Steven Yeun lives! Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Spoilers ahead for the season-seven premiere of The Walking Dead.

The season-seven premiere of The Walking Dead delivered on its promise with not one, but two, major character deaths. Glenn Rhee, the best boyfriend of the zombie apocalypse, and Abraham Ford, the ginger soldier, met their ends at the end of Negan’s bat. Glenn’s death was a direct adaptation of the 100th issue of the comics, which saw Negan kill Glenn in similar fashion as a way to get Rick and the Alexandria safe zone under his thumb. On The Talking Dead, Chris Hardwick asked Yeun for his thoughts on Glenn’s death. Yeun said it was such an “iconic” moment, he didn’t want the death to go to anyone else:

Personally for me, I think the death in the comic, Robert [Kirkman] wrote such a messed up, but at the same time, incredible way to take something away — to make a story as impactful as it is. When you read that comic, you kind of don’t want that to go to anyone else. It’s such an iconic moment. I think I even said that. Don’t give that to anyone else. It’s such a gnarly thing to say, but sincerely, living that out was very wild, but at the same time, that moment happening and being realized on television in a different medium and to do it in the way that we did it, I think is brave and at the same time, super-affecting. For me, that was motivation to be like, Okay, that’s great.

Further, Yeun added that he liked the way that Glenn died:

Glenn died in a very Glenn way. That’s what my wife Jo said — he died in such a Glenn way, which is perfect. Still not thinking about himself. I think it’s appropriate that he ends there, and it’s also appropriate that he puts those last words out as a final look out for each other.

On the meaning of Glenn’s last words to Maggie — “I’ll find you” — his TV wife, Lauren Cohan, added: “In this life or the next, they’re star-crossed lovers. Time and place doesn’t erase that. I’ll find you. I’ll be with you. I’ll watch over you and the baby; I’ll be there.”

Most of all, we’re going to miss Steven Yeun, who doesn’t mind sharing embarrassing stories to liven up The Talking Dead. We’ll leave you with his words on that time he got a tick on his penis during filming: