With season 9 being the last for Rick Grimes, newer characters need to step up as his departure approaches.

Beyond the longtime staples like Daryl, Maggie and Carol, characters introduced in more recent seasons will likely be just as integral in filling the enormous gap left in Rick’s wake.

New photos showcase such characters taking on that bigger role as they feature Jadis and Alden among the show’s more prominent and well-known characters. Jadis — former leader of the Scavengers — was introduced in season 7. Alden — a former Savior who proved his loyalty to Maggie at the Hilltop — was introduced in season 8.

Let’s take a look at Jadis and Alden’s photos and explore why they could take on larger roles in season 9.

Jadis

Jadis accepted Morgan’s invitation to join Rick’s community at the end of season 8. Negan and the Saviors were finally defeated and thanks to Simon, the Scavengers Jadis once proudly led were no more. She went back to her old name of “Anne” and seemed to accept it was time to embrace a new path.

The Comic-Con trailer revealed a few quick shots of Jadis acclimating to her new life. This picture highlights this change even more clearly with a clean look and modern, practical clothing. This is a stark contrast to the filthier, cultish look once worn by Jadis and her fellow Scavengers. Given the time jump between seasons 8 and 9 as well, Jadis looks to truly be part of her new community.

Beyond the fact that Pollyanna McIntosh is a series regular again, Jadis is poised to take on more responsibility because of her past and her relationship with Rick. Unlike many characters, she has experience leading a community, a group that for all their eccentricities survived for a while.

Rick recognizes her value as a leader, enough though in both seasons 7 and 8 he reached out to her to join the fight against the Saviors despite the peril she placed him in. Even after Negan and the Saviors were defeated — not to mention the fact that Jadis and the Scavengers double-crossed Rick in season 7 and abandoned him shortly after forging a new alliance in season 8 — Rick extended her the invitation to join his community. He recognizes that she did what she thought needed to be done for the Scavengers to survive, a fierce devotion she can now bring to her new community.

Rick’s belief in Jadis and her leadership past will take her a long way, but they’re not the only factors that could place in her in a new position of power. Jadis seems to be the character most connected and knowledgeable about the helicopter mystery which could be the key to what remains of civilization or the military. Some fans have even speculated that the helicopter is the key to the Commonwealth, a massive community introduced in the comics that is unlike anything Rick and company have seen before.

There’s certainly a lot more to unpack with Jadis in season 9 from her past as Anne, her connection to the helicopter, and a new beginning among Rick’s community.

Alden

Callan McAuliffe was already confirmed to reprise his role as Alden in season 9 with news that he was promoted to a series regular. Appearing even more charming and confident than before, Alden is not only set to take on a bigger role in season 9, but a more unpredictable one as well.

Alden may be a good person at heart, but he’s also a survivor. Alden was smart enough to realize that the war was turning in favor of the Alexandria-Hilltop-Kingdom alliance. Not only that, but as one of Maggie’s prisoners at the Hilltop, he recognized his best chance at survival was to side with his former enemies. In the end he not only survived, but also earned Maggie’s respect and gratitude.

While that attitude worked in favor of the show’s heroes in season 8, it could potentially backfire in season 9. With the time jump in mind, there’s a good chance Alden will have moved up even further in the ranks of the Hilltop, possibly to the point of Maggie’s second-in-command. A new avenue for survival and moving on up on the world could lead to Alden betraying Maggie this time around.

His actions in season 8 didn’t seem purely motivated by self-preservation, though, as on a certain level he really seemed to admire and believe in Maggie and the cause she stood behind. That would make a betrayal devastating, especially if their mutual feelings of respect and admiration grow into a romantic relationship, Maggie’s first since the tragic death of Glenn. With Maggie’s child finally arriving, Alden could become a father figure.

From a political side of things, Maggie expressed her impatience with Rick in the Comic-Con trailer and his inability to follow through on his promise that one day Maggie would lead and he would follow. Having a resourceful, personable guy like Alden could be helpful in Maggie rising to a greater position of power, especially considering Alden’s connections to the Hilltop and surviving Saviors.

At the very least, we’re excited to see Alden getting more screen-time and playing a bigger part this season.

We’re excited to see what season 9 has in store for Jadis and Alden.

Season 9 of The Walking Dead premieres Oct. 7 on AMC.