Ever since Negan made his infamous debut on The Walking Dead back in Season 6, he's always been regarded as the main antagonist. It’s a fair opinion, especially when you consider the horrific, twisted things he’s done during his time on the show. Negan will never truly be a good guy, but he can redeem himself, albeit slightly.

It can be difficult to see the good in a man who killed off two beloved characters merely minutes into his first appearance. However, with Negan making significant moves to become Mr. Nice Guy in the spinoff Dead City, maybe it's time to take a minute to look at his sweet side. From the time he made Carl dinner to the times he saved fan favorite characters' lives, there are times when Negan is a good guy in The Walking Dead franchise.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on March 1, 2024: The Walking Dead universe is expanding in new and exciting directions with spinoffs following iconic characters from the original series. Among these is The Walking Dead: Dead City, which follows Negan Smith and Maggie Rhee as they travel to a post-apocalyptic New York City. The spinoff is already renewed for a second season, which will continue to test Negan's recent redemption arc to prove once and for all that he is capable of becoming a hero.

20 Negan Turned Himself In To The Croat to Save Hershel Jr.

The Walking Dead: Dead City, Season 1, Episode 6, "Doma Smo"

One of the biggest ways Negan makes up for killing Glenn in Dead City is by going along with Maggie's plan to turn himself in to The Croat in exchange for her son, Hershel Jr. Although initially betrayed by Maggie's lie, Negan knew that Hershel Jr. deserved better than to be The Croat's captive, and it was Negan's fault in the first place that Hershel Jr. was in this situation.

The Season 1 finale of Dead City hints at a new partnership between The Croat and Negan, despite Negan's initial belief that The Croat wanted to kill him out of revenge. But there's also a part of Negan that might be faking his willingness to work with The Croat and The Dama to spare Hershel Jr. any more torture, as he already took his father away from him. Since the aftereffects of this potential sacrifice have yet to play out, the jury is still out on just how effective Negan's heroism is.

19 Negan Saved Perlie's Life

The Walking Dead: Dead City, Season 1, Episode 5, "Stories We Tell Ourselves"

Perlie's only mission in Dead City was to bring Negan back to New Babylon to bring him justice for killing several of the community's people. But when it came down to Perlie vs. The Croat, Negan made the bold choice to help Perlie, despite the marshal's previous attempts to arrest him.

The inkling of kindness ended up working in Negan's favor. Perlie returned to New Babylon, lying to his superior that he killed Negan and didn't bring the body back. The two men risked their lives for each other, and hopefully this will continue in Season 2 if they meet again.

18 Negan Took In Ginny Like His Own

The Walking Dead: Dead City, Season 1, Episode 1, "Old Acquaintances"

Ginny might not be his biological daughter, but he protected her like she was. Throughout the first season of Dead City, Ginny wasn't compliant in communicating with Negan and helping him make their lives easier. She just lost her father and felt abandoned by him when he went to New York. Nonetheless, he still cared for her, and every decision he made in Dead City was with her safety in the back of his mind.

Their relationship does rely on problematic tropes, to say the least. She's a typical woman in a refrigerator, as her pain and suffering benefit Negan's good-guy status. There's also the fact that he killed her father, and refused to tell her for a long time. They clearly have some bugs in the relationship to work out, but at its core is genuine fatherly love.

17 Negan Finally Apologized to Maggie For Killing Glenn

The Walking Dead, Season 11, Episode 24, "Rest In Peace"

The moment everyone had been waiting for finally came true in the series finale of The Walking Dead -- Negan apologized for killing Glenn. Knowing what it's like to nearly lose a pregnant Annie in a taunting, gruesome manner, Negan's eyes were finally opened to the horrors he put Maggie through. It might too little too late, but he still owned up to his actions.

Maggie didn't forgive him, nor accept his apology, and he didn't expect her to. But the fact that Negan accepted that he'll never fully be redeemed in Maggie's eyes shows growth and maturity, which would've been unlikely had it been an earlier season. This scene is a long overdue instance of catharsis for viewers, as Negan finally admits that he was wrong for what he did, demonstrating a renewed capacity for good in the former villain.

16 Negan Protected Annie And Her People

The Walking Dead, Season 11, Episode 13, "Warlords"

The Negan and Annie relationship was a little jarring, to say the least. The pair married and Annie got pregnant off-screen, all in a matter of a few episodes that Negan was absent from. Things were moving quickly, and the relationship itself fit oddly into the events of the final season. The purpose of the relationship, though, was to show that Negan had a strong heart for those he let in.

In the events of Season 11, Negan protected Annie and Riverbend against the Commonwealth soldiers, despite not knowing them for that long. Negan continued his promise to protect Annie by killing several men who robbed and assaulted her before the events of Dead City. These actions led him to more trouble with New Babylon marshals, but it was worth it if it meant protecting his wife and son.

