Author: Trafficblast

Status: Alive

The golden boy of Riverdale is, personality-wise, almost exactly like his comic counterpart. He is well-meaning, even if his actions lead to misfortune, and he is perpetually girl crazy and indecisive. At the end of Season 4, he was stuck in a love triangle between Betty and Veronica. He rediscovered his love for music. And he seemed committed to staying in Riverdale as his friends prepared for college.

Status: Alive

An archetypal girl-next-door, Betty Cooper is an aspiring mechanic, tomboy, detective, and best friend in both continuities. But Riverdale also briefly introduced Dark Betty—a hypersexual, slightly evil alter-ego that was an outlet for Betty’s worst impulses. At the end of Season 4, Betty and Jughead were investigating the creepy threatening videotapes sent to multiple Riverdale families. Betty and Jughead are still together, but a brief kiss that she and Archie shared is bound to blow up.

Status: Alive

Riverdale Veronica is actually a whole lot nicer than comics Veronica. They’re both spoiled snobs, but on Riverdale, Ronnie tries to be a better person than she used to be. The comics Veronica, on the other hand, is an unapologetic elitist who makes no bones about her privilege and power, and she lords it over everyone around her. At the end of Season 4, Veronica was still trying to run La Bonne Nuit. Her father was still trying to ruin her life. And her relationship with her beloved Archiekins was about to go up in flames.

Status: Alive

Of the “main four,” Jughead was changed the most from his comics incarnation. In the comics, he’s an asexual slacker. In the show, he has a tortured writer vibe and a passionate relationship with Betty. Both Jugheads are perpetually hungry, but on the show, it’s heavily implied that because he’s from the wrong side of the tracks, he doesn’t always have enough to eat. In the Season 4 finale, Jughead is investigating the creepy videotapes with Betty–one last case before the two of them head to college. The change will do him good; Pulitzer Prize winner has a much better ring to it than King of the Southside Serpents.

Status: Dead

In the comics, Archie’s dad is grouchy, fat, and balding–the complete opposite of the late Luke Perry, who portrayed Fred before his untimely death from a stroke in 2019. The showrunners decided to kill off Fred in the show instead of recasting the character, The Season 4 premiere showed Archie coming to terms with his dad’s death, and the episode was dedicated to Perry’s memory.

Status: Alive

Archie’s mom was a primarily a homemaker in the comics, and later worked as a real estate agent. She was a supportive mom, but had little characterization outside of being a warm, supportive presence in her son’s life. In the show, Mary is portrayed by teen idol extraordinaire Molly Ringwald and is reimagined as a high-powered Chicago lawyer. She began seeing high school friend Brooke Rivers romantically after Fred’s death, and moved back to Riverdale to be with her son.

Status: Alive

Betty’s mom was barely fleshed out in the comics, which meant that the Riverdale writers were free to go wild with their version of her. The Riverdale Alice Cooper is a narcissistic, controlling bully, who is emotionally abusive to her children and unrealistically demanding of them. She was last seen lobbying Principal Honey to reinstate the senior prom, which he eventually did. No doubt, she’ll be part and parcel to whatever drama goes down in Season 5.

Status: Dead

Like Alice, Hal’s relatively thin characterization meant that the Riverdale writers got creative. They made him a quasi-religious serial killer known as the Black Hood, who tormented Betty and killed (among others) Miss Grundy and Midge Klump. He died in the Season 3 finale at the hand of Penelope Blossom, although his deeds still haunt Betty to the present day.

Status: Alive

The comics Polly Cooper is a successful, well-adjusted television reporter who is an older sister and mentor to Betty. The show Polly Cooper is a maladjusted individual, who is taken advantage of by nearly everyone she comes in contact with. Her forbidden relationship with Jason Blossom triggered the events of Season 1. In Season 4, while institutionalized for her membership in a dangerous cult, she disfigured a nurse as a result of being brainwashed by said cult. She’s still got a long way to go.

Status: Alive/Alive

In the comics, Chic Cooper is Betty’s older brother and a single character. In the show, Alice reveals that she had a child with F.P. Jones, who she later gave up for adoption. The Cooper family later reconnected with Chic, who claimed he was Alice’s son. We later find out that Chic is an impostor and a psychopath. Then we met the real son, Charles Smith, who is a successful FBI Agent, but we found out that he was colluding with Chic from prison. In short, it’s a mess. That Charles is one the most supportive people in Betty’s life says a lot about how bad things have gotten for her.

