Negan’s brutal introduction completely changed The Walking Dead and established him as one of the franchise’s most ruthless characters; however, four heroes actually have an even higher kill count than the villain. Although comic book readers may have been excited to see Negan make his debut on the TV show, many fans unfamiliar with the source material certainly weren’t ready for the antagonist. His first few Walking Dead scenes made some viewers quit watching as he savagely beat both Glenn and Abraham to death with his baseball bat, setting the tone for what kind of character he’d be.

The following few seasons saw him torment the central survivors and establish himself as the show’s overarching villain before he found some form of redemption in recent years. Negan may not be as bloodthirsty or immoral as he once was, but even after becoming more honorable, he’s still one of the most dangerous Walking Dead characters due to his incredible survival skills. Still, despite how experienced he is at dealing with the apocalypse, Negan isn’t the only one afraid to get his hands dirty, as four of the show’s biggest heroes killed even more people than him.

Rick, Daryl, Carol & Morgan Have Higher Kill Counts Than Negan In The Walking Dead

Despite Being Heroes, All 4 Have Killed More People Than The Franchise’s Biggest Villain

Despite how many lives Negan has taken throughout his time in The Walking Dead, Rick, Daryl, Carol, and Morgan all have higher kill counts. Given the number of wars they’ve been in, it’s not completely unexpected that some of the show’s main heroes would have taken their fair share of lives. However, the fact that these four are all above Negan is a bit of a surprise. With Rick being the franchise’s protagonist, his crucial role in the story has forced him to take down plenty of villains and their factions, giving him somewhat of an excuse.

That said, Rick often killed people even when he didn’t have to throughout his darker arcs, proving how menacing he could be. Additionally, Daryl and Carol are two of the franchise’s longest-surviving characters, having appeared in the very first season. They have also featured in more episodes across all Walking Dead shows than anyone else, meaning they are constantly at the heart of the action, hence their kill counts being so high. On the other hand, Morgan is more of an outlier, as despite being a major character in two projects, he’s killed way more people than expected.

Morgan’s High Kill Count Compared To Negan’s Is Particularly Surprising

Morgan’s Pacifist Arc Clearly Didn’t Prevent Him From Claiming Plenty Of Lives

Whereas Rick, Daryl, and Carol’s high kill counts are all somewhat predictable, Morgan taking more lives than Negan is a huge shock. Throughout his time in the apocalypse, Morgan has suffered more than most with his own morality, battling with pacifism and wrath. During his “Clear” arc, Morgan became a ruthless killer who believed he was saving people by ending their lives and putting them out of their misery. Upon reflection, he realized the errors of his ways and became a pacifist, refusing to kill even the most heinous of villains, which often put his allies in danger.

After the brutality of the Saviors War, Morgan returned to his lethal ways, albeit with more self-control, before finding a better balance in Fear the Walking Dead.

However, after the brutality of the Saviors War, Morgan returned to his lethal ways, albeit with more self-control, before finding a better balance in Fear the Walking Dead. As a result, his total human kills surpassed Negan’s across both shows, showing how tragic his arc has been. With the long-term survivor finally finding some semblance of peace, Morgan’s Walking Dead return feels like it will happen sooner rather than later, but assuming he does have another run in the spotlight, it could make his kill count even higher, cementing his status as one of The Walking Dead‘s most violent characters.

Negan’s Kill Count Isn’t What Made Him Such A Fearsome Villain

The Charismatic Antagonist Used Fear & Intimidation To Become So Menacing, Rather Than Needlessly Killing

Although Negan did kill plenty of people, this isn’t what made him so fearsome. Instead, it was his fear and intimidation that allowed him to take complete control of people’s lives, leaving them hopeless. Rick has often been one of the most resilient and determined characters, fighting against the odds no matter how bad they are, yet Negan killing two of his strongest allies in front of him and threatening to chop off Carl’s hand completely broke him into submission. The villain’s massive army helped reinforce how menacing he was, but his words and actions proved he meant business.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan will reprise his role as Negan in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, which will premiere in April 2025.

Executing Glenn and Abraham during his introduction proved he was willing to send a cold message, but he still valued the usefulness of people. Rather than killing everyone who disobeyed him, Negan preferred threats, imprisonment, and stripping resources over straight-up murder. When he was pushed to kill, he made sure it was a public spectacle, adding to how terrifying he was, even if taking a life was a last resort. Negan hardly hated the bloodshed, but his ability to strike fear into survivors and assert complete control is why he became The Walking Dead‘s scariest villain, not his kill count.