Negan’s true losses from The Walking Dead episode 909

Negan learned a hard lesson that things can’t go back the way it was before. He discovered that everything he built was lost, but what else did Negan truly lose on The Walking Dead?

Season 9 episode 9 of The Walking Dead was emotional for Negan. Negan got out of jail and made his way out of Alexandria after a confrontation with Judith, who made it crystal clear that there is nothing out there for him. Negan has been locked up for years and took his chances, but what was he truly missing that made him look and feel incomplete?

During the darkest days where Negan and the Saviors were struggling, Negan had Lucille. This barbed-wire bat and tribute to his late wife made it all better for him, even as he was on the heels of defeat for the war. Negan didn’t give up, as he and Lucille were standing together to the very end.

In “Adaptation” Negan had a shovel and eventually a pipe, but he looked incomplete even while holding those weapons.  Negan held on to hope earlier in the season that Lucille was somewhere. He was at his weakest point due to being locked up for years, but he grew weaker following the revelation that Lucille wasn’t in their possession anymore.

With all that in mind, Negan leaving Alexandria was a half-baked plan. Upon making his way back home, he learned that there was only one undead survivor by the name of Big Richie left there. Negan began talking to him and hanging on to that final thread of what used to be his world.

Even a loyal undead survivor from his past couldn’t mend Negan’s broken heart. He lost all his strength and hope. Normally, Negan would hold up Lucille and utter the words “Lucille give me strength”, but he didn’t have that to keep him going. He had no choice but to go back.

In the past, Negan was stubborn and willing to go as far as it takes with Lucille by his side even while by himself a few times. What this means is that Negan has officially been neutralized. It can be argued that Negan has been neutralized since Michonne finally broke the news that Lucille wasn’t there anymore.

This episode confirmed that Negan is in fact at his weakest without Lucille.

Whether Lucille is hidden somewhere or destroyed upon Negan’s imprisonment is currently unknown. If Lucille was to come back in Negan’s possession, the killer survival instinct of Negan would be back with a vengeance. It could spell danger for Alexandria with a relentless Negan. Viewers got a glimpse of that potential vengeance with his final conversation with Rick earlier in the season.

For now, Negan is not a threat and he should be the least of their worries upon Judith giving him the scare of a lifetime. What this means is that Negan is willing to move on and cooperate. They don’t have to fully trust him, but trust that he will not be the big man with a baseball bat calling shots and ruling lives anymore.

If they keep Negan away from Lucille, he will lose the desire to be the boss. How will Negan adjust? Will Negan contribute and become the man Carl envisioned a season ago? Negan doesn’t know about the current threat; how will he respond? Stay tuned this Sunday for those answers and more as The Walking Dead continues only on AMC.