The Walking Dead: How Negan's Current TV Storyline Differs From The Comics

Despite initially being one of the most hated characters in the history of The Walking Dead due to his brutal murder of the much loved Glenn Rhee, Negan, the former leader of the Saviours, has become an unlikely fan favourite after undergoing an extended redemption arc throughout seasons nine and ten of the show.

After leaving the main group to avoid Maggie's wrath in 11x09, Negan reappears in 11x13, 'Warlords', having joined a new group, River bend. As with many stories in The Walking Dead's final season, this is a rather significant departure from Negan's fate in the comics. Let's take a look at how Negan's current TV storyline is different from his comic story.

After 'All Out War'

Following Negan's defeat at the conclusion of the 'All Out War' comic arc, Rick Grimes and the other community leaders agree to imprison Negan for life rather than killing him, as a symbol of a return to true civilisation in the new world they are trying to build. Even Maggie, who harbours a deep hatred for Negan due to Glenn's murder, agrees, because a more civilised world is what Glenn would have wanted for their child.

Negan is still in Prison after the comics' big time jump, and is regularly visited by Carl Grimes, with whom he shares a complicated friendship. Later, during the early stages of the conflict with the Whisperers, Rick begins reluctantly seeking Negan's advice. Negan eventually escapes his cell, running away to 'join' the Whisperers, but this proves to be a ruse, with Negan killing their leader, Alpha, and delivering her head to Rick to earn his trust.

Rick allows Negan to join Alexandria's Militia for however long the Whisperer war lasts, and though there is too much bad blood to allow him to stay in the community, promises him his freedom when the fighting is done. Rick keeps his promise, and Negan makes a temporary home in the woods, near where he buried the remains of his broken bat, Lucille, by that point known to represent his dead wife. Maggie, upset to learn that Negan has gone free, confronts him at his new camp with the intent of killing him. However, finding a broken man and relising that Negan will suffer more being forced to live on without Lucille, Maggie leaves him be.

Negan Lives!

Negan is absent for the entirety of the comic's 'Commonwealth Arc', and the one-shot comic 'Negan Lives!', set sometime before the final issue of the main The Walking Dead comic, reveals where he'd been. A young woman, Lucy, stumbles upon Negan's small camp. She reminds him of Lucille, and they chat a while, before Negan grows suspicious of Lucy's interest in him, moments before Lucy's travelling companions, Derrick and Barry, attack. Lucy tries to talk them out of killing Negan, but her pleas fall on deaf ears, and the men force Negan to begin digging his own grave, in the same spot he buried Lucille. The group is ambushed by Walkers, and Barry is quickly swarmed and devoured, while Negan beats Derrick to death with a shovel. He then invites a horrified Lucy on his new quest: To locate the real Lucille's remains and give her a proper burial.

In The Walking Dead's final issue, it is revealed that Negan settled in Springhaven, an abandoned neighbourhood somewhere between the other communities. Carl visits to drop off supplies, but Negan avoids being seen during these visits. In one of the comic's final few panels, Negan is seen delivering flowers to Lucille's headstone, suggesting he was successful in finding her remains.

What's different in the show?

As in the comics, Negan is imprisoned following the conclusion of the 'All Out War' arc. The biggest differences between the comic and show at this point is that the initial time jump following 'All Out War' is much shorter, and Maggie does not agree with the decision to let Negan live. Shortly before Rick's disappearance, Maggie comes to Alexandria intending to kill Negan, but in a twist on the comic storyline, realises he will suffer more being imprisoned for life.

After the second, longer time jump following Rick's disappearance, Negan is still in Prison, but he develops a sweet friendship with Judith Grimes, and earns the thanks of Michonne when he rescues Judith after they are separated from a group heading for a safe house during a massive snowstorm. Following this event, Negan is allowed out of his cell on 'work release', and aids in battle against the Whisperers. He bonds with Lydia, the daughter of Whisperer leader Alpha who has been adopted into the community, but this situation threatens Negan's new freedom when he accidentally kills a woman while defending Lydia from an attack by angry community members who target her in revenge for the lives Alpha took.

Negan is returned to prison, but released secretly by Carol, who promises to secure him a place in Alexandria if he kills Alpha. Negan succeeds in this mission, and goes on to help the group end the Whisperer War. Unfortunately, he finds himself in danger yet again after the return of Maggie, who is angry to see Negan walking free. After repeatedly clashing with Maggie on a dangerous supply run to her previous community, Meridian, Negan decides to leave the group, thereby freeing Maggie of the constant temptation to kill him.

As Negan is, as mentioned earlier, absent from the Commonwealth arc in the comics, some fans feared his decision to leave the group meant he may also go missing for an extended period in the show. However, this is clearly not the case, now that Negan has reappeared in 'Warlords' as a member of Riverbend, the new group now under attack by Carlson and his Commonwealth troopers. This latest twist was likely implemented to ensure Negan remains a major part of the action as The Walking Dead races toward it's conclusion, as both the character of Negan, and his actor, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, are firm fan favourites.

We know for sure that Negan will escape Carlson's reign of terror, with the recent announcement of the Negan and Maggie led spin-off, Isle of the Dead, confirming that he will survive to the end of the main series, but what fate awaits the other residents of Riverbend? We'll have to keep watching The Walking Dead's final season to find out.