Accident"
Hershel is first seen with Rick out in the gardens. He is talking to Rick about how to plant things and use seeds to grow more plants. Before Rick walks away, Hershel makes a joke aimed at Rick regarding the proper clothing to farm and grow crops. He also tells Rick that him and the rest of the council want him to carry a gun when he goes outside the prison.

Later at the end of the episode he is talking with Rick about the situation with Clara, he tries to persuade Rick that there was nothing he could do and she was wrong about not being able to come back from the brink of insanity. When Rick suggests losing the Prison, Judith or Carl would put him in that position, Hershel says, "not even then."

"Infected"
Hershel is first seen examining the new infection with Dr.S, Rick, Daryl, and Bob before he meets with the rest of the "council" to discuss the new situation at the prison and how to deal with it, putting Karen in isolation in the process.

"Isolation"
Hershel is seen bandaging Rick's hand after his fight with Tyreese. He later goes into the woods with Carl to collect Herbs for the infected people. They both spot a decomposed walker as another one arrives. Once they return, Maggie tries to stop him from going inside Cell Block A to prevent him from being infected. Rick arrives and sides with Maggie, Hershel explains how they risk their lives and that he can help the sick. They both allow him to go and he goes inside and gives Caleb Subramanian the herb medicine. When Caleb coughs, He spits blood into Hershel's face and Hershel himself thinks he is infected with the flu type infection. He also gives Glenn the herb medicine.

"Indifference"
Hershel does not appear in this episode, but is mentioned many times in the course of the episode by Rick and Carol.

"Internment"
Hershel is in Block A taking care of the infected survivors. Hershel, Glenn, and Sasha take care of several of the infected together until things go to Chaos. He attempts to reassure Caleb that everything will be fine, before realizing that the doctor had given up hope, showing Hershel several guns he had packed and revealing blood running from his eyes and mouth. Later, Hershel revives a passed out Sasha and when he exits the cell, Lizzie yells to Hershel, alerting him of 2 walkers in the room. Hershel gets pinned but a woman and man come to save him. However, the man's teenage son turns and bites his father, causing him to accidentally shoot and kill the woman. Hershel quickly runs to Lizzie who is pinned under a walker, and throws it onto a fence below the catwalk. Hershel then shouts at Caleb for a gun, before encountering the doctor, now dead and reanimated. After stabbing him through the bars of the cell, he retrieves a shotgun, which he uses to lure and kill the walkers. Right after, Hershel goes to get the breathing tube from the walker to save Glenn, but is pinned. Right on time, Maggie finally breaks into the cell block, and kills the walker and saves Hershel. She kills the remaining walkers and then they go to save Glenn, which they do. Afterwards, Hershel is seen back in Caleb's cell, where he tends to his corpse and attempts to read his bible before breaking down and sobbing over the events of the day. The next day, Hershel is confronted by Daryl, who asks where Carol is. Hershel, however, reassured him that she is fine, but directs him to Rick. He then rides with Michonne to burn and bury the corpses from the previous day.

"Live Bait"
Hershel does not appear in this episode.

"Dead Weight"
When The Governor arrives at the prison, he discovers Hershel and Michonne outside of the fences disposing walker corpses from the previous attack. He then aims his gun at the both of them.

"Too Far Gone"
The Governor ambushes Hershel and Michonne (as they burn people that have died from the illness), knocking Michonne unconscious, and forcing Hershel to drop his gun. While they are held hostage, The Governor explains that he intends to take the prison from Rick so that his new group can live there safely, and will be using Hershel and Michonne to get it. Hershel tries, but fails to persuade The Governor that they could all live together. When The Governor states that he will kill members of Rick's group if necessary, Hershel states that The Governor should realize that threatening to kill a man's children is wrong since he used to have a child himself, but The Governor has already made his decision.

Once The Governor arrives at the Prison with his group and the two hostages, Hershel attempts to help Rick in reaching diplomacy. Rick spends several minutes pleading with The Governor, asking him to let Hershel and Michonne go and offering to let his group live in the Prison with the others. The Governor becomes irritated and holds Michonne's katana to Hershel's throat. Rick then looks down at Hershel and Hershel nods his head, as a sign of saying Rick has made the right choice. Rick frantically tries to reason, and reinstates Hershel's virtues of peace and that nobody is "too far gone", and that "we can all come back," leading Hershel to smile vaguely. The Governor begins to put down the sword, but then stops, muttering "liar". The Governor then swings the sword into Hershel's neck, partially decapitating him. This leads to the beginning of a massive gunfight, as Maggie and Beth cry for their father, watching from behind the Prison gates. As Hershel bleeds out and desperately attempts to crawl away in the ensuing gunfight, The Governor catches up to him and repeatedly slashes at Hershel's neck with the sword, utterly decapitating and killing him.

