Warning: Contains potential SPOILERS for The Walking Dead season 11Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan was The Walking Dead's most despicable character, but several heroic acts in the show's later seasons have helped redeem the former villain. Introduced as an almost carbon copy of Robert Kirkman's comic book antagonist, Negan made his mark on The Walking Dead immediately, and in a big way, with his shocking murders of fan favorites Glenn and Abraham. As the leader of the Saviors, Negan was the biggest threat that Rick Grimes and his group had ever met. The arrogant and brutal dictator mentally and physically tortured the communities surrounding his Sanctuary, including Alexandria and the Kingdom, but years after his defeat Negan is seemingly a changed man.

Rather than kill Negan, Rick Grimes spared his life because the dying wish of his son, Carl, was to stop fighting and make peace. That led to Negan's seven-year imprisonment in Alexandria - plenty of time for the ex-leader of the Saviors to reflect on the post-apocalyptic crimes that he had committed. Now out of prison, Negan is trying to move on and has started a new life with his wife, Annie. But the sins of his past still haunt Negan, and he is still out to prove that is not the monster he once was. Here's every time Negan redeemed himself in The Walking Dead.

Related: Negan’s Walking Dead Capture Makes The Saviors Even Worse

Negan Returns To His Cell After Escaping

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan in jail cell in The Walking Dead Season 9

The first suggestion that Negan has changed his ways came in the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead season 9, "Adaptation". Having left his unlocked cell in the mid-season finale, Negan escapes Alexandria and returns to his once-thriving Sanctuary of Saviors, only to find it dilapidated and overrun with walkers, including some of his deceased former followers. The man who once had everything comes to the realization that he now has nothing, so willingly returns back to his cell in Alexandria without harming any of his captors.

Negan Saves Judith & Dog From A Storm

Negan saves Judith from a snow storm in The Walking Dead

Negan's first truly heroic act came in The Walking Dead season 9 finale, "The Storm". When Alexandria is hit by a deadly blizzard, Judith runs outside to rescue Daryl's dog. Aware of the peril she's in, Negan wastes no time in trying to find Judith and Dog and eventually saves the pair who were freezing to death, earning the trust of some Alexandrians. Beyond just saving a child, Negan rescuing Judith is symbolic of how he has changed given he's the same man who made her dad's life hell. The moment also justifies Carl Grimes' dying wish to Rick of making peace and coexisting with Negan, rather than just killing him.

Negan Saves Lydia From Bullies

Negan hugs Lydia in The Walking Dead

During the start of The Walking Dead season 10, Negan befriends Lydia who is struggling to settle in Alexandria after leaving behind Alpha, her mother, and the Whisperers. One night Lydia is attacked by Gage, Alfred, and Margo who accuse her of being part of the Whisperer's secret murders at the Kingdom's fair, which led to their friend's heads being placed on spikes. Negan jumps to her rescue, but as is often the case with the redeemed Negan he is portrayed as an anti-hero because he accidentally kills Margo while protecting Lydia.

Negan Kills Alpha For Carol

Negan talking to Alpha in Walking Dead Season 10.

Following the backlash of Margo's death, Negan flees Alexandria and joins the Whisperers. Initially, it seems like Negan has switched his allegiance to the skin-wearing group, but it is later revealed that he has been working undercover for Carol and Negan infiltrated the Whisperers to kill Alpha. Although Negan did successfully decapitate Alpha, there were more shades of gray during his time with the Whisperers given he was part of the group that killed members of the Hilltop, and Negan nonconsensually used Lydia as bait so that Alpha would let her guard down. Although Negan's overall act was for the good of the people, his means of doing so didn't make everyone forgive his past actions.

Related: Alpha’s Walking Dead Return Proves Her Death Was A Mistake

Negan Protects Hershel From The Commonwealth

Negan And Hershel The Walking Dead Redemption

The final season of The Walking Dead has done an excellent job of forcing Negan to spend time with some of his most unforgiving victims, including Maggie and Ezekiel. One of the most intriguing dynamics has been that of Negan and Hershel, Glenn and Maggie's son. Hershel doesn't know much about Negan, other than he is a bad man who killed his father. But that doesn't stop Negan from rescuing Hershel from a Commonwealth soldier during The Walking Dead's season 11 episode "The Rotten Core". Although Negan saved Hershel's life, the young boy continues to resent his dad's killer.

Maggie Finally Acknowledges Negan Has Changed

Isle Of The Dead Spinoff Maggie Negan Jeffrey Dean Morgan Lauren Cohan

Saving Hershel may not have changed the boy's mind about Negan, but it did change Maggie's. As Maggie prepares to defend the Hilltop from Hornsby and the Commonwealth army, she asks Negan to look after Hershel - an offer he has to decline to look after his new community. Still, it is one of the biggest moments in The Walking Dead's final season as Maggie is willing to put aside their past, including Glenn's murder, thanks to Negan's heroic deed. For the first time, the pair go their separate ways on friendly terms, setting up their alliance for The Walking Dead spinoff Dead City.

Negan Almost Gets Glenn's Death In Walking Dead Season 11

The Walking Dead Season 11 Negan

After being captured by the Commonwealth and transported to one of their forced labor camps in season 11’s “Outpost 22”, Negan plans to spark a revolt with the help of Ezekiel. Negan is prepared to put his life on the line by sacrificing himself to become a martyr that will unite the prisoners and inspire them to incite a rebellion on the Commonwealth. As punishment, Negan finds himself on his knees staring down a Commonwealth army firing squad, not dissimilar to how Rick, Glenn, and the rest of the group were all on their knees when Negan was first introduced.

Reminiscent of Negan's former villainy, the Commonwealth Warden decides to kill Annie, Negan's wife, instead, leading to Negan pleading for it to be him instead - much like how Rick pleaded for Negan to chop his arm off rather than Carl's ib The Walking Dead season 7. Ultimately, Ezekiel, Daryl, Rosita, and other Alexandrians save Negan and Annie, but Negan's willingness to sacrifice himself is another chapter in his redemption arc in The Walking Dead - though for some his past actions mean he will never be truly redeemed.

Episodes of The Walking Dead season 11 air Sundays on AMC

Next: The Commonwealth Is Walking Dead's Biggest Comic Villain Change Yet