AMC's The Walking Dead franchise as a whole is filled with a lot of... well, death. It doesn't matter whether survivors meet their end due to the walkers roaming the streets or by the impacts of a bat called Lucille; there's no escaping death... unless you happen to be the Croat. Mile Jurkovic is one of the main antagonists of The Walking Dead: Dead City, and he quickly positioned himself as a ruthless, sadistic force to be reckoned with. He kidnapped Maggie's son just to make her find Negan, tortured and killed a child, and constantly adds a little dose of chaos to everything he does.
The Croat was originally a member of the Saviors and lived in the Sanctuary, but became a liability over time. As such, Negan attempted to kill him, but ended up missing the shot and simply blew the Croat's ear off. This simple mistake was enough to set into motion the entirety of the events of Dead City, which is now heading into its third season. However, this story could've been less complicated, as there are three specific instances in the spin-off show when Negan could've finished the job... but opted against it. Granted, Negan is a changed man now and doesn't go around killing anyone the first chance he has. Still, it's always fun to wonder what would've happened had a few events played out a little differently.
Negan could've shot the Croat during their first reunion
Season 1 episode 4, "Everybody Wins A Prize"
Perhaps the most obvious example of an occasion where Negan could've simply put an end to most of his problems was during his first reunion with the Croat. The two frenemies were initially pointing weapons at each other, but Mile Jurkovic offered a "truce" and put his nail gun down.
Negan didn't immediately fire away because he was looking for Maggie's son, Hershel, and only the Croat knew about the kid's whereabouts. However, at some point during the conversation, it is made very clear that the villain won't reveal where Hershel is. At that very instant, Negan could've decided to take matters into his own hands.
I'll admit, it would've been a risky maneuver to simply kill the Croat without getting Hershel to safety first. However, it was also dangerous to let the Croat live, given his track record of killing young prisoners. But what if I told you there was another instance in which Negan could've finished the job without endangering anyone else?
Negan and the Croat were alone in the back of an ambulance when Hershel was already safe
Season 1, episode 6, "Doma Smo"
There's an argument to be made that Negan didn't kill the Croat at first for two reasons: first and foremost, Hershel was still unsafe with the Burazi; second of all, the ruthless villain almost always had guards surrounding him, so killing him would've also resulted in Negan's death. However, during the finale of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 1, there was a brief sequence in which neither of these two elements was on the table anymore.
When the Croat is taking Negan to finally meet the Dama, the two are alone in the back of an ambulance for quite some time. Granted, Negan is unarmed at that point, but so was Mile Jurkovic. So if a hand-to-hand confrontation were to play out, surely the former would've gotten the upper hand.
Of course, things would've been a little complicated when the ambulance arrived at its destination. The Burazi would've opened the door just to see Negan holding the Croat's lifeless corpse. Still, Negan wasn't sure what fate awaited him once he finally met the Dama in the King Francis Theatre, so why not go out with a bang?
Negan could've taken out the Croat and the Dama with a single move in season 2
Season 2, episode 1, "Power Equals Power"
At some point in The Walking Dead: Dead City, Negan could not have killed either the Croat or the Dama even if he wanted to, because it is revealed that the two have captured his wife and son. However, before that revelation was made, there was a perfect moment when Negan could've single-handedly put an end to the Burazi.
In the opening episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, there's a moment when the Dama gives Negan a bottle of gin to try to convince him to "put on a show" for the many different factions of survivors living in Manhattan. At first, Negan politely refuses the offer and settles for living the rest of his days as a prisoner. However, he had a glass bottle in his very hands during that moment. He could've broken one half of it and used the rest as a weapon. Two birds would've been killed with one stone.
Granted, just a few moments later, the Dama revealed that she had captured Annie and Joshua, so it's probably for the best that Negan didn't act out without a second thought. Still, the opportunity was right there for the taking.
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 will be released on Jul. 26, 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google