What Happened to The Walking Dead's Negan After His Community Slaughter?

By Elena Kowalski | May 8, 2025

The Walking Dead’s Negan - where do we even begin? After a brutal community slaughter that left everyone shaking their heads and questioning the very fabric of his character, one can’t help but wonder: what happened to this iconic villain?

For those who might be living under a rock (or in a zombie-free safe haven), Negan was once the main man behind the infamous Lucille baseball bat. He was introduced to us with such flair, donning a slick leather jacket and sporting a devil-may-care grin that seemed almost too perfect for a character so delightfully despicable. The show initially portrayed him as the ultimate bad guy - ruthless, cunning, and willing to do whatever it took to claim the Saviors’ territory.

But what happened after he got his comeuppance at the hands (and bat) of Rick Grimes? You might be thinking, “Negan finally gets what’s coming to him!” And indeed, that moment was satisfying in a weird, twisted way. Yet, as we watched Negan’s storyline unfold post-slaughter, something curious happened: he began to lose his edge.

Take Negan’s infamous declaration of love for Lucille - the same bat that had claimed so many lives before her eventual demise at Rick’s hands. It was an awkward attempt at a tender moment, coming across as forced and shallow. Suddenly, Negan wasn’t just some formidable foe; he became an over-the-top dramatic actor with an affinity for wooden props. That charm is still intact to this day, but it feels out of place in the context of his character’s growth.

Negan’s storyline post-community slaughter was like watching a superhero transition from an anti-hero to… well, just another superhero trying too hard to be relatable. The show tried to humanize him by exposing his more vulnerable side (literally and figuratively), but it came off feeling insincere. Where was the cold-blooded assassin we once feared? Instead of striking fear into our hearts, Negan started exhibiting emotional depth - a trait that’s as fascinating in theory as it is jarring to see in practice.

And let’s not forget his eventual “redemption arc” (air quotes because that term is so overused and usually just means a character gets their happy ending without having done much wrong). After being captured by the Commonwealth, Negan somehow manages to earn back the trust of the people. It felt like he’d undergone some kind of miraculous transformation - his once-notorious reputation erased as quickly as it was earned.

While that conclusion is still satisfying in its own right (it shows that there can be a path to forgiveness and growth even for the most heinous of villains), you can’t help but wonder: what drove this evolution? Did Negan truly change, or did we just accept his new persona without scrutinizing it too closely?

One could argue that Negan’s journey from villain to anti-hero was an attempt by the showrunners to humanize him and make him more relatable - to strip away the initial fear factor and explore what made him tick. It was also an interesting commentary on how our perceptions of evil change over time. What initially seemed like a one-dimensional character became increasingly complex as we saw his vulnerability, his insecurities, and (to a lesser extent) his genuine remorse.

Negan’s development raises questions about the nature of evil in The Walking Dead universe: is it something people are born with, or can they change? Can those who have committed unspeakable atrocities truly find redemption, or do their past actions define them forever?

As we consider these questions and reflect on Negan’s journey from villain to complex character, one thing becomes clear: he may not be the most likable guy anymore (and perhaps never was), but his growth - however awkwardly executed - still leaves room for interpretation. Perhaps that’s what makes The Walking Dead so fascinating in the first place.

And now, as we bid farewell to Negan and ponder the intricacies of morality in a post-apocalyptic world, we’re left with one final question: What does it mean when our villains become something more than just “bad guys”? Can we find redemption in their actions, or are they forever defined by the atrocities they’ve committed? Only time - and perhaps future seasons of The Walking Dead - will tell.