She may be beautiful to look at, but Ali Larter hasn't exactly found her footing on Heroes, ever since the death of original character, Niki.

As fans prepare for the show's fourth season next month, many are wondering how prominent of a role Larter's latest character, Tracy, will play.

According to series creator Tim Kring, the answer is: a big one. He spoke to Entertainment Weekly this week and said Tracy embodies the volume's "redemption" theme:

“Tracy goes back to her old life working on the Hill, only to discover that she’s no longer driven by the same shallow rewards,” explains series creator Tim Kring. “She wants to make a difference in peoples’ lives.”

As for Ando, James Kyson Lee has revealed a couple tidbits about his character's arc this season.

"He's going to be starting a new business with Hiro and that's gonna thrust us into some really unusual adventures... He's going to partner with somebody that you would never expect on the show."

Any theories on who that could be? Chime in with them on our Heroes forum!

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.