One of the leading and most intriguing and interesting characters in the teen series Riverdale is its omniscient narrator Forsythe Pendleton “Jughead” III who is sharing all the weird and complicated things that are happening in his hometown of Riverdale.
He is a cynical boy, pretty serious for his age, keeping many secrets and always trying to stay away from his colleagues. Known for his dark humour and intelligence, he is also one of the most eloquent and insightful of all of his friends. There are so many of Jughead’s memorable quotes that we remember and we have chosen the 20 best.
“I’m not normal, I’m not wired to be normal.”
Jughead is definitely a character true to himself, never concerned about what others think of him and also self-aware of his behaviour, thoughts and feelings towards his hometown and the people who live there. He knows that he will never be part of the popular crowd, and is completely at peace with this fact, due to his unusual views and not-so-appealing background.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m weird. I’m a weirdo. I don’t fit in, and I don’t want to fit in. Have you ever seen me without this stupid hat on? That’s weird.”
As already mentioned, Jughead is aware of his reputation and is not trying to change anything about it, but simply wants others to leave him alone with his notebook and pen. He is a smart loner who knows that being an outcast immediately makes you the topic of others’ conversations and someone’s need to question why someone is like that.
“Actually, I’m gonna sit alone. Just, you know, finish my book and brood.”
Known for his sarcasm, Jughead’s conversations are usually full of ironic remarks and comments, especially towards the ones he is not fond of. He is very direct with everyone he talks to and very often speaks of himself honestly, without anything to hide.
“Here’s the thing about fear. It’s always there. Fear of the unknown, fear of facing it alone… Fear that those closest to you are the monsters. Fear that as soon as you slay one, there’s another monster waiting to take its place.”
One of the strongest and most complex quotes by Jughead is this honest and extremely intimate observation about the world that surrounds us. Jughead was raised by two pretty complicated individuals who split and never gave him enough attention, constantly making him take care of himself, without a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to.
And being surrounded by all the unusual happenings in Riverdale, Jughead is well aware of all the dangers lurking behind the closest corner.
“To me, I don’t think the question is, “Whodunnit?” I think the real question is whether Riverdale is a place of good or a place of darkness and evil. Or both. Most things are both.”
Jughead is the omniscient narrator, he knows everything that is going on in Riverdale and is maybe the first who recognises dark and evil and goodness and a kind heart in other people. He knows Riverdale is full of secrets, some unspeakable and some simply to protect others and he observes people’s reactions to different things and their behaviour in general.
“Those kids in the fairy tales who go into the woods… they don’t come back the same. They’re always changed in some fundamental way. Sometimes for the better. More often for the worse. That’s the common misconception about fairy tales. They very rarely… have a happy ending.”
Another very realistic and down-to-Earth observation of the world around us. Most people want to believe in good, but many things turn out to be bad. Many people change after different experiences and life situations, and very often unfortunately not for the better. Jughead’s upbringing and the people he was surrounded with proved to him that fairy tales as such don’t really exist.
Even though Jughead’s parents haven’t always been there for him, they have somehow believed in him, in their twisted way. And he has sought their approval even though often does not want to acknowledge that. He might be the reason his parents wanted to change somewhere throughout the show since he has never stopped believing in them.
“Jughead: We’re not gonna hug in front of this whole town. So why don’t we just both do that bro thing where we nod like douches and mutually suppress our emotions.”
Even though he is not a great fan of showing and sharing his feelings, Jughead is also very emotional, especially when it comes to his small group of friends. Always there for them, he is definitely a friend everyone would like to have.
Archie is his complete personality opposite, but at the same time a person he can say anything to and be himself.
“Stranger things have happened, man. Like for instance, my dad shaved. Which is the equivalent of tectonic plates shifting.”
Jughead is very funny, having this sardonic humour that not everyone understands or appreciates, but he is responsible for some of the most creative comebacks and ideas in the show. You simply need to like irony and sarcasm to be able to laugh at the words he says and understand that he is very often joking.
“No, dude, are you kidding me? You saved your dad’s life. First Cheryl, and now your dad. If you keep this up, you’re gonna need a superhero name. Like Pureheart the Powerful.”
Quick and explosive, Jughead always has an answer or remark prepared, never being lost for words. There is a long list of his witty and sarcastic comments to his family members and friends, but also enemies which he is constantly gaining due to his knowledge and the lack of fear of being threatened or mocked.
