The Walking Dead Finally, Completely Kills Its Maggie & Negan Romance

Published Sep 15, 2026, 6:30 PM EDT Kyle is a senior writer at ScreenRant and has been part of the team for over two years. Having led coverage on The Walking Dead projects alongside Rick & Morty, Kyle is well versed in numerous genres. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Kyle is a passionate journalist who has a keen interest in TV and film. He has six years of experience studying journalism including a HND in Practical Journalism and a BA Honours in Journalism, Media and Communication and History. Alongside his love for TV and film, Kyle enjoys video games, football and Formula 1. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3's finale. The Walking Dead has become iconic for many reasons, as its incredible characters, terrifying universe, and non-stop drama all helped cement it as one of the most recognizable TV shows of all time. While these qualities are among its strongest, The Walking Dead's romances are also surprisingly great and an underappreciated part of the series. Glenn and Maggie's relationship is easily the most memorable, while Rick and Michonne also make for a perfect couple. Finding love in such a dire world isn't easy, but it makes it all the more impactful when two people feel genuinely right for one another, which certainly isn't the case for Maggie and Negan. Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan have incredible chemistry, and their character dynamic is fantastic too. However, after Negan murdered Glenn in The Walking Dead season 7, it felt like Negan and Maggie were destined to hate each other for life, not find love, yet the franchise has continued to quietly float the idea of them becoming an item. Many years have passed since Maggie was desperately trying to kill Negan to get revenge for her late husband, and since then, their stories have been forever intertwined. They have frequently been forced to work together, with Dead City seemingly putting an end to their feud at the end of season 2. Now, we've seen a new side to their relationship, one that again hinted at the possibility of a romance. Fortunately though, The Walking Dead has teased Maggie having a new lover, as her bond with Luis has grown throughout Dead City season 3, with the finale confirming that she and Negan are more like family than potential partners. The Walking Dead Has Definitely Flirted With The Idea Of A Maggie & Negan Romance What has long felt like a forbidden romance has seemed more and more likely in recent years, especially with Maggie and Negan's paths crossing once again in Dead City. During The Walking Dead season 11's finale, it felt like they'd finally buried the hatchet to some degree, allowing each of them a sense of closure. Maggie revealed she would never forgive Negan, but would like to try to move on, giving them a chance to live their lives separately without this bitterness eating away at them. Instead, Dead City reignited their hostilities while forcing them to form another reluctant alliance, suggesting they were fated to fight forever. Season 2 eased this and saw them eventually have an emotional moment together, giving them the license to move on for good this time. However, with all that previous tension brewing, with some heated moments in the past, it definitely seemed like Dead City season 3 was heavily flirting with the idea of a romance until Luis came along. Lauren Cohan was vocally against the idea of a Maggie and Negan romance at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, while Jeffrey Dean Morgan jokingly supported it. Even then, there were moments towards the later stages in the season where it looked like The Walking Dead might pull the trigger on this unwanted love story. Thankfully, the show avoided it, even refusing to bring them together romantically in Dead City's alternate future episode, which could've seen them fall for one another without impacting the main continuity. As great as it is to see these characters on screen together, their history with Glenn simply makes a romantic relationship impossible. This is likely why The Walking Dead has repeatedly teased it, knowing it will make viewers emotional, but thankfully, Maggie and Negan's dynamic resembles that of siblings, rather than lovers. The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3's Finale Defines What Maggie & Negan's Relationship Actually Is For a long time, the best way to describe Maggie and Negan may have been frenemies. They'd spent years of their lives fighting and refusing to trust each other, only to end up working together regardless. Now though, the word family is more fitting, as it is what Maggie actually uses during a scene in Dead City season 3's finale. With Dillard holding Luis hostage and many of the group's community also at risk, the villain demanded Negan turn himself over, or Maggie give him up; otherwise, he'd start killing. Despite attempting to devise a plan, Negan thought the best course of action was to sneak off and offer himself up to Dillard, but Maggie intercepted him before he could do so. After scolding him for trying to sacrifice himself, Maggie claimed, "Aside from my son, you are the closest thing to family I've got left." Considering what their relationship used to be like, these words showcase how far they've come, confirming they've moved on from the past and are now forever connected, even if they don't always like one another. Maggie seeing Negan as family is a far more fitting development in their relationship than becoming romantically involved, as there will always be baggage and disagreements, yet they care for each other all the same. It puts an end to anyone thinking they may get together, while helping viewers understand why their hatred has passed. Both of them are tired and want to move on, which they can't do as a couple or as enemies. Instead, being family — even if they aren't blood-related — works far better and gives a clear stance on how they feel about one another, subsequently killing any chance of Maggie and Negan's highly teased Walking Dead romance. A Maggie & Negan Romance Would've Been Among The Walking Dead's Worst Moments Very few TV franchises have been around as long as The Walking Dead, and in turn, very few have had as many ups and downs. However, for all the low points the series has had, going ahead with a Maggie and Negan romance angle would easily be among its worst moments by far. No matter how enjoyable it is to see the characters share a screen, be it as friends or enemies, they simply don't belong together. Not only would it completely tarnish Glenn's legacy and make his final moments feel all the more haunting, but it would also stifle both Maggie and Negan's growth as individuals. It feels like since season 9, they haven't really been able to get away from each other, with Maggie's story always defaulting back to the trauma she has over Negan killing Glenn. Negan has had a lot more individual arcs, yet any progress or redemption is blocked by not having Maggie's forgiveness, which he's only now moving on from. If Dead City continues for a fourth season, they'll still be in each other's lives, but they can still evolve as individuals with their own storylines, which a romance would've prevented. Outside a small section of the fan base, a love story remains an unpopular choice, one that would've caused more anger than intrigue, making it best avoided. While it's nice to see Dead City change their dynamic into something more civil, Maggie and Negan falling in love would have just felt wrong and felt like a disservice to numerous years of character work. Therefore, it's good that The Walking Dead is steering away from this potential catastrophe, which would've easily been one of its most controversial moments. The Walking Dead: Dead City 8/10 Release Date June 15, 2023 Network AMC Maggie Rhee and Negan travel into post-apocalyptic Manhattan, a city isolated from the mainland and overrun by walkers and competing factions. Forced into an uneasy partnership, they pursue a dangerous mission tied to Maggie’s past. Created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard First TV Show The Walking Dead Latest TV Show The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Upcoming TV Shows More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe First Episode Air Date October 31, 2010 Cast Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lennie James The Walking Dead is a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television series The Walking Dead in 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as "walkers." The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.