Jughead Jones

Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones III is a main character on The CW's Riverdale. He is portrayed by Cole Sprouse.
Jughead is the omniscient narrator of the series and the writer of an ongoing novel about the darkness within Riverdale, a town that while innocent on its surface, has many dark and hidden secrets.
Jughead is close friends with Archie, whom he's known since childhood. While Jughead was a sophomore at Riverdale High School, his father, FP Jones, the leader of the Southside Serpents, was arrested, resulting in Jughead being placed into foster care and transferred to Southside High, and even though he wasn't officially a Southside Serpent yet, they still considered Jughead family due to his relation to FP. As Toni pointed out to him, he was a "Serpent by blood," stating that it was his birthright. While attending the gang and drug-infested high school, he re-opened the school newspaper, the Red and Black, where he was an editor, alongside Toni, the newspaper's photographer, with Robert Phillips as their adviser until his arrest. However, with the closing of Southside High, Jughead returned to Riverdale High.
It wasn't long after joining the Serpents that Jughead came back in contact with Penny Peabody, otherwise known as the Snake Charmer, who trapped him into becoming her personal drug-runner, thus fulfilling the debt that his father failed to pay. Due to the surveillance video that Penny acquired of Jughead and Archie making a drug drop off, he was forced into regularly trafficking her drugs from the Southside of Riverdale to a warehouse in Greendale. However, his father took his place as Penny's drug runner upon his release. With Jughead refusing to accept this as their only option, he rallied the younger Serpents, and they took care of Penny by driving her out to Greendale and removing her Serpents tattoo, thus banishing her from ever returning to the Southside.
After taking out the Snake Charmer, FP would then go on to announce his retirement for the second time. With the recent events that had occurred between the Southside Serpents and Jughead almost dying for them, FP thought that it would be fitting if Jughead were to take the mantle from him and become the new Serpent King. As Jughead graciously accepted, he stated to the Serpents that he would not let them down. As king, Jughead would lead the Serpents into battle against the Gargoyle King and its gang, in order to stop the circulation of Gryphons and Gargoyles. 
Senior year, Jughead transferred to Stonewall Prep, a prestigious private school for gifted writers, where he would become entangled in an elaborate mystery dating back decades. There, he met Bret Weston Wallis and Donna Sweett, who plotted to kill Jughead and frame Betty for his murder. However, with help from his friends, Jughead managed to turn the tables on the preppies, resulting in Bret's arrest and Donna's resignation. Not long after, Jughead found himself faced with another mystery: the Auteur, who he would eventually discover was actually Jellybean, seeking to gain his attention. After learning that Betty kissed Archie during Hedwig, distance began to grow between the pair until they ultimately broke up, with Jughead leaving for the University of Iowa.
Seven years later, Jughead returned to Riverdale a published author after being summoned by Archie, who sought to take back the town from Hiram Lodge and his corruption. Having been dumped by his girlfriend Jessica and now a has-been alcoholic writer, he wished to rebuild his life by seeking new material for a novel and took up a job working at Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe under its new owner and Pop Tate’s granddaughter Tabitha Tate. They worked to unravel the mystery of Mothmen, which intertwined with Betty's investigation into her sister's disappearance and the highway killings. They would eventually uncover a secret inbred clan of serial killer Blossoms that lived in the woods and abducted and murder women off the Lonely Highway. In the midst of all this, Jughead sought help for his alcoholism and trauma, while also receiving answers and closure on his past relationship with Betty. Jughead and Tabitha would then develop a romantic relationship themselves, which ultimately resulted in Jughead staying with Tabitha after the bombing at Archie’s house that left him deaf and with the ability to hear people’s thoughts.
==Character Description==
A heartthrob with a philosophical bent and former best friend of Archie Andrews. He is still smarting from the rift that took place between the two.‘Riverdale’ Archie Comics CW Pilot Casts Its Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones - Deadline
==Early Life==
Jughead was born and raised in Riverdale alongside, his younger sister, Jellybean, and his closest friends, Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper. He is the son of Gladys and FP Jones, who at one point, was the leader of the Southside Serpents.
