New The Walking Dead Season 7B Photo Reveals New Characters

01/18/2017 12:28 pm EST

A new photo from the second half of The Walking Dead's seventh season has been revealed and, in it, we're meeting a group of new characters for the first.

Rick Grimes has departed from the Hilltop where we last saw him to end the show's 2016 run and apparently bumped into some new faces -- who may be friend or may be foe. In any case, they appear to be a raggedy bunch who might be hiding out in a junkyard.

Given the new synopsis' teases of what to expect when The Walking Dead returns, these new faces might turn out to be allies for Rick as he readies the communities for a war against Negan and the Saviors. He already has some work to do in convincing the Hilltop, King Ezekiel and his Kingdom, and possibly Oceanside to fight alongside his Alexandria Safe-Zone in the war ahead.

The photo already fits the whole "we'll meet new survivors in incredible places" but whether or not the faces in it will fall in line with his "singular purporse" which is "to defeat Negan" is to be seen when the AMC series returns.

The safe bet here is that this is the group who was previously seen spying on Rick and Aaron as their boat sank near an armory. The same person was seen later in the midseason 7 finale creeping on Alexandria with a pair of binoculars. Who they are and what they want is still unknown.

Check out the photo in the gallery at the bottom of the page.

The official synopsis for the rest of The Walking Dead Season 7 reads:

Rick's group will find out yet again that the world isn't what they thought it was. It's much bigger than anything they've seen so far. While they have a singular purpose - to defeat Negan - it won't come easy. More importantly, victory will require more than Alexandria. They need the numbers of the Kingdom and the Hilltop, but, similar to how Rick felt, Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and Gregory (Xander Berkeley) do not want bloodshed. To convince them otherwise will take more than speeches. The lengths Rick and the group will have to go to in order to find weapons, food and new fighters is nothing short of remarkable.

We'll meet new survivors in incredible places. We'll see Rick and the group tested in ways we've never seen before. We'll see treachery from people we trust. Rick is confident as he will see his group and many others band together with the common goal of taking down Negan. But no amount of planning will prepare the group for all-out war with Negan and his army.

The political factors are going to be more prominent than ever on The Walking Dead when it returns. Although Rick is onboard with dethroning Negan, the other communities will need some convincing.

MORE WALKING DEAD:

Andrew Lincoln's Epic Reaction To Season 7 Finale / New Season 7B Key Art / Violent Takes Were Removed From Midseason Finale / Best Moments of 2016 / Negan Featured in #162 Preview / Five Worst Storylines / Who Will Be The Next Major Death? / AMC Stock Takes Hit With TWD Ratings Drops / Spoilers: How Will Season 7 End?

The Walking Dead returns for the rest of its seventh season on February 12 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. Fear the Walking Dead's third season does not yet have a premiere date but with The Walking Dead finale set for April 2, expectations for Fear's return are set for April 9. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.

(Photo via EW)

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