Why Negan Kills The Rat In The Walking Dead: His Plan Against The Dama Explained

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, episode 5, "The Bird Always Knows".The death of the Dama's rat proved to be a huge moment in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, and Negan's reasoning behind it shows why he's one of the smartest survivors in the franchise. Despite The Walking Dead heavily teasing evil Negan's return in the spinoff show, Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character has avoided losing his morality and has tried to aid the villains with as few casualties as possible. Not only did he spare the central characters while they traveled to Manhattan, but Negan also saved Hershel from Waylen, highlighting his commitment to doing good.

Unfortunately, episode 5 proved to be a bit of a breaking point. After being tasked with ensuring Christos' group joined the Burazi's plans, Negan almost struck a deal with the gang leader before the Croat arrived and wiped out the faction, leaving innocent women and children unprotected. This marked a turning point in Negan's ongoing Walking Dead story, prompting him to take instant action. As a result, he looks destined to take down the Burazi, and killing the Dama's pet rat is just step one of a much bigger scheme that could bring peace and balance to Manhattan.

How Negan Plays The Croat & The Dama Against Each Other

Negan Manipulated The Croat Into Speaking Out Against The Dama's Mistreatment

With too many innocent people getting hurt, Negan decided to take matters into his own hands in "The Bird Always Knows", hatching a plan that involved turning the Croat and the Dama against one another. Negan had already questioned the Croat throughout the season about how the Dama treated him, wondering why he was so loyal to someone who constantly undervalued him. Alongside finding out why the Croat left the Saviors in The Walking Dead and what happened afterward, Negan's conversation with the villain also exposed a major vulnerability that could be exploited.

As a result, he once again mentioned the Dama's poor treatment, reminding the Croat that he was the mastermind behind the methane operation. Claiming he would have the Croat's back, Negan encouraged the villain to stand up to the Dama, which caused a slight rift between the two Burazi leaders. With the Croat and the Dama already at odds, the latter's pet rat being killed led to their tension reaching a boiling point, causing the Dama to believe the incident was a direct message from the Croat who wanted to display his power.

Understandably, the Croat's attempted apology for his earlier outburst didn't go down well with his partner, leading to another argument that soon turned deadly. With tempers flaring, the room went ablaze while the Dama was caught under some furniture, leading to the Croat reluctantly leaving her there to burn. Perhaps unexpectedly, Negan's plan didn't take nearly as much planning as he might have thought. All he had to do was put some doubt in the Croat's mind about how the Dama felt about him, and once their conflict started, killing the rat confirmed their relationship would never be the same.

Why Negan Killed The Dama's Rat

Negan Made It Look Like The Croat Lashed Out & Killed The Rat, Furthering His Dispute With The Dama

Killing the Dama's rat was Negan's attempt to ruin the trust between the Dama and the Croat, which proved to be highly successful. Throughout his manipulative conversations with the Croat, Negan reminded his former ally that the Dama treated her rat better than she did her so-called partner. As planned, the Croat mentioned this very fact during his initial dispute with the Dama, making it a major point of contention. This made the dead rat look like an act of defiance from the Croat, rather than Negan's doing, ensuring the villains' conflict continued to escalate.

Even if Negan didn't know that their fight would eventually lead to the Dama's death, he seemed confident that leaving the rodent bloodied on the floor would look like a message, one that couldn't be ignored. Had he been caught in the act, Negan's disobedience could've led to death in Dead City season 2. Instead, he executed his scheme flawlessly and knew that the Dama and the Croat's egos would be too much for them to simply talk things out or find common ground.

While it may have only been the first step of his ploy, Negan killing the rat successfully weakened the Burazi and looks to have taken the Dama out of the picture for good, setting up a hopeful future. Fortunately, the Croat's blind loyalty to Negan makes him the easier party to exploit, giving the former Saviors leader a real chance at stopping Dead City's villains for good.

Don't Worry, Negan Will Surely Kill The Croat Too In The Walking Dead: Dead City

After Killing Christos, The Croat's Days Are Numbered

The Dama's death may make the Croat temporarily more powerful, but I wouldn't expect this to last for very long. Although the Dama seemed to be running the show, Negan has far more history and disdain towards the Croat, who is the main reason he was dragged into the conflict in Manhattan. Not only was he responsible for putting Annie and Joshua at risk in The Walking Dead spinoff, but the Croat murdering Christos and his men alongside sounding more than happy to kill children earlier in the season confirms that he is living on borrowed time.

Negan may have a dark past, but he's worked hard to find redemption and takes pride in doing the right thing these days, hence why he will almost certainly kill his former ally. Even if there is an opportunity to flee Manhattan with his family, Negan will presumably want to take care of the city's biggest threats to make it a more peaceful place, and there's too much unfinished business with the Croat for the villain to survive. Therefore, by the time Dead City comes to an end, I expect the Burazi to be completely powerless courtesy of Negan.

What Happens In The Walking Dead: Dead City Now The Dama Is Dead?

The Croat Will Presumably Take Full Control Of The Burazi Which Negan Will Try To Take Down From The Inside

Considering that the Dama looked like she would be Dead City season 2's main villain, her supposed death creates plenty of questions about how the spinoff show will conclude. As of now, there is no confirmation of a third season, meaning Maggie and Negan's New York journey could end for good in the next few episodes. Assuming this is the case, the Dama's death will likely be the first of many dominoes to fall, as Narvaez and several New Babylon troops also died in "The Bird Always Knows", leaving the faction weaker than ever.

If the central characters do escape Manhattan, they may be able to finish what's left of New Babylon without much trouble, but Bruegel and the Croat's factions remain the key threats. Bruegel showed up in Central Park with his gang, presumably capturing Maggie and her allies. Meanwhile, the Croat will likely seize full control of the Burazi now that the Dama is gone, with Negan presumably being appointed as his second in command.

Therefore, Dead City's final three episodes will almost certainly involve Maggie and Negan taking care of their respective villains with the help of any allies they have remaining. The Dama's death could cause problems with Hershel since he seemed to admire the antagonist, but it's still unclear where his story is going. Overall, the Burazi will be more divided without the Dama's guidance and the group's relationship with Bruegel will be much weaker, suggesting the protagonists will eventually take care of their enemies and bring peace to Manhattan.