Status: Alive

In the comics, Mr. Lodge is a comic foil for Archie. He dislikes that Archie is dating his daughter, owing to the boy’s clumsiness and cluelessness–at least three priceless heirlooms get destroyed in the average Archie visit. In the show, Hiram Lodge is the crime boss and mayor of Riverdale, which qualifies as a definite conflict of interest. He’s tried to kill Archie for the better part of two seasons, but ever since the death of Fred, this animosity seems to have cooled off. He’s also allegedly suffering from a debilitating disease, although knowing Hiram, it’s probably a lie.

Status: Alive

Largely a background character in the comics, Mrs. Lodge is the sometimes co-conspirator, sometimes victim of Hiram’s machinations in the show. The actress, Marisol Nichols, has recently announced that she is leaving the show, which leaves her character’s future in doubt. Currently, she’s divorced from Hiram in the show, which would make a departure a bit easier to explain.

Status: Alive

Like the Coopers, the Jones parents are also wildly reimagined from their thin characterization in the comics, which largely consists of them trying to get their lazy son Jughead off the couch. The show version of F.P. has undergone a radical personal growth. Once an absentee father and the leader of the Southside Serpents, he became the sheriff of Riverdale and began a stable relationship with Alice Smith. The actor, Skeet Ulrich, has confirmed that he will be leaving the show in Season 5 to pursue other interests.

Status: Alive

In the show, Gladys is reimagined as a shady criminal mastermind and member of the Toledo Serpents. She ostensibly moved back to Riverdale to be with her family, but really did it to take over its drug trade. She and Jughead have a complicated relationship, made more so by her estranged husband’s attempts to go legit.

Status: Alive

She’s been aged up from her comic version, but Jughead’s younger sister remains the precocious kid she’s always been. In Season 4, she was the only one who figured out that Jughead was faking his death, which means she’s definitely one to keep an eye on in the future. Smart and cunning can be a deadly combination in Riverdale.

Status: Alive

In the show, Hot Dog is the Southside Serpent mascot. In the Archie comics, Hot Dog is Jughead’s dog, and has a rich inner life. He has a humorous internal monologue and has been shown at times to possess a human being’s intelligence.

Status: Alive

The comics version of Cheryl was overtly sexual and seductive. A preppy rich girl from the neighboring Pembrooke Academy, Cheryl has a thing for slumming with the “townies” of Riverdale, and specifically has a crush on Archie Andrews. She was one the only things that could unite Betty and Veronica in jealousy and resentment. The show retains all of Cheryl’s qualities, and adds an extra dose of crazy. In Season 4, she helped Veronica run a bootlegging operation, kept her dead twin brother’s corpse in her basement, and maintained a complicated, gaslit relationship with Toni Topaz. That she still manages to be lovable is a testament to actress Madelaine Pesch, who has found the perfect cross between pathos and camp.

Status: Dead

He’s the male equivalent of Cheryl in the comics. But in the show, he’s dead before anything even happens. Anytime we see him, it’s either a flashback, a dream sequence, or getting a little too close to his corpse. And still, his presence hangs over the show. Like with Laura Palmer in Twin Peaks, Jason’s death is almost besides the point; it’s what we discover about everyone, as a result of the investigation, that keeps us viewers coming back for more.

Status: Dead

An innocuous parent in the comics, Clifford Blossom was an irredeemable monster in the show. He killed his own son to protect his drug kingdom, which he ran under the guise of his maple syrup business. Then he hanged himself at the end of Season 1 to escape any sort of repercussions.

Status: Alive

She’s a loving mother in the comics, but the show version of Penelope Blossom is a hypocrite, first and foremost. She runs a brothel and prostitutes herself for money; on the other hand, she ships Cheryl off to a nunnery after finding out that she’s gay. The Season 3 finale reveals Penelope as the Gargoyle King, controlling both Hal and Chic to do her bidding. In Season 4, she was imprisoned and enslaved by Cheryl, which to her was probably a fate worse than death. Woe be to Riverdale when she finally escapes.