A few years prior to the start of the series, Fred Andrews fired FP from his business and soon afterward, FP began drinking heavily interspersed with empty promises to quit drinking and find another job. His downward spiral along with their lack of income led Jughead's mother to take off with his then ten-year-old sister, Jellybean, while Jughead took up residence in the projection booth at the Twilight Drive-In. His mother and Jellybean, for a time, lived with Jughead and Jellybean's grandparents in Toledo.
Six years prior to the series, Jughead was playing with matches outside Riverdale Elementary School and was sent to the Riverdale Juvenile Delinquent Center for "arson" as listed on his permanent record. He was also routinely bullied throughout high school, predominantly by the football team, which included Jason Blossom and Reggie Mantle.
Jughead hates his birthday because throughout his childhood, despite the constant chaos at home with his alcoholic father, there was an arbitrary day where he was supposed to pretend that everything was okay, which just made him feel really lonely. From that point forward, he decided to barely acknowledge his birthday. Instead, he would attend a double-feature at the Bijou theater with Archie (aside from his 16th birthday, when he went with Betty instead).
Leading into summer of 2017, Jughead and Archie were best friends. They had planned a road trip set to occur over Fourth of July weekend, however, Archie canceled at the last minute for unknown reasons. It was later revealed that Archie instead spent the weekend with his music teacher, Geraldine Grundy, with whom he was having an affair. As a result of Archie canceling their trip, he and Jughead had a serious falling out and broke off their friendship. However, their friendship has since been mended "over many hamburgers and milkshakes".
==Throughout Riverdale==
*Season 1
*Season 2
*Season 3
*Season 4
*Season 5
*Season 6
==Powers and Abilities==
As a result of the explosion orchestrated by Hiram Lodge at Archie's childhood home, Jughead has demonstrated the ability to hear people's thoughts, which first manifested while Tabitha was wondering about the diner. Initially, it was believed that the only side effect of the explosion was Jughead's hearing loss, which left him 98% deaf in his left ear and 87% deaf in his right ear, but this recent development has proven otherwise. Most notably, his ability isn't restricted to a single person, demonstrated when he was capable of reading the minds of many Riverdale residents in attendance at the council meeting. However, his ability isn't without its limits, as Percival Pickens was able to detect that Jughead was reading his mind while using his own power mind control abilities. 
In addition to reading minds, Jughead has developed the ability to read memories as well, first discovered when he helped Betty rediscover her repressed memories of her father. Jughead has also discovered an ability known as telepathic erasure, which is the removal of specific images and thoughts from someone's memory. To do it, the victim has to be either asleep or distracted enough so that their subconscious is unguarded.
==Physical Appearance==
Jughead is a pale young man, about 6 feet tall with short black hair and blue-green eyes. His clothing style tends toward dark colors: flannel tops layered over T-shirts, often with an "S" on the front, jeans with hanging suspenders, denim jackets, a messenger bag, and his trademark grey knitted crown beanie. He sometimes wears a light-colored denim sherpa jacket.
After going through the rite of passage and passing all of the tests given to him in order to become a Southside Serpent, Jughead later got a tattoo of the gang's symbol of a double-headed serpent, tattooed on his right shoulder.
Years later, he looks mostly the same except he now has ditched his signature beanie and has grown facial hair. Jughead also has new tattoos on his chest, biceps and forearms including a stylized face of his dog, Hot Dog.
==Personality==
Jughead is a darkly humorous, apathetic, cynical "conscientious objector" with a quick temper and a lot of secrets. He's crafty, intelligent, and well known for his writing skill and sardonic humor. His so-called "outsider" status allows him to write about Riverdale — more specifically, Jason's murder, from an objective point of view. His detachment from others in Riverdale allows him to be this self-proclaimed "conscientious objector." Jughead displays a quick and impatient temper underneath his apathetic effect, displayed on numerous occasions, such as when punching Chuck in the face, snapping at Betty, and attempting to sever ties with her after the birthday party fiasco. That said, he is very loyal, nice and caring, especially when his friends are involved. He is willing to take a bullet for a little guy, as he would put it. 
