The Walking Dead “Here’s Negan” Easter Egg Reveals How the Saviors Get Their Name

The Walking Dead reveals the origins of the Saviors when Season 10C takes a swing at Negan's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) backstory in "Here's Negan." In the prequel episode that flashes back to 12 years before the events of Season 10, Negan is a foul-mouthed gym teacher and an unfaithful husband to wife Lucille (guest star Hilarie Burton Morgan). When the real Lucille succumbs to pancreatic cancer after extinguishing a dwindling supply of chemotherapy drugs stashed in their basement bunker, Negan honors his "angel" with a barbwire-wrapped baseball bat named Lucille. The so-called "vampire bat" would help Negan assert control of the Saviors, including future members Simon (Steven Ogg) and Dwight (Austin Amelio).

Look closely at the newest photo from "Here's Negan," and you'll see Negan holding a baseball cap with the logo: "SAVIORS ATHLETICS."

The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard revealed Negan's origins in 16-part prequel comic "Here's Negan," where Negan moves from one short-lived group to the next before meeting married couple Dwight and Sherry. He then forcefully unites factions of survivors into his group called the Saviors, who later antagonize and extort the group of survivors led by Rick Grimes.

"Robert Kirkman has done a little bit of thought on Negan pre-zombie apocalypse, and I would be more than happy to see that," Morgan said in a 2018 interview. "I would like to take part in some filming of that. I think that would help explain this character a great deal. Because, unfortunately, the way things go with so many characters and storylines, we don't see enough — and I think that that is needed, especially when you have a character like Negan."

Negan once confessed his sins to Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) before opening up about Lucille again when he confided in Whisperer leader Alpha (Samantha Morton) earlier in Season 10.

"I'm very lucky to play him, because he's become so well-rounded, and this kind of redemption arc that he's been on has been very interesting to play. And I think the Negan Lives comic book kind of carries that on," Morgan said about the one-shot comic book during the virtual Walking Dead Family Hangout over the summer. "It's a great little story, it's just a little slice of a day in the life of [Negan]. It's great, and I would love to. I always wanted to film that and then the prequel to Negan, there's a comic book for that as well. I'd love to do that."

Follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter for all things TWD. The Walking Dead returns to AMC with new episodes on Sunday, February 28.