By M.L. Lewis

Negan is by far the most interesting villain on The Walking Dead and fans are torn whether to love or hate the guy. The character has many layers all brought together beautifully by the very talented Jeffery Dean Morgan. But, what if everything you know about Negan is wrong? What if he has actually been the good guy this entire time?

5. He is so gosh darn handsome!

And I’m not talking just about his outer beauty. He has such a charismatic attitude, what’s not to love about him? He is so sweet and caring at times you almost forget you’re supposed to hate him. He took Spencer out when he was plotting to kill Rick and take over Alexandria. He even gave Rick multiple deals to end the war they had to spare countless, innocent lives. All were met with violence and bloodshed at the hands of Rick.

4. He has quite the soft side.

As the Negan storyline unfolded we learned about his many layers. We learned his wife Lucille died of cancer right at the start of the outbreak. He saved Father Gabriel and gave him medical treatment in his time of need. When Carl broke into his compound and killed a few of his men Negan never harmed the boy but took him under his wing, fed him, and returned him home safe and sound. Just imagine if the Governor had gotten his hands on Carl, would he have been so kind-hearted as Negan?

3. He is a great leader.

Negan isn’t as cold-hearted as Shane or the people of Terminus. He deep down believes his method is saving a vast majority of the people under his thumb. He is doing everything he can to end the battle with Rick and prevent further bloodshed. He set up trade routes among the communities he controls and provides them protection when need be. He even has a strict rule against harming women and children under his reign.

2. The show’s formatting makes him look bad.

Of course, the writers of The Walking Dead are going to make Rick look good and Negan bad, they have too. The show is centered around Rick and the survivors he is leading. To do this they have to give him an enemy. Sure Negan did bad stuff, but look at the bad stuff Rick did throughout the show like killing all the walkers in Hershel’s barn, taking over Alexandria, and handcuffing Merle on the roof in a town overrun with walkers just to name a few. Think of it like this, if the show was told through Negan’s point of view would you still hate him then?

1. Rick STARTED the war in the first place!

Remember back in mid-season six when we met Jesus and Hilltop. He was told by their leader Gregory that the community is owned by Negan and they were happy with the arrangement. Did Rick let it go? No, he didn’t. Instead, he offered to take out Negan’s gang in return they give him control of Hilltop. Gregory agreed and Rick took out one of Negan’s command posts killing everyone inside and taking everything for himself and Alexandria. It’s true that eventually the characters would cross paths with each other, but maybe if they met under more peaceful terms the war would have unfolded a different way.