Summary
- Negan's one-liners are steeped in a perverse and twisted sense of humor, making him a fan favorite.
- Negan's relationship with Rick's son, Carl, was a mix of trust and irritation.
- Negan's witty one-liners continue to entertain in The Walking Dead: Dead City , showcasing his deadly sense of humor.
The Walking Dead ended in 2022, but Negan's journey was far from over, which means the near-endless supply of funny Negan quotes from Jeffrey Dean Morgan continues to grow. Negan exploded onto the scene in season 6. While he started out as one of the most hated characters after Glenn's death, Negan slowly became a fan favorite by the end of the run, and even partially won over Glenn's widow, Maggie. While Negan is best known for cracking skulls open with his trusty baseball bat, Lucille, he is also known for his one-liners, many of which are steeped in a sort of perverse and twisted sense of humor.
While Negan became more serious over time, he still had time to hit someone like Rick Grimes, Father Gabriel, or Eugene with a sharp insult from time to time. Negan's story is not finished, as he and Maggie take on a new journey in The Walking Dead: Dead City, when they set out to save Maggie's son in New York City. The funny Negan quotes keep coming in the spinoff, and despite his character growth, Jeffrey Dean Morgan still delivers Negan's funny one-liners with a deadly sense of humor, making sure to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.
25 "I Thought We Were Having A Moment, You Little A**hole!"
Season 8, Episode 8: "How It's Gotta Be"
Many of the best Negan quotes stem from his complicated relationships with other characters in The Walking Dead. His road from villain to antihero hasn't been an easy one for many of the other survivors to swallow. Negan and Rick always had a strong rivalry from the moment that Rick killed several of Negan's men, and Negan responded by killing Abraham and Glenn. However, through it all, Negan developed a different relationship with Rick's son, Carl. He ended up at times impressed and others infuriated with the teenager.
With that said, Negan also often trusted Carl, and in the The Walking Dead season 8 episode "How It's Gotta Be," this trust came back to bite Negan. Carl starts to have a heartfelt talk with Negan and the two seem to be making a connection. However, Carl was just there to help the Alexandrian citizens escape, and when Negan realizes he has been had, this is his very funny response.
24 "You Do The Same Damn Stink Eye As Your Dad"
Season 7, Episode 7: "The Portrait"
There are many memorable lines of dialogue that come from scenes with Negan and Carl. Negan and Carl enjoyed their best episode together in "The Portrait," and this The Walking Dead season 7 episode has many great Negan quotes - though one of the most memorable is inarguably when he makes a cheap joke about Carl's missing eye. Negan's biggest problem with Rick is that he feels he considers himself superior to everyone else and that his judgment is above all others. He also sees some of that in Carl, but he also feels Carl has good qualities that he feels Rick lacks.
He also sees some of that in Carl, but he also feels Carl has good qualities that he feels Rick lacks.
In The Walking Dead season 7's "The Portrait", Negan is trying to figure out Carl's motivation and intentions after the teenager tries to take out Negan and his men, and fails. Negan looks at Carl and delivers this line, comparing the teen to his dad. However, Negan adds a dig, saying Carl's attempts to look mean are only half as good as Rick's — especially callous considering Carl only had one eye.
23 "Lucille Is Thirsty... She Is A Vampire Bat!"
Season 7, Episode 1: "The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be"
Negan has a point to make to the survivors in the The Walking Dead episode ""The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be," which was the premiere of season 7. He has already killed Glenn and Abraham and has to let everyone around him know he is in charge now. While making this point he also takes a moment to reference his trademark weapon, cementing its name with just as much infamy as his own among the fanbase of The Walking Dead.
Negan puts the fear of God into everyone when he uses his trusty barbed wire baseball bat, Lucille, to bash in Glenn's skull in front of his pregnant wife, Maggie. He then makes sure everyone knows that they could meet Lucille as well when he delivers this perfectly wicked line. On top of the threat, this Negan quote is a perfect Dad Joke, which makes it even funnier.
