Poll: Who Is The Best Character In Riverdale?

For all my griping earlier, you really can't get around the fact that Archie is the centerpiece of the universe, and while that might not make him a great character in his own right, it certainly gives him an advantage over everyone else.

Thing is, he is a pretty great character. Unstoppably klutzy and incurably girl-crazy, Archie's also a solid friend with a good heart — unless, of course, you're Betty or Veronica, in which case he's a no-good, two-timing jerk whose crosshatched haircut makes him inexplicably irresistible. But then, I guess we all have our flaws, right?

"Betty or Veronica?" might be the most well-worn debate in comics history, but let's be real here: Betty's great. Smart, kindhearted and only slightly unhinged when it comes to her obsession with the boy next door, Betty's been shown to be incredibly talented in everything from fixing cars to playing in a band. Her only major flaw is that she almost never sticks up for herself.

But you already know all that, so here are a few Betty Facts that you might not be as familiar with: Her brother is a secret agent, and she once got psychic powers when an encyclopedia fell on her head.

Veronica may have looks and an endless pile of money wrung from the workers by her plutocrat father, but in terms of personality, she often falls a little short. She's controlling, possessive, materialistic, judgmental and standoffish, but somewhere under there is a good heart. Or at least, that's what Betty seems to think, most of the time. Otherwise, opinions vary.

But again, that's common knowledge, so here's an additional item to consider: Veronica was once briefly a vampire slayer, foretold in prophecy as the one who would rid Riverdale (and the world) of the scourge of the undead. Seriously, that one actually happened.

Look, I know we all have our preferences and that's what makes democracy works, but objectively speaking, Jughead isn't just the best Archie character, he's one of the best fictional characters of all time.

Perpetually sleepy-eyed, eternally hungry, and always one step ahead of everyone else (except, of course, amateur psychologist Trula Twyst), Jughead has an understanding of the world that goes beyond his teenage years and makes him a great contrast to Archie, who is nothing but teenage years. He's the best.

Reggie Mantie is the worst and if you vote for him you are also the worst.

Chuck began life as one of Archie Comics' first attempts to add a little diversity to what was otherwise an overwhelmingly white Riverdale. In that respect, he's the one who paved the way for later additions like Kevin, Raj, Harper, and the influx of new students that would hit the town in the 21st century.

Unfortunately, Chuck has never quite gotten the spotlight that he deserves, but for a long time, his role as an aspiring comic book artist provided the groundwork for some really great stories, and he stands as one of the company's most underrated characters — and one that has a huge amount of potential just waiting to be tapped.

Okay, here's the thing about Dilton: I don't know if he's anybody's favorite character, but he's definitely a teenager who once built a giant mech that looks like Archie because he's the only one who figured out that everything in this world revolves around Archie.

"But Chris," you say, "That was in the non-continuity Archie vs. Predator series." A legitimate complaint, but consider the following: a) Dilton once invented a time machine, which is something that you do in comic books when you're a high schooler with above-average intelligence, b) he has fought alien invaders on multiple occasions, and c) he was once possessed by an evil jean jacket that looked like Venom, named "Denim."

Unquestionably the most important new Archie character of the last 20 years, Kevin is Riverdale High's first openly gay student. That's what got the headlines when he made his debut (and became the first new Archie character since Dilton's Strange Science to get his own new series), but there's a lot more to him, too, and it all adds a lot to the dynamic of Riverdale

Kevin's handsome, but often awkward, and a little hapless when it comes to romance, and while you could just as easily apply that description to Archie, it's a testament to how well he was constructed that his awkwardness tends to manifest itself in ways that are completely different from Archie's traditional clumsiness, making him feel fresh in a universe built around bad dates and sight gags for the past 75 years.

Plus, while it would've been easy to play him a little safer, I love the idea that Kevin not only wants to join the military, but that in the alternate future of Life With Archie, he's a bona fide war hero who runs for (and wins) a seat in the Senate.

Randolph likes anime.