Killed By
While outside the fences burning bodies with Michonne, The Governor captured the two of them. Later, he used them as hostages and told Rick that he and his group had until sundown to leave the prison or he will kill them all. After Rick pleaded with The Governor's group to put down their guns and join them at the prison, The Governor blatantly refused under his breath and proceeded to slice Hershel at the neck. This caused a firefight to erupt between the two groups allowing Michonne to escape. As the two groups fought, Hershel vainly dragged himself away from the fight, slowly dying as he lost blood. The Governor caught up with him, however, and brutally sliced him multiple times with Michonne's sword, decapitating and killing him in the process.
 * The Governor

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Hershel has killed:
 * Sean (Caused)
 * Caleb Subramanian (Zombified)
 * Crying Mother (Zombified)
 * Noris' Son  (Zombified)
 * 1 prison survivor (Before Reanimation)
 * 2 Prison Newcomers (Zombified)
 * Numerous counts of zombies and infected people.

Josephine Greene
"She was a good woman, my Jo. Maggie's a lot like her."

- Hershel telling Glenn about his first wife.

Josephine is Hershel's first wife, and Maggie's mother. She is stated by Hershel to be tough and strong, and she frequently made him sleep on the couch whenever he comes home late or drinking at night, showing that she cared a lot about her husband. She died before the apocalypse occurred. After her death, Hershel marries another woman, much to Maggie's dismay. From then on, Hershel and Maggie had a rough relationship until Beth was born.

Annette Greene
Annette was Hershel's wife and he deeply loved her. When she died, Hershel locked her up in the barn hoping that a cure would be found and save her life. He fell into a state of depression when she was killed and took up drinking again in "Nebraska".

Rick Grimes
"Don't feel sorry about my leg. You saved my life Rick, and I'm grateful for that."

- Hershel thanking Rick for amputating his bitten limb, and saving his life.

Rick first met the Greene family after his son Carl was accidentally shot by their neighbor Otis, who offered the medical assistance of the family patriarch, Hershel. Rick was grateful for Hershel ultimately saving his son and allowing the group to stay on his farm while Carl healed, though they came at odds when the group discovered that Hershel had been hoarding his undead family and neighbors in his barn thinking they could be cured. Rick slowly attempted to show Hershel the truth of the living dead, but to no avail. He eventually cooperated with Hershel, even going as far as to aid him in bringing two new walkers to the barn.

After facing a divine intervention following the barn shootout, Hershel relapsed into his alcoholism and was confronted in a bar by Rick who convinced him that what had happened needed to be done, as the undead were no longer the people they were before. Following this revelation, Hershel saw the spirit in Rick's leadership and has since become one of his most devoted followers, standing by his side and knowing that he had his family's safety at heart along with the rest of the group. Despite this notion, Hershel continued persistently in voicing his concerns over Shane Walsh until the latter's death.

Occasionally, Hershel will try and mentor Rick's troubles and offer advice as often as he possibly can. Despite these attempts usually being rebuffed, Hershel never takes it to heart and feels that Rick is competent enough to overcome anything. This is most positively seen when Rick pulls Hershel away from defending his farm against an overwhelming herd and into the arms of his surviving daughters. Rick knew that not only did the man have his own family to protect, he also provided his pregnant wife and the group with a crucial medical role. After abandoning the farm, Rick assumed command over the entire group, which united them all as one unit. While living as transient scavengers during the winter, Hershel followed Rick's leadership and did not question him.

When Hershel was bitten while the group cleared the prison, Rick immediately hacked off his leg to prevent the infection from killing him, which eventually led to a full recovery minus the amputation. Hershel continues to follow Rick's leadership and is saddened by Lori's death and Rick's devastation. He is shown mentoring Rick both during and after his breakdown. While Rick is busy recovering and coming to terms with what broke him, Hershel has acted as a surrogate father to Judith and spends the majority of his time taking care of her.

The two have become very close friends following Hershel's recovery from his amputation. Although Rick felt bad about having to cut off Hershel's leg and leave him permanently disabled, Hershel has been nothing but gracious to Rick because the act saved his life. Thanks to Rick's quick thinking, Hershel became the first and only known survivor of a zombie bite.