22 "Knock, Knock! Who’s There? Butter. Butter Who?"
Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1, Episode 2: "Who's There"
There weren't quite as many funny Negan quotes from The Walking Dead: Dead City, but that's because this is Negan in a very different place. He seems a little less sure of himself and seems ready to make sacrifices he wasn't in the main series. However, when Negan gets angry, he deals with it using intense violence weighed out with his wicked sense of humor.
Never one to miss a moment to punctuate impending violence with an incredibly memorable quote, Negan stands above the Burazi and delivers a knock-knock joke.
After the Burazi, a group of antagonists in The Walking Dead: Dead City led by a former savior, killed Esther — kind older woman who was helping Negan and Maggie — Negan went back with a hostage. Never one to miss a moment to punctuate impending violence with an incredibly memorable quote, Negan stands above the Burazi and delivers a knock-knock joke. The punch line was "Butter get out your umbrellas ’cause it is about to God d**n rain," which Negan delivered shortly before slitting his hostage's throat.
21 "For A Wanted Man, I Look Good"
Walking Dead: Dead City Season 1, Episode 1: "Old Acquaintances"
Negan is a very different character by the time The Walking Dead: Dead City begins in The Walking Dead timeline. However, while he may have lost much of his ruthless agression, his tongue is still as sharp as it ever was, meaning there are plenty of memorable Negan quotes in the sequel spinoff. When The Walking Dead: Dead City began, Negan was living off the beaten path, raising a girl whose father he killed. He was also hiding from the law enforcement that formed in the area, as he was wanted for murder.
This is what helped Maggie find him when she needed help rescuing her son Herschel from some men who kidnapped him and took him to New York City. When Maggie found Negan, she asserted her dominance and then showed him his wanted poster. Never one to shy away from praising himself, Negan delivers this great line, showing he was in trouble but still doesn't take his situation too seriously.
20 "Welcome To A Brand New Beginning, You Sorry S***s!"
Season 7, Episode 1: "The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be"
Negan's first appearance was a massive turning point for The Walking Dead, and it represented a serious raising of the stakes. However, many of his best quotes came in the following episode, season 7's "The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be". The episode contained much monologuing from Negan which, understandably, also led to some incredibly memorable lines for Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character.
After murdering two of Rick's own in cold blood, Negan spent a degree of time teaching him a lesson about what it meant to serve the Saviors or die resisting.
After murdering two of Rick's own in cold blood, Negan spent a degree of time teaching him a lesson about what it meant to serve the Saviors or die resisting. When the dust settled, and the blood began to dry, this Negan quote were a proclamation that Rick's group of survivors' lives would permanently change from that point on. The choices were to obey or die, and Negan wasn't about to bring them into the fold like a mother hen. Instead, he'd beat them to death if they didn't measure up.
19 "Hot Diggety Dog! This Place Is Magnificent!"
Season 7, Episode 4: "Service"
Prior to becoming an antihero in The Walking Dead, the villainous version of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character that served as the season 7 antagonist attempted to use humor as a method of intimidation, leading to many unnerving yet hilarious Negan quotes. His approach was simple — showcase enough confidence in his own numbers and leadership abilities to crack a joke without hesitating. When he showed up in Alexandria to examine his newest acquisition, he started out with some chilling humor to get the ball rolling.
The jokes didn't let up there, either. Negan kept using carefree humor as a means to demonstrate just how comfortable he was in his position over Rick and the survivors. Plus, he must have been happy that such a thriving community would be ready to tribute a portion of their supplies to the Saviors.
18 "I Hope You Got Your S******' Pants On."
Season 8, Episode 5: "The Big Scary U"
Even when trapped in a seemingly no-win situation, Negan doesn't lose his humor. In fact, he often used it as a means to gain control of the situation and turn the tables, which is why several of the best Negan quotes come in unexpected situations where it genuinely feels like it may be the end of the road for the beloved The Walking Dead character.
