'When Negan Is At His Most Negan' Jeffrey Dean Morgan Shares New Tattoo Inspired By His Walking Dead Character's Iconic Prop

"I got a tattoo this year, it says, 'Lucille.' My wife played Lucille, but really it's the bat."

Morgan said this was the only time he had a prop that "felt so innately mine" and was also "an extension of the character." He added:

Morgan has several tattoos that mean a lot to him, including ones that honor his son Augustus and daughter George Virginia, according to USA Today. Since Morgan played Negan from 2016 to 2022, it's no wonder that he would want to pay tribute to a character who is such a big part of his acting career.

In The Walking Dead season 8, episode 14, "Still Gotta Mean Something," fans found out that Negan calls his bat "Lucille" because that was the name of his wife, who passed away from cancer. This tragic backstory adds some depth to Negan, who runs the risk of being a one-note villain when he is first introduced in season 6. Although Negan uses the bat to hurt or even kill others, he shows affection toward his late wife and regret about how he treated her. Morgan perfectly portrays Negan's nuance and proves that no one knows the real him. Fans also liked finding out that the bat was inspired by Cool Hand Luke, the crime drama released in 1967.

As the seasons of The Walking Dead progress, Negan becomes more and more attached to his bat Lucille, which he uses every time he harms someone as the leader of the Saviors. There are many tragic moments in The Walking Dead, but one of the most powerful scenes happens in season 10, episode 22, "Here's Negan," when Negan burns his bat and tells his wife he's sorry. He knows that he needs to move past her death. While he will always love her and grieve her, he can't live in the past. It's a shocking moment that also feels right. "Here's Negan" is also a significant episodes since Morgan's wife, Hilarie Burton Morgan, plays Lucille, as Morgan mentioned in his behind-the-scenes talk.

In recent years, Morgan has appeared in a 2018 sci-fi monster movie called Rampage and several horror movies, including the 2022 survival thriller Fall and the 2024 slasher Bloody Axe Wound. But for many fans, he's always going to be Negan, holding his bat and thinking about who his next victim should be. Although Negan burned Lucille, this prop is an important part of the character, and it would have felt strange to watch Morgan play Negan on a Walking Dead spinoff series without her. Fans can see Negan and his beloved baseball bat in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, which will premiere on May 4th, 2025 on AMC. The bat looks different this time around, which feels fitting.