Rick Grimes finally returned to The Walking Dead in 2024 after his character’s lengthy disappearance, but his whole arc with the CRM could have been avoided if the protagonist had killed Negan. Having led the show since 2010, Andrew Lincoln exited The Walking Dead in 2019 for personal reasons, but his character was never killed off. Instead, Rick was taken in a helicopter after sustaining an injury and wasn’t seen again until season 11’s finale. His full return came two years later in his spinoff show, which revealed he had been captured by the CRM and was forbidden from leaving.

As a result, the protagonist spent around a decade away from his loved ones, and he even cut off his hand while attempting to escape. Unfortunately, even this didn’t work, and he was stuck with the military group for years until Michonne arrived. Together, the two successfully took down the villains, and The Ones Who Live‘s ending saw them reunite with their children, suggesting Rick would soon be back among the main group. However, had Rick simply decided to kill Negan all those years earlier, he would likely have avoided this tragic fate and had a completely different story.

Rick’s Disappearance Only Happened Because He Decided To Spare Negan

The Domino Effect From Keeping Negan Alive Led To Rick Being Captured By The CRM

Although Negan had nothing to do with Rick’s disappearance physically, the decision to keep him alive is ultimately what cost the lead character the chance to watch his children grow up. After some survivors disagreed with Rick’s choice to spare Negan, Maggie and Daryl conspired to kill the antagonist, which caused a domino effect that led to Rick’s injury. In season 9, Maggie heads to Alexandria to assassinate Negan while Daryl offers to take Rick there on his motorcycle, but he intentionally takes the protagonist the wrong way, resulting in a fight between the two.

Had it not been for the secret plan to kill Negan, Rick would never have been in such a dire situation in the first place, proving this massive decision had huge ramifications.

From there, they discover a horde heading towards their temporary campsite, prompting Rick to lead the zombies away while Daryl warns the group. Unfortunately, his journey doesn’t go so well, as his horse gets spooked and flips him off, causing Rick to get impaled and eventually pass out before Jadis takes him in the helicopter. Had it not been for the secret plan to kill Negan, Rick would never have been in such a dire situation in the first place, proving this massive decision had equally big ramifications.

Rick spent years captured by the CRM, which had a huge impact on him mentally and left him at an all-time low, yet it all would have been avoided had he killed Negan in season 8 or let Maggie kill him at the start of season 9, making it one of the costliest moments in his entire Walking Dead journey.

Rick’s Decision To Spare Negan Proves How Important Carl’s Legacy Is To Him

Rick Hated Negan As Much As Anyone But Still Spared Him Out Of Respect For His Son’s Dying Wish

Custom image by Simone Ashmoore

Considering how much Rick hated Negan, sparing him was far from an easy decision, but it showed how important Carl’s memory was to him. Losing his son is arguably the hardest thing Rick has gone through in The Walking Dead, but Carl’s dying wish was for the show’s central communities to make peace with the Saviors, something Negan’s imprisonment helped achieve. Rather than simply slaughtering the remaining Saviors after winning the war, Rick showed mercy and helped those who were redeemable integrate into new settlements, which is exactly what Carl would have wanted.

Opting to take the peaceful route when the more vengeful approach would have been so much simpler is a testament to how important Carl’s vision and legacy are to his father. With Rick emotionally trying to remember Carl in The Ones Who Live, it’s clear his son will always be a vital part of his life, even after he’s gone. Despite having two children to return to, his firstborn will forever remain a substantial part of his own legacy and outlook on life, which his bold yet merciful decision regarding Negan proves.

Letting Negan Live Ultimately Proved To Be The Right Decision

Negan Helped Save The Group On Multiple Occasions After Finding Redemption

While letting Negan live undoubtedly had a negative impact on Rick’s life, it proved to be the correct decision in the long run. Imprisonment may have been a punishment for everything he’d done, but it also gave the villain time to reflect, grow, and ultimately redeem himself. He was able to save Judith during season 9’s finale, who would almost certainly have frozen to death had he not been out looking for her. In addition, Negan was the one to eventually take down Alpha and help kill Beta, showing his combat skills can come in handy when used for good.

Despite how ruthless he once was, Negan was never completely beyond redemption and while he will never truly be able to atone for his sins, the sacrifices he’s made for the group are telling.

The former antagonist even gave up his own freedom to save Hershel in Dead City season 1’s ending, highlighting how much he’s grown as a survivor, and as a person. Despite how ruthless he once was, Negan was never completely beyond redemption and while he will never truly be able to atone for his sins, the sacrifices he’s made for the group are telling. Rick still hasn’t gotten to see how well his decision paid off, but without Negan, some major Walking Dead characters would be dead, validating the protagonist’s risk in keeping him alive.

How Rick’s Walking Dead Legacy Would Have Changed If He Killed Negan

The Protagonist’s Story Would Have Been Extremely Different

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Had Rick opted to kill Negan rather than spare him, there’s no denying his legacy would look completely different. On the one hand, Rick would have had way more time with his children and Michonne, meaning he could have been a much bigger part of his family’s life while getting the chance to watch Judith and RJ grow up. However, this would also have meant going against Carl’s wishes. Therefore, Rick may not have found a peaceful path in season 9 and remained fairly ruthless, which could have changed his kids and led to more conflict.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan will return as Negan in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2. The show is set to return in Spring 2025.

In addition, Rick may potentially have suffered his comic death had he been part of the Commonwealth takeover. Although Sebastian wasn’t particularly dangerous in the TV universe, he may have resented Rick’s leadership enough to shoot him, assuming the protagonist was involved in reshaping the community, indicating that his time with the CRM may have actually been a good thing. Not only did sparing Negan prevent a potentially dark fate in the Commonwealth, but it stopped the CRM’s evil plans that could have wiped out all his friends in the future and made the Civic Republic an allied community.

Whether Rick’s life would have been better or worse after killing Negan all depends on exactly how things played out, but despite all the time he lost away from his loved ones, keeping the former villain still worked out in the long run and added to the protagonist’s Walking Dead legacy.