Father Gabriel probably thought he was in trouble, but Negan actually ended up saving his life when the dust had settled.
Negan demonstrated this in the season 8 episode "The Big Scary U", when he became trapped by a zombie horde alongside Father Gabriel, a character with one of the most tragic Walking Dead backstories. Negan's low, gravelly voice talking about underwear options as he emerges from the darkness makes this Negan quote equal parts comical and spine-tingling. Father Gabriel probably thought he was in trouble, but Negan actually ended up saving his life when the dust had settled.
17 "I Wear A Leather Jacket, I Have Lucille, And My Nut Sack Is Made Of Steel."
Season 8, Episode 5: "The Big Scary U"
The Walking Dead season 8, episode 5, "The Big Scary U" has several memorable scenes for Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and as such contains a host of Negan quotes that are as chilling as they are hilarious. After Rick and the survivors took the fight to Negan in one of The Walking Dead's most brutal battles, his Saviors were scattered and left seemingly without a leader.
Things got dicey for a while before the big bad emerged from the darkness to reclaim his throne, and remind everyone of just who was in charge. Naturally, he did so with his typically dry sense of humor, even crafting a rhyme at the same time. He built up his own bravado for the sake of intimidating others into submission, and he never ceased to remind those around him that he was the top dog in the kennel.
16 "I've Got My Fingers Crossed For A Little Freaky Deaky!"
Season 7, Episode 4: "Service"
Negan definitely has a way with words, and this combined with his unrestrained honesty about his intentions when it comes to those he torments leads to more than a few quotes that have stuck with The Walking Dead fandom for years. Life in the zombie apocalypse is a stressful time, with most days spent scavenging for supplies, taking over towns, or wasting hordes of the undead. One of these came when Negan referred to adult content and sex as "freaky deaky", which would seem completely ridiculous in the mouth of any other character.
Several Negan quotes involve him talking about sex in a way that made everyone around him very uncomfortable.
When one of Negan's minions found a camcorder hidden away in Alexandria in the season 7 episode "Service", the gleeful Negan hoped it was something a little spicier than the average home video. Several Negan quotes involve him talking about sex in a way that made everyone around him very uncomfortable. The prospect of holding the lives of Alexandria's residents in his hands, while hoping for an explicit recording on a camcorder was typical of how his mind operated.
15 "Holy Crap! You Are Creepy As S***!"
Season 7, Episode 4: "Service"
For any character in The Walking Dead to make Negan feel uncomfortable is a feat, since he's one of the most intimidating and - as shown by his lack of reluctance to become physically intimate with Alpha, the leader of The Whisperers - isn't easily startled by others, no matter how strange they are. Easily one of the most laugh-out-loud Negan quotes in The Walking Dead was Negan's introduction to Father Gabriel Stokes in the season 7 episode "Service".
Far from a fan favorite, the cowardly priest turned begrudging hero ended up catching Negan completely off guard, and it isn't yet known whether the scare was genuine or meant as an insult. What was especially notable about the scene was Father Gabriel's big-smile reaction, which would be the start of a psychological tug-of-war between the two. It would later lead to something of a friendship, though a woefully imperfect and rather twisted one.
14 "Eugene! I Was Goin' For A Handshake."
Season 8, Episode 7: "Time For After"
One The Walking Dead character who is almost as memorable as Negan, though for entirely different reasons, is Eugene. Negan and Eugene had a rather interesting relationship, especially given how the former convinced the latter to join his side, thanks to the promise of freebies and safety. However, it quickly became clear that the relationship frequently dangled on the edge of a knife, especially given Eugene's uncertain motives.
Negan and Eugene are almost polar opposites in terms of their personalities, and this juxtaposition understandably makes for several memorable lines of dialogue whenever the pair interact in The Walking Dead.
When Negan tried to offer friendship by offering to shake his hand, Eugene mistook the gesture and leaned in to kiss it. Negan pulled away in surprise before uttering one of the most hilarious Negan quotes. He definitely wasn't a priest, and there was no ring to kiss. Negan and Eugene are almost polar opposites in terms of their personalities, and this juxtaposition understandably makes for several memorable lines of dialogue whenever the pair interact in The Walking Dead.
