Although Negan got on surprisingly well with Carl in The Walking Dead, the two shared an iconic moment that showed how ruthless the former Saviors leader once was, and Dead City season 2 really wants you to forget it. Having worked hard to find redemption, Negan started a family with Annie in The Walking Dead and seems to have genuinely turned a corner, with his spinoff show highlighting how much he has grown. He willingly sat in a cell and ate cockroaches to avoid assisting Dead City‘s villains, only breaking when his family was threatened.

It’s possible that Negan did genuinely show remorse, yet his hesitation seemed abrupt, suggesting it was simply the result of being startled. He could have even viewed Carl as an adult given his maturity, which may have been his justification for attempting to kill him, but the most likely scenario is that Negan was willing to break his rule due to Rick’s resistance. Rick’s group isn’t the first to defy the Saviors, but no one has caused more problems and fought back so hard, which may have prompted Negan’s most evil tendencies to flourish in The Walking Dead season 7.

Regardless of the reasoning, it’s clear that the former villain was just a second away from taking a child’s life, suggesting that Negan’s so-called rule wasn’t a hard limit, at least not back then. Even though he has changed and regrets his past, Negan wasn’t above killing someone as young as Carl back when he led the Saviors, and while The Walking Dead looks desperate to skip past this moment, it’s far too significant to forget.

Why The Walking Dead Is Rewriting History To Redeem Negan

Negan’s Sinister Past Is Almost Impossible To Justify Without Some Slight Retcons

The Walking Dead has done a great job of redeeming Negan over the years, but the franchise is now actively rewriting the past to make him look better. For the most part, the series hasn’t tried to shy away from Negan’s darkest moments, as he has taken accountability for his actions and shown remorse for killing Glenn. It has undoubtedly been tough trying to make the audience sympathize with him given everything he’s done, but this would be borderline impossible if he had willingly killed children, hence why Dead City wants you to forget that he nearly did.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Episodes
Release Date

Episode 1: “Power Equals Power”
May 4, 2025

Episode 2: “Another Shitty Lesson”
May 11, 2025

Episode 3: “Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?”
May 18, 2025

Episode 4: “Feisty Friendly”
May 25, 2025

Episode 5: “The Bird Always Knows”
June 1, 2025

Episode 6: “Bridge Partners are Hard to Come by These Days”
June 8, 2025

Episode 7: “Novi Dan, Novi Početak”
June 15, 2025

Episode 8: “If History Were a Conflagration”
June 22, 2025

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That’s also likely why Negan’s wives haven’t really been mentioned recently, as the coerced nature of Sanctuary’s hierarchy paints him in a very bad light. Instead, Dead City looks to be bringing back Lucille after “Here’s Negan” introduced the character’s real wife, who humanized Negan while still exposing his flaws. Likewise, referencing Annie and Joshua furthers the idea that, despite his demons, Negan is a family man who cares about children and always has. However, there is a reason he was once The Walking Dead‘s biggest villain, and Negan’s most sinister moments are what make his redemption so impactful.