UPDATE: 7-23-16 Check Out the Comic Con Trailer for Walking Dead Season 7

So, this new trailer doesn’t really give us any more of an idea of who Negan kills, though it definitely is playing it up. But, BUT, it does reveal Ezekiel, and give us a first look at tigers in the world of The Walking Dead.

So, take a look at the trailer, and if anyone is able to extract any theories about who is going down based on the trailer, let us know!

Who Did Negan Kill?

OK. We’ve got a lot of new Walking Dead related bits of news. AMC just tweeted the first teaser image for Season 7, which you can see below, and revealed that we’ll be getting the first Walking Dead Season 7 trailer on July 22nd. And Entertainment Weekly recently shared the first exclusive season Walking Dead season 7 photo (see below) and revealed a key piece of information. Also, *SPOILERS*, if you haven’t been keeping up. For both the show and comic.

According to Walking Dead’s executive producer Greg Nicotero (who also directed the much discussed Season 6 finale and the upcoming season 7 premiere) “Yes, who was at the receiving end of Negan’s bat will be revealed in the first episode.” Which is nice, because it would not be cool to make fans wait any longer for an answer to that burning questions we all have: Who did Negan kill?

First off, here are the 11 potential candidates: Glen, Michonne, Daryl, Maggie, Aaron, Eugene, Abraham, Sasha, Rosita, Carl, and Rick.

Well, the photo, poster, and information from Nicotero have set off a firestorm of speculation, and there now seem to be three characters who are the frontrunners for the Season 7 Who Did Negan Kill Sweepstakes. So, let’s take a look at the three candidates, a few runners-up, and a possibly even more devastating option.

Option 1 – Negan Killed Glen

This option still seems to be the favorite, and we covered why previously in more length, but let me give a brief version here. The most compelling piece of evidence is that Negan kills Glen in the Walking Dead comics. And, there was a Season 7 casting call for a character that matches the comic character Ezekiel, who Rick plots with, in the comics, to take out Negan in part to avenge the death of Glen. Also, Steven Yeun, the actor playing Glen, started filming another movie just before filming for Season 7 started, adding to the speculation that he wasn’t needed for much filming in Season 7.

One argument against Glen being the victim is Glen’s fake death. You know, the under-the-dumpster mid-season 6 finale bit that ended up annoying most fans. People are saying it would be silly to pull that bit of fakery only to off him now, and would probably just end up alienating fans more.

Option 2 – Negan Killed Maggie

This is a more recent theory, owing to two things. First, according to reports, Lauren Cohan, the actress playing Maggie, had only been seen on set once so far during filming for Season 7 (which may have changed, more on that shortly), and that was for the premiere episode. Which she’d still have to be in even if she dies. Also, people who’ve been tracking her social media feeds say that during filming, she’s been posting pictures, like selfies at the beach, that aren’t anywhere near the set. Which, yeah, those could be misdirection, photos taken from before, or even just a day off / small vacation from the set.

Still, the Maggie theory is picking up steam, with many fans feeling like it falls in line with the show’s “no one is safe” mentality. Also, they feel like it would lend weight to the Glen “fake-out” death by having him survive only to lose Maggie.

Option 3 – Negan Killed Abraham

People originally considered Abraham, in part because he was one of the only people who stood up to Negan. And that kind of defiance isn’t usually healthy in The Walking Dead. (Though some fans also argue that Abraham showing some spine may have won some grudging respect from Negan and spared him from the bat.)

This theory gained a huge boost when The Spoiling Dead Fans posted a list a few days ago breaking down which episodes the different actors had been spotted filming. Only two names on the list showed up with episode 1 being their only entry: Abraham and Glen. (Maggie was listed twice, contradicting the previous report that she’d only been seen filming for the premiere. So, maybe she’s in the clear?) Also, Abraham has died in the comics (in the same arrow through the eye manner that Denise met her fate), leading many fans to believe his days are numbered.

Honorable Mentions – Negan Killed Michonne or Daryl

If Negan really wants to hurt Rick, he’d off Michonne. This would depart from the comics, but the show has done that many times, so some fans are thinking this could be a possibility. And yeah, Daryl’s a fan favorite, but he’s also an invention of the series, so there’s no comic-precedent for what might or might not happen to him.

Who Did Negan Kill? How About a Two-Fer?

Remember that bit about Glen and Abraham both coming up as only filming for episode one? This is giving rise to another theory that Negan is actually going to off both of them. It would be in keeping with Glen’s death in the comics, but also add a nice twist for the TV series.

Whatever happens, the show’s apparently gone to great lengths to protect the answer to the question of “Who did Negan kill?” According to some reports, they even filmed a death scene for each of the 11 possible characters, just in case anything leaked or people got too close to figuring it out. Which I guess technically means it could be any one of the eleven, though if that’s accurate, it appears they did it more to mask the identity of the victim rather than put off the decision or hedge their bets.

So, who did Negan kill? Let us know what you think in the comments! And if you haven’t started watching the Walking Dead, or need to get caught up, you’ve got until October. Get on it!

Featured Image: AMC