15 Negan Was More Restrained About Killing Than The Protagonists

The Walking Dead, Season 8, Episode 15, "Worth"

Negan is hardly trigger-happy like Rick and company, as he doesn’t even usually use guns. Each time he’s been in the position to dominate another community, Negan has only preferred to take one life at the most, and even then there was resistance.

Compared to the protagonists -- who kill without remorse and think of it as part of strategy -- facing Negan is a far better choice as he’s the most likely to leave a person alive. Negan went so far as to giving Simon a chance to defend himself despite the latter having tried to backstab Negan.

14 Negan Saved Michonne's Life (Alternate Timeline)

The Walking Dead, Season 10, Episode 12, "What We Become"

Had Michonne not come across the group when she did, she would have ended up being ignored by the protagonists, as shown in the alternate reality she hallucinated. That means Rick, Daryl, and the others would’ve been willing to let her die by herself rather than help her.

On the other hand, Negan was shown coming across Michonne in the wilderness and recruiting her. What’s more, he didn’t even try to kill after she tried to do the same to him. From this point of view, Negan is easily the good guy as he helped a dying person while the main characters left her for dead.

13 Negan Avenged The Innocents Brandon Killed

The Walking Dead, Season 10, Episode 5, "What It Always Is"

After Negan escaped from Alexandria, he planned on starting a new life but was hampered by Bandon, who was a fanboy of Negan’s old ways. Negan saved the lives of a mother and child, telling them to head toward the communities and leave his name out so that the two wouldn’t have to face prejudice from the community members.

Brandon ended up killing the mother and child by thinking all of this was a test from Negan. Enraged and feeling guilty, Negan killed Brandon in return, proving he always wanted to help the mother and child while also avenging their deaths.

12 Negan Wanted To Die & Be Reunited With His Wife

The Walking Dead, Season 9, Episode 5, "What Comes After"

Negan is in many ways a sympathetic character, which was mainly proven when he broke down and begged to be reunited with his wife Lucille. At that moment, he showed his true nature of being a broken man who just wanted to be loved again.

In fact, he wanted Maggie to kill him so that she would have the closure of taking out the man who ended her husband. For Negan, it was the only way he thought he could make up for Glenn’s death, which showed he was prepared to do right even if it meant dying. While Negan eventually regained some of his composure and confidence after this moment, there is no denying the effect that this scene had on his character arc.

11 Negan Was Judith's Closest Confidante

The Walking Dead, Season 9, Episode 6, "Who Are You Now?"

Although still a child, Judith has been shown to be much wiser than her age. Due to this, she’s felt lost and confused, something that connected with Negan as he became her primary confidante. Negan was also completely honest with Judith, sharing his act of killing Glenn and Abraham, even though there was a chance she would fear him.

Judith was shown feeling at ease after being around Negan, as she thought he was the only one that didn’t treat her like a kid and was willing to be real with her. Considering she didn’t have children her age in the community, Negan ended up being her true friend.

10 Negan Cooked Carl Spaghetti

The Walking Dead, Season 7, Episode 8, "Hearts Still Beating"

In Season 7, amid the twists and turns of war, Carl decides to take measures into his own hands and rolls up, all alone, to the Sanctuary in an attempt to kill Negan. It’s a daunting mission for any character, but for Carl, it turns out that he just gets delivered home unharmed. Negan even takes the time to cook him a delicious spaghetti bolognese. In fact, he is so sweet in this scene it makes you think he could even make a great dad.

Negan didn’t have to do this. He could’ve kept Carl hostage in the Sanctuary and used him to turn the tide of the war. It takes a warm heart to care and cook for your enemy's children. He even makes sure to point out his benevolence to Rick when he finally gets back home.

9 Negan Saved Lydia’s Life

The Walking Dead, Season 10, Episode 4, "Silence the Whisperers"

Not long after Alpha’s daughter Lydia is captured by Hilltop, she is saved by none other than Negan, whom she seems to have a rocky relationship with, in both the show and the comics. While eating lunch, Margo, Alfred, and Gage of the Highwaymen provoke Lydia out of spite for her involvement with the Whisperers. Of course, the leader of the Highwaymen, Ozzy, was brutally murdered by Alpha and the three kids seek out Lydia as the perfect target for revenge.

Things begin to spiral out of control when Lydia is ambushed by them. Margo beats her to the ground. Alfred and Gage manage to make some hits on her, too. At that moment, Negan breaks out of his cell to rescue Lydia. In doing this, he accidentally kills Margo. While she is badly beaten up, Lydia survives, and it’s all because of good guy Negan. When Daryl finds out what happened, even he seems a little thankful to Negan.

8 Negan Saved Judith (& Dog) In The Winter Storm

The Walking Dead, Season 9, Episode 16, "The Storm"

When out of imprisonment in the Season 9 finale, Negan actually saves the life of Rick's daughter, Judith. It happens when our group of survivors is adventuring beyond Alpha's strict border. Upon seeing Judith run off to get Daryl's dog, he breaks from the group and brings her back to safety. Negan risks his own life to do this, and he even manages to do it with a damaged leg.

