Negan is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead, its self-titled television adaptation, and its spin-off miniseries Dead City. The character is fully named Negan Smith in the television series. He initially appears as an antagonist, the leader of the Saviors who oppresses other survivor communities and forces them to pay tribute, later he becomes an antihero. In the comics, the character's appearance is based on Henry Rollins, as confirmed by artist Charlie Adlard. Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrays Negan in the television series, having first appeared in the sixth-season finale. When offered the role of Negan, Morgan immediately accepted, as he was already a fan of the comic book series.
After Rick Grimes and his fellow survivors agree to begin a trading relationship with the Hilltop Colony, they are ambushed by the Saviors and forced to obey Negan's orders to give the Saviors half of their supplies, as the other communities do. Initially obedient, Rick and his group conspire with other communities in the Washington, DC, area to prepare for war against the Saviors. Negan is defeated by this alliance and incarcerated for years, until the Whisperers emerge as a threat to the communities. Transformed into an antihero, Negan kills the Whisperers' leader Alpha and participates in subsequent battles, earning himself a pardon to live alone in exile. While Negan has no further role in the comic books, the character returns in the final season of the television series and the spin-off Dead City. In the latter, he is partnered with Maggie Greene as a protagonist.
Morgan has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Negan in the television series, earning the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series, MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, and Saturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role on Television. Although the character himself initially received a mixed reception as the main antagonist of Seasons 7 and 8, with some critics calling him "ridiculous", his redemption arc in the later seasons has caused him to become viewed by many as among the best and most well-developed characters in the series.
Creation Robert Kirkman conceptualized the character after discarding the idea of Rick Grimes being forced to protect his son, Carl, by killing fellow survivor Glenn Rhee. The character's appearance is based on Henry Rollins, as confirmed by artist Charlie Adlard.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan was cast as Negan in 2015. Before Morgan's casting, Matthew Lillard and Henry Rollins also auditioned for the role; the choices were narrowed down to Lillard and Morgan with the latter receiving the role. Morgan immediately accepted, as he was already a fan of the comic book series. He made his television debut as Negan in the sixth-season finale.
Comic book series
"Here's Negan" Prior to the outbreak, Negan is the gym teacher of a high school in Reston, Virginia, where he has received complaints due to his use of vulgar language. He is happily married to his wife, Lucille, but nonetheless has a mistress who does not know he is married. During an argument, Lucille collapses and he rushes her to the hospital, where she is diagnosed with cancer. As his wife is tended to, Negan tells his mistress the truth, and she immediately leaves him. When the zombie apocalypse starts, the hospital workers tell Negan they are being forced to evacuate but he refuses to abandon Lucille who is dependent on life-support machines. Lucille dies during a power outage and reanimates as a zombie. Negan flees the hospital and kills zombies who had trapped a boy. In return, Negan asks the boy to kill Lucille for him.
The boy kills the zombified Lucille and Negan begins to bond with the boy, offering him life advice. However, a zombie suddenly appears and kills the boy. Negan is then shown surviving in the apocalypse, travelling alone. Caught trying to steal gas from a group of men, he befriends them and they travel together for a time until the others are all killed in a zombie attack. Negan uses a baseball bat he'd admired to kill the zombies. Time passes and other people meet Negan and travel with him but each is eventually killed by zombies, leaving Negan emotionally numb.The Walking Dead "Here's Negan" ch 6–10
Negan is approached by Dwight who brings him to a camp of survivors. They attempt to overwinter in a hotel but are overrun by zombies, and Negan assumes a leadership position as they fight their way out. Later, Negan de-escalates a confrontation with another group and encourages them to join together. However, learning that the other group prostitutes its women, Negan gets into an argument with their leader. Physically provoked, Negan kills the man by bashing his skull with the bat. Seeing everyone's shock, Negan encourages their fearfulness. Wrapping the bat in barbed wire, he dubs it Lucille and his group the Saviors, and allows the new group to work for them in exchange for protection. Otherwise, he promises that anyone who tries to get in their way will answer to Lucille.The Walking Dead "Here's Negan" ch 10–16
"A Larger World" Members of the Hilltop Colony relate that they'd accepted a deal with Negan: the Saviors would use the weaponry that Hilltop was lacking to kill any zombies wandering near the Hilltop; in return, the Saviors would obtain half of Hilltop's supplies, such as livestock and crops. Negan punishes even the smallest infraction (real or perceived) with brutal violence; for example, he orders the death of Hilltop's leader, Gregory, because he feels Gregory is not sufficiently loyal.The Walking Dead #95
"Something To Fear" Negan, along with 50 other Saviors, subdues Rick Grimes's group (Rick, Carl, Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, Rosita, Aaron, and Eugene). Negan forces the group to kneel and informs them that they must pay for the Saviors that they killed. Negan imposes a binding deal: everything that belongs to the Alexandria Safe-Zone now belongs to the Saviors. Negan also introduces his weapon of choice: Lucille, a baseball bat covered in barbed wire.
