😲 The Walking Dead’s creator just dropped a BOMBSHELL about why fans HATE Negan’s arrival!

He gets why some wish this iconic villain never showed up. Is it his brutal acts or something deeper?

This revelation will make you rethink Negan’s legacy! 🤯

👉 Click to uncover Kirkman’s shocking take!

The Walking Dead (TWD), created by Robert Kirkman, has left an indelible mark on pop culture, with its comic book run from 2003 to 2019 and its AMC TV series from 2010 to 2022 spawning a sprawling multimedia franchise. Central to its most polarizing moments is Negan, the bat-wielding leader of the Saviors, whose introduction in comic issue #100 (2012) and TV Season 6, Episode 16 (2016) reshaped the narrative. Played with chilling charisma by Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the TV series, Negan is both a fan-favorite anti-hero and a reviled villain, responsible for the brutal murder of Glenn Rhee and a tonal shift that alienated some fans. In a June 2025 ScreenRant article detailing Kirkman’s commentary in The Walking Dead Deluxe #114, the creator acknowledges why some fans wish Negan was never introduced, stating, “I get it, I’ve been there,” and admitting the character was “kind of pissing all over what was a very serious book for a very long time.” This article explores the reasons behind fans’ dislike, Kirkman’s empathy, and Negan’s undeniable impact on the TWD universe.

Why Fans Disliked Negan’s Introduction

Negan’s debut was a seismic event in TWD. In the comics, issue #100 sees him capture Rick Grimes’ group and kill Glenn with his barbed-wire bat, Lucille, in a grotesque display of dominance. The TV series mirrored this in Season 7, Episode 1 (2016), “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be,” adding Abraham’s death for extra shock. These moments, while iconic, sparked backlash. A 2025 ScreenRant article notes that Negan’s introduction caused a viewership drop from 17 million in Season 6 to 11 million in Season 7, with over three million fans abandoning the show, per Nielsen data. Fans on X expressed outrage, with one 2024 post stating, “Negan’s brutality was too much—Glenn’s death broke me.” The visceral violence, especially against a beloved character like Glenn, who had been with TWD since issue #2 and Season 1, felt like a betrayal to some.

Beyond the violence, Negan’s tonal shift was a major grievance. Kirkman, in The Walking Dead Deluxe #114, admits Negan was “very off-putting and can alienate readers” by adding “questionable silliness” to a “very serious book.” In the comics, TWD had been a dour, character-driven drama about survival, focusing on Rick’s moral struggles and the group’s losses. Negan’s crude humor, vulgar language, and theatrical personality—described in a 2025 CBR article as “a mix of sadistic showman and frat-boy jester”—clashed with this tone. Lines like “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” and his penchant for sexual innuendos, detailed in a 2024 ScreenRant list of Negan’s funniest quotes, felt jarring against the series’ grim backdrop. A 2025 Collider article argues this “vibe shift” disrupted the emotional weight fans cherished, making Negan feel like an intrusion.

Negan’s narrative dominance also frustrated fans. As the antagonist of the “Something to Fear” and “All Out War” arcs (comics issues #97-126, TV Seasons 6-8), he overshadowed other characters. In the TV series, Seasons 7 and 8 were criticized for dragging the Savior War, with a 2018 Rotten Tomatoes consensus noting a 64% score for Season 7 due to “pacing issues and Negan’s overexposure.” Fans felt the focus on Negan’s theatrics sidelined favorites like Rick, Daryl, and Michonne, per a 2024 X post: “Negan took over, and the show forgot its roots.” His harem of coerced “wives,” a controversial element Kirkman addressed in Deluxe #105 as sparking social media backlash, further alienated viewers, with a 2025 GameRant article calling it “a misogynistic low point.”

Kirkman’s Empathy for Fans

Kirkman’s acknowledgment in Deluxe #114 is a rare moment of creator vulnerability. He empathizes with fans who felt TWD changed for the worse, saying, “I’ve been there, when a thing you love slowly starts to turn into something you no longer enjoy.” This reflects his understanding of the emotional investment fans had in TWD’s serious tone, which Negan’s arrival disrupted. Kirkman admits Negan’s silliness and alienating traits—his “foul-mouthed, bat-swinging” nature, per a 2025 ScreenRant article—shifted the series’ vibe, risking the loss of longtime readers. His candor is striking, as he could have defended Negan outright, given the character’s popularity and sales boost (comic sales spiked post-issue #100, per a 2025 ScreenRant piece).

