Jughead Jones

Jughead Jones is a main character on CW teen mystery drama Riverdale, based on the original character from the Archie Comics.

Character
Jughead is a jaded, sometimes apparently cynical guy, who is at times wise beyond his years thanks to his father's criminal activities and inability to provide Jughead with a safe, consistent family life. Due to his father's failings, Jughead's mother has left him and Riverdale, taking along with her his little sister, Jellybean. Jughead's childhood best friend, Archie Andrews, provides a relief from these circumstances occasionally, as does his relationship with another childhood friend – Betty Cooper. All of Jughead's jaded quips and dark humour is a cover for how scared he is to form a true, close bond with anyone.

Canon
Betty Cooper

Like Archie, Jughead has known Betty since they were little, though they don't exactly know each other well or seem to socialise a lot. This changes after the murder of Jason Blossom, when Betty revives the Blue & Gold school newspaper and asks Jughead to work with her in uncovering what really happened and who's responsible. This quest inevitable includes Betty getting closer to the truth of what really happened with her sister, Polly, and as she uncovers the extent of her parents' betrayal, Jughead is there for support and comfort.

The two end up sharing a kiss and start being together, although their shared quiet natures have them take things as they come, and stay focused on uncovering the mysteries of Riverdale. Their romance is soon noticed by everyone and Veronica is the first to actually call Jughead Betty's boyfriend, though neither object.

Trivia

 * Sprouse has advocated for Jughead to realise that he is and will identify as either asexual or aromantic, which is true to the comics portrayal
 * However, Sprouse recently commented:
 * In multiple iterations he's asexual, in some iterations he's aromantic, and I think because this is a new universe this is definitely a different iteration


 * “While I think that representation is needed, this Jughead is not that Jughead. This Jughead is not Zdarsky’s (the asexual) Jughead and this Jughead is not the aromantic Jughead,” he said. “This Jughead is a person who is looking for a kind of deeper companionship with a person like Betty and Betty ends up being this super nurturing, caring, care-taking person that with Jughead’s screwed-up past they end up diving into each other and it ends up being a beautiful thing”


 * Jughead has, since the beginning of the comics, been portrayed as uninterested in girls and relationships, which led readers to define him as asexual. Although it has never been stated, it is the general perception of the character and the highly probable conclusion. In a recent Zdarsky issue of Archie comics, Jughead was identified as ace (asexual), which has yet to be seen on Riverdale and has been criticised for LGBTQIA-erasure and irresponsible portrayals. Some hope that Jughead's discovery of his sexuality can feature as the series progresses, or that the character could also be portrayed as aromantic, which leaves room for a sexual relationship, albeit not a romantic one.
 * I think it’s also worth highlighting the differences between “asexual” and “aromantic” as identities. Although I’m neither myself, I do know that it’s something that’s important to differentiate, and it’s not something that we yet know about Jughead–since no writer has specified whether he is aromantic in addition to being asexual – THE MARY SUE