Recently, Hershel has been seen on several occasions giving advice to Rick on how best to handle things and voices his opinion to Rick when he has doubts or questions his decisions. It is obvious that Rick has a very high level of personal trust in Hershel, as he was the sole group member that Rick confided in regarding the hallucinations he's been having. Knowing that Rick told him in confidence and did not want the others to know, Hershel kept Rick's secret. Even after Rick's outburst upon seeing Lori's 'ghost' on the prison balcony and yelling at her, Hershel has respected Rick's privacy and kept the details about his friend's experiences to himself. Hershel is very understanding of what Rick is going through, does not blame or judge him for it, and has continued to be there for him. Although he is doing his best to help Rick mourn and get through this, Hershel keeps his friend in line as he refuses to let Rick be controlled by his grief or do anything that would put them all in danger.

Before Hershel's death, he shows a great amount of pride for Rick as he attempts to parley with the Governor. Rick is devastated by Hershel's death.

Carol Peletier
"Oh, there you are!"

- Carol to Hershel as she reunites with the group.

Hershel teaches Carol a few minor medical techniques in preparation for the birth of Lori's baby. They presumably become close to one another in their time alone in doing this. In "Sick", Hershel is bitten by a lurker, and his leg is amputated by Rick to stop the infection. Carol, like Maggie, is not optimistic about Hershel's chances of survival, but works as hard to keep him alive anyway. When Carol reunites with the rest of the group in "When the Dead Come Knocking", she is extremely happy to see Hershel again and gives him a strong, bracing hug (despite his now-limited balance). Hershel seems equally happy to see Carol. It is possible that the fact that Carol helped save Hershel's life helped to strengthen their growing bond.

Glenn Rhee
"You're like my own son."

- Hershel to Glenn when treating his wounds.

Hershel and Glenn initially don't have a very good relationship, with the former disapproving of his relationship with his daughter, Maggie. But as the time passes, Hershel realizes that Glenn is a capable man who can care and protect his daughter from the dangerous world they live in. He gives Glenn a pocket watch (which has been passed through generations in Hershel's family) and along with it permission to be with Maggie.

Later on in the prison, Hershel tells Glenn that he is like a son to him, showing their extremely close bond and friendship. When the Prison is overrun by Walkers after a delivery van driven by a Woodbury soldier unloads them during the Woodbury attack, Glenn (along with Michonne) helps to rescue Hershel. Glenn later confronts Hershel telling him he wishes to marry Maggie. Hershel happily agrees, saying "You have my blessing."

Maggie Greene
"I rest easy knowing you can handle yourself. You've got your mother's spirit...and her stubbornness."

- Hershel comforting Maggie.

Maggie is Hershel's eldest daughter. They have a normal father-daughter relationship and are very close. Hershel has entrusted Glenn to take care of her and be her unofficial husband, a status which Glenn had to earn by proving himself to Hershel over time.

Maggie's personality is much like that of her father in that she is strong, intelligent, brave, responsible, innovative, capable, and able to bounce back from the tragedies she faces without letting herself become devastated or weakened by them. Knowing that Maggie can take care of herself without his constant supervision, Hershel gave her the job of going on supply runs, a duty which she has kept throughout the zombie apocalypse. He also allows Maggie to engage in combat alongside the men. This is far different from how Hershel views Beth, who he keeps by his side as she is much more naive and fearful than her sister. However, Hershel is still very protective of Maggie and often worries about her, like any normal parent would. His death devastated Maggie, where she is seen crying and screaming behind the prison fences after witnessing her fathers execution.

Beth Greene
"How's Bethy?"

- Hershel to Maggie about Beth's condition.

Beth is Hershel's youngest daughter. They have a normal, loving, father-daughter relationship. Hershel is protective of Beth as she is still considered a kid, at the age of 17. Hershel is Beth's father and they love each other dearly. After Beth tried to commit suicide, Hershel was by her side watching and caring for her. Hershel calls Beth, "Bethy", and is proud of his daughter's singing skills.

When Hershel is bitten, amputated and taken back to the cells, Beth starts to cry in Lori's arms at the sight of her unconscious father in "Sick". Beth does not give up on Hershel and still believes he will be okay, Beth starts to make new pants for Hershel and Maggie asks why in which Beth moans at her for sounding as she has given up on their father. When Hershel regains consciousness, he and Beth are seen walking around together, Beth helping Hershel walk and cope with his new disability while Maggie is off with Glenn. Hershel always protects Beth despite his inability to walk normally, such as in episodes "Killer Within" and "Welcome to the Tombs". Sometimes, Hershel would also give medical advice regarding Judith to Beth and Carol. As with Maggie, Beth was devastated at witnessing his death, and started shooting at the attackers in revenge.

