The confrontation between Negan and Rick Grimes has been compared to the enduring rivalry between DC Comics characters Joker and Batman. Negan (full name in the television series: Negan Smith) is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and in the television series of the same name.

He also takes a baseball bat from another survivor and wraps it in barbed wire and names it after his late wife Lucille. We also learn that, after Negan finds out his wife’s diagnosis, he has an affair to help him emotionally cope with her illness.

Negan leads a convoy of Saviors to Alexandria with Simon, Dwight, Eugene and Sasha in tow with plans to bring Rick back under his control. Negan is interrupted when Paul "Jesus" Monroe grabs a Savior by the foot and uses him as a human shield. However, Negan decides not to escape and remains in his cell with the door open until Rick comes downstairs, then taunts him about the numerous ways he could have destroyed Alexandria without anyone realizing, but claimed to stay as sign of good faith and an offering to amend their trust.

Negan advises Rick to keep his group happy, even if that means lying to them, touting his expertise as leader of the Saviors, some of whom disliked him. When the zombie apocalypse starts, the hospital workers tell Negan they are being forced to abandon the hospital and he should leave with them, but he refuses to leave Lucille's side.

Unarmed and being hunted in the dark, Negan attempts to make a deal, offering to forgive Rick's transgressions and reduce the Savior's cut of supplies in exchange for peace. However, Lydia apparently changes his mind and Negan suddenly appears to distract Beta from going after Lydia, giving Daryl the distraction that he needs to finally take down Beta. When Rick briefly gets the upper hand he uses the handle of Lucille to hit Negan in the face, knocking him on his back. Negan warns the group not to say anything or to move, and he begins to beat the unseen individual to death, as everyone else in the group screams. When Negan discovers that Sherry ( Christine Evangelista), one of his concubines, is gone, he suspects her of freeing Daryl and has his minion Dwight ( Austin Amelio) - Sherry's husband - beaten and thrown in a cell.

But Negan is determined to go and seek out the doctors’ convoy after Lucille’s latest batch of treatments are spoiled by their generator packing up. After Negan attempts to get a woman and her son to safety at the Hilltop, Brandon kills them both to impress him.Negan then presents Rick with an ultimatum: pledge total loyalty, or the rest of the group will die.