Before the series finale of The Walking Dead, AMC's hit television show lost much of its main cast. Carl, Michonne, and even Rick Grimes were some of the characters that left the show. Among them was the fan-favorite Glenn Rhee (played by Steven Yeun). Glenn played a major role in The Walking Dead's history, having been there since the very beginning with Dale, Shane, and Andrea. He managed to survive into the show's seventh season, during which he was killed by Negan Smith.

After Glenn's death, The Walking Dead was never the same. His was strongly felt by both the characters and the fans, who realized that Glenn could never be replaced. Yeun has continued to win over audiences' hearts in many well-received television series and films such as Invincible, Nope, Minari, and Mayhem. While the charismatic actor has left Glenn Rhee behind him, shutting down a possible return to the series, now is the perfect time to reminisce about what exactly made Glenn such a fan-favorite character. Here are several reasons why Glenn Rhee was one of The Walking Dead's best characters.

Saved Rick Grimes in the Very First Episode

As the main protagonist, Rick Grimes had plot armor that allowed him to survive some of the most perilous of situations. He did, however, require the help of his friends. In the first episode of The Walking Dead, "Days Gone By", Rick was overwhelmed by walkers and became trapped inside a tank. When all hope seemed lost, the Glenn's voice reached out to Rick over the radio. Glenn was able to quickly come to Rick's aid and get him to safety. Without Glenn, it is safe to say that the entirety of The Walking Dead would have played out a lot differently.

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Remarkably Resourceful and Heroic

Before the apocalypse, Glenn was viewed as an underachiever who delivered pizzas. While his job did not command a lot of respect, it allowed him to gain valuable knowledge of Atlanta's layout and streets. Glenn was someone who utilized the full extent of their skills during the apocalypse. He went from being a pizza delivery boy to one of the most courageous and valued members in Rick's group. Due to Glenn's reliability and resourcefulness, he became the main supply runner wherever he went. The world in The Walking Dead was a dangerous one, but he was very skilled in fighting and, when needed, evading zombies.

Glenn consistently put himself in harm's way in order to help others. As Maggie Greene's husband, Glenn did whatever he could to keep his wife safe. Of course, his drive to help others was not limited to his wife; it extended to all of his friends as well as strangers. Many of those strangers, including Rick, ended up becoming friends or allies. Rick, Daryl, and Glenn often took on difficult tasks as a trio, and each of their individual heroism inspired the others. Over time, they began to view each other as brothers. When Glenn was violently interrogated by Merle, he showed remarkable inner strength by refusing to give up the location of his group. Immediately after being beaten up, Glenn was able to kill a walker that was unleashed on him while being strapped to a chair.

Acted as the Group's Moral Compass

The outbreak brought out the worst in humanity, but it also brought out the good in people too. In a world dominated by evil, Glenn served as the moral compass of Rick's group. He acknowledged that they had to fight to defend themselves, but he first sought every possible solution before the group had to resort to violence. Glenn also understood the complex world that they lived in, refusing to simply view those on opposing sides as evil. He helped Tara Chambler realize the Governor's true colors and find a better community in Abraham and Rick.

Although Glenn killed many walkers in The Walking Dead, he almost went the entire show without killing a living person. Human life was something he greatly valued and viewed as something that was not for him to easily take. That said, he still held people accountable for their actions, and did not hesitate to punch Aidan and Nicholas for putting others in danger. Glenn still showed mercy to Nicholas, who thanked him before being devoured by walkers. Throughout the series, Glenn developed many close friendships. It said something about Glenn that he was so easy to trust when people were constantly having to question other survivors' motives.

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Viewership Fell After Glenn Was Killed

Season six of The Walking Dead ended with a brutal cliffhanger, with Negan attacking one of the members of Rick's group. It was not until season seven that viewers learned that the victim was Abraham Ford. Many expressed relief that although Abraham was dead, Glenn had survived, not knowing at the time that Negan would proceed to also kill Glenn. The scene succeeded at setting up Negan as a villain, but turned off viewers with its excessive violence and the creative decision to kill off one of the best characters. As reported by Forbes, Glenn and Abraham's death has been the scene most cited by viewers as the reason they stopped watching the show. The concluding seasons of The Walking Dead struggled to enjoy the same success it did when Glenn was still around.

Yeun has gone on the record in sharing his disappointment with how his character was handled. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actor expressed that the showrunners "didn't acknowledge the connection people had with the character until he was gone." Fans did not miss Glenn a season or even a few episodes after his death, but rather, immediately. When a main character has been on the series since the first episode for six entire seasons, it is not hard to see why. Glenn's death allowed Yeun to move on to great projects such as Amazon's Invincible. Nonetheless, The Walking Dead lost one of its best characters when Glenn was killed.