When he gets back, Michonne thanks him for his help. It is quite ironic that the one person Rick would never have allowed within reach of his daughter is the same person who ends up saving her life.

7 Negan Killed Alpha

The Walking Dead, Season 10, Episode 12, "Walk With Us"

Say one thing for Negan, say he is a man of his word. When Carol comes to his cell and asks a huge favor in return for his freedom, he obliges. The favor is to kill Alpha. Yes, that's a villain killing another villain. As we're all totally aware, Alpha and the Whisperers are a pretty vile, inhumane group. At one point, Alpha kills several of our survivors and puts their heads on spikes, creating a border. She even proves difficult for Negan to kill, and he has a lot of experience when it comes to killing.

Eventually, after cementing himself as a member of the Whisperer camp, he turns on Alpha and kills her, providing an excellent service to all our other survivors. Negan throws the Whisperer army into disarray, even after Beta steps up to lead them, effectively winning the war for Alexandria and the other communities.

6 Negan Comforted Baby Judith

The Walking Dead, Season 7, Episode 8, Hearts Still Beating"

Nearly everything Negan does that seems good is just a smokescreen for something he's going to do -- or plotting -- that's really bad. This is never more noticeable than the time he comforts Judith on a swing in Alexandria while waiting for Rick to arrive. He's doing it to be spiteful towards Rick, but that doesn't change the point that he's damn lovely and charming to Judith and nearly every kid he encounters.

One philosophy that Negan has reiterated time and time again on the show is that he would never hurt a kid, and he's true to his word. His relationship with Judith would grow as she got older, until they actually became something resembling friends.

5 Negan Saved Daryl's Life From Alpha

The Walking Dead, Season 10, Episode 14, "Look at the Flowers"

In Season 10, after doing the task given to him and killing Alpha, Negan runs into Daryl. Daryl doesn't know Negan's doing a good thing, and he threatens to kill Negan. That's until a group of Whisperers find Negan and bow to him as their new Alpha.

Negan indulges a bit with his newfound leadership, but even he admits that he's just playing with them. He could easily have had Daryl killed at that moment. Before long, he turns on his new Whisperer followers in favor of saving Daryl. Good choice, Negan.

4 Negnan Stuck Up For Rick (Once, Anyway)

The Walking Dead, Season 7, Episode 8, "Hearts Still Beating"

There was one time in the show that Negan sided with Rick... while still being against Rick. Essentially, after he cooks Carl spaghetti, he is approached by Spencer who has an interesting proposition.

Spencer tells Negan that he is the true heir to Alexandria, as his dead mother was the previous leader. He plots to get Negan's help in killing Rick so he can take the reins. Thankfully for Rick, Negan has none of it. There is mutual respect as leaders between Negan and Rick, therefore Negan looks out for Rick and eliminates the possibility of Spencer complicating things. The shame for Spencer is that, well, he ain't got no "guts."

3 Negan Protected Sasha After She Was Captured

The Walking Dead, Season 7, Episode 16, "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life"

Back in Season 7, Negan enforces another one of his strict rules, "we don't rape," with one of his very own Saviors. This scene in the TV show comes right out of Issue #117 in the comics. When David enters Sasha's cell and threatens to rape her, Negan rightfully steps in to stop him, much to Sasha's relief and surprise.

In the end, he does kill David. This is Negan after all, his techniques are always too extreme. But he does protect Sasha from an awful, vile experience. From Sasha's point of view, he was a good guy for stepping in to save her, even if his punishment for David's threats was extreme.

2 Negan Protected the Hilltop From The Whisperers

The Walking Dead, Season 10, Episode 11, "Morning Star"

When Alpha initiates an all-out attack on the Hilltop during the Whisperer War, she plans to take her attack completely over the top and kill absolutely everyone in the community. However, Negan soon steps in to prevent things from getting out of hand. “We can get them to join us,” he says to convince her.

Unfortunately for Negan, Alpha doesn't totally buy into his idea. At least he tried. Most other Whisperers would stand back and watch. Negan fought to try and keep some of the community intact, for what it's worth.

1 Negan Escaped His Cell...Then Returned

The Walking Dead, Season 9, Episode 9, "Adaptation"

Nothing proves that Negan is a changed man more than the time he escaped his cell in season nine, only to return not long after. He made the escape one time when Michonne and the others are away. On his way out he checks Judith's room, and she spots him, as expected. He tells her that the world would be better off without him. Oddly, Judith allows him to leave. When he gets out, Negan treads the paths he used to know so well, including the Sanctuary and the infamous spot he killed Abraham and Glenn.

After a day of thought and reminiscing over old times, Negan returns to Alexandria where he takes his place back in his cell. He could have made an escape, but he decided to be good and return to where he was supposed to be. It was this decision that opened every other door for Negan's redemption. From this point on, he was committed to the people of Alexandria, whom he once swore to destroy.