The Walking Dead Finally Brings Back The Real Negan

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3, episode 2, "Haven."Few Walking Dead characters have had quite as much impact on the franchise as Negan, with the former antagonist winning over many fans and becoming extremely popular, despite remaining polarizing in some people's eyes. He is one of the most ruthless villains the zombie universe has ever seen and has spent most of his journey trying to atone for his past.

Whether he'll ever find redemption is still a point of contention among the fanbase, as some feel he's already made up for his previous sins, while others believe it's impossible. Regardless, as his time in The Walking Dead has continued, some of his best traits have been restricted, but Dead City season 3 is showing the real Negan once again.

Having been in conflict since the start of The Walking Dead season 7 — even when they were supposed to be on the same side — Dead City season 3 is ending the Maggie vs. Negan era by putting their bad blood behind them, allowing us to see Negan at his best.

Not only has he got some of his swagger and charisma back, but his compassionate side is also on display, which feels like the most authentic version of the character. Even during his days with the Saviors, he was still emotional and cared for his people, hence why he acted so violently to try and protect the community he had built.

Those ruthless philosophies that make the character so complex remain, as does his twisted sense of humor, yet they are balanced by a desire to achieve the greater good. His playful antics helped make him so iconic, yet Negan's willingness to help people despite getting nothing in return feels like his true self, even if it takes some convincing.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Remembers What Negan Was Like Before The Outbreak & The Saviors

Although Negan has changed a lot over the years, it's still easy to remember what he was like early on in the apocalypse as the no-nonsense Saviors leader, but Dead City shines a light on who Negan was before that. Prior to starting wars with numerous communities or savagely murdering Glenn in The Walking Dead, Negan was a relatively ordinary man.

He was a genuinely talented high school teacher, but also full of flaws, as, during a drunken rage, he beat a man to death after he was rude to his wife Lucille. Despite loving his partner, he ended up having an affair and falling into a depression where he sat at home playing video games until finding out about Lucille's cancer diagnosis.

It's impossible to overlook Negan's flaws, but many viewers may have forgotten his pre-apocalypse personality, making Dead City's reminder more impactful. Rather than joining Maggie and Renata's community, Negan opts to stay with Dillard and live inside a bar, where he practically never leaves, spending his time gaming and drinking instead.

This feels like a mirror to his former life, as he could easily help build a brighter future or find his wife and son, yet he chooses to hide away, indulging in short-term pleasures. His behavior is similar to pre-Saviors Negan, since he decided to cheat and get lost in video games, rather than repair his marriage and find a new job.

Ultimately, his conversation with Maggie does break this cycle to an extent, as he is finding a finer balance between enjoying these luxuries and aiding Maggie's vision. However, it looks like he'll take on the role of being a necessary evil, having secretly killed the Dama, setting up the best version of Negan so far.

Why Dead City Season 3’s Negan May Be The Best Version Yet

It may seem early to say, but based on what we've seen so far, Dead City season 3 is lining up to feature the best interpretation of Negan yet. Slowly, that cocky and witty side is flourishing once again, and there's nothing quite like Negan taunting his enemies before killing them, especially now that he's fighting for real good.

That said, his questionable methods and extreme violence are still present, adding to that edge that makes him so exciting to watch. One of Negan's greatest traits is his unpredictability, as he's always capable of bad, even in the face of good, and killing the Dama against the community's wishes proves just that.

People may be safer now that she's dead and can't hurt anyone, but it still wasn't his decision to make, despite making it look like a suicide. Therefore, we're bound to get an extremely sly and assured version of Negan as the season progresses, with his quest for good muddied by these controversial decisions.

Additionally, he won't just be a cold murderer like we've seen in the past, as Negan cried during the Croat's Walking Dead death, showing there is some sense of guilt about his actions. Despite how unhinged the Croat became, Negan still didn't take pride in putting a dying man down, showing there are two very different sides to him.

If this continues, The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 will provide everything we want from the charismatic survivor. Jokes, efficiency, brutality, self-reflection, and good intentions are some of his absolute best qualities, and with all of them on display, Negan looks like he'll be the highlight of the spinoff going forward.