Negan's Mysterious Past Unveiled: How it Rewrites The Walking Dead's Epic Finale
Negan's heartbreaking decision to abandon his family and protect Ginny in Dead City adds a tragic layer to his Walking Dead finale Discover the untold story of his wife and child in this gripping article
Content Warning: The following discussion includes sensitive topics such as sexual assault and spoilers for The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 3.
In The Walking Dead: Dead City, the mystery of Negan's wife and child has been finally revealed. However, this unexpected revelation significantly alters the overall tone of the original show's ending. As the latest addition to AMC's Walking Dead universe, The Walking Dead: Dead City is filled with unanswered questions, even years after the main show's conclusion. One of these unanswered questions revolves around the disappearance of Negan's wife and child - a topic that Negan cryptically mentioned in The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 1 without divulging any details.
The answer to the question is finally revealed in The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 3, titled "People Are A Resource." Negan, feeling more inclined to share his thoughts after spending some time exploring Manhattan with Maggie, provides an explanation. Following the series finale of The Walking Dead, Negan and Annie relocated northward towards New Babylon. Unfortunately, Annie becomes the victim of a horrifying attack, leading Negan to seek vengeance against the group of men responsible. This retaliation transforms him into a fugitive, constantly evading the marshals of New Babylon. As a result, Negan decides to send Annie and their child, whose name is now confirmed as Joshua, to a completely different state.
Why Negan Left His Family (But Still Looks After Ginny)
Although Negan acknowledges the reasons for his family's absence in The Walking Dead: Dead City, he fails to provide a clear explanation for why he has not yet joined Annie and Joshua in Missouri. What adds to the confusion is Negan's decision to adopt Ginny, a child he took in after abandoning his own family. It is possible that Negan made the difficult choice to separate from Annie and his son in order to protect them from the dangers posed by New Babylon. These law enforcement figures in the post-apocalyptic world have little regard for their own rules and are solely focused on pursuing Negan. By staying away from his family, Negan is sparing them a life constantly on the run.
Negan's isolation from Annie and Joshua may stem from guilt, considering his characterization in the past 5 seasons of The Walking Dead. In addition to feeling responsible for not doing enough to prevent the initial incident, Negan's act of revenge has only brought further danger to his doorstep by attracting the attention of New Babylon's marshals. Whether justified or not, Negan possibly believes that his family would be safer without him.
The situation becomes more complicated with Negan's adoption of Ginny. Undoubtedly, Joshua would feel unsettled by his absent father taking in another child. In The Walking Dead: Dead City, there is more to explore regarding Negan and Ginny's relationship. Perhaps, Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character sees Ginny as a chance for redemption and a path back to Annie and Joshua. By protecting her and proving himself as a surrogate father, Negan hopes to return to his previous family with pride restored.
Dead City's Negan Story Makes His Walking Dead Ending More Tragic
The truth behind Negan's separation from his family radically alters the outcome of The Walking Dead's final episode. Despite Jeffrey Dean Morgan's absence in the post-time skip sequence of season 11, his voice narrates a letter addressed to Judith, suggesting that Negan has found peace. The letter, although lacking specific details, exudes hopefulness. Additionally, Negan returns Judith's compass, symbolically confirming his newfound place in the world.
However, The Walking Dead: Dead City episode 3 unveils new information that contradicts the optimistic conclusion of season 11. Negan's supposedly happy ending transforms into a nightmarish reality, casting doubt on his impulsive decision to leave Alexandria and the Commonwealth for New Babylon. One might argue that Negan has broken his promises from the show's final episodes, where he vowed to prioritize his pregnant wife, Annie, and their unborn child.
Negan had no control over the horrific assault his wife endured in New Babylon. However, his decision to send Annie and Joshua away and ultimately break his promise to join them contradicts the commitments he made in The Walking Dead season 11. In hindsight, Negan's optimism about the series finale appears misguided due to The Walking Dead: Dead City, which raises doubts about his character development. It seems that Negan returned Judith's compass prematurely, possibly by a few years. Catch the next episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City on AMC this Sunday.
