Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead's series finale.
During The Walking Dead season 11 finale, "Rest in Peace," Negan returning a compass embossed with "JG" back to Judith Grimes carries a deeper meaning. Negan has seen arguably the most drastic development of any The Walking Dead character, entering in season 6's explosive finale as the bat-swinging leader of the Saviors. Since then, Negan's character arc has seen him become a prisoner in Alexandria, a temporary Whisperer, then a reformed citizen during The Walking Dead season 11. One of Negan's strongest relationships is with the young Judith Grimes, a connection that is paid off beautifully in the final moments of The Walking Dead's final episode.
AMC's The Walking Dead series finale, "Rest in Peace," closes with a time jump one year into the future. After a speech by the Commonwealth's new Governor, Ezekiel, Lydia delivers a package to Judith that contains her monogrammed compass and a letter written by Negan, who states that it has "always helped [him] find [his] way," but hopes that it can now "guide [Judith] to [her] dreams." This compass holds a special significance in the relationship between Negan and Judith, one that traces all the way back to The Walking Dead season 9. The callback proves how greatly Negan has progressed as a character since the compass last swapped hands.
Where Negan & Judith's Compass Comes From In The Walking Dead
Judith's compass is first seen during The Walking Dead season 9's "Adaptation." After his prison door is left open, Negan finds himself wandering Alexandria in an effort to escape captivity, but makes a stop at Judith's house first. The pair had built a strong relationship during the time Negan was jailed, and maps are not easily found in an apocalypse, so the former villain steals Judith's compass before making his break for freedom. When Judith confronts Negan, she allows him to leave and lets him keep her compass in case he ever loses his way. This moment strikes a chord with the former villain, who eventually returns to Alexandria voluntarily.
What Negan Giving The Compass Back Really Means
By returning the compass to Judith Grimes in the final moments of The Walking Dead series finale, "Rest in Peace," Negan is reassuring his friend he is no longer as "lost" as he was when escaping prison in The Walking Dead season 9. Negan's redemption in The Walking Dead has been a tumultuous journey, during which he met, married, and conceived a child with Annie, then almost sacrificed his life to save the Commonwealth prisoners, before finally apologizing to Maggie for murdering Glenn. Although this fails to earn forgiveness, it does allow both survivors to move forward. Negan has seen true redemption, culminating in him finally returning Judith's compass.
While many questions are left unanswered after The Walking Dead's series finale, plenty of loose ends are tied up before the long-running series closes out. The Walking Dead's ending does not reveal where Negan ultimately settles, but the compass proves he still thinks about his friends back in the Commonwealth communities, and still values the importance of his strong relationship with Judith. Alongside Lauren Cohan as Maggie, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is set to return as Negan in upcoming Walking Dead spinoff The Walking Dead: Dead City. For now, however, The Walking Dead's series finale has afforded the ex-Savior something close to a happy ending.