Nov 01, 2016 11:37 AM EDT By Elle Levine, UniversityHerald Reporter

Following the gruesome deaths of Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun) and Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz) in "The Walking Dead" Season 7, Rick Grimes (Abraham Lincoln) and company has seen very little hope since Negan's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) brutal takeover. But there's a glimmer of hope as they arrive in The Kingdom, ruled by the beatific King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and his pet tiger Shiva.

But will they find an ally in King Ezekiel? Or will he eventually turn on Rick in "The Walking Dead" Season 7?

What you need to know about King Ezekiel

"The Walking Dead" Season 7 introduces King Ezekiel as the monarch of a seemingly benevolent community, where the people get along together peacefully and harmoniously. Too well, in fact, that Carol (Melissa McBride) was immediately suspicious of the community and thought of them as "brain-washed."

Later on, King Ezekiel revealed to Carol that the community was only a well-meaning illusion to keep them in check, according to Forbes. It was also revealed that he was somehow working with Negan's Saviors by supplying them with pigs--albeit those that have been fattened up with corpses.

Will King Ezekiel be an ally?

So far, King Ezekiel seems like an ally to Rick Grimes. "The Walking" Dead Season 7 will focus more on this alliance and how they would conspire to bring down Negan, although that comes much later. In an interview with IGN,Khary Payton, the actor who plays Ezekiel, said it would take something "really bad" to inspire the peace-loving monarch to raise arms against Negan's group.

"The Walking Dead" Season 7 star also hinted that men like King Ezekiel was not a man to be crossed. While he and Rick share a lot in common, the latter had better keep on the King's good side to maintain the alliance.

"The Walking Dead" Season 7 airs every Sunday on AMC. 

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