Halloween Costume Guide: DIY Negan costume from Walking Dead

Fan favourite and definitive Bad Guy Negan is an excellent go-to Halloween costume— the baseball wielding psychopath (with added charisma) is instantly recognisable following the success of AMC's Walking Dead, and uses clothes that suit anyone.

Whether you're a fan of the comics or the television show, this is a straight forward outfit perfect for cosplay, parties and thwackin' zombies. So without further adieu here's our complete guide covering how to dress up as Negan from The Walking Dead for Halloween

Who is Negan?

Comic book and television villain Negan first appeared in issue #100 of the Walking Dead back in 2012, and came to our screens in full profane-laden glory last year, where he was brought to life by celebrated actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He is the leader of the "Saviours", 500 survivors holed up together in the sanctuary— who respect and fear Negan as King. The group subjugates other communities around the post-apocalyptic world in exchange for protection from the zombies or Walkers.

Brutal, foul-mouthed and wielding a twisted sense of humour, Negan has a unique personality. He carries a barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat named Lucille, after his late wife, who is mentioned briefly in the comics. As well as featuring in the Walking Dead comics and television show, healso had a unique comic released specifically focused on his own mysterious back story titled Here's Negan!. His baseball bat, harem and immense violence continue to compel fans across both mediums.

A few things to bear in mind when cosplaying Negan

Inspired by singer Henry Rollins, Negan definitely has a biker/rocker vibe going. He's an easy character to play dress-up with, whatever your gender. You'll want lots of leather, a vivid red scarf and a humongous 32" baseball bat (ideally hollow if you're planning on partying in bars). Pair with slicked back hair, a devil-may-care grin and a manic gleam to the eyes.

How to dress up as Negan from The Walking Dead yourself

Ready to unleash your inner homicidal maniac-cum-zombie killin' machine? These are the items you’ll need for a DIY Negan costume

1. Leather belted biker jacket (Around £65 in real leather) – A gorgeous real leather jacket. Ensure it's the biker style, belted and has plenty of studs on the collar. If you're on a budget a PU leather one will do just fine.
2. Basic white cotton t-shirt (Around £5) – Wear underneath the leather jacket, tucked over the belt.
3. Dark grey chinos(Around £10)– Negan wears dark chinos in a brownish grey, that are tucked into his biker boots.
4. Cartridge belt (Around £25) – Hold up the chinos with this cartridge belt, the one he wears in the show takes .38 bullets, but it can be hard finding cartridge belts in the UK. If all else fails, a nice brown leather belt will do.
5. Blood red tassle scarf (Around £15) – Knot up and tuck into your jacket's collar, we're assuming the blood red signifies Negan's love of violence.
6. Black leather search gloves (Around £15) – These gloves are often worn by authorities to "search" suspects, if you want to go full Negan, wear just one glove on your prominent hand.
7. 13"Buckled "Engineer" motorcycle boots (From £80) – You'll want calf-length boots made of leather, in a dark brown or black, with buckles on both the top and side. Tuck your chinos into the boots and make sure your trousers look a little loose.
8. "Lucille" the baseball bat (from £40) - Short of grabbing your own baseball bat and wrapping it in barbed wire and drenching it in blood (don't do that folks), you can grab this perfect replica that is hollow and light-weight, so you'll be able to take it into bars without being arrested (yay!).

Add that extra Halloween touch

Because it’s all about those delicious Halloween sprinkles.

1. Hair pomade - Slick those tresses back.
2. Some fake blood– Smear it on your face for a perfectly Negan post-slaughter glee.

Once you’ve got the clothes and accessories together, slicked your hair back and perfected the casual-but-ready baseball bat pose, you can get working on the happy-but-completely-psycho glint to the eyes (it takes practise). Add a dash of God Complex and voila, you are Negan for the night. Happy Halloween!