Based on the comic book series of the same name, written by Robert Kirkman, AMC zombie apocalypse series 'The Walking Dead' has picked up an incredible swath of fans throughout its seven seasons to-date, maintaining its status as one of the most popular television shows on the planet, despite showrunners making some widely-criticised decisions.

Steven Yeun played fan-favourite character Glenn in 'The Walking Dead'Steven Yeun played fan-favourite character Glenn in 'The Walking Dead'

One of those decisions was to follow in the comic book's footsteps and kill off fan-favourite character Glenn Rhee, played by Steven Yeun. Meeting a grisly end after new 'Big Bad' Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) smashed his head to pieces with a barbed-wire baseball bat he calls Lucille, Glenn's story was cut short, with the character leaving behind his pregnant girlfriend Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan).

Despite remaining loyal to the comics, it didn't leave viewers any more happy with the direction the series had taken. Instead, they revolted against the show and said that the violent scenes should never have happened, and Glenn should be brought back.

Now Yeun is speaking out about Glenn's story arc throughout 'The Walking Dead', confirming that he thinks the character wasn't always used in the best way and suggesting those on the show didn't really know what to do with him at times.

"I'll be honest with you and put a full disclaimer here: I might not be objective, but I truly feel like people didn't know what to do with Glenn," the actor said in a chat with Vanity Fair. "They liked him, they had no problems with him, and people enjoyed him. But they didn't acknowledge the connection people had with the character until he was gone.

"It was tough sometimes because I never felt like he got his fair due. I never felt like he got it from an outward perception. I don't say this as a knock on anything. He always had to be part of something else to legitimise himself. He was rarely alone. And when he was alone, it took several years to convince people to be on his own."

Though the comments may come off as a little bitter to those who either loosely follow the series, or don't watch at all, the quotes will come as no surprise to the loyal viewers who have stuck with 'TWD' since the beginning. Glenn at times was used as a pawn for storylines to be pushed forward or for time in episodes to be filled, with his death looking likely on more than one occasion before he actually met his end. They proved to be fake-outs, and were often the source of criticism for the show.

Despite the complaints, Glenn will remain deceased on 'The Walking Dead'. Flashbacks haven't been ruled out, or even dream sequences moving forward that would bring the character to the small screen once more in a limited capacity, but for the most part, Glenn Rhee is no longer a part of 'The Walking Dead' universe, at least physically. And that's a very sad thing indeed.

More: 'The Walking Dead' Producers Confirm TV Series Will Stay Behind Comics

'The Walking Dead' returns later this year for its eighth season on AMC in the US and on FOX in the UK.