Glenn Rhee is a major recurring character in the TV series The Walking Dead. He first appears in the second episode of Season 1 and dies in the premiere of Season 7, making him one of the longest-surviving characters in the series. He is portrayed by Steven Yeun.
Personality[]
Glenn is an enthusiastic, brave and selfless young man. Throughout the series, he is shown to be very optimistic even amidst the most horrifying dangers of the post-apocalyptic world. He is a resourceful person who thinks on his feet, able to react to danger calmly and quickly. His loyalty to Rick Grimes and the other members of his community is unwavering and he is willing to do whatever needs to be done in order to protect the people he cares for.
Even after enduring many violent and tragic ordeals, Glenn has managed to maintain an enthusiasm for life. Out of all the survivors in the series, he perhaps is the most compassionate, having demonstrated a willingness to forgive those who have threatened him and those he loves as well as showing deep remorse for killing other living humans in the name of survival.
History[]
Pre-apocalypse[]
Before the dead began to walk the earth, Glenn lived in Atlanta and worked as a pizza delivery boy. During this time, he had familiarised himself with the city's layout, learning about the numerous sideroads and alleyways to cut time off his delivery routes. When the apocalypse occurred, Glenn's knowledge of the city layout helped him to avoid larger groups of zombies as he went searching for supplies.
Season 1[]
At some point following the initial outbreak, Glenn joined up with Shane Walsh and a group of other survivors who made camp just outside Atlanta. With his knowledge of the city's streets and alleys, he became the group's main supply runner. As the undead population grew, Glenn became less confident about going on runs alone. On one such run, he was accompanied by fellow survivors Andrea Harrison, Merle Dixon, Morales, Jacqui and T-Dog, though their numbers inevitably draw larger numbers of walkers and they are forced to take refuge on the roof of a department store. While camped out on the roof, Glenn spots a man on horseback - Rick Grimes - riding into town only to be swarmed by the undead. Rick escapes the mob of zombies and takes shelter in a nearby tank while the zombies feed on his horse. Glenn is able to contact Rick who is carrying a radio and is able to guide Rick out of the tank and towards his location while the zombies are distracted with eating the horse.
Rick escapes from the horde, but fires his gun while doing so which only draws more zombies as a result. Soon, Glenn, Rick and the others are trapped in the store with no way out, but Rick devises a plan for the survivors to get away by disguising themselves as walkers. He and Glenn perform the disgusting act of covering themselves with zombie blood and guts in order to smell like them, then they simply walk out through the horde towards a parking lot to acquire a vehicle with which to pick up the other survivors. The plan works until a sudden rainstorm passes through and washes off the entrails, giving the two away. Rick and Glenn are forced to run but manage to make it to the lot and secure a loading truck. Realizing they need a distraction, Rick hot-wires a Dodge Challenger and has Glenn lead the zombies away from the store while Rick picks up the others, except for Merle who is left handcuffed on the rooftop. The plan succeeds and Glenn is seen leaving Atlanta in the Challenger, whooping in victory.
Some time after Rick's arrival, the Atlanta camp is attacked by walkers and several camp members are killed. Deciding that their location is no longer safe, the group pack up and leave, but run short on fuel and supplies as they make their way through Atlanta. They stop outside the Center for Disease Control where they suspect someone may still be alive there. They find themselves being watched by still-operational security cameras and call out to whomever may be inside to grant them shelter. Dr. Edwin Jenner, the sole survivor inside the CDC building, reluctantly allows the group inside. However, they do not stay long as Jenner has set the facility to self-destruct. Jenner initially locks down the facility and traps the survivors inside, thinking it would be kinder for them to die quickly and without suffering in the explosion rather than endure the harsh, violent life outside, but Rick eventually convinces Jenner to open the doors again and most of the survivors leave before the facility detonates.
