Negan Smith (pronounced NEE-gan) is a major character in The Walking Dead TV universe, portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He is the former leader of the Saviors and one of the series’ most iconic antagonists-turned-antiheroes.

### Pre-Apocalypse

Negan was born in the early-to-mid 1970s in Virginia. He worked as a high school gym teacher, helping students build strength and confidence. He married a woman named Lucille, whom he loved deeply, though he was unfaithful to her. When she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he stopped the affair and devoted himself to her care. He was later fired after assaulting a parent who insulted his wife.

### Early Apocalypse and the Saviors

At the start of the outbreak, Negan left to scavenge medicine for Lucille. When he returned, she had died and reanimated. He could not bring himself to put her down, an act of “weakness” that haunted him. He eventually named his barbed-wire baseball bat Lucille in her honor.

He rose to power as the charismatic, ruthless leader of the Saviors, based at the Sanctuary. He imposed a system of tribute and “protection” on surrounding communities (including the Hilltop and Kingdom), using violence, intimidation, and psychological control. His rule was absolute: he kept a harem of “wives,” executed those who disobeyed, and maintained order through fear.

### Conflict with Rick’s Group

Negan first fully appeared at the end of Season 6. In the Season 7 premiere, he brutally killed Abraham Ford and Glenn Rhee with Lucille in front of Rick’s group as punishment for their attacks on the Saviors. He then forced Alexandria into submission and tribute.

This sparked the All-Out War. After a prolonged conflict, Negan was defeated by Rick Grimes, who chose to imprison him for life in Alexandria rather than kill him (roughly seven years of imprisonment followed).

### Later Years

During his imprisonment, Negan developed a bond with Judith Grimes and eventually earned limited trust. He was later freed by Carol to infiltrate the Whisperers, where he killed their leader Alpha. He continued to operate as an uneasy ally, fighting alongside the communities against later threats.

In later seasons he remarried a woman named Annie and had a child (Joshua). He has also appeared as a co-lead in the spin-off The Walking Dead: Dead City alongside Maggie Rhee, with whom he shares a complex, often antagonistic history stemming from Glenn’s death.