He's passionate about few things, including films, family, and writing and will protect them with everything he has. One of these passions reveals his soft spot for Betty Cooper, as he agrees to join the school newspaper, The Blue and Gold, despite not receiving complete creative freedom and accompanies her on her quest to find Polly and learn more about Jason's death.
Jughead is very family driven. Despite his father's constant screw ups and drunken mishaps, Jughead has always pushed him to be better and thought of his father as a someone deserving a second chance for trying to make an effort to change. After Jughead joined the Serpents, he made the choice to stay true to himself and better the gang. He pushes these beliefs onto the Serpents and banished anyone who disobeys, as seen with Cheryl and Toni. Since joining the Serpents, he's viewed them more as family rather than a gang. 
==Relationships==
===FP Jones===
Jughead and FP's relationship became strained after FP got fired from his job and became an stay-at-home drunk. Due to FP's alcoholism, Jughead's mom left with his younger sister, Jellybean, and stayed in Toledo with their grandparents. Tired of his father's laziness and empty promises, Jughead moved out as well, finding shelter at the Twilight Drive-In. Unfortunately, when the drive-in was demolished, Jughead was forced to find a new home. He stayed in a forgotten supply closet at Riverdale High until Archie offered to help, not only giving Jughead a place to stay but offering to get his father's job back at Andrews Construction. FP reluctantly agreed after Jughead paid him a visit at the trailer. From that moment on, FP vowed to get his act together so that his family could return. This was FP's first step in the direction towards mending his relationship with Jughead and reuniting their family, however, they would take a setback after FP is arrested for his part on Jason's death. After spending some time in prison for Jason's death, FP would retire from leading the Serpents, appointing Jughead as the new Serpent King in his final act. 
===Gladys Jones===
Gladys is Jughead's estranged mother, who left him and his father behind when she moved to Toledo with his sister due to FP losing his job and drinking heavily. Gladys was an absentee mother to Jughead during a time of need for their family. With his mother gone, Jughead was forced to take on the responsibilities that followed with his father. When Jughead hit rock bottom and tried to visit his mother and sister in Toledo, she shut him down, leaving Jughead feeling unwanted and unloved by his own mother. However, both Gladys and Jellybean returned to Riverdale with intentions to stay. Jughead later learned the truth behind his mother's sudden return to Riverdale. She intended to pick up where Hiram left off as the new drug lord and continue distribution of Fizzle Rocks. Because Jughead feared what the news might do to his father, having to go through their family falling apart all over again, Jughead silently combated his mother's efforts until she left town.
===Jellybean Jones===
The brother-sister relationship between Jughead and Jellybean Jones appears to remain strong despite the long period they remained separate as Jughead stayed in Riverdale while Jellybean moved to Toledo with their mother to stay with their grandparents. The two of them finally reunited in Toledo after Jughead ran away with Archie, who was in fear of Hiram Lodge and had a bounty on his head. Prior to Jellybean and their mother leaving, the Jones family would often sneak into the Twilight Drive-in for premieres. Since her return, Jughead and Jellybean have only continued to grow closer. However, her return also meant having to watch over her, as seen when Jughead and Betty an into Jellybean at the X-rated rave, where they had tracked down the Auteur.
