He may be The Walking Dead's most fascinating persona, and if not for Norman Reedus' Daryl and Lauren Cohan's Maggie, Negan would arguably stand as the show's main character. The journey of the former Saviors' leader has been a gripping watch, and Negan's arc has been made all the more satisfying with the inclusion of his backstory in the season 10 finale.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been a show-stealer since his debut, and the once hated villain is now one of the most loved in AMC's post-apocalyptic series. Whether Negan has earned his redemption or not remains up for debate, and there are plenty of talking points when it comes to the fate of the bad man with the bat.
10 Deserves Redemption: He's The Savior Of Judith's Life
Negan always claimed that he saves people, and though it was arguably true to some extent during his time as leader of The Saviors, the baseball bat-wielding tyrant certainly ended more lives than he extended.
An undeniable fact is that he did save the life of the one and only Judith Grimes. During a severe snowstorm, little Judith ran off from the group to save Dog, and the only person to head into the blistering blizzard to rescue her was Negan. With this act, he received some redemption, though Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character still has a way to go to be able to declare himself a hero.
9 Doesn't: He Brutally Murdered Glenn And Abraham Infront Of The Group
Of those depicted on screen, Negan's murder of Glenn and Abraham remains his most heinous act. At the time, fans felt it was surely unforgivable, yet through excellent writing and an always captivating performance from the immensely talented Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Walking Dead has managed to steer Negan into acceptance from the audience.
He may be trying to make up for his past mistakes, yet Glenn's wife Maggie and many Walking Dead fans simply can never forgive him for what he took from them.
8 Deserves Redemption: He Did All He Could To Save Lucille, And His Failure Was Heartbreaking To Watch
The episode "Here's Negan" gave viewers the chance to look into Negan's tragic past, see all he has lost, and meet the real-life Lucille who inspired the name of his iconic baseball bat.
The season 10 finale is regarded by fans and critics as one of The Walking Dead's finest episodes, and after watching Negan fight to save his wife from the painful horrors of cancer in a world without hospitals, many fans can't help but root for the leather jacket-wearing rogue and his long-term survival.
7 Doesn't: Negan Forced Multiple Women To Be His Wives
Negan's misogyny ran rampant whilst he ruled at The Sanctuary, making wives out of multiple women whose husbands served under him. Their mistreatment was rarely depicted on-screen, though the aftermath and suffering of the women was always made clear, with some of the girls seeking help from Eugene in securing a most tragic way out.
His backstory didn't help this aspect of his character much either, as upon rewatching season 7 he seems such a far cry from Lucille's loving warrior. One can only imagine how his late wife would feel knowing the acts that Negan would go on to commit.
6 Deserves Redemption: Negan Hit A Home Run In Defeating The Whisperers
In the terrifying war against the undead-in-disguise, Negan turned out to be the secret weapon. His infiltration of the group allowed him the chance to kill Alpha, essentially severing the head of the monster that was The Whisperers.
He put himself in grave danger to do so of course, and just when it looked like Negan was in it for himself all over again, he helped Daryl take out Beta, ensuring victory and temporary safety for The Walking Dead's heroes.
5 Doesn't: He Participated In The Destruction Of The Hilltop
Negan's sabotaging of The Whisperers was far from simple, in order to gain their trust, Negan had to don a mask that Corey Taylor himself would be proud of and assist in the devastating attack against Hilltop.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan remained irresistible as always, and managed to keep viewers on their toes as to where his true allegiance lied, yet after he emerged a good guy with Alpha's head, the damage was already done, and many within the group found it hard to look past Negan's participation in the attack.
4 Deserves Redemption: It's What Carl Would Want
The seeds for Negan's redemption were planted almost immediately upon his introduction, the leader of The Saviors clearly had a soft spot for Carl, and seemed to genuinely care for the boy, far past his spaghetti cooking that he liked to remind everyone of.
It likely ties to his days as a high school gym teacher, as Carl was around high school age at the time. Negan's fondness clearly rubbed off on Carl, as the young Grimes man's dying wishes were ultimately what kept Negan alive after The Saviors finally fell in battle against Rick. Once upon a time, Negan was a good man, and Carl Grimes could see it, even with one eye.
3 Doesn't: His Sadistic Ritual Of Burning People's Faces
The Sanctuary was a disputedly dangerous place to live, and the main reason for that was Negan's unconventional ways of keeping people in line. This included but was not limited to burning the skin off of people's faces.
Dwight is of course the most famous survivor of the horrendous punishment, yet not all were so lucky, as Doctor Emmett Carson found himself one big piece of human barbecue at Negan's hands. Surely one so sadistic can't be worthy of redemption, though maybe Walking Dead fans would rather let Father Gabriel decide that one.
2 Deserves Redemption: He Seems To Have Genuinely Changed For The Better
Time outside with fan-favorite Aaron made for an intriguing watch as viewers never quite knew whether Negan would help the one-armed survivor or leave him to die. As usual, Negan's actions proved more important than his words, and this is saying something considering Negan's seemingly uncontrollable urge to chat regardless of the situation.
Negan kept Aaron safe, and whether this was surprising is debatable, yet it certainly adds to the illusion that the former Savior is truly a changed man.
1 Doesn't: He Had His Chance At Redemption And Instead, He Left Maggie To Die
While Jeffrey Dean Morgan's iconic character has made great strides in the right direction since his release from a cell in Alexandria, season 11 has already seen Negan take one giant step backward.
With Maggie clinging onto to train car for dear life, Negan opted to leave Maggie to fall to her death. Unlucky for the former leader of The Saviors, the widow survived, and luckily for fans of The Walking Dead, things between Maggie and Negan just got a little more interesting, and a lot more intense.