After a long talk about his new world order and whom he should beat to death using Lucille, he ultimately chooses Glenn as his victim. Negan slams Lucille down and laughs as Glenn attempts to get to his feet. After Glenn addresses his final words to Maggie, Negan swings Lucille at him, breaking his skull and knocking out an eye, and beats Glenn to death.
Negan tells the group that the Saviors will be back in one week to collect half of everything they have, threatening more deaths should they refuse. Rick vows to avenge Glenn by killing Negan, amusing the latter, who beats Rick with his bare hands in response before he and the other Saviors leave the group to mourn over Glenn's body.The Walking Dead #100
"What Comes After" Negan and the Saviors arrive at the Alexandria Safe-Zone for their tribute, first killing the zombies in the area. Having each house searched, Negan decides not to take any food as he doesn't want Alexandria to starve. The Saviors leave with other supplies, but, unbeknownst to them, Carl hides in their truck with an assault rifle. Once the Saviors return to their base, the Sanctuary, Carl is discovered and he uses the rifle to kill six Saviors. They surround him, and he demands to speak with Negan. When Negan arrives, Carl fires at them until he loses control of the weapon. Dwight is about to kill Carl when Negan stops Dwight and says, "Is that any way to treat our new guest?"The Walking Dead #104
Negan shows interest in getting to know Carl, providing him a tour of the Saviors' facilities, revealing that he is the leader of a cult-like domain of selfless followers who bow to his every word and command. Many followers in his ranks are living on a point system in order to sustain their lives, though many give in to his graces in exchange for a better lifestyle, most notably the women in his "harem", whom he considers his wives.
Negan demands Carl to remove the bandages on his face, which reveals that he is missing an eye from a gunshot wound. Negan, in a state of disbelief and awe, jokingly mocks the disfigurement and goes as far as to ask Carl if he can touch the part of his skull showing through the exposed eye-socket, which causes Carl to break and cry. Negan apologizes, seeing that he has found a weakness in the child he finds so dangerous.
In a ritualistic fashion, complete with call-and-response chanting as Negan's words are answered by his followers, Negan demonstrates that he punishes whoever displeases him by searing their faces with a hot iron. In this case, it is the face of Amber's former lover Mark, who is left disfigured in the same manner as Dwight, with a portion of his face permanently scarred and an eyeball exposed. After the ritual, Negan dismisses his congregation before leading Carl away, contemplating what to do with him.The Walking Dead #105
Negan and Rick meet on the road while travelling toward each other's communities. Negan taunts Rick about showing him "what he has done to his son".The Walking Dead #106 Rick, in a fit of rage, attacks Negan who defends himself and returns Carl in healthy condition.The Walking Dead #107
"March to War" Several days later, Negan arrives at Alexandria ahead of schedule; he is informed that Rick went scavenging for supplies. Negan is approached by Spencer Monroe who says that Rick is not a suitable leader for the community. He asks that, once Negan assassinates Rick, he be given control of the community. Negan responds by telling Spencer that Rick may hate him, but, he has guts, unlike Spencer, who acted like a coward. Negan then disembowels Spencer, killing him.
When Rick returns with supplies, Negan initially demands all of it but then decides to take nothing, as repayment for having killed Spencer. Rick insists that they take their share, and Negan does so. As the Saviors begin driving back to the foundry, Negan notices Rick and a few others exiting the gate. An instant later, his driver is shot and killed. Confused and angry, Negan takes Lucille and sees Rick pointing a gun at his head. Suddenly, a gunshot is heard, and Rick's gun is destroyed as well as those of the others who followed him. Negan remarks on how stupid Rick's people are to use bullets on the zombies instead of saving them for the living. Negan reveals that before every pickup, he has a back-up team surround Alexandria and guard the area. With a crazed smile on his face, Negan says that Rick and his people are "fucking fucked."The Walking Dead #112
Noting that snipers give away their position, Negan says that Rick's "sniper bitch", Andrea, is "as good as dead", provoking Rick to strike him. As Negan holds him off, Carl shoots off a portion of Lucille, causing the Saviors to open fire at Alexandria's walls. Negan orders them to stop, and issues an ultimatum: "Give me the boy, or I'll bash in all four skulls of the people out here!" Negan admits that he liked Carl and that if he had a child, he would have wanted him to be like Carl. Rick says that if Carl dies, their agreement is over, but Negan states that it already over. He orders his men to line up Rick, Heath, Nicholas, and Holly, then begins to decide which one to kill first. He notices a figure falling from the bell towerThe Walking Dead #113 and taunts Rick about Andrea's supposed demise. Nicholas interrupts him, pleading for his life, and Negan calls him a coward. He invites Rick, Heath, or Holly to ask him to kill Nicholas and says if they do so, he will spare them. Heath refuses, and so Negan begins to pick which one of them he will kill.