Who will Rick battle on season 9 of The Walking Dead?

It’s only been a few weeks since the epic season 8 finale of The Walking Dead. Negan may have been cut down but new villains are on their way, per recent casting news.

Fresh Walking Dead casting news means we may have the strongest clue yet as to who Rick Grimes’ next adversary (or adversaries) will be next season. During the season 8 finale, Rick finally defeated Negan with a swift cut to the throat. Negan survived thanks to Rick’s mercy but will now be imprisoned, only to shout curse-laden one-liners behind bars. A similar fate meets Negan in the comics.

With that being the end of season 8, it’s safe to say we could see the show do a time-jump similar to the comic. If so, we’ll start season 9 off with a prospering set of communities: Alexandria, The Hilltop, The Kingdom, Oceanside and The Sanctuary.

That also means the next enemies Rick will battle will be The Whisperers — a group of survivors who walk amongst the undead. The Whisperers use dead flesh to hide their scent, making them extremely creepy to come across.

One key hint that The Whisperers are headed for Alexandria is TVLine’s recent casting news reporting girlfriends Yumiko and Magna will appear on The Walking Dead.

The two will be “future Alexandrians who are not only prominent protagonists in Robert Kirkman’s comic-book series but in the war with the Saviors’ Big Bad successors, the Whisperers.”

In the comic, Magna and Yumiko are a part of a group of survivors from Richmond, Virginia who are eventually found and brought to Alexandria by Jesus. Magna and Yumiko do not initially trust Rick, per usual for anyone meeting a new group in this world. But when one of their own is killed by The Whisperers, they join Rick’s militia to help defeat them.

Now in the season 8 finale, the show teased that Rick’s own people may turn against him. Maggie, Daryl and surprisingly Jesus, held a secret meeting discussing how Rick allowing Negan to live was a severe mistake. Will Rick have to battle his own friends and The Whisperers? Now that could make for one complex season 9 and honestly, this show needs a refresher. It seemed like we waited forever for a somewhat anticlimactic Negan vs. Rick showdown. Rick having issues within his community as well as facing danger from an outside group would be exciting to watch.

What we still don’t know though is who will play Alpha, the leader of The Whisperers. Perhaps Alpha already walks amongst the cast?

A few good guesses for who could play her would be Jadis, the former head of the Scavengers. She’s got the creepy, monotoned speech down, and she could pick it up again.

Another option comes from the cast of Fear the Walking Dead who some currently speculate— Madison Clark. The only thing standing in the way of this theory is if she’s already met her fate.

Personally, this loyal TWD fan feels Jadis could and would be an easier pick for the role of Alpha. It’d offer us more time with Pollyanna McIntosh, and we’re totally good with that.

Who do you think will be Rick’s next nemesis on The Walking Dead?

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