Status: Alive

Kevin Keller debuted in the comics as the gang’s first openly gay character in 2010. Since then, he’s become a staple part of the cast. He has a boyfriend named Clay Walker, and in one reimagining is portrayed to be a future Senator. In the show, Keller is one of Betty and Veronica’s best, most loyal friends, although he did get caught up with the Farm cult near the end of Season 3. He directs Broadway musicals for the school plays, and he is currently embroiled in a tickle porn scandal, thanks to Reggie trying to hijack the market from a local porn producer.

Status: Alive

Kevin Keller debuted in the comics as the gang’s first openly gay character in 2010. Since then, he’s become a staple part of the cast. He has a boyfriend named Clay Walker, and in one reimagining is portrayed to be a future Senator. In the show, Keller is one of Betty and Veronica’s best, most loyal friends, although he did get caught up with the Farm cult near the end of Season 3. He directs Broadway musicals for the school plays, and he is currently embroiled in a tickle porn scandal, thanks to Reggie trying to hijack the market from a local porn producer.

Status: Alive

In the comics, Kevin’s dad is a colonel. The implicit message is clear; if Tom, the most manly man in the entire franchise could accept his son’s lifestyle, then others ought to do the same. In the show, Tom was the town’s sheriff, but he resigned in Season 2 after failing to solve the Black Hood Mystery. In Season 4, he tried to help Archie run Fred’s construction company, but quit when Fred’s shiftless brother, Frank, began stealing from the company account. He also married Sierra McCoy, the former Mayor of Riverdale and mother to Josie.

Status: Alive/Alive/Alive

In their original comics incarnation, the Pussycats were a rock band. In the current show, they’re more of an R&B pop act, although they still play their own instruments. They’ve unfortunately been given smaller and smaller roles as the show has continued, especially after Josie’s mom Sierra resigned as Mayor. They used to play at least one song per episode; that has since dropped off significantly. Josie and Val both briefly dated Archie, but neither relationship got serious.

Status: Alive

In the comics, Toni Topaz is a competitive eater who rivals Jughead in terms of sheer appetite. In both the comics and the show, the character is openly bisexual; the show version of Toni briefly dated Jughead in Season 2 and is currently in a long-term relationship with Cheryl. Toni is a longtime member of the Southside Serpents gang, who is finding her softer side. She’s grounded and loyal, which means she’s often protecting her girlfriend and her friends from themselves.

Status: Alive

In the classic comics, Moose is the big dumb jock of the gang. And lest you think that’s an exaggeration, he literally prefaces every sentence he utters by exclaiming, “D-uh…” He is possessive and jealous of his girlfriend Midge in a manner that would be considered emotionally abusive by modern standards. In the TV show, Moose was in an open relationship with Midge, and frequently hooked up with Kevin Keller. After Midge’s death and nearly dying himself from a Black Hood attack, Moose left Riverdale High when his father tried to “scare him straight.” He joined Stonewall Prep. After leaving that school as well (the students were plotting to kill him), Moose joined the Army. Trouble seems to follow the poor guy.

Status: Dead

In the comics, Midge is Moose’s girlfriend; her main gimmick is that when any boy flirts with her, Moose goes berserk and attempts to kill him. In the show, Midge’s main function was to die. In Season 2, she was knifed to death by the Black Hood, and he posed her corpse on stage during the school’s rendition of Carrie: The Musical.

Status: Dead

The show did Dilton Doiley dirty. In the comics, he’s the town’s supergenius–the nerd that everybody likes and accepts as part of the gang. In the show, he was a loner survivalist who built himself an underground bunker and hung on the periphery of social circles, being creepy. He died in Season 3 at the hands of the Gargoyle King, after being ritualistically mutilated.

Status: Alive

“Big” Ethel Muggs is the ‘ugly’ duckling in the comics, who has an unrequited crush on Jughead and keeps him interested by cooking for him. In the show, Ethel Muggs is a cult member with an axe to grind against Betty, which is why she attempts (and fails) to seduce Jughead. At the end of Season 4, she’s renting snuff and porn movies from the local video store, which is honestly pretty on-brand for her.

Status: Alive

He’s unfortunately been de-emphasized in recent seasons, but the show version of Chuck Clayton started out in Season 1 as a stereotypical jock, who devalued women and was too cocky for his own good. He changed over time, however, and eventually fell more in line with the art loving, empathetic character we know from the comics.

