The Case for Why Negan Kills Abraham on The Walking Dead

Spoiler warning for Season 6 of The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead comics, and maybe Season 7, we'll see.

In the Season 6 finale of The Walking Dead, new villain Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) introduced himself by killing a major character with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. The episode ended on a cliff-hanger - we know somebody died, but not who. So the hot topic of conversation among fans during the show's summer break is speculating about who was on the receiving end. This week, TVGuide.com will be presenting and prognosticating on the most likely candidates. Previously we discussed Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) and her husband Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun). This final installment will address Sgt. Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz).

OK, I know I said it was going to be Maggie, and then I changed my mind and said it was going to be Glenn. But now I've decided it's going to be Abraham. This is my final answer.

TVGuide.com readers agree: Abe currently sits atop our "Who did Negan kill?" poll.

The evidence for Abraham getting offed is a little more scant than it is for Glenn or Maggie, but it comes down to the same behind-the-scenes reason, which is that Michael Cudlitz has not been spotted on set since Episode 1 of Season 7, per Spoil the Dead. He was also reportedly spotted at a fan convention without Abraham's signature red hair (Cudlitz's natural hair is blonde).

Abraham is already dead in the comics -- he took the arrow-to-the-head that killed Denise (Merritt Wever) on the show. The Walking Dead TV series likes to reuse events from the comics with different characters, and having Negan kill Abraham would follow that logic.

Abraham's death wouldn't be as meaningful as Glenn's or Maggie's -- he hasn't been on the show as long, nor has he had as satisfying of emotional arcs. In fact, he's sort of in the middle of one right now, as he's starting to stop living nihilistically in the moment and start actually plotting for survival. Killing him now would cut that story short. But he's a fan favorite character who brings crucial comic relief to the show, so his death would make people sad. Plus, he's very important within the show, and if he died, Alexandria would lose a brave fighter and, um, lover.

What do you think? Are you convinced it's Abraham, or you a Maggie truther? Are you a comics loyalist who's certain it'll be Glenn? Or will it be someone else? WHAT IF IT'S DARYL?