The Walking Dead Reveals the First Look at Season 9's Big Bad, The Whisperers

Warning, spoilers for The Walking Dead ahead!

After that wild midseason finale of The Walking Dead in which we lost fan-favorite walker-slayer Paul "Jesus" Rovia, we'd guess that there isn't much that could shake TWD fans. AMC is ready to test that theory with its release of new key art for the season nine return in the new year. The fresh art gives viewers a very intimate look at the show's newest big bad, The Whisperers, and their mysterious leader, Alpha.

As the last two episodes of TWD explored, our favorite communities are being confronted by a deadly group of survivors who cover themselves in the skin of the dead, which allows them to walk among walkers undetected. The Whisperers are responsible for the death of Jesus in the midseason finale, and now that the gang knows they exist, things are about to get messy. According to AMC, when we get back to our survivors (the ones without masks made of walker skins), they'll be dealing with everything that happened during the six-year time jump (like the "death" of Rick and where that mysterious scar Michonne bears came from), and the new threat that "they soon discover is unlike any threat they have encountered or endured before." Take that, Negan!

TWD will return to your small screen on Feb. 10 on AMC. Until then, check out the images ahead and get ready to be spooked by The Whisperers!