“Dude, I just interviewed a guy who wants to be abducted by moth men aliens. I think weird is relative. I say go for it. Embrace the weird.”
Once again, Jughead mentioned weirdness as something completely normal and even welcome. He is a true inspiration for all the kids who have sometimes felt different and misunderstood, showing them that you don’t always have to be popular and behave and speak as others expect, but have to accept your originality and uniqueness, even if this sometimes means you might be looked at as a weirdo.
“I’m Game Master, which means it’s my game and my rules. You guys wanna go on a quest? You want to prove you’re bad-asses? You’re gonna get a chance. But not until I say so. Don’t defy me again.”
Jughead can also be very persuasive and even dominant when he wants to, especially if it concerns something he is interested in. He is stubborn and strong minded and isn’t always ready to hear what others have to say to him. There have been some situations where he proved his strength and sobriety and the ability to take the lead when needed.
“You’re right. I wasn’t born in rarified air. I didn’t grow up with any silver spoons. But my dad had the strength to turn his life around and become a sheriff. And I have friends, and family that actually care for me. Can you even say the same? So why don’t you try writing a compelling drama, instead of starting it?”
Coming from a poor family, and living in the shady part of town, Jughead has from his early childhood observed how people would end up if they didn’t fight for themselves. He has witnessed his father’s change and seen that he is surrounded by people who love him.
He never misses on lecturing other students, again with his funny remarks, witty comments or sometimes helpful advice that might make them think about the way they behave.
“Look, it’s the rich kids from the Goonies. All right. I’m out.”
Very often we can hear Jughead mentioning or even quoting some characters from famous movies, never missing to ironically put them in context. He is interested in culture and is one of the characters who have the greatest knowledge in books, movies and art in general.
He is the artistic soul of this show, constantly drawing or writing something.
“So, we’re really doing this? Moving to the Northside, into the Cooper house? It’s like a Norman Rockwell painting with leather jackets.“
Once again there is a Jughead reference to a famous movie character, this time in order to emphasise the bizarreness of living in a house belonging to his friend and girlfriend Betty Cooper, after all the sad and terrifying things that happened to her there.
“Lynchian. Adjective to describe something inspired by the noted American filmmaker, David Lynch. And/or to describe something that is both incredibly macabre and incredibly mundane. Also, Riverdale’s status quo”
Another great comparison connected to the movie world is this parallel drawn between life in Riverdale and the movies by one of the Hollywood visionaries David Lynch. His movies are known to be very unusual and even not understandable for many viewers and Riverdale is also a town where nothing is as it seems, where the rich and poor are connected in twisted ways and where sometimes you might have the feeling that you’ve entered a set of some crazy movie.
“What makes a place feel like home? Is it warmth and familiarity? Some idealised, make-believe TV version of the American Dream? Is it love and acceptance? Or is it simple safety?”
A beautiful reminiscence on the importance of home. This is one of Jughead’s most emotional and deep quotes, showing his constant need and thrive to be accepted and felt loved by his family. He is questioning himself, others and the idea of home in general. He wants to know the secret to a place he might call home, and what defines it describes it.
“Fear. It’s the most basic, the most human emotion. As kids, we’re afraid of everything. The dark. The boogeyman under the bed. And we pray for morning. For the monsters to go away. Though they never do. Not really.”
Fear is one of the most common feeling characters in Riverdale experience, it is constantly present, always reminding them they have to be alert. There is always danger around the corner, someone who is waiting for you to make a wrong move or simply wanting to make your life miserable. Jughead sees things, he writes about them and he knows that fear never goes away, that monsters are present in our lives, only in different forms when we are children and adults.
“Sardonic humour is just my way of relating to the world.”
Either you love it or not, but you must be sincere and say that there is something to Jughead’s humour. He is always ready to joke, often with a touch of criticism in his comments and remarks. He says what’s on his mind, he is never fake, but his sense of humour is also a sort of a coping mechanism and shelter for his difficult situation at home and life in general.
“This town is messed up and it needs to own up to its history.”
Riverdale is a complicated town, with many unusual citizens who dislike each other, have numerous grudges, but also know each other perfectly. They are criticising, checking on their neighbours and friends/enemies and not allowing for the town to recuperate, to finally swim to the surface and accept the helping hand that might be given to it.