Season 2[]
After leaving the CDC, Rick's group travelled across a highway only for Dale's RV to break down. At this time, the survivors were forced to hide as a massive herd of walkers made their way up the highway, but Carol Peletier's daughter Sophia was separated from the group and vanished into the nearby woods. Rick and co. searched for the girl but were unable to find her. Also, Rick's son Carl was accidentally shot by a man who was hunting a deer. The shooter, Otis, took Rick and the others to a farm owned by Hershel Greene and his family. There, Hershel used his veterinary skills to try and save Carl's life.
With nowhere else to go, Rick and his group asked Hershel permission to stay on his land as it was relatively isolated and less prone to zombie attack. Hershel agreed to let the group stay temporarily and during this time Glenn grew attached to Hershel's oldest daughter Maggie. Maggie also became very fond of Glenn and soon the two were having sexual encounters away from the farm while they went on supply runs. However, this time of reprieve for the group would prove to be stressful for Glenn as he would discover two potentially dangerous secrets: Lori was pregnant and the Greene family had locked up several walkers in their barn. Lori and Maggie wanted Glenn to keep quiet about their respective secrets, but Glenn felt that keeping quiet about Lori's pregnancy was unfair to Rick and that the zombies in the barn were a potential threat. Eventually Glenn revealed the truth and Rick decided to take action. Hershel objected to this, claiming that the walkers were merely sick and could be healed, but Shane gave Hershel a violent demonstration as to the walkers' true nature, repeatedly shooting one he had wrangled up and showing the Greenes that the creature was still moving after multiple gunshots until finally shooting it in the brain. Shane then opened the barn and released the zombies inside, including a zombified Sophia, whom were all gunned down as they emerged.
Following the barn incident, Rick and his group faced banishment from the farm, but Maggie wanted Glenn to stay. Fortunately, Hershel was able to confront his doubts and realised the truth regarding the state of the world, allowing Rick and his group to stay on his land and help his family adjust and prepare themselves for whatever dangers they might face. However, following a series of terrible events - Shane's attempted murder of Rick, Dale's death and the capture of a survivor from another group - the group had to abandon the Greene farm when a herd of zombies attacked. During the escape, the group suffered losses and Andrea was separated from them.
Season 3[]
After several months of scavenging supplies from a walker-infested village, Rick and co. eventually happen upon the West Georgia Correctional Facility. The prison promises to be an ideal shelter, but is plagued by walkers and in need of securing. As the group attempt to clear the prison, they encounter five surviving inmates - Tomas, Andrew, Oscar, Axel and Big Tiny - and enlist their help. However, the prisoners are all eventually killed off, as are T-Dog and Rick's wife Lori who dies giving birth to her new daughter Judith.
After the prison is secured, Glenn and Maggie go scavenging for baby formula for Judith. During the run, they encounter Merle Dixon who was believed to have died back in Atlanta. Merle tells Glenn to take him to his camp so that he can reunite with his brother Daryl, but Glenn refuses. Merle then attacks Maggie and takes her hostage, forcing Glenn to drive them back to the town of Woodbury to meet Merle's new employer, The Governor. There, Merle brutally beats Glenn as he interrogates him while Maggie is taken to the Governor. When the Governor later shows himself to Glenn, he is holding Maggie with him. Maggie is topless, leading Glenn to believe that the Governor raped her, though Maggie later confirms that wasn't the case.
Later, with the aid of Michonne, Rick leads an attack on Woodbury in order to rescue Glenn and Maggie. Despite his injuries, Glenn joins in the shoot-out as he and his friends make their escape from the town. In the days that follow, as the prison group prepares to go to war with the Governor, Glenn becomes concerned about the future and decides that however longer his life is, he wants to spend it with Maggie. He goes to Hershel who gives his blessing, then finds a walker with a ring and takes it, offering it to Maggie as he asks for her hand in marriage, to which Maggie agrees.
