The Walking Dead's flashback episode focused on Negan and his wife, Lucille, can make the long-time villain even more similar to Rick Grimes. Jeffrey Dean Morgan has played Negan since his series debut in season 6. Andrew Lincoln, on the other hand, portrayed the primary antagonist, Rick, since the series premiered in 2010. After starring in the zombie apocalyptic drama for nine seasons, Lincoln left the series, but he's set to reprise the role for a Walking Dead movie. Despite being arch-enemies, Negan and Rick have more in common than most viewers realize. The season 10 bonus episode set to release in April will only add to that notion.
The episode, titled "Here's Negan," will finally give Walking Dead viewers an in-depth look into Negan's backstory. Before the outbreak, Negan was a married man, caring for his dying wife, Lucille. Morgan's real-life spouse, Hilarie Burton, will portray Lucille, a woman who tragically passed away from cancer in the early days of the apocalypse. Following her death, Negan presumably formed a pact of survivors known as the "Saviors." With his barbed wire baseball bat named after his deceased wife, Negan used his tyrannical leadership, which ultimately turned him into a villain.
By the time Rick and his group met Negan, his violent reputation preceded the figure. To showcase his intimidating power over other communities, Negan bludgeoned Abraham and Glenn to death with his signature weapon. He then attempted to control Rick's communities before the survivors banned together to engage in a war against Negan and the Saviors. Rick ultimately won, leaving Negan locked in a cell in Alexandria. Following the time jump in The Walking Dead season 9, it was revealed Negan obtained more freedom. The former menace was then given an arc to propel his redemption centered on his actions in helping eliminate Alpha and the Whisperers. With a planned flashback episode set to detail Negan's life in the early stages of the outbreak, The Walking Dead can showcase how Morgan's character mirrors aspects of Rick.
Negan & Rick Share Similar Motivations In The Walking Dead
By documenting Negan's past with Lucille, the series will be given a chance to further humanize the figure. Once presented as a ruthless killer, The Walking Dead has effectively peeled back the dynamic layers of Negan to reveal his multi-dimensional persona. An expanded backstory can bridge the gaps with Negan's past while showing that he wasn't always the bad guy. He doesn't talk about Lucille very much, and the flashbacks can unearth the trauma that remains in Negan's memory.
Like Rick, Negan's decision stemmed from the love for his family. In some ways, Rick made violent decisions he believed would benefit his loved ones, even if those actions turned him into a villain. Negan felt as though he failed to keep Lucille alive, in addition to failing to put her down after she turned into a walker. After a mental spiral due to his moment of weakness, Negan vowed to become a stronger person when facing the apocalyptic world. That motivation led him into becoming the leader of the Saviors.
Technically, Negan's dark past paved the way for his role as a leader in a similar way that Rick became the man in charge of his respective group. "Here's Negan" will fully cement Negan as a version of Rick, but in Morgan's case, his character grew more twisted by being surrounded by the Saviors. Thankfully, Rick had family members and key allies to keep him grounded as best they could. As Negan's redemption continues in The Walking Dead, a look into the man's past could be very timely.