The Governor Was More Evil Than Negan

Summary

Governor from “The Walking Dead” comics was more sinister than Negan, indulging in extreme cruelty.
Negan in the comics was methodical and had rules, unlike the sadistic portrayal in the TV show.
The Governor’s atrocities in the comics surpassed Negan’s, making him the ultimate villain.

Regarding AMC’s “The Walking Dead”, two particularly notorious antagonists who caused havoc for Rick Grimes and his group are David Morrissey’s character, the Governor, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan. These men wreaked devastation, sorrow, and, let me tell you, they amassed quite a number of dead bodies. However, it’s worth noting that in the original comics, the Governor was significantly more malevolent than Negan. While Negan did indeed break a few heads (literally), the Governor’s level of wickedness was on an entirely separate scale.

Fans of “The Walking Dead” show might argue that Negan is the most villainous character, but the comics offer a contrasting viewpoint. The TV series portrayed Negan as an uncontrollable psychopath, prolonging Glenn’s execution, showcasing his maniacal laughter, dramatic performances, and making his wickedness feel very personal. However, in the comics, Negan followed certain rules and possessed a twisted yet functional moral code. Some viewers felt that Negan’s redemption on the show was unjustified because of his excessive wickedness, but his transformation in the comics was less extreme, making it more convincing. On the other hand, The Governor was truly evil. The things he did in Robert Kirkman’s original “The Walking Dead” comics make his TV counterpart seem like a harmless bully. Here are reasons why The Governor surpasses Negan in villainy.

The Governor Was a Psychopath, Negan Was a Tyrant

According to the comics, it’s important to distinguish between ruling as a ruthless dictator and indulging in wanton violence. Negan governed the Saviors sternly, but his actions, though harsh, had a certain logic to them. On the other hand, the Governor derived pleasure from cruelty.

The Governor’s Greatest (Most Horrifying) Hits:

Tortured Michonne: In the comics, the Governor’s treatment of Michonne was one of the most horrifying moments in The Walking Dead’s entire run. He held her captive, assaulted her, and brutally beat her. She stabs his right eye in revenge. This was significantly toned down for the show.
Cut off Rick’s hand: A violent mutilation that was thankfully scrubbed for the show.
Kept zombie heads in fish tanks: He saw them as entertainment, like his own twisted version of television. Some of the heads belonged to people he had personally killed.
Used his undead niece as a pet: Penny, his zombified niece (not daughter as in the TV show), was kept chained up, and he would attempt to feed her human flesh. Negan, for all his brutality, had a firm stance against harming children.
Tortured Andrea (and likely others): The Governor restrained Andrea in his torture chamber, subjecting her to extreme physical abuse.
Assaulted Maggie: In the comics, he forced himself on Maggie in a cruel display of power. Thankfully, the TV show writers chose not to be so explicit.
Slaughtered dozens of innocent people: During his final assault on the prison, the Governor ordered his people to kill every man, woman, and child inside. He even personally beheaded Tyreese (who played a much bigger role in the comics than in the show). In the TV adaptation, this moment was given to Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson) instead.
Executed his own soldiers: When some of his people hesitated to follow his extreme orders, he killed them himself to make an example.

During the series, they deliberately amplified Negan’s unsavory image beyond his portrayal in the comics. The brutal execution of Glenn with a barbed-wire bat was extended painfully, and his mental torment towards Rick was intensified to cinematic levels. In the comics, Negan’s brutality is undeniably shocking but also systematic. However, the show turned it into something more malicious.

Negan’s Completely Messed-Up Code of Ethics

In issue #100 of the comics, Negan’s chilling introduction was truly terrifying, yet it was underpinned by a twisted rationale. His approach could be summarized as follows: brutalize individuals to gain power over them, but avoid outright annihilation unless absolutely essential. Interestingly, he (allegedly) seldom resorted to harming women and children, especially in the comics, and he abhorred sexual violence.

Contrarily, the Governor was not bound by any moral constraints. He indulged in torment, murder, and abuse merely for entertainment and power. His reign over Woodbury wasn’t about maintaining control through fear; instead, it catered to his insatiable thirst for violence. Unlike Negan, who often presented a choice to submit, the Governor simply seized what he desired without any discussions.

Negan might’ve employed some psychological tactics, yet in the comics, he was less prone to extreme cruelty. The Governor, on the other hand, took pleasure in inflicting pain; however, his most brutal moments were softened for TV adaptation. It seems the alterations were aimed at intensifying the plot and moving towards increasingly chaotic antagonists in the series over time.

Their Behaviors Towards Women Is, Um, Not Great

In the TV series, the showrunners chose to soften some aspects, yet in the comics, the Governor displayed a far more terrifying and misogynistic nature towards women. For instance, he brutally attacked characters like Maggie and Michonne. Contrastingly, Negan, despite his violent tendencies, is said to abhor such actions and strictly forbids them, according to the storyline.

In the comics, Negan’s ethical limits were often blurred because he maintained multiple “wives,” a situation that was highly coercive and unfree. Although he presented them with a choice—either be his wife and enjoy relative luxury or perform manual labor—the power dynamic made this choice illusory. Negan’s rule was rooted in fear and control, and his behavior was by no means justifiable. Unlike the Governor, who seized what he desired through brute force, Negan ostensibly presented a choice.

In simpler terms, comparing the evil deeds of both characters – the Governor and Negan – doesn’t make it right for what Negan did. His behavior towards women was still manipulative and oppressive. This comparison is merely used to emphasize the extreme wickedness of the Governor, not as a means to excuse Negan from his own heinous actions.

The Governor’s War Was Pure Bloodlust

In the comics, when the Governor waged war against Rick’s group at the prison, it wasn’t just a power grab – it was a brutal act of vengeance for his daughter’s death. He had a personal vendetta against them and intended to exact a heavy toll, as seen in issue #48 where many lives were lost, including Lori (who in the show dies during childbirth) and baby Judith (who survives in the series).

As a die-hard cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but reflect upon the chilling consequences of the Governors’ orders in “The Walking Dead.” Although he didn’t pull the trigger himself, Lori and little Judith’s lives were cruelly extinguished under his command. Their deaths, portrayed with raw brutality in the comics, left an indelible mark on me. In the TV series, as Lori succumbed to her fatal wound, she tragically collapsed onto baby Judith, causing her harm.

On the other hand, the show expanded upon Negan’s relentless conflict with Rick, drawing it out over entire seasons. This portrayal highlighted his ruthless oppression and tyranny. In contrast, the Governors’ reign of terror felt more transient – a whirlwind of chaos that swept through Woodbury before dissipating.

Final Verdict: The Governor Wins (Or Loses?)

In the struggle for wickedness, the Governor stands out supremely as a malevolent character, surpassing even Negan in villainy. While Negan was indeed cruel and dictatorial, the Governor was an embodiment of terror in human form. The comics portray him as relentlessly ruthless, excessively sadistic, and driven solely by his own dark impulses. Unlike Negan who eventually found redemption, the Governor remained evil to the end. In essence, while the original series of “The Walking Dead” aimed to present Negan as the quintessential bogeyman, prolonging his reign of terror and highlighting his most horrific actions, it was actually the Governor who was the real source of fear.

2025-03-29 15:36