Negan is the most complex character that The Walking Dead ever had. His transformation from season 7 to season 11 is one of the best. He went from the most hated character on the show when he was leader of The Saviors when he killed Glenn and Abraham to one of the best characters on the show when he killed Alpha. His charisma speaks for itself and his one liners are the best thing going on this show. AMC picked the best actor, Jeffery Dean Morgan to portray one of the best characters in the comic. In my opinion Daryl, Maggie, Negan, and Aaron are carrying the show right now. You may ask where is Carol on that list. Let’s just say that Carol has been a bad character for a long time on this show but we aren’t here to talk about her. With a lot of star power gone from The Walking Dead, AMC would be making a massive mistake writing Negan out of the show.
Negan left the group right after the battle with The Reapers, close to the end of season 11 episode 9 “No Other Way”. He left because he is tired of looking over his shoulder every time he is with Maggie because she is going to kill him one way or another. Even though Negan killed her husband and left her on top of the train car, I believe that he is fully redeemed himself and earned Maggie’s trust. She even thought that Negan was going to kill her at Alden’s grave in episode 9. Negan has changed for the greater good. He even saved Maggie countless times from numerous Reapers, most notably, Carver. Characters have a great relationship with Negan, most notably Judith and Lydia. If Lydia can forgive Negan that he killed her Mom, Maggie should come around soon enough.
I believe that Negan will return in season 11 part 2 but we will not see him for a little bit. We might end up seeing him by episode 13. I think that he is going to find his true self when he is by himself since this is the first time that he actually alone. If you do not count the few moments when he was without his wife Lucille because she killed herself, he has been with The Saviors, Whisperers, and now the survivors. However, I do predict that he might see a familiar face on the road. Negan will return at The Commonwealth one way or another. There is a small possibility that he reunites with Leah and they go to The Commonwealth together. This could be one of the reasons why Daryl shows up to Hilltop to confront Maggie. Daryl could tell her that Negan and Leah are still alive. I think that Negan should be alive all the way to the end of the show. I think that he should either get his own spinoff show or slide right into the Rick Grimes movies because Jeffrey Dean Morgan is one of the few actors that have “big screen” experience.