A negative active material of a rechargeable lithium battery includes a crystalline carbon core having an intensity ratio Ra I(1360)/I(1580) of a Raman Spectroscopy peak intensity I(1360) at a (1360) plane to an Raman Spectroscopy peak intensity I(1580) at a (1580) plane of 0.01 to 0.45 and a shell with a turbostratic or half-onion ring structure coated on the core, the shell including crystalline micro-particles and a semi-crystalline carbon, the shell having an intensity ratio Ra I(1360)/I(1580) of a Raman Spectroscopy peak intensity I(1360) at a (1360) plane to a Raman Spectroscopy peak intensity I(1580) at a (1580) plane of 0.46 to 1.5.