War is on the horizon when The Walking Dead returns in the season 7 midseason premiere next month. Rick is finally back to some semblance of his former self as he stands at the Hilltop’s doorstep to try and strike an alliance against Negan and the Saviors. A new batch of images have arrived on EW with little answers and a lot of teases of what’s next.

The one big reveal is a new character, group, and location. The character’s back is turned, but showrunner Scott M. Gimple said, “I'm just going to say that Rick is going to meet this person and/or persons pretty quickly. The answers are just around the heap. I cannot wait for people to meet this character and to see this actor. There is some formidable fun coming up.”

There have been numerous colonies introduced recently, including that one episode where Tara stumbled upon the Oceanside haven. Rick is going to need as many bodies as he can if he hopes to overpower Negan, and he would have them if all the smaller colonies unite.

Fans can also glimpse the return of Khary Payton as King Ezekiel, who was largely absent from the first half of the season after his grand entrance in Episode 2. The character seems secure in The Kingdom’s relationship with Negan, despite urgings from some of those in his inner circle. Perhaps Carol and Morgan will be able to direct him towards action.

Then there’s the return of Simon (Steven Ogg). How might Rick respond to The Saviors’ presence in Alexandria after making the first step towards rebellion? Will he continue as if everything’s hunky dory, while awaiting for the inevitable showdown?

The Walking Dead returns for the second half of season 7 on Sunday, February 12th. See all the new photos below.