What happened to Hershel in The Walking Dead series?

Actor Scott Wilson portrayed one of the most beloved characters in The Walking Dead. In season 2, Hershel Greene was introduced to the fandom. He and his family welcomed Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group to their farm after Carl (Chander Riggs) was accidentally shot by their farm hand, Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vance).

Hershel always passed his wisdom on to others, being a wonderful father/friend/mentor to the people who looked to him for leadership. When a stranger came to him with his wounded son, he was quick to use his veterinarian skills to save his life. He allowed the entire group to camp in his yard as Carl healed.

When he is first introduced he did have a twisted notion that the walkers were only sick, not dead. He had a rude awakening during the "Barn Scene," in which Shane (Jon Bernthal) showed him how deadly the undead could be and that they were no long alive, but mindless beings looking for their next meal.

Rick chopped off Hershel's leg after he was bitten when they first arrived at the prison. This was quick thinking on Rick's part to keep him alive, but missing a leg in a world where running is a constant, it was difficult to believe he would survive. But he did, for a time, until the Governor (David Morrissey) got a hold of him.

After convincing his new group that Rick's group is the bad guys, the governor takes Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Hershel as captives and attacks the prison. Rick tries to negotiate with the Governor, telling him they can co-exist, to which the Governor replies, "Liar," and proceeds to decapitate Hershel with Michonne's katana.

The fandom was devastated. No one thought he would really kill Hershel. To top it off, viewers had to see the reactions of his on-screen daughters Beth (Emily Kinney) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and the rest of the group.

Memorable quotes from Hershel Greene:

• Christ promised a resurrection of the dead; I just assumed he had something different in mind.
• You step outside, you risk your life.
• I hereby declare we have spaghetti Tuesdays every Wednesday.
• No man is good enough for your little girl…until one is.
• Life is always a test.
• I can shoot. I just don’t like to.

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