The Walking Dead: Dead City: Negan keeps his father figure status

If there is one thing The Walking Dead: Dead City will absolutely excel at is telling the story of how both Maggie and Negan evolved and changed since the beginning of the apocalypse. For Maggie, she went from a hardworking, sweetheart farm girl who toughened up and proved her strength time and time again.

For Negan, he quickly put on a villainous mask, wielding all the power one could want, who made efforts to change for the better while struggling to forgive himself. These changes for both characters really shine and reveal themselves in the first two episodes of Dead City.

For Negan, one thing hasn’t changed; his love and willingness to protect kids. On The Walking Dead, we’ve seen several male characters either become fathers or take on a father figure role such as Daryl, Aaron, Father Gabriel, and Eugene.

For Negan, he always had a soft spot for kids, especially Carl, Rick’s son. Even though Rick was Negan’s mortal enemy for some time, he never harmed Carl when he had more than ample opportunity to do so.

How is Negan a father figure in The Walking Dead: Dead City?

You could say his heart grew three sizes when he met Judith, who was barely a toddler at the time. Carl’s death wrecked Negan to the point where peace and reconciliation with Rick were off the table, despite Michonne’s efforts.

But with his defeat to Rick, came his connection to Judith. He saved her life without hesitation.

His efforts to protect kids didn’t end there as, seemingly out of the blue, the show decided to make Negan a father figure for Lydia instead of Daryl. Their bond was perhaps stronger than what he had with Judith, as both he and Lydia were seen as the outcasts.

Once again, he risked his life to save her and naturally, was going to be punished for it. Fast forward, his bond with Lydia suffered when he had no choice but to kill her psychotic and cruel mother Alpha, leader of The Whisperers.

But then, in a turn of events Negan himself would have never seen coming, he met and fell in love with Annie. The two married and were expecting a child.

Annie and the child’s fate remained unknown by The Walking Dead series finale. As of the second episode of Dead City, their fate remains a mystery.

What isn’t a mystery is Negan is once again playing the role of a father figure for Ginny, a silent girl from Oceanside who lost her father. Not much is currently known about how long Negan has been her caretaker, how much she knows about his past nor when she’ll speak again.

What is known and is very obvious is that Negan is placing her needs before his own. He’s making sure she is safe and taken care of, regardless of what happens to him.

That has always been Negan, since the beginning. The Walking Dead: Dead City airs on Sunday June 18 on AMC.

Have your feelings changed about Negan in recent seasons of The Walking Dead? What do you think happened to Annie and his child?

Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below!