Nechonne

"We're the same. All or nothing. You are trapped, same as me. You’re connected to the dead, same as me. We are the same and you can’t stand that we’re the same."

- Negan to Michonne.

Nechonne is the het ship between Negan and Michonne from the The Walking Dead fandom.

Canon
In Last Day On Earth, Negan makes his first appearance to Michonne after her group successfully infiltrates and carries out a massacre at one of his outposts. Later captured and among the lineup for someone to be executed, Michonne survives Negan's selection, fueling a hatred for him and the two become formal enemies as she seeks revenge. After Negan demands Rick amputate his son's arm, Michonne is the one to speak up and plead for Negan to stop, claiming the group understands his message to which Negan agrees that while she does, their leader does not.

Michonne's desire to confront him grows in Service by secretly stashing away guns and practicing her shot. When the Saviours arrive to collect their share of supplies, Michonne delivers a deer and tosses it to the ground where Negan makes a comment about loving when women buy him dinner and don't expect him to 'put out' whilst grinning. Later in the season, she even takes one of his people hostage and demands to be taken to him, but the plan ultimately fails. She also persuades Rick to take a stand against Negan, no longer able to live by his terms anymore.

In Worth, Michonne makes contact with Negan and is the one to deliver Carl's letter addressed to him over a walkie. As she reads, the letter urges them to stop fighting and to find a more peaceful way forward, however Negan assures forgiveness is out of the question and vows to kill everyone in their group. When Negan is defeated and bleeding out, Michonne agrees with the plan to spare him, honouring Carl's last wish. Negan later awakens in the infirmary and before he can resist their arrangement for him, she grips his bandaged wound and pins him down, apprising him that their talk isn't a discussion.

Two years later, while hunting walkers in the middle of the night, Michonne is attacked by one of the dead and strikes it with a baseball bat she grabs nearby prior to accidentally dropping her sword. Looking down and reminded of Negan wielding Lucille, Michonne drops it suddenly before fleeing the scene. When daylight comes, Michonne learns that Negan is not eating in The Obliged and pays a visit to his prison cell carrying a plate of food where she states they intend to keep him alive, so he needs to eat. Negan then proceeds to beg her to stay and talk to him, seemingly starved of human interaction. Reluctantly complying, he opens up to her about his deceased wife Lucille, about Carl and later deduces that Michonne had a son before the outbreak and expresses sympathy for her loss - making him along with Carl, one of the only two characters to feature a scene learning about Andre. Negan concludes that they are a lot alike, both stronger, more built for this world, addicted to the dangers outside and that losing their loved ones made them not weak anymore, which Michonne refutes before storming out angrily. Troubled by their conversation, she comes back later, curious as to why he said what he said, only Negan reiterates how similar the two are. He also reads that she's afraid to end up like him, completely alone. His words seem to affect her but Michonne quickly catches on that he attempts to manipulate the situation in order to get he wants, namely Lucille back in his possession.

Another six year time skip shows Negan still imprisoned and Michonne now the leader of Alexandria. Continuing their push and pull dynamic, Guardians shows Negan return to his cell after previously escaping and waiting for Michonne, greeting her with a 'Welcome Home '. He informs her of entering her home and how he could've waited to kill her or anyone else, but chose not to, insisting that he's a changed man. He then tries to advise her about Alexandria's situation and even offers his help, claiming that she ought to start trusting him, but she refuses.

She returns again to his cell in Scars when her adoptive daughter Judith goes missing, asking if he's seen her recently. The two bicker and infuriated by Negan relaying Carl's picture of the future and talking about the past with Judith, Michonne eventually yells at him that she is her daughter. Negan agrees and reminds her that because she is, she'll take matters into her own hands just like Michonne would.

In their most civil encounter, after rescuing Judith in The Storm during a blizzard and sustaining an injury, Michonne later arrives where Negan's recovering to thank him for saving her life. She makes a light comment about his flair for dramatics and Negan laughs, remembering how the last time they were together like this, he was recovering from having his throat slit. Following the banter, he says that Michonne's been through enough already which catches her off guard, making to leave before Negan then inquires about the safety of the others caught in the snowstorm. He compliments her bravery for crossing through the Whisperer's territory and Michonne sits at his side as the two discuss the enemy group. She seems to gain some degree of respect for him as there's a slight shift in their relationship, enough so that Negan is granted more freedom and begins work around Alexandria the following season.

In Michonne's final episode, having been betrayed and drugged, in What We Become she enters an induced state in which she envisions her life had she not saved her friend Andrea and encountered the Saviours first. Finding Michonne injured in the woods, Negan takes an instant liking to her despite her attempt at killing him, and gradually the two build trust that she becomes his right hand woman. An alternate version of the lineup plays out as Negan proudly declares that Michonne should get the kill instead, offering a weapon of choice between her katana and his bat, signifying the bond and respect they have for each other. Michonne settles for Lucille and proceeds to choose a victim, revealing to be the real version of herself kneeling in front, before killing her.

Fanon
Although lacking in popularity, the ship first appeared at the time of Negan's debut episodes despite very few interactions. However following on from Rick Grimes' exit from the show during the it's ninth season, the pair gained more interest within the fandom.

Most fanworks explore the potential coupling during and after the time skip following Negan's defeat, or in the form of a love triangle during the midst of the Saviour war - appealing to the enemies to lovers trope and forbidden romance. Many also revolve around the antagonistic but underlying flirtatious power dynamics of their relationship. The pairing is often referred to as a guilty pleasure by fans and is enjoyed due to the character's onscreen chemistry, the interesting dynamic portrayed and even how they are two of the most iconic characters of the franchise.

Fandom
FAN FICTION


 * Negan/Michonne tag on Fanfiction.net
 * Negan/Michonne tag on Fanfiction.net

ARTICLES


 * ‘The Walking Dead’: Jeffrey Dean Morgan Teases Danai Gurira About Negan and Michonne Romance
 * The Walking Dead: 10 Love Interests For Negan That Would Have Been Perfect But Never Happened

TUMBLR


 * negan x michonne posts on Tumblr
 * negan x michonne posts on Tumblr

Trivia

 * In the Walking Dead #100 Comic Issue, Negan says to Michonne in the lineup scene - "My my... There's a lot of things I'd like to do to you, and killing you is at the absolute f****** bottom of that list. Still on it, though."
 * During a Q&A, Jeffery Dean Morgan admits that the two actors talked about their 'potential' as a romantic pairing in between filming their scenes and supposedly teased Danai about it, who was against it.
 * Some fans believe that Negan and Michonne were together in the alternate path episode, which can be credible due to Michonne being his right hand, the two appearing on equal standing and the detail of Negan allowing her to use his iconic bat on someone of her choice in the lineup.