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David Morrissey brought a tank to a gun fight as The Governor, Andrew J. West invited Rick & Co. to dinner as Gareth, the leader of Terminus, but the biggest threat to face the survivors of The Walking Dead will undoubtedly be Jeffrey Dean Morgan's upcoming villain, Negan. How bad can he be? Comics creator Robert Kirkman recently compared his arrival to that of an atomic bomb.

In a chat with EW, Kirkman talked about the first appearance of Negan during the sixth season of the AMC hit series and how he'll irrevocably change the show itself. The character is arguably the most infamous antagonist from the comics for a variety of bloody, brutal reasons, but the thing that makes him so dangerous to the citizens of Alexandria is how organized he and his followers are. Kirkman addresses all things Negan below.

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Image via Charlie Adlard/Image Comics

First up, for any fans of The Walking Dead who feel that the show is starting to get a little too stale, Kirkman has an answer for you:

“As far as shake-ups go, we have lots of shake-ups from season to season. It keeps things interesting — keeps the blood pumping, I like to say — but Negan is kind of an atomic bomb that’s going to be dropped on the show and the show will probably never be the same after that. So buckle up, I guess?”

Buckle up, indeed. If you were worried about your favorite characters being in constant mortal peril before, thanks to the ever-present danger posed by Walkers and other humans, you might want to refill your prescription heart medicine now. When Negan shows up, all bets are off. In Kirkman's own words, here's why:

“I think the Saviors are dangerously organized. The Wolves were psychotic, the Hunters [the group from Terminus] had a lot of weaknesses. When it comes to the Saviors, and Negan in particular, the way I’ve always thought about this in the comics is this is a group that’s led by a guy who’s had his morality dial a few clicks away from Rick toward the darker aspects of his personality, but is still an intellectual and capable leader who’s kept his group alive against all odds just as long as Rick has. It’s really the best encountering the best. When these two forces come head to head, things are gonna get interesting. This is a much different group than they’ve ever encountered. The Saviors are a group they’re not really prepared for.”

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Image via AMC

In other words, Negan = Dark Rick, so sometime soon, Rick will take on Dark Rick. Who do you think will win, and who will be caught in the crossfire? Find out for sure when The Walking Dead returns this February.

For more on The Walking Dead, be sure to check out some of our recent coverage provided at the links below:

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