The Walking Dead: 10 times Glenn came extremely close to being killed off

*Spoilers for all seasons of The Walking Dead follow*

No character in The Walking Dead skirmished death more times than Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun).

Glenn is the first character we meet after being introduced to the show's protagonist Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), and ever since the former pizza delivery boy made his debut, he faced some extremely close brushes with the grim reaper.

Acknowledging that he was a prime candidate to be bludgeoned to death by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) in the traumatic season 7 opener, we track Glenn's rise from cap wearing comic relief into the show's - former - luckiest survivor.

Naturally, spoilers from all seasons follow.

Season 1, Episode 2: Guts

(AMC)

Having saved Rick from an influx of walkers, the group hole up in a nearby building with no apparent exit. Rick's idea is to smear himself in zombie entrails to throw the undead off his scent, electing Glenn to join him on a mission to steer them away. As they enact the plan, rainfall washes the zombie guts away placing the two in mortal danger.

Season 2, Episode 4: Cherokee Rose

Glenn's always been a brave soul; coming across a bloated walker at the bottom of a well, the group lower Glenn down in an attempt to prevent it from contaminating their water supply. This being The Walking Dead, the rusty water pump they're using as his pulley breaks sending Glenn plummeting towards the hungry zombie. The group manage to save him in the nick of time.

Season 3, Episode 7: When the Dead Come Knocking

Having been taken hostage by Merle (Michael Rooker), Glenn and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) are taken to Woodbury where Glenn is tied up and brutally interrogated; Merle wants to know where Rick, his brother Daryl (Norman Reedus) and the remainder of the group that left him for dead are residing. Glenn remains silent so Merle unleashes a walker into the room. With his hands tied behind his back, Glenn is forced to improvise (with a chair because he's a badass).

Season 4, Episode 5: Internment

Glenn is stricken with a deadly virus spreading through the prison. Quarantined in a cell with the other sick patients, his rapidly deteriorating health comes to a head when a coughing fit causes him to choke on his own blood. It's down to one-legged Hershel (Scott Wilson) to pull him back from the brink of death.

Season 4, Episode 11: Us

During his search for Maggie, Glenn - accompanied by Tara (Alanna Masterson) - comes across a tunnel on his way to Terminus. Barricaded with rubble, the two climb over it - only to meet a herd of salivating walkers on the other side. It's Tara who gets her foot stuck but a brave Glenn refuses to leave her. Fortunately, Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), Rosita (Christian Serratos) and co show up to save them - and they've found Maggie.

Season 5, Episode 1: No Sanctuary

Having been imprisoned in a boxcar following their arrival at Terminus, the cannibalistic crew cart Glenn to a slaughterhouse alongside Rick, Daryl and Bob (Lawrence Gilliard). Watching on as they mercilessly slit the throats of four other members of an unknown group, Glenn is next line. Awaiting his death, an explosion rings out deterring the cannibals; Rick strikes and saves Glenn.

Season 5, Episode 14: Spend

While out on a supply run in a nearby warehouse, Nicholas (Michael Trainor) abandons the group in terror during a zombie outbreak, giving a horde of walkers access to Glenn and Noah (Tyler James Williams) in the process. It's Noah, however, whose leg gets grabbed and, despite trying to save him, Glenn watches on in tears as the young man gets brutally ripped apart by the ravenous undead.

Season 5, Episode 16: Conquer

Worried that Glenn will reveal his cowardice back at Alexandria, Nicholas lures him outside the walls of the Safe-Zone and shoots him. Having been left for dead, Glenn catches up with his assailant at nightfall when walkers attack. Nicholas, yet again, leaves him to die. Ever the survivor, Glenn escapes the zombies and finds Nicholas who pleads for mercy. Glenn accepts.

Season 6, Episode 3: Thank You / Season 6, Episode 7: Heads Up

With an innumerable number of walkers catching up with the group on their way back to Alexandria, Glenn and Nicholas find themselves trapped in an alleyway. Climbing onto a dumpster, the two are surrounded by the undead with no discernible escape. Nicholas draws his gun, utters a "Thank you" to Glenn before shooting himself in the head, his flailing body pulling Glenn into the pit of walkers below. Despite the episode leading you to believe Glenn died, it emerges four episodes later that he managed to crawl away as the walkers feasted on Nicholas' corpse.

Season 6, Episode 9: No Way Out

Returning to Alexandria only to find it overrun by walkers, Glenn and Enid (Katelyn Nacon) form a plan to lower Maggie down from a platform on the cusp of collapsing. In the process, Glenn is, again, overcome by the undead. Attempting to shoot his way out of it, death looks inevitable - until Abraham and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) swoop in to save him.

Season 6, Episode 16: Last Day on Earth / Season 7, Episode 1: The Day Will Come When You Won't Be

(AMC)

Having been caught by The Saviors, Glenn was one of 11 characters who found themselves at risk of falling victim to Lucille, Negan's baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. After the malevolent antagonist opts to choose his victim via a round of 'eeny meeny miny mo,' it seems Glenn's escaped death one more after Abraham has his brains bashed in.

But then Daryl threw a punch. Negan had already warned the group - one step out of line and someone else will be killed. "Back to it," he exclaims as he brings Lucille raining down upon poor Glenn's head - so hard his eyeball almost pops out in the process. "Maggie, I'll find you," the fan favourite splutters before Negan murders him in cold blood.

The Walking Dead season 7 continues Sundays in the US followed by a UK premiere the following evening at 9pm on FOX.