While having dinner in the camp with the Whisperers, Negan silently observes Gamma's nervous behavior. He then listens from afar as Alpha talks with Beta and Gamma about a possible spy in the camp, and deduces it might be Gamma since she is close to Alpha. The next day, Negan encounters Alpha at the camp's latrine and tells her his theory that Gamma is the traitor due to his past experiences. Alpha holds a knife to his crotch and tells him not to sow paranoia in the camp, warning if he's wrong she'll cut his balls off. She then tosses him into her bathroom ditch and leaves.

The events at Alexandria, specifically being faced with the perspective of being someone on the other side of a tyrannical and sadistic leader's control, gives Negan a new understanding of how his own actions impacted those that he had once ruled over. Negan and Ezekiel are able to make peace and Negan reveals that his actions were completely selfless and motivated by a desire to leave behind a better legacy for his child than being the monster that he once was and to save everybody else, outright admitting that they are all better than him. Negan also finally understands what he did to Maggie and tearfully and genuinely apologizes to her for murdering Glenn and is even willing to sacrifice himself to kill Pamela Milton, knowing that it is a likely suicide mission and wanting to spare Maggie that. After spending so long working with Negan and having him apologize to her, Maggie recognizes that Negan is both genuine and trying to change, but she can't forgive him for what he did in the end. Negan becomes visibly emotional as Maggie talks to him and describes the man that he has so brutally murdered, silently listening as Maggie tells Negan what he took from the world and how sadistically he did it. However, Maggie decides to try to stop hating Negan and move on, even offering him a place at the Hilltop. McWhertor, Michael (August 5, 2018). "The Walking Dead's Negan is coming to Tekken 7". Polygon . Retrieved August 5, 2018.Negan stares intently at Eugene before he grabs Dr. Carson and throws him face-first into the furnace, burning him alive. Negan puts his arm around Dwight, saying "Good thing we have a spare Dr. Carson." Negan pays Eugene a visit. He tells Eugene that he doesn't make his invitation lightly and explains that he doesn't need to be scared anymore. Negan asks Eugene "Who are –" but Eugene interrupts before he can finish the question. "I'm Negan," Eugene says. Rogers • Power • Nelson • Brown • Green • Johnson • Voss • Waters • Stewart • Farley • Wright • Thompson • Garza • Walter Negan finally opens up about his first wife, prior to the epidemic, how he treated her badly and how he couldn't put her down after she died and convinces Gabriel they have to work together to get out of this mess. Gabriel emerges and gives Negan the gun, saying, "You're forgiven." Negan punches him in the face once and says "thanks." Negan rips apart the walker and explains how the insides can be used to walk among the dead. They returned after Tina's death. Dwight asked for forgiveness and begged Negan not to kill Sherry. Sherry offered to marry Negan if he spared Dwight's life. He agreed — after burning Dwight's face with an iron. Dwight has been on board ever since. After the battle, Negan notices Hershel silently glaring at him. Recognizing that they have unfinished business, Negan tells the young boy to return to the Hilltop and help his mother rebuild. If Hershel still wants revenge in a few years, he tells him to come find him and they'll settle matters between them at that time. After Negan walks away, Maggie asks Hershel what Negan had said to him, but Hershel remains silent.

Ausiello, Michael (November 10, 2015). "Jeffrey Dean Morgan Joins Walking Dead Cast as... Infamous Villain Negan!". TVLine . Retrieved November 10, 2015. On The Walking Dead, Stupidity Is Suddenly a Much Bigger Problem Than Zombies". Gizmodo. 5 December 2016. Just like his comic counterpart, Negan's signature weapon is a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire he calls " Lucille". Shortly afterwards, Negan delivers Alpha's severed zombified head to Carol. Carol comments that it took Negan long enough, revealing that Negan and Carol had been working together the entire time to take down Alpha. Negan thanks Ezekiel for saving his life from the Warden and his men and asks why Ezekiel did it. Ezekiel tells Negan that dying a martyr is too easy and Negan living to make something good out of his life will keep Ezekiel from giving in to anger over Benjamin's murder by the Saviors. Ezekiel doesn't want to live out whatever time he has left in bitterness, noting that he's not even supposed to be here. "The dead came for me. And yet I smile. War came for me. And yet I smile. Cancer. Yet I smile. I try to, anyway. I try," states Ezekiel. Ezekiel asks why Negan gave the Warden his own name rather than betraying Ezekiel and Negan explains that he did it "for my wife... my kid. To leave a better story about me than the one you've been telling. That when it mattered... I did something right. And it wasn't to prove anything. It wasn't to get anything in return. Hell, it wasn't even to save my own ass. It was to save all of you. You all are better than me. And if you think I don't know that... then you haven't been paying attention." Negan leaves while Maggie, having overheard the conversation unseen, contemplates what she has just learned.

