This is to be expected. Comics can get away with far more gruesome things than television can, and it is this freedom that gives them their staying power. That being said, Hershel’s character arc in the comics was far more depressing. Readers got to watch a man struggle to find a reason to live, only for things to become increasingly worse. He was not the wise source of inspiration in the show, but just another human being trying to find a way to go on in a world that had fallen apart around him. In the end, though, the comic version of Hershel did give up, having been broken by the world in which he lived.
Hershel Was a Family Man, No Matter What Version
Much like in the show, Hersehl’s primary motivation is his family. In the show, he only has two daughters when the main survivors meet him: Maggie and Beth. In the comics, Hershel very much embodies the idea of a religious farmer living his best life. He had married his wife during or shortly after attending college. Together, the couple had a total of seven children, whom they loved dearly. This brood of Greenes would prove to later be Hershel’s slow undoing. Hershel and his wife, who remains unnamed in the comics, open up a veterinarian practice, with Mrs. Greene handling the financials while Hershel works with the animals.
“You know, I didn’t because I was told that it wouldn’t be following the comic books to the letter. I didn’t want to get hooked on something, think that my character should go somewhere, and then put myself in a position that was contradicting the storyline coming from the writers’ room. I didn’t watch the show either until the entire season was over, so now I can follow the show every week without having to worry about it [laughs]. And I will read the comic book series now.” — Scott Wilson on whether he read the Walking Dead comics before the show (via Daily Dead )
Eventually, Mrs. Greene passes away from unknown causes. This triggers the first true hints of darkness in Hershel’s life. Even though he still has his children, a good number of whom are still underage, Hershel begins to feel that his life is empty without his wife. Within a year, their formerly shared business fails and Hershel decides the best move for his family is to return to his childhood home and tend to the farm. He had hoped the daily schedule would be a healing experience for him and his family.
This ultimately leads to the next tragedy in Hershel’s life.
Unfortunately, this was not a world where misery sat idle for long. The outbreak occurs, and Hershel and his family remain truly ignorant of how bad things have gotten due to their isolation. They suffer losses as well, such as the death of Hershel’s son, Shawn. It’s around this time that the family, under the false assumption that the dead could somehow be cured, begin trapping walkers in a nearby barn, Shawn included, hoping that one day they can be saved. This ultimately leads to the next tragedy in Hershel’s life.
Encountering Rick and His Group
When Hershel first meets Rick Grimes and his companions, it isn’t long before the contents of his barn are discovered. Though it leads to an argument, Hershel convinces Rick to let him prove that his methods are not foolishness. In an attempt to trap another walker humanely though, those inside the barn manage to get out. What follows is a horror show as two of Hershel’s children, Lacey and Arnold, are killed by the walkers. Left with no alternative, Hershel puts his children down but does so with the knowledge that his stubbornness has led to their deaths.
“I love that Hershel has resonated with the fans the way he has, and that has to do with the writing and the performances around me. He was a very interesting character to play and he evolved into more of the wise old head. I think he saw humanity in most people and he had a willingness to see past flaws and get back to some kind of life that would have more value to it. He’s constantly looking at the positive side of things. He looks at the prison and sees the possibility of being self sustained by growing your own food.
“I’ll miss working with those actors. They’re all so talented, starting with Andrew Lincoln. He’s a real inspiration to everyone on the show and not just the cast, but the crew. The crew does so much work in such little time. Action scenes would take several weeks in a movie, but they do it every day.” — Scott Wilson on Hershel’s departure from AMC’s The Walking Dead (via Daily Dead )
Even though the incident leads to him partially blaming Rick and his group, he takes them up on their offer to relocate to the prison. Recognizing that the farm hasn’t been safe for some time, Hershel hopes the prison will be an ideal haven. At first, his hope is fulfilled. The prison is sturdy and his family has a chance to truly be safe. The world is filled with more dangers than just the dead though. Within the prison are inmates who have their own ideas about how things should be run. One of them, a man named Thomas, ends up brutally murdering and decapitating Hershel’s youngest children, Rachel and Susie. Hershel discovers their bodies and reanimated heads, but cannot find the strength to put them out of their misery. Glenn Rhee ends up doing so, but the event traumatizes Hershel even further and convinces him that nowhere is safe.
Now left with only two children, Hershel begins to spiral. His depression worsens over the months, and he’s convinced his life has no purpose beyond protecting Maggie and Billy. While this is his last effort to cope with the world, he assigns himself an impossible task. Time and again the reality of their situation reasserts that no one can be shielded from harm forever, but Hershel is a man whose mind was hard to change, and that rigidity ultimately costs him.
When the World Finally Broke Hershel Greene
The final blow comes in the form of The Walking Dead villain the Governor. Determined to take the prison for himself, the Governor leads his forces to attack Rick and his people. Hershel allows Maggie and a few of the others to leave the prison for their safety. In an ominous statement though, he admits it feels like he’s seen Maggie for the last time. This leaves him with his last son, Billy, to help defend the prison against the Governor’s forces. The two admit they’re scared, but promise to look out for one another before helping to repel the Governor’s attack.
Thankfully, the group does manage to route their enemy’s forces, but there are still casualties. Among them is Billy, who is shot in the head due to crossfire. It is impossible to say who truly kills Billy, but at that moment Hershel does not care. This was the sixth of his children to die in front of him, made even worse by the earlier feeling of having bid a final farewell to Maggie. He is utterly broken by the loss of his son and does not run when the Governor approaches him. Instead, he begs the corrupt leader to end his life. The Governor obliges with a single shot to the head.
Life had hurt him before the outbreak, and with all the death and horror that follows, it simply becomes too much for him to bear.
All in all, Hershel was a very different man in the comics. The story on paper is far more grim and depressing than the show could ever be. Hershel is no different. He’s not some archetype for the group to rely upon, but just another person trying to make his way in the world. Life had hurt him before the outbreak, and with all the death and horror that follows, it simply becomes too much for him to bear. Hershel Greene did his best. That was all the comic version of Hershel had, and when it was gone, he was ready to embrace the end.
