The Walking Dead: My Final Prediction For Negan’s Victim

The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere premieres tonight on AMC, and it’s time for us to place our last bets as to who Negan kills. Here’s my final answer.

As we all know, someone major dies tonight on The Walking Dead. Those behind the show confirm that the premiere reveals the victim, meaning tonight is the night we know for sure who it is.

Related Story: 'The Walking Dead' Reveals Negan's Kill in S7 Opener

There are theories out there for practically every character in the line-up. I think the odds are high for a few different candidates. But as the clock is winding down, I’m going to submit my final prediction and see if I hit the nail (bat?) on the head.

Firstly, I just want to say that my theory is a potential spoiler. But only if I turn out to be right. It could be that I’m completely wrong and AMC throws us a curve ball.  As well, there are COMIC SPOILERS ahead. I just need to throw that in there for anyone planning to read the comics.

My final prediction for Negan’s victim is… Glenn.

I know, it’s such a predictable answer for comic book readers. In this scene in the comics, Glenn is the one Negan beats to death with Lucille. Current showrunner Scott M. Gimple is a big fan of the comics, and admits to closely aligning the TV series with them. It makes sense he would want to incorporate this very significant scene.

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Now, obviously, this puts Gimple in a pickle. Maybe he wants to adapt the scene using Glenn, but knows people will see it coming. Even those who don’t read the books will hear about how Glenn dies at that moment. So if he kills Glenn at the end of Season 7, everyone will be complaining about how the big finale was predictable.

But, if they were to, say, not show who dies, they can make the moment bigger. I think that’s how the cliffhanger idea was born. Because most people can see Glenn’s death coming, it won’t be used to close a season, but open one instead. Gimple knows this death can’t be as shocking as it was in the books, and this way he doesn’t have to bank on it to cap a strong season.

“WAIT, DOESN’T THE SHOW CHANGE THINGS UP?!”

Yes, I know they change things from the comics sometimes. After all, Denise was just killed with an arrow through the head in a recent episode. That was Abraham’s death in the comics.

But hold on— I think this was done by design. By changing this significant death, right before the Negan introduction, they give fans a false sense of security. It freshly plants in our minds how the show is willing to make those differences— making us question if they’ll do the same for Negan.

Next: 'The Walking Dead' Graveyard: Season 1 Character Deaths

I believe Gimple wants to kill off Glenn to keep things close to the comics. But as I speculated before, Steven Yeun’s response when asked about the death spells doom for his character. Yeun didn’t confirm if Glenn dies, but his answer sounds eerily like how other killed-off actors describe being written off.

Related Story: Did Steven Yeun Spoil Glenn's Fate?

It could be Daryl, it might be Michonne, maybe even Maggie or Abraham. But I’m penciling in Glenn as my final answer. Find out if I’m right TONIGHT when The Walking Dead Season 7 premieres on AMC at 9/8c.