The Walking Dead: 10 Things To Expect When Season 9 Returns
5. Negan Will Go From Villain To Anti-Hero
Negan's release makes him a dangerous "ally" to the survivors as they never truly know what to expect from him. This was the guy who started an all-out war with them, but had been pacified and imprisoned for two years at this point.
When he is released, he tracks down the Whisperers and befriends Alpha. As someone who previously menaced Rick and the other survivors, he has something to offer Alpha, but things don't go according to her plan.
Everything seems to be pretty cozy between the two, but just as Alpha seems to be trusting Negan and allowing him into her inner circle, he up and slashes her throat. It was an instantaneous action and one that was fairly unexpected.
With her death, Negan went from being a villain to an anti-hero... of sorts. He still did some nasty things to get to that point in the story and he absolutely couldn't be trusted, but it was clear to Rick that he had redeemed himself at least a little bit, which helped in convincing him to allow for Negan's exile. The series may handle it differently now that Michonne is in charge, but the show may continue along these lines.