The Walking Dead: 10 Things To Expect When Season 9 Returns
6. Negan Will Be Set Loose On The World
We already got to see a hint of this in the final moments of "Evolution" but Negan's freedom was already handled differently in the comics, mostly because Rick was still alive and well.
In the books, Negan had been imprisoned for two years and during that time, Rick would come down and talk to him. This happened a little bit during the early episodes of season nine, but now that Rick is dead, the series had to divert a bit from what happened in the books.
Rick went to Negan and asked for his help in dealing with Alpha. He helped him out, but after the horde attacks the town, Negan not only gets freed, he fights alongside Rick. This version of Negan was much different than his previous depiction as leader of the Saviors... he was still a foul-mouthed jerk, but one who saw Rick as someone he respected and not someone he was set to hurt.
Eventually, Negan's help gets him to the point where he is allowed to go free from Alexandria, though he is effectively exiled. There is even a part in the books where Maggie tracks him down and lets him live, which also somewhat happened in the show. Expect Negan to become a big player moving forward in dealing with the Whisperers, but not as a leader and more as a weapon.