Jughead is easily a fan-favorite character in Riverdale. It’s impossible to not love his dry humor and “stupid hat.” For four seasons, Riverdale has made Jughead and Betty out to be the perfect couple. Sure, they’ve had their ups and downs, but at the end of the day, they’re always there for each other.
Regardless, fans can’t help but wonder who Jughead would be with if he had never gotten together with Betty. Ethel? Veronica? Maybe Polly? There are actually quite a few characters who would have been a great match for Jughead. Keep reading to find out the 10 people he should have been with — other than Betty.
Ethel
It might be hard to picture Ethel Muggs and Jughead Jones together — but then again, maybe not. While these two haven’t had much of a romantic history, they have shared a kiss. In season three, Ethel made Jughead kiss her in exchange for the Gryphons and Gargoyles rule book.
Of course, Jughead was with Betty at the time and the kiss wasn’t exactly romantic, but it still gave viewers an idea of what a relationship between these two would look like. Ethel hasn’t been seen since season three but it would have been interesting to see Jughead and Ethel give a romantic relationship a shot.
Veronica
While many Riverdale fans are Team Jughead and Betty, there are plenty of viewers who root for Jughead and Veronica as well. These two definitely have the potential to make a great pair.
They say opposites attract and these two characters just can’t get any different. We can easily see Veronica and Jughead balancing each other out in a great way. Viewers have never had the privilege of seeing Veronica and Jughead in a relationship but fans did get to see them kiss in season two. This kiss didn’t go anywhere as it was only for revenge, but who knows, maybe there is another kiss in their future.
Josie
Josie is definitely a fan-favorite Riverdale character, just like Jughead, so it seems like these two could be a match made in heaven. As fans know, Josie briefly dated Archie but their relationship didn’t last.
It would have been great to see Josie play Jughead’s love interest instead, as it would have been a really interesting dynamic with Josie’s mom as the mayor and Jughead’s dad as the town sheriff. Of course, Josie has recently moved from Riverdale to New York City, but maybe she’ll come back for an episode or two.
Cheryl
Cheryl Blossom’s fiery personality is easily one of the best parts of the series. There’s no denying that Cheryl and Jughead would make an amazing power couple. At first glance, these two are polar opposites. They come from opposite parts of town, Cheryl comes from money whereas Jughead doesn’t, the list goes on and on.
However, these two share quite a few similarities as well. They’re both incredibly intellectual, creative, and let’s be honest — dramatic. We can definitely see these two dominating Riverdale together.
Toni
Toni Topaz and Cheryl Blossom have quickly become an iconic couple in the Riverdale fandom. However, if Toni weren’t with Cheryl, she would be a great match for Jughead. In fact, fans have seen these two get together romantically before.
In season two, Toni and Jughead got together just as Jughead was becoming a serpent. It’s fairly obvious that this pair has chemistry and plenty in common. They’re both Southside Serpents so Toni understands Jughead in ways that Betty never will.
Penny
Sure, these two don’t get along but they do have quite a bit in common. Both Jughead and Penny are (or were) Southside Serpents and they’re both determined and willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want.
Penny is a ruthless former Southside Serpent who wanted to slice Jughead’s Serpent tattoo off with a knife. As fate would have it, Jughead ultimately sliced Penny’s tattoo off. There’s no denying that these two consistently clashed but sometimes that’s what makes great chemistry in a relationship.
Polly
Polly is one character in Riverdale who deserves much more screen time. What better way to give Polly the spotlight than by pairing her with Jughead – one of the show’s most important characters? While it may be a little strange for Jughead to date Betty’s sister, stranger things have happened in Riverdale.
One thing is for certain, Polly and Jughead have the potential to be a great match. Polly is kind and supportive and we can already see these two together solving Riverdale’s most unsolvable mysteries.
Valerie
Fans didn’t get to know Valerie very well, considering she didn’t make it past season two, but she was a solid character. Valerie was part of Josie and the Pussycats and she even dated Archie for a few episodes. Unfortunately, their relationship didn’t last since Archie wasn’t in a good place to be in a relationship.
It would have been great if the show had pivoted and put a spark between Valerie and Jughead. These two could have been a match made in heaven but fans will never know.
Donna
It’s no secret that Donna and Jughead are basically arch-enemies. Donna is conniving and privileged while Jughead comes from humble upbringings and is full of gumption. In season four, fans got to see these to go head-to-head while Donna and her friends attempted to murder Jughead.
While attempted murder may seem like a deal-breaker for dating, just remember, this is Riverdale — anything can happen. After all these two have been through it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing to see them strike up a romantic relationship.
Someone Outside Of Riverdale
Jughead has been through a lot during these last four seasons of Riverdale so maybe it’s time for a palette cleanser. It’d be great to see Jughead meet someone totally new, outside of Riverdale city limits.
There’s no denying that fresh blood could do Jughead some good. While he and Betty have been a great match, someone new could offer him that new perspective that he so desperately needs. After all, high school graduation is creeping up on the gang so a few new characters are definitely not out of the question.