Michonne
"She earned her place."

- Hershel to Rick regarding Michonne.

Hershel and Michonne have interacted greatly in recent episodes, him often treating her for medical injuries and even saving her life (being one of the only people left who can treat a concussion). Michonne returned this favor by saving Hershel's life in "Home", carrying him to the truck along with Glenn. When Hershel is informed by Rick that The Governor wants her in exchange for the prison's safety from his army, he stands up for her and states that she has earned her place in the group. Months later, after the prison finally recovers from the deadly flu virus, the prison is overrun by walkers, but is saved by the efforts of Rick and Carl outside, and Hershel inside. The next day, Hershel and Michone go to burn the walkers but are kidnapped by Phillip, and brought back to his camp. Later that day, Phillip executes Hershel right in front of the prison survivors and Michonne, and she is seen to be shocked by his death.

Judith Grimes
"The good news is, she seems healthy. But she needs formula. And soon, or she won't survive!"

- Hershel expressing his worry for Judith.

Due to his medical training, Hershel is the primary caretaker of Judith. He spends a significant amount of time with the baby and ensures that her needs are met. Hershel cares very deeply for Judith. Since the day Judith was born, Hershel has acted as her surrogate father while Rick recovers from his breakdown.

Merle Dixon
"And you're the black sheep. Merle..."

- Hershel to Merle, during the first time they meet.

Merle and Hershel first met in "I Ain't a Judas" and it appears that the two have bonded through a discussion of their loss of limbs and the Bible. Hershel also values Merle's Military Experience.

Milton Mamet
"At least buy me a drink first."

- Hershel joking with Milton and declining to show him his amputated leg.

When The Governor takes Milton with him to meet Rick in "Arrow on the Doorpost", Milton begins taking notes of what's happening. Milton tells Hershel that they need to keep records of the apocalypses's history, and Hershel agrees with him. The two talk, and Milton starts to take interest in Hershel's amputated leg. Milton asks if he could see Hershel's leg, and Hershel gently and jokingly says no. However, they both start to laugh.

Patricia
Patricia was Hershel's vet assistant and close friend throughout the majority of Season 2. She often assisted him in medical circumstances, and is seen by his side along with Maggie, Beth and Glenn when the rest of the farm turn against him after the discovery of Sophia in "Nebraska". Hershel respects her but still treats her as his employee when he orders her to prepare for emergency surgery one time. He is concerned on Patricia's whereabouts in "Beside the Dying Fire" when she is not seen at the Highway, and appears upset when Beth explains her death.

Tyreese
Although their interaction was brief, they seemed to form a friendship. This is evident when Hershel tries to, and almost succeeds to convince Rick into letting Tyreese and his group stay in the prison and to give them a chance at earning their place in "The Suicide King". It is also shown in "Welcome to the Tombs", when Tyreese arrives at the prison, Hershel puts his hand on Tyreese's shoulder showing some friendly affection. In the following months, Tyreese and Hershel turn into friends. He is devastated to see the latter's death at the hands of The Governor.

Carl Grimes
Hershel performs the operation that saves Carl's life after Carl is accidentally shot by Otis. Carl later returns the favor by retrieving badly-needed medical supplies after Hershel's lower leg is amputated when he is bitten by a walker. When Hershel recovers enough to move around with crutches, Carl jokingly challenges him to a race. Hershel is with Carl when Carl shoots and kills Jody, who was surrendering, and tells Rick that the killing was "in cold blood." However, Hershel acknowledges at the beginning of Season 4 that Carl has "come back" and later tells Carl that he has matured. Carl is shocked by Hershel's death at the hands of The Governor.

Caleb Subramanian
"Doctors make the worst patients."

- Hershel to Caleb, while he is checking on Caleb's ill condition.

Caleb and Hershel were good friends, and had a close friendship. When Caleb was infected with the flu virus, Hershel occasionally visited his cell to check on him, whereby Caleb told Hershel that he was wasting his time. Later, when Hershel discovers that Caleb has died and turned into a walker, Hershel mercifully stabs him in the eye, killing him. He is later seen near Caleb's bed with his Bible, and begins to cry over his friend's loss, implying that they had a close friendship.

Sasha
Sasha and Hershel have a good relationship, both are part of the council. In Internment Hershel saved Sasha when she was sick, even commented that she is lucky to be alive and that she only is because of Hershel. Once recovering enough to walk properly Sasha began helping Hershel with the other flu victims, Hershel was shown to be very grateful. Hershel also mentioned that Sasha had put down the victims that had died before reanimation this is presumably because Hershel himself found it incredibly hard too.