Status: Alive

He’s the Riverdale coach and a demanding father in the comics; he’s a Riverdale coach and a demanding father in the show. Coach Clayton has gotten a pretty bum rap in both continuities. Not everyone can be a serial killer.

Status: Alive

Mr. Weatherbee and Archie have a great rapport in the comics; Archie tries to do something nice for his principal, and it ironically backfires and makes everything worse. But in the show, there’s no relationship. Weatherbee was an ineffectual, weak principal who would rather punish than lead from the front. And then he lost his job, because he joined the Farm cult. It’s a shame that such a great comic character was relegated to such a minor role.

Status: Dead

The comics version of Miss Grundy was a grey-bunned older woman who taught English and Math at Riverdale High. The show version of Miss Grundy was a music teacher in Season 1, who abused her authority by committing statutory rape. She was murdered by the Black Hood in Season 2–a bloody end to a problematic character.

Status: Dead

Svenson is Riverdale High’s custodian in both the comics and the show. In the comics, he’s a lovable old man with a thick Swedish accent, which causes him to substitute his J’s for Y’s. In the show, he was framed for the Black Hood’s crimes and shot to death by Sheriff Keller when he attempted to flee. “Yumpin’ yimminy!”

Status: Alive

Pop Tate’s Chock’lit Shoppe is the heartbeat of Riverdale in both the comics and the show. But in the show, he always seems tired and weary of the nonsense happening around him. And who could blame him? There are only so many armed robberies, police raids, and riots that one man can take before he decides it isn’t worth it anymore.

Status: Alive

A Serpent gang member and Kevin’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, the show version of Fangs Fogarty is completely divergent from his comics portrayal. In the latter, Fangs is the neighborhood bully in the spinoff comic series Little Archie. The Serpents logo on the show was also taken from the Little Archie series; you can see it on Fang’s shirt in the picture above.

Status: Alive

A minor character from the Little Archie comic series, Evelyn Evernever was reimagined as a Farm cult recruiter, who infiltrated Riverdale High to indoctrinate and recruit new members. At the close of Season 4, Evernever was behind bars, but that doesn’t mean she can’t cause mayhem; she triggered Polly Cooper into attacking a nurse by merely talking to her on the phone.

Status: Dead

In the comics, Jinx is a minor character with a cursed presence; whenever he goes, people are injured or killed. One comic demonstrates this power by showing that if he simply says someone’s name, they’ll fall off their bike or trip over a garbage can. In the show, Jinx was nothing like his comic counterpart. He appeared in one Season 4 episode as an illicit rum distributor, who was killed by Mr. Lodge after he tried to muscle in on Veronica’s territory.

Status: Alive

Smithers is one of several Lodge servants in the comics. He’s a butler, but more often, he’s the bouncer whenever Mr. Lodge wants Archie out of the house. In the show, Smithers was also the Lodge family’s butler, but after he left their employ, he leaked his knowledge of their dealings to Jughead in Season 2, and he worked to protect Veronica’s business in Season 3.

Status: Alive

Nick St. Clair is a more recent character from the Archie comics. He made his debut in the ’00s as a “bad boy” who tried to seduce both Betty and Veronica. In the show, St. Clair is a sexual predator, who drugged and attempted to rape Cheryl Blossom. Later appearances dealt with the fallout of this event, as Archie, Toni, and others took different measures to keep him away from their friends.

Status: Alive

Penny Peabody is Fangs Fogarty’s girlfriend in the Little Archie series, and she roughly serves the same function as Midge; if Fangs sees any boy near his girl, he beats him up. But in the show, Penny was a Serpent who was code-named “The Snake Charmer,” and blackmailed fellow Serpents into doing her bidding. We last saw her in Season 3, when she lost a knife fight to Gladys. Thus far, Gladys has cut out Penny’s eye and stabbed her in the leg. Jughead cut a serpent tattoo out of her arm. Time will tell if Penny finally learns her lesson and stays away from Jughead.

Status: Alive

Fashion plate Katy Keene had her own Archie comic series with a cool, interactive premise; readers could send in their fashion ideas, and the artists would draw them and credit the designer in the comic’s margins. She appeared in one Season 4 episode, which coincided with the debut of her spin-off show. Unfortunately, although it got great reviews, Katy Keene was canceled after one season.