The air was thick. You could almost smell the fear through the TV screen. After months of agonizing speculation and one of the most hated cliffhangers in television history, the Season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead finally answered the question that had been haunting fans: who did Negan kill?
Honestly, the show didn’t just give us an answer. It gave us a trauma that a lot of people still haven't moved past.
Basically, Negan didn't just kill one person. He killed two.
The First Victim: Abraham Ford
Negan is a showman. He likes the sound of his own voice, and he loves his barbed-wire-wrapped bat, Lucille. After a twisted game of "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe," the bat landed on Sergeant Abraham Ford.
Abraham didn't cower.
He sat up straight, looked Negan right in the eye, and took the first blow like a champ. His final words? "Suck my nuts." It was a classic Abe moment—defiant and crude even in the face of a skull-crushing end. Michael Cudlitz played the role with such a rugged intensity that seeing him reduced to nothing was a massive gut punch for the audience.
But the horror was only beginning.
The Twist: Why Glenn Rhee Died Too
A lot of people forget that it was actually Daryl Dixon’s fault that Glenn died. Well, technically Negan pulled the trigger (or swung the bat), but Daryl's outburst was the catalyst.
After Abraham was murdered, Negan was taunting Rosita. He was trying to force her to look at the bloody mess of his bat. Daryl couldn't take it. He jumped up and punched Negan.
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Negan had already warned the group: "First one's free. It's an emotional moment." But he wasn't going to let a second act of defiance slide. He needed to break them completely.
He turned around, without warning, and swung Lucille into Glenn’s head.
This was the death that broke the internet. Glenn Rhee, played by Steven Yeun, had been the moral compass of the show since the very first episode. Seeing him with his eye bulging out, trying to stutter "Maggie, I'll find you," was arguably the most graphic and upsetting moment in the series' entire 11-season run.
The Aftermath and the Ratings Slide
The impact of these deaths cannot be overstated. The Day Will Come When You Won't Be (Season 7, Episode 1) pulled in a staggering 17 million viewers. It was a cultural event.
However, it was also the beginning of the end for the show’s peak popularity.
Many fans felt the violence was "torture porn" or simply too much to handle. The loss of Glenn, in particular, felt like the show lost its heart. While the series continued for many years and even spawned several spinoffs, the viewership numbers never quite reached those heights again.
Other Notable Negan Victims
Negan’s "kill list" didn't start or end with the lineup. He was a prolific reaper during his time as the leader of the Saviors.
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- Spencer Monroe: In a scene pulled straight from the comics, Negan disemboweled Spencer in the middle of Alexandria for being a "gutless" coward who tried to betray Rick.
- Olivia: A minor character, but her death was a shock. Negan ordered a Savior named Arat to kill someone at random after Rosita tried to shoot him. Arat chose Olivia.
- Dr. Emmett Carson: In a fit of jealous rage and manipulation by Dwight, Negan threw the community's doctor into an industrial furnace.
- Alpha: Years later, as part of his redemption arc, Negan infiltrated the Whisperers and slit Alpha’s throat, eventually delivering her head to Carol.
Why These Deaths Still Matter Today
Watching Negan's evolution from a monster to a semi-redeemed protagonist in Dead City is wild when you remember the brain matter on the pavement in Georgia. The show spent years trying to make us forgive a man who laughed while he beat a fan-favorite character to death.
Whether you love the "new" Negan or still can't stand the sight of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s leather jacket, the lineup remains the most pivotal moment in The Walking Dead history. It shifted the power dynamic, changed Rick Grimes forever, and set Maggie on a path of vengeance that defines her character to this day.
If you’re planning a rewatch, brace yourself. Even knowing it's coming doesn't make the sound of Lucille hitting the mark any easier to hear.
Take Action: Exploring the Lore
- Compare the Comics: If you want to see how the show stayed faithful (and where it strayed), check out Issue #100 of the comic series. It's just as brutal, but Abraham is already dead by that point in the books.
- Watch the Spinoffs: To see the long-term fallout of Glenn's death, The Walking Dead: Dead City focuses entirely on the uneasy alliance between Maggie and Negan.
- Behind the Scenes: Look up the "alt-deaths" filmed for the Season 7 premiere. The crew actually filmed almost every character in the lineup getting killed to prevent leaks, including a version where Maggie is the one who dies.