===Archie Andrews===
Jughead and Archie have been friends since childhood. Archie would often sneak out at night to go to Jughead's treehouse. However, during the summer of 2017, just before sophomore year, they had falling out after Archie canceled a road trip for the 4th of July weekend. Jughead would later come to learn that Archie canceled on him because of his illicit affair with the music teacher, Geraldine Grundy. They lost touch and distanced themselves from each other up until later in the school year after Archie apologized to Jughead. Since then, the two of them have remained close friends. For a short period of time, Jughead even stayed with Archie after the Twilight Drive-In was demolished, and Jughead was left without a home. However, when Jughead was relocated back to the Southside and joined the Serpents, their friendship was strained once more, as Archie feared he was going down a dark path. And with the Serpents and Bulldogs constantly at each other's throats, it quickly became tiring for the two of them. Still, they remained friends through it all. And when Archie was sentence to jail after being framed for the murder of Cassidy Bullock, Jughead not only gave him protection in the form of a Serpent tattoo, he assisted in his breakout. Archie later returned the favor when he, Betty, and Veronica helped Jughead fake his death in order to expose Stonewall Prep.
===Betty Cooper===
Jughead and Betty have been friends since childhood, though they didn't become particularly close until sophomore year when Betty resurrected the Blue and Gold and asked for Jughead's help in investigating the hidden darkness imbedded in Riverdale's core, specifically Jason Blossom's murder and the secrets surrounding his death. This friendship grew into a romance with all the makings of a true Romeo and Juliet love story, with Betty being the perfect girl next door and Jughead being perceived as a trouble-maker from the south side. These two star-crossed lovers have faced the odds numerous times and have become quite the investigative duo in the making. Along with Jason Blossom's death, they also investigated Hiram Lodge, the Farm, and the Black Hood, who even managed to break the pair up for a short amount of time, though they did recover and get back together. Jughead even forgave Betty after learning that she and Archie kissed during their brief split.
===Veronica Lodge===
Jughead first became acquainted with Veronica through mutual friends, Archie and Betty, and soon they became friends themselves due to fact that they were dating each other's best friend. However, they barely interact. And when they do, it tends to involve either Archie and/or Betty, though they have also come to odds whenever Veronica's father is involved, specially when he was attempting to monopolize the south side, which Jughead fought tooth and nail to prevent. However, Veronica has also shown a willingness to partner with Jughead and the Serpents in order to derail her father. She also once even hired Jughead to investigate her father's shooting.
===Toni Topaz===
Jughead met Toni on his first day at Southside High after being forced to leave Riverdale High School. Toni was Jughead's tour guide, both for the school and the Serpents; she gave him the lay of the lands and introduced him to the other younger Serpents, such as Sweet Pea and Fangs. Jughead and Toni quickly became good friends, and she would be someone he'd often look to for advice and understanding. Toni has consistently had his back along with the rest of the Serpents, as they consider Jughead family. She's shown a great amount of loyalty towards Jughead though has also shown a willingness to question his authority and/or motives, especially when it comes to the gang's survival. Not long after being crowned Serpent King, Jughead banished Toni and Cheryl from the Serpents after they disobeyed his orders and stole a priceless glamourge egg from the Lodges.
===Cheryl Blossom===
Jughead and Cheryl's relationship has ranged from distant at best, to hostile at worst, with the latter becoming a reality after Cheryl discovered that Jughead's father, FP, supposedly killed Jason. However, after it was revealed that FP was merely covering for Clifford Blossom, who was the actual killer, Cheryl apologized to Jughead for her savage attack on him. As a peace offering, she gave Jughead an expensive spider brooch. However, as previously stated, the dynamics of their relationship has been known to shift, though on many instances, they're at the very least cordial with one another. Towards the end of the second season, they become rather close as Jughead, the newly crowned Serpent King, gave Cheryl her own red Serpent Jacket, welcoming her into their family. However, when Jughead declared that the Serpents would no longer commit crimes and that those who did not obey would be exiled, Cheryl disputed his leadership. When Cheryl and Toni later stole from the Lodges, Jughead banished them both from the Serpents. Cheryl later led her new gang, the Pretty Poisons, against the Serpents. Despite this, when her mother kidnapped Jughead, Archie, Veronica, and Betty with the intent of killing them, Cheryl led the two gangs to the rescue.
