There’s a reason why Negan is the most dangerous villain Rick and his crew will encounter in The Walking Dead season 6. The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman recently explained to Entertainment Weekly what makes actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character different from the Governor, the Terminus cannibals, and the Wolves.
Negan is unlike the other groups that threatened Rick’s crew because he knows how to lead a group with a strong sense of morality. Negan has morals and rules when it comes to killing people, just like Rick. Obviously Negan’s rules differ from what Rick believe, which will be a source of conflict for the characters.
“I think the Saviors are dangerously organized,” Kirkman told Entertainment Weekly. “The Wolves were psychotic, the Hunters [the group from Terminus] had a lot of weaknesses. When it comes to the Saviors, and Negan in particular, the way I’ve always thought about this in the comics is this is a group that’s led by a guy who’s had his morality dial a few clicks away from Rick toward the darker aspects of his personality, but is still an intellectual and capable leader who’s kept his group alive against all odds just as long as Rick has. It’s really the best encountering the best. When these two forces come head to head, things are gonna get interesting. This is a much different group than they’ve ever encountered. The Saviors are a group they’re not really prepared for.”
So far, Rick and his crew have dealt with two sides of the zombie apocalypse spectrum. Rick’s dealt with the characters who’ve lost their humanity, like the Wolves, and no longer see people as people. Then there’s the Governor, who believe any outside threat must be eliminated before they can invade the community. Rick teeters somewhere in the middle- he hasn’t love his humanity but will do what he needs in order to survive.
Negan cruel, but Rick can be just as cruel. The Walking Dead returns Feb. 14 on AMC