13 “Pissing Our Pants Yet? It’s Gonna' Be Pee-Pee Pants City Here Real Soon!”
Season 6, Episode 16: "Last Day On Earth"
Negan's live-action introduction in the season 6 finale "Last Day On Earth" was a long-awaited moment for fans of the Walking Dead comics, and it had to make an impact. Negan was just as intimidating and memorable a presence on the page as he ended up being on-screen, so fans of both versions of The Walking Dead knew that, when he arrived, he would be one of the show's most interesting characters right off the bat.
However, the profuse abundance of profanity spewed by the character in the comics wouldn't cut it in an AMC show, which meant Negan quotes had to rely more on humor in order to sell himself as an effective and chilling villain. From the very first moment, it became clear that Negan was going to make audiences laugh, just as much as cringe and repulse in horror. This was a man who was king of his own little world, and those who crossed him would learn a lot about his character, from his humor to his brutal lessons.
12 "Is That You, Rick? Under All That Man-Bush?"
Season 7, Episode 4: "Service"
The best Negan quotes include lots of backhanded compliments, and while he's perhaps at his funniest in the middle of dire or violent situations (often both), he's also hilarious when he's simply dishing out a little sass or flippancy to those around him. His favorite target was, of course, Rick Grimes, an altogether different kind of man than the one Negan was used to dealing with. Rick Grimes is perhaps the antithesis of Negan, something that Negan seemed to find equally fascinating and infuriating, so he made psychologically breaking Rick one of his key goals.
It was rather hilarious to see Negan poking fun at Rick's Grizzly Adams-style outdoors look for seemingly no reason beyond seizing another chance to insult his rival.
However, the ever-resilient Rick is a match for Negan in more than one way, which means the insults had to come fast and furiously. When he finds an old recorded interview of Rick while the Saviors plundered the neighborhood, he takes one look at his unkempt apocalypse beard and drops this quote. It was rather hilarious to see Negan poking fun at Rick's Grizzly Adams-style outdoors look for seemingly no reason beyond seizing another chance to insult his rival.
11 “I Am About 50% Percent More Into You Now... Just Sayin'!”
Season 7, Episode 7: "The Portrait"
One of the most ruthless and demeanding Negan quotes came in season 7's "The Portrait", and while it elicited a chuckle from viewers, for many it was a nervous and uncomfortable one. While attempting to intimidate Olivia during a random visit to Alexandria, she dissolves into sobs after Negan makes a joke about her weight.
In typical Negan fashion, he apologizes to her for his rudeness, before suggesting that they have some fun in the bedroom if she's "agreeable" to it. Olivia responded to his offer by slapping him in the face. Instead of shooting her on the spot, Negan looked pleased by the entire affair. Perhaps it was the way she stood up to him in the face of certain death, which was more than most of Alexandria's residents would have dared.
10 "Oh, You Better Be Joking! Negan... Lucille... I Know I Had To Make A Pretty Strong First Impression!"
Season 7, Episode 4: "Service"
If any The Walking Dead character could be described as iconic, it's Negan, especially when wielding his barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat Lucille. One of the most endearing facts about Negan for fans of The Walking Dead is that he knows just how memorable he is, as evidenced by this quote from the season 7 episode "Service". When the Saviors and Negan showed up at Alexandria's doorstep, they were met by Spencer, the son of the original community's leaders — and a man none-too-fond of Rick Grimes.
Spencer started off on the wrong foot by actually having the audacity to question who Negan was when he arrived.
Spencer started off on the wrong foot by actually having the audacity to question who Negan was when he arrived. This was bad form, given the brutal murders Negan committed in the season debut. It would end up being the start of a rocky relationship between the two that would later end with Negan killing Spencer in the streets of Alexandria when the young man tried to betray Rick Grimes.
