Negan’s transformation into an anti-hero in search of whatever he perceives as redemption to be is nearing its conclusion in The Walking Dead story arc. When Jeffrey Dean Morgan took on the role in season 6 of the show, the character burst onto the scene. Since then, it has developed into one of the franchise’s iconic performances. Negan is best known for using his trusty baseball bat to bust skulls open, but he’s also well-known for his hilarious one-liners, many of which are infused with a sick and twisted sense of humour. Negan is portrayed in later seasons as being much more sombre and stoic, but the original character was anything but.
As the main Walking Dead series enters its final season in March 2022, it seems appropriate to reflect on Negan, who has unquestionably emerged as one of the most recognizable figures in both pop culture and the show. It’s time to look at a few more of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s memorable one-liners that have made audiences laugh over the years. His performance was accentuated by his ability to deliver them. By the time the series concludes, it is unknown if Negan will crack one last joke.
The Main Door
“Welcome To A Brand New Beginning, You Sorry S***S!”
A significant turning point for The Walking Dead as a whole, Negan’s first appearance raised the stakes significantly. Negan spent some time teaching Rick a lesson about what it meant to serve the Saviors or perish in resistance after killing two of his own in cold blood.
When the blood had dried and the dust had settled, Negan uttered this quote, declaring that the survivors’ lives would never be the same again. Negan wasn’t going to bring them into the fold like a mother hen; they had to choose between obeying or dying. Instead, he’d beat them to death if they didn’t measure up.
Personal Visit to Alexandria
Warm Diggety Dog! This Place Is Magnificent!”
Old Negan made an effort to intimidate through humour. His strategy was straightforward: show that he has enough faith in his own judgment and leadership skills to make a joke without thinking twice. He began with his quote to get things going when he arrived in the frequently perplexing Walking Dead community of Alexandria to examine his newest acquisition. There, too, the jokes didn’t stop. Negan persisted in making light-hearted jokes to highlight how at ease he was in his position as leader over Rick and the survivors. Additionally, he must have been pleased that such a flourishing community would be willing to donate some of its resources to the Saviors.
Trapped With Father Gabriel
“I Hope You Got Your S******’ Pants On.”
Negan wasn’t about to lose his sense of humour, even when he appeared to be in a hopeless situation. In fact, he frequently employed it as a strategy to seize the initiative and change the dynamic. He showed this in the season 8 episode “The Big Scary U,” where he and Father Gabriel—a character with one of the most tragic Walking Dead backstories—became trapped by a horde of zombies. Both funny and chilling, Negan’s low, gravelly voice as he emerges from the shadows discusses different types of underwear. Father Gabriel probably thought he was in big trouble, but when all was said and done, Negan had actually saved his life.
Playing Up His Own Presence
“I Wear A Leather Jacket, I Have Lucille, And My Nut Sack Is Made Of Steel.”
Negan’s Saviors were dispersed and appeared to be without a leader after Rick and the survivors engaged him in one of The Walking Dead’s most brutal battles. Before the big bad emerged from the shadows to reclaim his throne and remind everyone of who was in charge, things got dicey for a while. Naturally, he did so with his trademark dry humour, even coming up with a rhyme in the process. Negan constantly reminded those around him that he was the alpha dog in the kennel, building up his own bravado for the purpose of intimidating others into submission.
Home Movie Hopes
“I’ve Got My Fingers Crossed For A Little Freaky Deaky!”
Living in a zombie apocalypse is stressful because most days are spent gathering supplies, capturing towns, or exterminating armies of the living dead. But when one of Negan’s henchmen discovered a camcorder stashed away in Alexandria, the gleeful Negan hoped it was something a little spicier than your typical home movie. Negan wasn’t above discussing sex in ways that were highly uncomfortable for those around him. His thought process was typical; he was considering taking control of Alexandrians’ lives and hoping to capture something explicit on camera.
Meeting Father Gabriel For The First Time
“Holy Crap! You Are Creepy As S***!”
Negan meeting Father Gabriel Stokes was undoubtedly one of The Walking Dead’s funniest scenes. The cowardly priest who became a reluctant hero was far from a fan favourite, but he managed to catch Negan completely off guard. It is unclear at this point whether the scare was genuine or intended as an insult.
Father Gabriel’s broad smile in response to the scene was particularly noteworthy because it signalled the beginning of their psychological struggle. Later on, it would kind of develop into a friendship, albeit a terribly flawed and twisted one.
Offering Eugene friendship
“Eugene! I Was Goin’ For A Handshake.”
The friendship between Negan and Eugene was quite interesting, especially in light of the way the former persuaded the latter to join his side by offering perks and security. But it soon became obvious that the relationship was often precarious, especially given Eugene’s ambiguous motivations. Eugene mistook Negan’s offer to shake his hand as an attempt at the friendship and leaned in to kiss it. Before saying this hilarious quote, Negan drew back in surprise. He definitely wasn’t a priest, and there was no ring to kiss.
Laying Down The Rules
“Pissing Our Pants Yet? It’s Gonna’ Be Pee-Pee Pants City Here-Real Soon!”
Fans of the Walking Dead comics eagerly anticipated Negan’s live-action debut, so it had to be memorable. Since an AMC show wouldn’t allow for excessive profanity, Negan had to rely more on humour to establish himself as a potent and terrifying antagonist. It was immediately obvious that Negan would cause audiences to laugh as well as shiver and feel repulsed in horror. This man was the ruler of his own little world, and those who crossed him would discover many facets of his personality, from his sense of humour to his harsh life lessons.
Negan & Rick Meet Again
“Is That You, Rick? Under All That Man-Bush?”
Negan is the master of underhanded compliments, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan was consistently funny in his delivery. Rick Grimes, a completely different type of man than the ones Negan was used to dealing with, was of course his favourite target. Negan was no match for Rick in more ways than one, so the jabs had to come quick and hard.
When he came across an old recording of Rick being interviewed while the Saviors pillaged the neighbourhood, he took one look at his unruly post-apocalyptic beard and said this. It was pretty funny to see Negan make fun of Rick’s rugged outdoor appearance à la Grizzly Adams.
When Olivia Slapped Him
“I Am About 50% Percent More Into You Now… Just Sayin’!”
When Negan paid a surprise visit to Alexandria to intimidate Olivia, she burst into tears when he made a joke about her size. Negan immediately apologized to her for being impolite and suggested that they have some fun in the bedroom if she’s “willing” to it. After Olivia smacked him in the face in response to his offer, Negan didn’t immediately shoot her. Instead, he appeared to enjoy the interaction. Perhaps it was the way she refused to submit to him in the face of certain death, something that few people in Alexandria would have dared to do.
Being Greeted By Spencer
“Oh, You Better Be Joking! Negan… Lucille… I Know I Had To Make A Pretty Strong First Impression!”
Spencer, the son of the original community’s leaders, and a man who wasn’t particularly fond of Rick Grimes greeted the Saviors and Negan when they arrived at Alexandria’s doorstep. He made a poor first impression by actually questioning who Negan was when he arrived. Given the horrific murders Negan committed in the season premiere just a few episodes earlier, which still give Walking Dead fans the creeps when they watch them again, this was bad form. It would turn out to be the beginning of a tumultuous relationship between the two that would ultimately result in Spencer bleeding out all over the street thanks to Negan.