Negan is the first major recurring primary antagonist to interact with another major recurring primary antagonist; Dee. Negan is met by Eugene in the conference room. Negan expresses an increasing worry for the safety of his community, while praising Eugene and his efforts in the compound. He reminds Eugene that he is aware of how smart he is, prompting Eugene to remind him of his loyalty. Negan reaches out his hand and Eugene attempts to kiss it but Negan was looking for a handshake. It's a sign of mutual respect which not many people get from Negan. Eugene accepts this, declaring that there is work that needs to be done before leaving the room. In a store, Negan bangs on a bell, but it doesn't draw in any walkers. Negan notices Luther applying beeswax to himself, but he refuses to let Negan have any and works on stripping the deer of useable meat. Amaia goes over a map of the city with Maggie and Tommaso with the two tribespeople revealing that most of the streets are too dangerous due to walkers and the Croat's traps. Negan asks how long they've been at this, and Amaia explains that they're native New Yorkers, just kids when the Global Outbreak hit. "The first few weeks were the... the worst. I mean, it spread so fast. Through the subways, the buildings. Bodies coming up from the ground, falling from the sky. We kept waiting for the Army to show up. Shit, anybody. And when they finally got here, we were dumb enough to think that they'd come to save us. And we watched them blow up the bridges, the tunnels, leaving us in this death trap."

Negan possess the largest kill count out of any character on The Walking Dead, with a total of at least 230 victims. Henry Rollins, who partially inspired the character's design, auditioned for the role. However it was ultimately handed down to Jeffrey Dean Morgan instead. [7]After killing Alpha, Negan admits to Daryl that he did enjoy working with the Whisperers because it allowed him to do something that mattered again and be needed. After spending seven years behind bars, Negan claims that even his memories have prison bars in them now. However, what pushed Negan over the edge to fulfil his deal with Carol and kill Alpha was when Alpha started killing innocent people and wanted to kill her own daughter Lydia. Negan states that Alpha went too far for him as you never kill someone who doesn't deserve it and you never harm a child. He also tells Carol while making a deal with her that he wishes no harm upon Alexandria and her residents and in fact expressed concern at the idea that his involvement in the plan could put them in danger which Negan genuinely didn't want. Though Negan had the chance to become the new Alpha of the Whisperers and kill Daryl, displaying much of his old personality and clearly enjoying the moment, Negan chose to save Daryl and return to Alexandria despite knowing that he might never be accepted, showing how far he had come from his time as the ruthless leader of the Saviors. Hawkes, Rebecca (October 31, 2016). "Help, I fancy Negan! Is Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Walking Dead psychopath the new Selasi?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.

He is also one of the four TV Universe characters to appear in Dead City, the others being Maggie Rhee, Hershel Rhee, and Simon. In Alexandria, Negan takes shelter from the storm with the residents in the church. He jokes about Rosita's love quadrangle and taunts Gabriel by calling him "father…not the father," to Eugene's amusement. Judith tells him she's worried about Dog, who she lost despite Daryl asking her to watch over him. Suddenly, the group smells something and Eugene pulls Siddiq and Gabriel away from the fireplace before it explodes. He says the chimney makes it unsafe to light anything else on fire, so Gabriel decides they're moving to Aaron's house. They all tie a rope around themselves and head out into the blizzard. In the present, crouching behind a car with Maggie and Negan, Amaia bangs two sets of antlers together, trying to draw in a nearby deer. As the deer approaches, Tommaso kills it with his modified Nail Gun. Negan has the most appearances in the TV Series, appearing in more than 50 episodes alive (including the dream sequence in " Honor" and the hallucination sequence in " What We Become"), out of the other major recurring primary antagonists. The next morning, a blood-covered Negan arrives at the camp demanding a skinsuit for himself with an extra measure because of his humongous balls. He kneels and introduces himself to Alpha. "I'm all in, whatever you want, whatever I got, it's yours", Negan tells her. Alpha leans down to sniff him and shushes him to signal she accepts him.Negan was originally called Nagus by Robert Kirkman: "Every now and then I just make up a word and then I look it up and it's a name. So he was Nagus for a long time, and then I realized that the Ferengi high commander on Deep Space Nine was called the Grand Nagus. And I was like, 'Oh, that's where I got that! Oh, okay. Uhh, maybe he's Negan.' So that's how that happened". Schedeen, Jesse (December 12, 2012). "The Walking Dead #105 Review". IGN . Retrieved December 12, 2012. In the beginning, Negan is called out of the RV by Bryan Fury. As Negan walks across the captives, Lars Alexandersson rises up and punches Negan. This serves to showcase Negan's in-game fighting style as he fights Lars, followed by Master Raven, Heihachi Mishima, Kazumi Mishima, Jin Kazama, Nina Williams, Steve Fox, and then Kazuya Mishima. He then begins his eenie meenie miney mo before using his Rage Art on Paul Phoenix.