The Whisperers are ready to unleash an all-out strike while another threat reveals itself to the Kingdom in the next episode of The Walking Dead.

The official AMC synopsis for The Walking Dead season 9 episode 13, “Chokepoint,” reads:

Daryl’s daring rescue mission forces Alpha to unleash a group of her own to retrieve what belongs to her, even if the price is paid in blood. The Kingdom’s plans to reunite the communities is put in jeopardy.

The episode promo teases an epic fight between Daryl and Beta while the sneak peek provides further insight into the new enemy threatening the Kingdom and the Fair they so desperately need. Here are predictions for what this means for the upcoming episode.

1. Beta will defeat Daryl (for now)

As one of the toughest and most experienced characters on the show, fans know Daryl Dixon is a seasoned and relentless survivor. There are precious few characters who can match Daryl in this capacity which means the expectation is that he’ll defeat Beta in their showdown.

Yet, it would be more effective for Beta to actually best Daryl. In doing so, Beta would be firmly cemented as a truly formidable character. A victory for Daryl won’t really develop his character all that much, but a victory for Beta would develop him nicely as a legitimate antagonist. Beta won’t succeed in killing Daryl, but he’ll win this battle against everyone’s favorite crossbow-wielding character.

2. Lydia will reveal her true loyalties

Lydia did her best to make it seem as though she remained loyal to Alpha and the Whisperers, though it remained near-impossible to maintain the facade when told to kill Henry. Playing both sides will no longer work for Lydia, though, as the Whisperers clash head-on with Daryl, Connie, and Henry in order to get her back. It’s time that she reveal her loyalties have shifted away from her mother and to the the side of Daryl and Henry.

This could connect with Beta and Daryl’s fight. After Beta defeats Daryl and is on the verge of killing him, Lydia can step in and save Daryl’s life. That action will prove to Alpha and Beta that even if they retrieve Lydia, they’ve lost her forever, a truth that will make Alpha even more dangerous and unhinged moving forward.

3. The Highwaymen have history with the Whisperers

While the Whisperers are the main threat right now, a secondary threat is about to emerge in the form of the Highwaymen, who were teased by the mysterious red symbol in the episode “Bounty.” This group threatens the Kingdom and all those from the other communities who are traveling there for the Fair.

While very little is known about the Highwaymen at this point, it’s plausible that they have history with the Whisperers. What that history is remains to be seen, but it seems like too much of a coincidence for both the Whisperers and the Highwaymen to manifest and begin converging on the communities at the same time. The Highwaymen might’ve suffered greatly at the hands of the Kingdom before and are now demanding resources from the Kingdom to strike back against the Whisperers. Only time will tell, but there’s a good chance the two antagonistic groups will be connected.

What are your predictions for season 9, episode 13 of The Walking Dead? Let us know in the comments!