Julio
Julio and Hershel were shown to have a good relationship, Hershel treated Julio like everyone else who had the flu and risked getting it himself to help. Once caught by The Governor and held hostage outside Julio like the rest of the group were shown to be very worried. Julio then turned from worried to disgusted as saddened as The Governor decapitated Hershel. It is unknown how upset Julio was as he was also shot and killed.

Appearances
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Trivia

 * Hershel is one of the members of Rick's group who still believes in God and the Afterlife.
 * ​In many ways, Hershel had replaced Dale as the moral compass of the group. This was foreshadowed both by their interaction with each other and with other survivors:
 * Dale's conversation with Hershel in "Judge, Jury, Executioner" consisted of him appealing to Hershel for support regarding the fate of a prisoner. Hershel turned a blind eye at the time, which is ironic, as Hershel would later plead a case for Rick to spare Tyreese and his group's lives in "The Suicide King".
 * Dale had a very paternal relationship with Glenn, who actively sought his approval and was the most distraught by all the survivors after his death. Hershel would later become a very real father after Glenn became involved with his daughter Maggie.
 * Rick revealed in his eulogy at Dale's funeral that he would often look to him for approval regarding difficult moral dilemmas. He would later tell Hershel of his plan to turn Michonne over to The Governor in hopes of a truce and, when asked by Hershel why he was telling him and not the others, Rick answered that he was hoping Hershel could talk him out of it.
 * Dale in the Comic Series lost his leg and had to use crutches and later a peg-leg Andrea built for him, with Dale dying much earlier in the TV Series, Hershel has lost his leg, survived and been forced to use crutches and by Season 4, Hershel obtained a prosthetic leg which is more advanced than Dale's Comic Series peg leg permitted him to wear a full pair of boots again.
 * On the Talking Dead episode discussing "Too Far Gone", in which Hershel is killed and Scott Wilson guest stars, a strong parallel is made between the two characters, who are confirmed to have been moral centers for the group, and that this had a strong impact on fan reactions to their deaths.
 * Hershel is the third person to cause the death of living human, the others being Shane and Rick.
 * Scott Wilson, who portrays Hershel, revealed that there is a portrait of his mother as a young girl hanging in the farm house.
 * Hershel was initially scripted to be killed by Randall in the episode "Better Angels" during Randall's escape. However, the producers decided to allow the character to live so that they could explore the dramatic potential of losing his farm in "Beside the Dying Fire" and Season 3.
 * In the Comic Series, Hershel had a much larger family. It consisted of his deceased wife, three sons (two living), and four daughters. In the TV Series, the Greene family only consists of two daughters (Maggie and Beth), and a dead stepson and spouse.
 * In the TV Series, Hershel admittedly that he had a "rough" relationship with his father that resulted in his absence from the side of his father's deathbed, which he mentions that he does not regret. However, in the Comic Series, Hershel appears to have had a positive relationship with his father. It was his father's dying wish for Hershel to take care of the farm.
 * The TV Series' portrayal of Hershel's recovery from alcoholism is unique only to the show. There was no mention of it within the Comic Series.
 * Hershel's incident with a walker mirrors that of Allen in the Comic Series. Both men had their legs bitten and amputated with a hatchet by Rick.
 * Hershel was originally supposed to lose it in the Comic Series, but Robert Kirkman felt sorry for him with the loss of five kids, so Allen lost his. With Allen not being introduced until the mid-season finale of season 3, Hershel fell back into the place of losing the leg.
 * Hershel is one of the many amputees in The Walking Dead. For other victims, see Amputated Victims.
 * Hershel managed to have his lower leg amputated by Rick to prevent an infection.
 * He also was decapitated by Philip Blake.
 * Hershel is currently the only person in the TV Series to survive the infection, due to having his leg amputated so the infection can be separated from the blood.
 * He is also one of the only two in the history of The Walking Dead to survive a bite via amputation, Dale from the Comic Series also survived.
 * He is the sixth main character to die.
 * Hershel's death in the TV Series is similar to Tyreese's death in the Comic Series. Both were decapitated by The Governor with Michonne's sword in front of the prison after Rick refused to surrender the prison to the Governor and his group.
 * He is the fourth person in the TV series to be killed in a similar way to how their comic counterpart, the first three being Amy, Shane and Axel. Both versions were killed by the Governor during a prison attack. Hershel in the Comic Series died by being shot in the head by The Governor during the assault. Hershel in the TV Series was decapitated by The Governor before the actual firefight began.