The Walking Dead
"The Walking Dead" Season 6 cast member Andrew Lincoln, pictured here as his character Rick Grimes, revealed he's excited for the arrival of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan in the finale. AMC

With all the hype surrounding the coming Season 6 finale of “The Walking Dead,” fans everywhere are enjoying the last days of the world before Negan. The villain, who makes a splash in the comic books with his dramatic and deadly entrance, will be played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan on the AMC show, and his on-screen nemesis couldn’t be more excited to get down to business.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Andrew Lincoln, who plays the series' main protagonist, Rick Grimes, touted Negan's arrival as “the greatest entrance ever written.”

“We’ve been talking about this guy for a long time. It’s probably the most important casting since Rick, really,” he told the outlet. “Everybody needs a hero, but I think they probably need a really good baddie even more. Negan’s incredibly charismatic. In this deranged society, there is a kind of logic to the way that he is running the place. He runs a tight ship, I’ll tell you that much. I’m actually very impressed. I doff my cap to this man!”

Although the character has yet to be introduced on the show, his presence has loomed quite large over the latter half of Season 6. When Rick and the group discover the peaceful Hilltop community is being shaken down for protection by Negan and the Saviors, they go on a mission to assassinate the leader. Although Grimes believes that mission to have been a success, the audience knows that Negan is still out there pulling the Saviors' strings.

Morgan will premiere as the character in the 90-minute finale, and fans have already been treated to their first look at the character and his trusty, not to mention deadly, weapon of choice, Lucille. As previously reported, Negan’s arrival in the comic books comes with the death of a main character. Although the show doesn’t necessarily follow the same trajectory as its written source material, the writing's on the wall for Negan to take someone out upon his arrival. Sadly, “The Walking Dead” has gotten pretty good at avoiding spoilers over the years, meaning fans can only speculate as to who might die.

Sites like Forbes have built a pretty good case for main characters such as Daryl (Norman Reedus), Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and Glenn (Steven Yeun) as the first victim, but it’s anyone’s guess at this point.

What do you think will happen upon Negan’s arrival? Comment below or tweet your thoughts to @TylerMcCarthy.

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