Season 4[]
After the defeat of the Governor, the remaining residents of Woodbury were welcomed into the prison community. For a time, the community thrived as infrastructure was established, but this would soon be threatened as a flu-like disease began spreading through the area. Without modern medicine, several of the prison residents became infected and died from the lethal symptoms, but would reanimate after death and kill other residents. The infected would be quarantined in order to reduce the spread of the disease, though Glenn would also become infected. While in quarantine, Glenn struggled to help Hershel however he could in keeping the other patients comfortable and alive until Daryl, Tyreese, Sasha and Bob could find medicine. Glenn was fortunate and managed to survive until medicine arrived, although a number of others weren't so lucky.
While Glenn was recovering from the sickness, the Governor returned commanding a new survivor group and threatened to take the prison. The battle was brief, but the Governor's people were defeated and the Governor himself was killed. However, the prison had been destroyed and the surviving members of Rick's community were forced to scatter as the battle drew overwhelming numbers of zombies to the prison. Glenn had been knocked out during the battle and awoke later on to find himself on a damaged walkway with a horde of zombies below him. He was able to find a way off the walkway and encountered another survivor of the conflict, one of the Governor's people, a woman named Tara Chambler. The two helped each other to escape the ruined prison, after which Tara explained how she had been duped by the Governor and didn't realise what kind of man he was until it was too late. Glenn forgave Tara for her involvement in the attack and requested her aid in finding his wife Maggie and the rest of his group. Tara eagerly agreed to help however she could, feeling indebted to Glenn.
As they journeyed down empty woodland roads, Glenn and Tara encountered a Jeep manned by three survivors: Abraham Ford, Rosita Espinosa and Eugene Porter. The trio were headed for Washington D.C. on an apparent mission that could save the world from the undead plague, and after witnessing Tara and Glenn deal with a swarm of walkers, attempted to enlist them. However, Glenn was adamant that he find his wife, but Abraham attempted to force he and Tara to join him. The decision was soon taken out of Abraham's hands after Eugene damaged the Jeep while trying to shoot a walker. Unable to repair the Jeep, Abraham and his posse had no choice but to walk and accompanied Glenn and Tara.
The group eventually came to a dark tunnel that had partially collapsed. Glenn was determined to go through it, believing that it would be faster than going around and he would not have to lose any time in his search for Maggie. Tara agreed to go with him while Abraham's group took a road that went around the tunnel, hoping to find a new vehicle. Inside the tunnel, Glenn and Tara had minimal light and there were countless walkers inside. Many were buried by the prior cave-in, but a large number of mobile zombies were waiting on the other side of the heap of debris. Glenn and Tara found themselves cornered, but were miraculously saved at the last moment by none other than Maggie, Sasha and Bob whom had encountered Abraham, Eugene and Rosita at the other end of the tunnel.
Happily reunited with his wife, Glenn and the others followed a series of signs leading to a survivors' colony called Terminus. The group arrived safe and sound, but the idyllic sanctuary promised by the signs was not all that it seemed. The residents of Terminus took all of the group's supplies and then had them locked up in a steel boxcar, intending to keep the group as food. A short time after their imprisonment, Glenn and co. were reunited with Rick, Carl, Daryl and Michonne after they too had followed the signs to Terminus and they were all locked up together.
Season 5[]
Glenn, Rick and Daryl were on the verge of being slaughtered by the cannibalistic residents of Terminus when a series of explosions occurred that resulted in a horde of walkers entering the settlement. As all hell broke loose, Rick and the others took advantage of the confusion, escaping from their bonds and freeing their imprisoned friends while retrieving their weapons. As Terminus fell, the group reunited with Carol Peletier and Tyreese Williams who were responsible for orchestrating their escape. Now Rick's group was completely reassembled, all except for Beth Greene who had previously been abducted.
