Riverdale: 20 most important characters on the show

Riverdale — “Pilot” — Image Number:RVD101g_BTS_0281.jpg — Pictured (L-R): Behind the scenes with KJ Apa as Archie, Camila Mendes as Veronica, Cole Sprouse as Jughead, and Lili Reinhart as Betty — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW — © 2016 The CW Network. All Rights Reserved.

Who are the most important characters on Riverdale? From Archie Andrews to the Black Hood, here are the 20 most influential residents in the town with pep.

There’s no place like Riverdale, and there never will be. Thanks to its extensive community of messy entanglements and rich history of messier maple syrup drama, this is one town brimming with one-of-a-kind heroes and villains.

In a town as dark and daunting as Riverdale, every character has secrets to keep and blood on their hands, but who’s the most important?

As far as teen dramas go, Riverdale just might boast one of the largest ensembles in recent memory. From the core group of teenagers, to the town’s various gangs, to everyone’s questionable parental units, the series’ main and supporting characters each add something irreplaceable to the series. If it’s not intrigue, it’s levity. But it’s most often intrigue.

The most obvious choices for the most important characters on Riverdale are Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge and Jughead Jones, who are the foursome most recognizable by fans of the comics.

But the show wouldn’t be the same without characters like Cheryl Blossom, Josie McCoy, Reggie Mantle and the parents that instigate much of the harrowing horrors. Also, there’s more than a few characters whose importance isn’t immediately clear, but serves an integral purpose.

Which characters are most vital to the chilling mysteries and teen angst coursing through the town with pep? Between serial killers and serial investigators, the characters on Riverdale run the gamut of good, good-ish and pure evil.

Click through our ranking of the show’s 20 most important characters, and share your favorites in the comments!