The Walking Dead's one of the most debated moments? Glenn getting killed by Negan and the controversy still rages

The Walking Dead gave the fans many shocking moments through its 11-season run. However, one of the more debated moments from the show remains the killing of Glenn Rhee (played by Steven Yeun) by Negan (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Though audiences were used to seeing their beloved characters being killed off in unsuspecting circumstances, this particular moment, however, continues to haunt the fans even today.

Fans of The Walking Dead comic series knew about the inescapable death of Glenn in the series, yet the show did add a surprise element by adding one more victim to the list. Glenn met his end in the seventh season premiere episode titled ‘The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be.’ The moment became a turning point in the story.

What happened to Glenn in The Walking Dead?

In the Season 6 final episode titled ‘Last Day on Earth,’ the audience meets the menacing leader of the Saviors, Negan. The Saviors had disarmed Rick Grimes’ (played by Andrew Lincoln) group and lined them up on their knees to face their punishment from their leader. Negan approaches them with his fear-provoking baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire that he refers to as ‘Lucille.'

Negan reprimands Rick for having killed his men and states that one of his people will have to die as retribution. He demands the group pledge their allegiance to him. Negan intimidatingly walked around looking for the person who would have the ‘honor’ to die for their wrongdoings.

He decides to play a chilling game of ‘Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe’ to zero in on his victim. While the audience sees Negan violently beating someone, the episode ends without revealing the person’s identity.

There were several debates around who the victim could be, but nothing came close to what was revealed in the first episode of season seven. Abraham Ford (played by Michael Cudlitz) is chosen by Negan to face the death sentence. Negan brutally bludgeons him to death with his bat, leaving the others horrified.

A frantic Daryl Dixon (played by Norman Reedus) punches Negan but is pulled back by the other members of the Saviors.

Negan is further enraged by Daryl’s actions and states that he will punish the group to teach them a lesson. And Negan doesn’t take long to hit Glenn with his bat. Glenn starts bleeding profusely. He looks at his pregnant wife Maggie (played by Lauren Cohan), assuring her that they will find each other again. Negan bash Glenn’s head, until he is dead, leaving everyone shocked and speechless.

Glenn’s death is the same as that in the novel, except his is the only death. But The Walking Dead series added a twist by adding one more victim in the form of Abraham to Negan’s list. Maggie’s character becomes more central, turning her grief into strength against the fight with the Saviors.

After Glenn’s death on The Walking Dead, several fans shared their disappointment.

A fan on X shared,

“We underestimate people's emotional attachments to fictional characters. the walking dead literally lost 2 million viewers after they killed off glenn.”

Another The Walking Dead fan shared,

“When Negan killed Glenn in the Walking Dead. I loved him, I never watched that show again after that."

Knowing the influence the character had on the fans, The Walking Dead did stretch out the pain around the death longer. Many fans criticized the show’s overall pace and writing after the moment. It was not until Season 9, when the show finally found its life again, ending on a much more enthusiastic note with its series finale.

The Walking Dead became one of the more successful franchises with spinoff shows including World Beyond, Daryl Dixon, Dead City, and The Ones Who Live.

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