After fleeing from Terminus, Rick's group later saved the life of Gabriel Stokes, a pastor hiding in a small church on his own. Taking shelter at the church, the group formulated a plan to try and find Beth, but Abraham insisted that he continue his mission to get Eugene to Washington D.C.. Glenn, Maggie and Tara agreed to go with Abraham while the others attempted to find Beth. However, as Abraham's posse reached a walker-infested town, they stopped and began debating as to how they go about getting through. Glenn tried to convince Abraham that they didn't have the resources or manpower to fight their way through so many walkers, but Abraham became angry and threatened Glenn. As Rosita, Tara and Maggie stepped in to try and calm Abraham down, Eugene spoke up and revealed that he wasn't the scientist he had claimed to be and had no idea how to stop the undead plague. He had lied to Abraham in order to have him protect him. With the truth revealed, Abraham snapped and beat Eugene to near-death.
It took some time for Abraham to come to terms with the situation, but eventually he, Glenn and the others turned around and headed for Atlanta to meet up with Rick's team. When they got there, they were shocked to find that Beth had been killed, though they were now joined by a young man called Noah whom Beth had befriended while imprisoned at the Grady Memorial Hospital. With no home to return to and no clear goal other than survival, the group decided to take Noah back to his home. However, when they arrived at Noah's village, they found the place had been completely ransacked and its residents slaughtered by an unknown party. It was here that Tyreese was also bitten by a walker and eventually died from a combination of infection and blood loss.
The remainder of Rick's group spent a great deal of time travelling on foot, suffering from lack of food, water and sleep. After days of walking down a deserted country road, they came across a barn and took shelter as a storm rolled in. The following morning, the group were approached by Aaron, a man claiming to have come from a fortified community who invited Rick's group to join them. Rick and co. were initially wary of Aaron's intentions, having spent so long trying to survive in the wilderness, but after some reassurance and explanation the group agreed to go with Aaron back to the Alexandria Safe-Zone.
After spending so long fighting to survive the harsh post-apocalyptic world, Rick's people found themselves struggling to adapt to a community that so strongly resembled pre-apocalypse civilization. Deanna Monroe, leader of the Alexandria community, knew that her people had been sheltered from the apocalypse for so long that they weren't prepared for the eventuality of the undead threat, and believed that Rick's and his group's experience was need to make them ready. During this time, Glenn was appointed as a supply runner working alongside Deanna's son Aiden. However, Glenn is not impressed by Aiden's and Nicholas' attempts to wrangle up a walker and simply kills it before punching Aiden to the ground.
Following their previous disagreement, Glenn, being more experienced with the dangers of the outside world, was appointed leader of the next supply run. Despite his hostility towards Glenn after their last outing, Aiden relented to Glenn's experience as they, Noah, Tara, Nicholas and Eugene visited an abandoned electronics warehouse. The situation played out badly as Nicholas' incompetence led to Aiden's death after he shot at a zombie carrying a grenade. After the undead masses ere alerted, the group tried to escape but found themselves trapped in a revolving door. Glenn thought of a plan to get them out, but Nicholas pushed the door forward in order to save himself and thus caused Noah's demise. Glenn caught up to Nicholas and beat him to the ground. At this point, Nicholas admits to Glenn, Tara and Eugene his previous acts of selfishness that resulted in the deaths of his friends.
After returning to Alexandria, Nicholas lies to Deanna, stating that it was Glenn's fault that they lost Noah and Aiden and suggests that Rick's group be banished. Deanna doesn't believe him and prohibits him from going on runs again. Nicholas becomes resentful of Rick's group, particularly towards Glenn, and plots to kill him.
Some time later, Nicholas finds a gun that Rick had hidden near a dilapidated cottage and decides to kill Glenn. He deliberately makes some noise as he climbs over the wall to lure Glenn out into the woods. Under cover of darkness, he stalks Glenn through the trees and attacks him. After wounding Glenn with a gunshot, Nicholas tackles him and the two scuffle, drawing the attention of several walkers. Nicholas leaves Glenn wounded on the ground as the undead close in, but Glenn manages to escape and follows Nicholas back home. Before Nicholas gets back to town, Glenn jumps him and beats him within an inch of his life, fully prepared to kill him. Nicholas begs for his life and, ultimately, Glenn decides to spare him, helping him get back to town.