9 "I'm A God Damn Cat!"
Season 8, Episode 12: "The Key"
There was never a guarantee that Negan would survive until the finale of The Walking Dead, much less long enough to get his own spinoff series The Walking Dead: Dead City. There were many moments when it seemed like Negan had reached the end of his bloodsoaked road, though - much to the surprise and delight of fans - he somehow managed to evade death every single time.
Negan was seemingly un-killable, especially when Rick and his group failed to take him and his Saviors out. With time to regroup, the two sides went at it in a battle of attrition. At several points throughout the war, it seemed like Negan might have gone down for good. Yet, each time, he came back strong, with a dastardly plan in tow. When asked about his knack for escaping hairy situations, Negan responded with this quote, a reference to the number of lives cats seemingly have as they keep dodging proverbial bullets.
8 "You Are Adorable! Did You Pick That Gun Because It Looks Cool? You Totally Did!"
Season 7, Episode 7: "The Portrait"
If there's one thing Negan respects, it's confidence in the face of the zombie apocalypse, and Carl Grimes had a lot of it. However, Negan is also well aware of Carl's youth, and the moments these two perspectives mix leads to some incredibly hilarious Negan quotes, though few can top their interaction in the season 7 episode "The Portrait".
Negan failed to hide the genuine admiration he had for Carl, who took it upon himself to stow away in a Savior truck in the hopes that he could catch Negan off guard with an assault rifle pointed right at him.
Negan failed to hide the genuine admiration he had for Carl, who took it upon himself to stow away in a Savior truck in the hopes that he could catch Negan off guard with an assault rifle pointed right at him. Negan's response was this incredibly hilarious and simultaneously patronizing quote. He knew that Carl lacked the courage to take him out, even if he had killed other men before. It was this type of bravado that made Negan see something in Carl, though his attempt to mold him into an apprentice ended up failing.
7 "I Could Never Do This With Rick. He Would Just Be Standing There, Scowling, Giving Me That Annoying Side-Eye He Gives Me.”
Season 7, Episode 8: "Hearts Still Beating"
Negan isn't just hilarious when directing insults directly at Rick Grimes, as he also spouts some incredibly funny lines about the hero of The Walking Dead when Rick isn't even present. Such was the case in the episode "Hearts Still Beating", when Negan summed up why — in his eyes — he and Rick were enemies rather than friends.
Spencer had big plans for himself in The Walking Dead season 7, and they would begin by courting Negan onto his side. With an animosity towards Rick, Spencer was all too willing to sell him out in exchange for becoming Alexandria's leader, and a much more faithful servant to Negan and his Saviors. He tried to butter Negan up by dragging a pool table onto the street, so the two could shoot a few games while talking business. Many funny Negan quotes at Rick's expense came from the interaction, which were altogether obvious given their mutual hatred for each other.
6 "He Hid In One Of My Trucks And Machine-Gunned A Bunch Of My Men Down, And I Brought Him Home, Safe And Sound. And... I Fed Him Spaghetti!"
Season 7, Episode 8: "Hearts Still Beating"
Negan loves nothing more than irritating Rick Grimes, and he takes delight in doing so in unexpected ways. This was the case in the season 7 episode "Hearts Still Beating", when Negan found it absolutely hilarious that Rick was seemingly infuritated by the fact that Negan hadn't laid a finger on Carl and, instead, had treated him like he would his own son.
Rather than get upset with Rick directly, he instead told him how he brought Carl back, and then fed him spaghetti in Rick's own kitchen.
When Rick and his group return to Alexandria to find Spencer and Olivia dead by Negan's doing, he is shocked and outraged. Negan saw things quite differently and started telling Rick about his son Carl's attempt to assassinate him at the Savior compound. Rather than get upset with Rick directly, he instead told him how he brought Carl back, and then fed him spaghetti in Rick's own kitchen. While this Negan quote is hilarious, it was also meant to send a message to Rick that Negan was the one in control, and that Rick's loved ones live or die based on Negan's whims.