Who Is Riverdale’s Gargoyle King? It Could Be Anyone

Updated on 10/16/2018 at 6:10 PM

Even though there hasn't been a Riverdale/Chilling Adventures of Sabrina crossover yet, it looks like a bit of Greendale's magic has crossed over into Riverdale. Aside from the fact that Archie pleads guilty to a murder he didn't commit, the most shocking moment of Riverdale's season three premiere is the discovery Jughead makes in the woods after the trial. Apparently, there's a "Gargoyle King" haunting the town, and wait, what?

After Dilton Doiley visits Jughead to warn him about the mysterious creature, Jughead takes the investigation into his own hands when Dilton goes missing. Fortunately, the scout leader leaves behind some clues: a map pointing to the forest and a drawing of a creature that's somehow come to life from a game. (Yes, it looks like a Demogorgon, and yes, this plot bears more than a passing resemblance to the first season of Stranger Things.)

But what Jughead discovers is even more disturbing than the giant monster itself. He finds Dilton, along with Ben from Greendale, kneeling in front of what looks like a monster's skeleton, surrounded by a circle of bones and candles. The two of them have been stripped to their underwear, and they have mysterious symbols carved into their backs. While Dilton appears to be unconscious, Ben starts choking when Jughead approaches him. There are two glasses of blue liquid set in front of them, and whatever the two drank forces Ben to vomit.

The circle and candles suggest that a cult may be at play. The so-called Farm might have some competition for Riverdale's creepiest group — and that's saying something, considering the fact that Betty finds Polly's twins suspended in midair over a fire in the Coopers's backyard.

But considering the fact that Riverdale executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has said in the past that Riverdale is a not a magic town (those hijinks are reserved for Greendale), it's possible a more human element is behind what happens to Dilton and Ben. The bones are creepy, for sure, but the actual monster hasn't been sighted yet, which means there could be a person, or group of people, behind the situation. (As far as the suspended babies go, though, that's another story.)

If the so-called Gargoyle King really is a person, here are some of the people it could be.

Moose Mason

After two seasons, we still don't know a ton about Moose — which means he could be hiding something. If Moose is upset enough over Midge's senseless murder last season, he could take on a vigilante-justice type of role as the town's next villain. It's not clear why he'd target Dilton and Ben, but maybe the ritual isn't meant to kill them. If Moose (or another student) needs supporters his own age, the two of them wouldn't arouse suspicion, since they're not close friends with any of the show's main characters.

Jellybean Jones

Not much is known yet about Jughead's mom and sister, who don't live in Riverdale. But they'll be playing a bigger role in season three, since Gina Gershon and Trinity Likins were cast as Gladys and Jellybean. Of course, it would be great if Jughead's family members weren't involved with the creepiness that is the Gargoyle King. But if they were, it would make sense; they're total mysteries right now, and it would explain why Dilton went to Jughead about the situation.

Mayor Hermione Lodge

Hermione needs a storyline of her own that's not connected to Hiram. Could that mean she's becoming a villain in her own right? The biggest question is why Hermione would want to torture the teens. And while it's hard to imagine Hermione being that evil, it was also hard to imagine Hal Cooper being so cruel to his own family . . . and we all know what happens with him.

Penelope Blossom

Riverdale viewers already know that Penelope has a dark side — she tries to kill Nana Rose and isn't exactly a loving mother to Cheryl. Plus, there's the fact that she's working with Hiram on his plans to take over the South Side. But if her desire for a brothel — her word — to open in Riverdale isn't happening as fast as she wants, maybe Penelope plans to use the seemingly supernatural elements to scare Hiram into speeding things up.

Edgar Evernever

The farm's leader has to be a suspect, even though viewers don't know for sure whether the Farm and the Gargoyle King are actually connected. But like Gladys and Jellybean, Edgar hasn't appeared in person on the show yet, and he could be even more evil than the show has let on. Pictured here is Evelyn Evernever, who is soon to befriend Betty.

Dilton Doiley

It might be a stretch, but it's possible that Dilton himself is the Gargoyle King, and that he pretended to be one of the victims. One major clue about this theory is an Instagram post Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa shared. He captioned a photo of Dilton, "'D' is for Dilton. Demented, deranged, diabolical, but also...possibly...demonic?" That could be a red herring, but it could also be a clue.