Season 6[]
When an army of zombies threatens to overrun Alexandria, Rick makes plans to try and herd them away from the safe-zone. Glenn is appointed leader of a small group tasked with clearing any walkers near the herd route that might divert the mega-horde off the road. Nicholas, feeling remorseful for his past actions, offers to help Glenn. Glenn is hesitant at first, but believes that Nicholas' wish to make amends is genuine and allows him to help as well.
Glenn, Nicholas, Michonne, Heath, David, Scott, Sturgess and Annie in trying to clear out a hardware store with walkers locked inside. However, the plan goes awry when they find that there are metal shutters behind the door and they are forced to smash the windows to let the zombies out in order to kill them. Afterwards, the band are running through the woods back towards town in response to the herd being attracted by an air-horn. Forced to make their way through a zombie-infested town, several members of the group are killed and Nicholas and Glenn become separated from the others.
Nicholas and Glenn find themselves cornered in an alley by countless walkers. They climb up atop a dumpster, but they have neither the strength nor ammunition to fight off so many undead. Staring into the rotting, snarling faces of the zombies, Nicholas is paralysed with fear and loses all hope. Glenn grabs a hold of him and tries to snap him out of his stupor. Nicholas tells Glenn "Thank you" for sparing his life before, then raises his gun to his head and blows his brains out. His body then slumps off the dumpster, dragging down Glenn who was still holding on to it. The zombies then quickly tear into Nicholas' corpse and feed on it, and it appears that Glenn will also perish. However, Glenn manages to shuffle away under the dumpster while the zombies are busy devouring Nicholas and remains there for some time, his scent masked by the numerous corpses in the alley. Eventually, the feeding frenzy ends and the zombies wander away, allowing Glenn to break from cover.
On his way back to Alexandria, Glenn runs into Enid, a young girl from Alexandria who regularly left the confines of the safe-zone. The two of them travel back towards town together, leaving a trail of helium-filled balloons to signal the others and let them know they are still alive. Eventually they return to Alexandria, arriving just in time to see the bell tower collapse and destroy part of the wall, allowing a horde of walkers into the town. Enid wants to leave, but Glenn isn't willing to let his wife or his friends die. He manages to save Maggie who is trapped on top of a lookout tower and shortly after he is saved by the timely arrival of Abraham, Sasha and Daryl who arrive with a gas tanker and numerous weapons. Inspired by the bravery of their new arrivals, the surviving Alexandrians take to the streets and help to fight off the undead, eventually eradicating the zombie presence without further loss of life.
After Alexandria is secured again, Glenn discovers that Maggie is pregnant, renewing his hope that they can build a bright future. However, Alexandria soon faces the threat of the Saviors, a fearsome group that dominate other survivors through brute force. After Alexandria establish contact with the Hilltop Colony, they come to an agreement and attempt to deal with the Saviors preemptively, targeting a Savior compound and killing everyone inside whilst they are sleeping. While Glenn takes part in this plan, it leaves him in a state of deep remorse as he has taken part in the murder of unarmed men.
Death[]
In the Season 7 premiere "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be", Rick and his group are captured by the Saviors. Negan meets the group in person for the first time, expressing his annoyance over the fact that Rick's people had previously killed several of his men, but states that he wants the group to start working for him by producing, stealing or scavenging whatever they can and giving up half of it to him. To ensure that his message is received and understood, Negan decides to kill a member of the group and picks one at random. He chooses Abraham and proceeds to bash his skull in with Lucille, his baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire.
After Abraham has been killed, Daryl is angered greatly and tries to get up and attack Negan. He is quickly forced to his knees again, and because of his outburst, Negan decides that his message hasn't yet sunk in and decides to kill another member of Rick's group, this time bringing Lucille down upon Glenn. With the others watching in horror and sorrow, Negan bats Glenn's head so hard that Glenn's left eye is popped from its socket. After taking a moment to gloat over his handiwork, Negan finishes the job and repeatedly bashes Glenn's head with his bat until it is reduced to gory pulp.