Kirkman’s empathy stems from his own creative process. In Deluxe #103, he reveals he initially doubted Negan’s TV adaptability due to his intensity, thinking, “They’ll never be able to put this foul-mouthed lunatic in the show.” This suggests he recognized Negan’s polarizing nature from the start. A 2020 X post from @TheWalkingDead notes Kirkman planned to kill Negan after a few issues but grew to love him, indicating an awareness that Negan’s longevity was a gamble. By sympathizing with fans, Kirkman validates their frustration while defending Negan as a “breath of fresh air” that reinvigorated the series, a counterpoint he admits is biased.

Negan’s Impact: A Necessary Evil

Despite the backlash, Negan’s introduction was a game-changer for TWD. Kirkman argues in Deluxe #114 that Negan added a “necessary new dimension” after 100 issues of grim survival tales. In the comics, Negan’s charisma and moral complexity—seen in his refusal to harm children and eventual alliance with Rick during “The Whisperer War”—made him more than a one-dimensional villain. A 2025 ScreenRant article highlights how Negan’s debut in issue #100 boosted sales, with a “gentle glide up” to issue #150, proving his commercial success. Fans on X, like a 2020 post from @TWDUniverse, praise Negan’s “love-to-hate” quality, with his humor and brutality creating a dynamic antagonist.

In the TV series, Negan’s impact was equally profound. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s performance, lauded in a 2025 CBR article as “grinning, relaxed, and terrifying,” elevated Negan beyond the comics. His redemption arc, beginning in Season 9 under showrunner Angela Kang, transformed him into a fan-favorite anti-hero, helping others like Judith and Hershel. A 2025 ScreenRant piece notes that Negan’s spinoff, Dead City, premiering its second season in May 2025, underscores his enduring appeal, with fans on X in 2024 calling him “the best-worst villain.” Negan’s killing of Glenn, while controversial, drove Maggie’s arc, fueling her leadership and ongoing conflict in Dead City, per a 2025 ScreenRant article on Glenn’s lasting narrative impact.

The viewership drop post-Glenn’s death was significant, but a 2025 Collider article argues it wasn’t solely Negan’s fault. Season 6’s cliffhanger, leaving viewers waiting to learn who Negan killed, frustrated fans, per a 2020 ScreenRant piece, and Season 7’s slow pacing exacerbated the decline. Negan’s brutality was a catalyst, but broader issues like filler episodes contributed, as noted in a 2018 Rotten Tomatoes review. Kirkman’s decision to keep Negan alive, influenced by artist Charlie Adlard’s pitch for redemption over Maggie killing him, per a 2024 ScreenRant article, proved wise, as Negan’s arc added depth to TWD’s themes of forgiveness and rebuilding.

The Franchise Context and Negan’s Legacy

Negan’s introduction came at a pivotal moment. By 2012, TWD’s comic was a decade old, and the TV series was in its third season, a rarity for a comic still producing iconic stories, per a 2022 CBR article. Kirkman took risks to keep the comic distinct from the show, intentionally crafting Negan as “too extreme” for TV, per Deluxe #103. His success validated this gamble, but it came at a cost for some fans. Dead City Season 2, set in a walker-infested Manhattan, continues to explore Negan’s moral complexity, with his manipulation of the Croat and leadership of the Burazi echoing his Savior days, per a 2025 ScreenRant article. Yet, his hallucinations of Lucille and protection of Maggie’s son suggest ongoing redemption, per a 2025 ScreenRant piece.

The Walking Dead franchise, with spinoffs like Daryl Dixon (praised for innovation) and Dead City (71% Rotten Tomatoes score, criticized for repetition), faces challenges balancing legacy characters with fresh stories, per a 2025 Collider article. Negan remains a lightning rod, with fans split on X: a 2025 post calls him “the soul of TWD,” while another says, “He ruined the show’s heart.” Scott Gimple’s plans for potential crossovers or a Season 12, per a 2025 GameRant article, ensure Negan’s story will persist, but his polarizing nature—rooted in Kirkman’s bold vision—will always spark debate.

Conclusion

Robert Kirkman’s admission in The Walking Dead Deluxe #114 that he understands why fans wish Negan was never introduced is a testament to his empathy for TWD’s audience. Negan’s brutal debut, tonal shift, and narrative dominance alienated some, disrupting the series’ serious tone with his crude humor and violence. Yet, Kirkman’s defense of Negan as a “breath of fresh air” reflects his belief in the character’s necessity, a view borne out by sales spikes, fan adoration, and Negan’s starring role in Dead City. Negan’s introduction was a gamble that fractured TWD’s fanbase but also reinvigorated its story, proving his status as a necessary evil. As the franchise evolves, Kirkman’s candid reflection reminds us that even its most divisive choices—embodied by Negan’s bloody bat—are what make The Walking Dead a cultural juggernaut, forever challenging what it means to survive and redeem in a broken world.