Does Negan's The Walking Dead story end with a dramatic sacrifice to protect Maggie from Pope and the Reapers? Jeffrey Dean Morgan entered the zombie apocalypse as the most despicable of villains. For his opening act, Negan casually took a baseball bat to the heads of Glenn Rhee and Abraham Ford until nothing remained but moist red mush. After a less than friendly first impression, Negan went to war with The Walking Dead's protagonists and lost, landing himself a sentence in Alexandria's cold jail cell.
Since then, a time skip or two has helped old wounds heal. With space to reflect, Negan became genuinely sorry for his past actions, and the former villain would redeem himself by saving Judith (and dog) during a blizzard, then killing Alpha and taking out swathes of Whisperers during season 10's finale. He may not be top of everyone's Christmas card list, but attitudes have definitely softened toward Negan, who now roams around town freely (more or less) and is even trusted to grow tomatoes. Much of this progression occurred while Maggie Rhee, Glenn's wife, was elsewhere, and upon returning in The Walking Dead season 10, she was aghast to see Negan loose.
During The Walking Dead's mini-season before season 11 proper, the feud between Negan and Maggie hit fever pitch. Maggie can't live with the thought of Negan going unpunished but, following a timely series of flashbacks, Negan chose to forego an isolated cabin for the hustle and bustle of Alexandria - despite knowing Maggie would be gunning for him. Does their story end in eternal bitterness, or does Negan have his heart set on redemption?
Why Maggie Can't Kill Negan (Or Copy The Comics)
The Walking Dead's most recent episodes deliberately lead the audience to believe Maggie will kill Negan and finally get revenge for Glen, but while she may want to bury her leather-clad nemesis six feet under, The Walking Dead has essentially ruled out this eventuality already.
Before Lauren Cohan departed in The Walking Dead season 9 (back when Rick was alive and Negan had more chance of a Daryl Dixon foot rub than being freed) she visited the ex-Savior in his cell with a crowbar and intent to kill. After watching Negan break down in remorse and beg for death, Maggie realized Glenn's killer would suffer more by living with his actions, whereas swinging that crowbar against Negan's noggin would only bring release. This revelation granted Maggie a measure of closure (made necessary by Cohan's uncertain future, but still...), and though she certainly didn't forgive Negan, Mrs. Rhee finally saw justice from Rick Grimes' point of view.
If Maggie were to kill Negan in The Walking Dead season 11, this could only be considered reverse character development. Even if it didn't heal her trauma entirely, choosing to spare Glenn's killer represented a watershed moment for Maggie - a proper sign of emotional growth that had been building for several seasons. For Maggie to go back on that decision and murder Negan wouldn't just feel unsatisfying and anticlimactic for viewers, but also risks painting The Walking Dead's former farm girl as something of a villain herself, refusing to acknowledge Negan's earnest attempts to repent.
That same cell scene from The Walking Dead season 9 also means Negan and Maggie won't have their comic book ending either. Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead ends with Negan freed after redeeming himself against the Whisperers, but exiled from the main group. Disagreeing with Rick's decision, Maggie takes a few followers from Hilltop and moves to take Negan out, but seeing him lonely, miserable and suffering changes her mind. This is essentially what happened between the live-action characters when Lauren Cohan left the AMC series in 2019, meaning The Walking Dead can't reuse the idea for its final season.
Negan's Smiling Return Shows His Resolve (To Die)
If Maggie can't kill Negan without regressing as a character, but also can't forgive him without retreading season 9 territory, the only option is for Negan to die by his own volition in a glorious act of redemptive bravery - and he seems to know this already.
Maggie's return in the final battle against Beta is visibly awkward for Negan. He so desperately craves her forgiveness, but knows it's far more than he can expect. And as much as seeing Negan roam makes Maggie's skin crawl, Maggie's return constantly reminds Negan of the horror he caused as the Saviors' swaggering leader. He might've conducted baseball practice with many a victim but, somehow, Glenn represents the pinnacle of that horror - the one specter Negan can never shake.
With the atmosphere in Alexandria more tense than a dinner party at Terminus, Carol sent Negan to live elsewhere, but he soon returned, firing a wry smirk in Maggie's direction. The typically slimy smile implied Negan was ready to face Maggie's wrath with a grin, effectively telling her "I'm here whether you like it or not."
But Negan might be smiling for an entirely different reason. Rather than resolving to endure Maggie's death stares, Negan might've resolved to pay for Glenn's life by protecting Maggie with his own. After Carol sent him into isolation, Negan experienced a series of flashbacks and hallucinations. He envisioned his wife Lucille and all the horrible things he did before the apocalypse, then revisited his journey toward becoming a larger-than-life charisma machine. Negan's life quite literally flashed before his eyes, allowing him to come to terms with death, but inspiring him not to depart without making it count.
Negan Can Save Maggie From The Reapers
Negan won't be waiting long for an opportunity to sacrifice himself. In The Walking Dead season 10's extra episodes, a new group of baddies known as The Reapers were introduced. This enigmatic bunch apparently tormented Maggie during her time away, implied to have destroyed the community she lived with during the time skip. Predictably, The Reapers have followed her all the way to Alexandria. A well-hidden sniper decimated Maggie's remaining followers during a forest ambush, then his unseen comrades burned the hideout little Hershel was sheltered in. The Walking Dead hasn't yet explained why The Reapers have taken such a dislike to Maggie, but the aforementioned sniper revealed she had been "marked" by Pope, who is presumably The Reapers' leader.
A group of enemies with their sights set squarely on Maggie Green and her young son is exactly what Negan could be looking for. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character has ample experience wiping out opposition, and flashbacks proved how effective he can be as a one-man army. When The Reapers inevitably come knocking on the gates of a recovering Alexandria, Negan will put himself between the invaders and their prey, absorbing all the damage intended for Maggie, and one by one taking down her pursuers before eventually succumbing to his wounds and dying.
Ending Negan's The Walking Dead story in such a fashion ticks all the necessary boxes. Maggie doesn't need to accept Negan's freedom or make another show of mercy like she did in season 9. Meanwhile, giving his life to protect Glenn's wife and child is as close as Negan can ever possibly come to atoning. Not even Maggie could deny the authenticity of Negan's remorse if she owes him her life.