Negan on The Walking Dead: Dead City The Walking Dead: Dead City is now two seasons into its story, as it follows Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) and Negan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) as they find themselves caught between warring factions in a post-apocalyptic New York City. Things are building up now at the end of Season 2, teasing an all-out war that threatens to wipe out what little life remains in what was once one of the most vibrant and populated cities in the world.

Negan Has Officially Surpassed Glenn’s Tenure on The Walking Dead

Negan Has Starred in More Seasons Than His Most Tragic Victim

Negan pointing his barbed-wire baseball bat, Lucille, with car lights flashing behind him in The Walking DeadImage via AMC

After killing Glenn in Season 7 of The Walking Dead, Negan has officially surpassed his victim’s tenure in the post-apocalyptic franchise. Played by Steven Yeun, Glenn Rhee makes his debut in The Walking Dead‘s pilot, speaking to Rick Grimes over a tank radio, eventually helping him escape a mob of walkers in downtown Atlanta. From that point onward, Glenn was a crucial part of the series, starring in nearly every episode thereafter.

Glenn’s brutal death puts an end to his time in The Walking Dead after six full seasons and a singular appearance in Season 7. Negan is introduced just one episode before Glenn’s death, in the Season 6 finale. After brutally beating Glenn and Abraham to death with Lucille, a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, Negan becomes the main antagonist of Seasons 7 and 8, which comprise the Savior War.

However, he continues to be a pivotal part of the show even after his defeat, starring in Seasons 9 through 11 and even surviving the events of the series finale. Negan then stars in Dead City alongside Glenn’s widow, Maggie. Two years into his and Maggie’s spinoff, Negan officially appears in all or part of eight seasons of The Walking Dead, whereas Glenn only stars in seven.

Cast of The Walking Dead: Dead City

Character
Played By

Maggie Rhee
Lauren Cohan

Negan Smith
Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Hershel Rhee
Logan Kim

Mile Jurkovic / “The Croat”
Željko Ivanek

The Dama
Lisa Emery

Perlie Armstrong
Gaius Charles

Ginny
Mahina Napoleon

Lucia Narvaez
Dascha Polanco

Benjamin Pierce
Keir Gilchrist

Bruegel
Kim Coates

This is more than a numbers game for longtime fans of the Walking Dead universe. Glenn Rhee is a fan-favorite character whose arc proves that goodness can survive and thrive, even in a world as brutal and unforgiving as this one. Seeing him brutally killed in front of his pregnant wife is a moment that TWD fans will never forget — and some will never forgive. Thus, it may upset many longtime viewers to know that they’ve spent more time with Glenn’s murderer than they did with their favorite character.

How Negan Has Changed Since His Introduction

Negan Embarks on a Surprising Redemption Arc in The Walking Dead

Negan on The Walking Dead: Dead CityImage via AMC

As brutal as his introduction was, Negan has grown immensely since making his debut on The Walking Dead. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character is introduced as the ultimate villain, a true challenge for Rick Grimes and his allies to overcome. After executing Abraham and Glenn in the Season 7 premiere, Negan establishes himself as the most dangerous Walking Dead villain yet, rallying fans behind Rick’s rebellion in Season 8.

However, Negan’s storyline on The Walking Dead takes a surprising turn after his defeat and incarceration. Left to think about his actions in a holding cell for years, Negan understands the perils of his actions, recognizing that he may have been the villain all along. Slowly, younger residents of Alexandria trust Negan, offering him an opportunity to redeem himself. And, much to the surprise of many viewers, Negan does exactly that.

​​​​​​​Even though nothing will ever erase the fact that Negan killed Glenn, it is hard to argue that he hasn’t redeemed himself since. It is Negan who saves Judith from the perilous snowstorm in Season 9. Likewise, it is he who finally kills Alpha, the leader of the Whisperers and the newest enemy facing the Coalition of Communities in Season 10.

This long and arduous journey to redemption culminates in a touching moment between Negan and Maggie in the series finale, wherein he pours his heart out to Glenn’s widow, apologizing for what he did and hoping that she might find it in her heart to forgive him. Now, though their relationship is still tenuous, Negan and Maggie have found a way to work together, something fans of The Walking Dead never thought they’d see after Glenn’s death.

Is Negan’s Story Coming to an End?

Dead City Could Bring Negan’s Story to a Close

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan on The Walking Dead: Dead CityImage via AMC

After eight seasons of The Walking Dead and Dead City, Negan’s story may finally approach its conclusion. Recent episodes of Dead City have delved much deeper into Negan’s redemption, exploring whether or not his change of heart is permanent, or if he still has his villainous persona somewhere inside of him. Surprisingly, even to Negan himself, he finds himself less drawn to the villainous persona he once inhabited, proving that his redemption is more than skin-deep.

However, longtime fans of The Walking Dead should know that any character who comes full circle in the series is in danger. In the penultimate episode of Dead City‘s second season, Negan sees his late wife Lucille in a hallucination, further suggesting that The Walking Dead is preparing to end the character’s storyline once and for all.

The Walking Dead Franchise

Series
Years
IMDb Rating
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Streaming

The Walking Dead
2010-2022
8.1/10
79%
Netflix

Fear the Walking Dead
2015-2023
6.8/10
73%

The Walking Dead: World Beyond
2020-2021
4.5/10
46%
AMC+

Tales of the Walking Dead
2022
5.9/10
74%

The Walking Dead: Dead City
2023-Present
7.1/10
80%

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
2023-Present
7.6/10
79%
Netflix AMC+

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
2024
7.9/10
88%
AMC+

Dead City is most likely preparing to bring Negan’s story to its final conclusion. The series is presumably returning for a third season, which could finally give Negan the ending he deserves. This could take one of many forms, including Maggie finally getting lethal justice on Negan for the death of her husband.

It would make for a sick but satisfying ending, but Maggie killing Negan could be the perfect way to conclude Dead City‘s limited run. In contrast, the series could take a softer approach to Negan’s ending, allowing him to live the rest of his days in peace alongside his wife Annie and son Joshua. Either way, fans of The Walking Dead should prepare to say goodbye to Negan, who they started off hating but have grown to love over the years.