===Reggie Mantle===
The relationship between Jughead Jones and Reggie Mantle can easily be defined as a rivalry, as they have both shown a great amount of disdain for one another. This rivalry likely stems from Reggie's typical jock nature, to pick on outsiders and misfits, such as Jughead, who was subject to a lot of Reggie's bullying. Jughead and Reggie had been adversaries long before the start of the series as their dislike of one another seems well ingrained. This escalated even further when Jughead and the Serpents transferred to Riverdale High. The Serpents and Bulldogs would go on to have a number of violet run-ins both in and out of school. However, as of late, they seem to have become allies as oppose to foes given that both Jughead and Reggie hang within the same social circle.
===Alice Smith===
Jughead's relationship with Alice is rather complicated due to her hate for the Southside Serpents and the Jones family's ties with them despite the fact that she was once a Serpent herself. While Jughead's father, FP, has been a Serpent since his youth, Jughead's initiation into the gang only further complicated their relationship. However, she was forced to deal with him regularly due to his relationship with Betty. Alice doesn't trust either of the Jones men, seeing them as nothing more than trouble makers, often fearing that Jughead's ties to the south side are not only a bad influence on Betty but that one day she may end up being dragged into something she had no business in because of her relationship with him. Alice claims to like Jughead, but her actions have often proved otherwise. However, Alice has become more warming to Jughead since realizing the error in her ways by turning her back on the Serpents and the south side.
===Tabitha Tate===
Jughead met Tabitha upon his return to Riverdale after seven years away. He asked her for a job, which she initially turned him down for. However, Tabitha conceded and hired Jughead as a busboy after witnessing just how desperate he was in need of cash after Jughead hid behind the counter at Pop's in order to avoid a couple of loan sharks. They would become fast friends while investigating the alleged Mothmen sightings that dated as far back as at least the 1970s. While the Mothmen tale ultimately ended up being nothing more than a hoax, Jughead and Tabitha bonded throughout the investigation, and their friendship eventually developed into a romance despite both of them having their own issues to deal with.
==Appearances==
===Season 1===
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===Season 4===
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===Season 5===
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===Season 6===
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==Trivia==
*In both the comics and animated series, Archie and Jughead are best friends despite their differing personalities. However, Riverdale explores a more realistic friendship between the two teenagers.
*Jughead's beanie in the television series is based on his famous "whoopee hat" from the comics.
*Jughead's sexuality has been a topic of discussion since the creation of the series. In one iteration of the comics, he is asexual. In another, he is aromantic, but he is portrayed as neither aromantic nor asexual in Riverdale. Cole Sprouse supported the idea of Jughead being asexual in Riverdale because it would be a positive example of asexual representation, but the writers chose not to explore that angle.
*The "S" on his clothes has a largely unexplained significance in the comics, having an intimate meaning for him that he is reluctant to share.
*Six years prior to the series, he lived at 3021 Norlin Crescent, Riverdale, USA 68247, as listed on his juvenile records.
*In Jughead's dream sequence in "Chapter Seven: In a Lonely Place", Jughead, Archie, Veronica, and the Cooper family appear in their original Archie comics outfits.
*Jughead practically ignores his birthday and hates celebrating it.
*Jughead's dog in the Archie Comics was named Hot Dog. In "Chapter Thirteen: The Sweet Hereafter", when the Southside Serpents visit Jughead at FP's trailer, they are accompanied by a dog with the same name.
*Jughead lost his virginity to Betty in Chapter Twenty-Five: The Wicked and The Divine. 
==See Also==
*Jughead's 16th Birthday Party
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Characters
Category:Riverdale Characters
Category:Main Characters (Riverdale)
Category:Season 1 Characters (Riverdale)
Category:Season 2 Characters (Riverdale)
Category:Season 3 Characters (Riverdale)
Category:Season 4 Characters (Riverdale)
Category:Season 5 Characters (Riverdale)
Category:Season 6 Characters (Riverdale)
Category:Males
Category:Jones Family
Category:Southside Serpents
Category:Riverdale Residents
Category:Southsiders
Category:Quill and Skull Members
Category:Riverdale High Employees