9 Best ‘Riverdale’ Characters

The CW’s Riverdale has been captivating fans for going on three seasons now, with the town’s teens grappling with murder mysteries, serial killers and more problems than could seemingly be possible in such a small town.

Naturally, such a show has a fair number of characters involved, all of whom are unnaturally good-looking but only some of whom are good people. From the teens to the adults, there are a healthy handful of hearts of gold in Riverdale, with those characters dedicated to solving crimes rather than committing them, getting people out of prison instead of putting them into it and delivering plenty of excellent one-liners in the process.

Scroll through for an unordered ranking of the show’s best characters.

Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart)

Nancy Drew’s CW incarnation has been a beacon of light ever since Riverdale premiered, crusading for justice and generally being an all-around good person. In just two seasons, Betty’s had plenty to deal with, including multiple murder investigations and the fact that her father was a serial killer terrorizing the town. Now, it seems her mom and sister are involved with some kind of cult, and we’re betting it’s going to be Betty who will find a way to help them. 

FP Jones (Skeet Ulrich)

At first, FP wasn’t exactly the supportive dad Jughead needed, but as the show has gone on he’s turned into a character who would do anything for his son, as well as a full-fledged member of Riverdale’s dad brigade. Leading the Serpents for years, FP may have participated in some not-so-legal activities, but it’s clear his heart was always in the right place.

Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch)

There are plenty of reasons to love Cheryl Blossom — her flawless red lipstick application, biting one-liners and her superb archery skills just a few of them — and that number has only grown as each episode airs. While Cheryl was initially just another mean girl, she’s quickly become a member of the gang, even donning her very own Serpent jacket — in fire engine red, naturally.

Kevin Keller (Casey Cott)

Riverdale‘s tried and true friend, Kevin is someone any character is happy to have in their corner. Now upgraded to a series regular, Kevin gives excellent advice and is always there for his friends, and isn’t afraid to be open about his own sexuality and other important issues.

Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes)

While she initially arrived as the spoiled mean girl from New York City, Veronica quickly proved herself otherwise, making fast friends with her classmates and providing support whenever it was needed. Now, she’s proving herself in a different way, putting in work as the new owner of Pop’s (and its not-so-secret speakeasy) to let everyone know that she’s more than just a daddy’s girl — she’s ready to fight for what’s right.

Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse)

Jughead may be an ornery self-proclaimed “weirdo” at times, but he’s also one heck of an investigator and a great boyfriend to Betty. Now the leader of the Serpents, Jughead has plenty to deal with, but clearly wants to help everyone around him and will even sacrifice himself if it means making sure others are safe.

Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan)

While initially ruffling feathers when fans feared Toni would break up Betty and Jughead, the Serpent member has quickly evolved into a fan-favorite thanks to her willingness to help others, pink-tinged hair and now full-fledged and adorable romance with Cheryl.

Alice Cooper (Madchen Amick)

Sure, she might have spilled her family’s deepest secrets to a seriously creepy cult, but Alice has always had her daughters’ best interests at heart, though sometimes it seems as though those interests are seriously buried. She’s also the queen of excellent one-liners, and won’t stop until she finds the answers she’s looking for. Along with that, Alice’s Serpent moment in Season 2 was honestly enough to get her on this list on its own.

Pop Tate (Alvin Sanders)

The purest character Riverdale has to offer, no harm should ever come to Pop Tate (proprietor of Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, purveyor of milkshakes and speaker of general words of wisdom) and that’s that on that.

Photo Credit: The CW