Toni Topaz

"I'm Toni Topaz. I was supposed to give you the full animatronic tour of Southside High, but some of the robots went insane and started killing the guests, so, we'll just wing it."

- Toni to Jughead

Toni Topaz is a recurring character in the second season of Riverdale. She is portrayed by Vanessa Morgan.

Toni is a student at Southside High, and a member of the Southside Serpents, who may cause trouble for Jughead and Betty's relationship. She will also act as Jughead's guide into the world of the serpents. After Jughead transferred to Southside High, he re-opened the school's newspaper, known as "The Red and Black" and recruited Toni as the school photographer. She is good friends with Jughead, while also looking out for him, advising him when so needed. She is currently working on an investigation with Jughead on the Black Hood.

Character description
Toni is a vivacious member of the Southside Serpents, who is known for her signature pink hair and impressive appetite She also admits to Jugheadthat she is bisexual .

Early Life
Much of Toni's early life remains unknown, however, she grew up in Riverdale and, at some point in her young life, she joined the Southside Serpents.

Season 1
Toni commented under Chuck Clayton's post of him and Veronica Lodge, in which he claimed to have given her a "sticky maple". In response to this post, Toni commented "No gracias". Notably, the spelling of Toni was different, being spelled in its masculine form, Tony.

Southside High's Welcome Wagon
Toni arrived at school that morning to find Jughead Jones, Southside High's newest student passing through security. While taking a quick photo of him, Toni called out to Jughead by his first name, Forsythe Pendleton Jones III, before introducing herself as his mentor. She was supposed to give him the full animatronic tour of the school, however, she joked that with some of the robots going insane and killing people, they would be forced to wing it. Toni made sure to tackle the basics as she guided Jughead throughout the school. The classrooms don't have Wi-Fi. The bathroom stalls don't have doors. And the school paper, The Red and Black, had long since been closed down due to budget cuts. To their right was a rare glimpse of Jingle Jangle (highly addictive gutter drug) being consumed in its natural habitat. On to the cafeteria, where she informed Jughead of the Ghoulies, a rival gang of drug dealers, street racers, and rumored cannibals. As for her and Jughead, they sat on the other side of the cafeteria with the Southside Serpents, which Toni failed to mention earlier, though her affiliation to the Serpents is precisely why she volunteered to be his mentor. However, Jughead would rather sit alone, which baffled Toni considering that he was a Serpent by blood; the son of FP Jones. Toni advised Jughead to stick with the Serpents. Should the Ghoulies discover that he's alone and vulnerable, they'll attack.

The next day in class, Toni warned Jughead against answering Mr. Phillips question in relation to the dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451. However, Jughead failed to heed her warning.

Later that day, she joined Jughead in the Red and Black offices to help him unpack after receiving approval from staff to revive the school paper. She congratulated him on finding his safe space. All he needed now was a photographer with an amazing eye and a hunger for social justice, looking to Toni in hopes that she would agree to join him. However, before Toni got the chance to reply, they were interrupted by Sweet Pea and two fellow Serpent members, who were wondering if Toni and Jughead would be joining them at the quarry. Although Toni was prepared to leave, Jughead declined Sweet Pea's offer, which left him feeling a bit upset considering that Jughead had come to them in the past for assistance. They were good enough for him to ask for help, but not good enough to hang out with, Sweet Pea concluded. While Jughead appreciated what they had done for him and his father, he was through with the Serpents, which angered Sweet Pea, enough to make him attack. Fortunately, Toni was there to keep the two of them apart, telling Sweet Pea that Jughead just wasn't that into him.

That night, Toni accidentally walked in on Jughead kissing his girlfriend, Betty Cooper. Toni apologized for the intrusion, sarcastically remarking that she didn't see the sock on the door. Betty was not at all what Toni had pictured. She imagined someone more resembling of Emily the Strange. Jughead then pulled an old kettle pot out of the box of items that Betty had brought over. Surprisingly, Toni had brought one off her own, commenting that great minds think alike.

Toni joined Betty and Jughead in FP's trailer the next day, following an attack on Jughead, presumably orchestrated by the Ghoulies. However, he lied to Betty, telling her that the cuts and bruises were the result of a motorcycle incident. While cleaning him up, Betty was initially worried that Jughead was going to tell her that he got jumped by the Ghoulies, which according to Toni, the Serpents would never allow because they had Jughead's back. Even though he wasn't an actual member, there was still that connection of family loyalty. Before leaving for school, Betty asked Toni if she could keep an eye on Jughead while she was gone, to which Toni replied that she was all over it. Once Betty was gone, they were able to speak freely. Toni reminded Jughead that she had warned him about the Ghoulies and how they would attack. She was hoping that this would serve as a lesson to take the threat more seriously.

The following day in the cafeteria, Jughead voluntarily joined her and Sweet Pea at the lunch table. It would seem that he had finally realized the severity of the threat, as well as accepted their offer to join them.

Cracking the Cipher
Toni sat alongside Sweet Pea and Fangs Fogarty in the school's cafeteria as the three of them watched Archie Andrews' message to the Black Hood, where he threatened to hunt the killer down. With Fogarty becoming more anxious to earn his Serpent stripes as the day grew on, they could think of no better way for him to earn his way into the gang than for him to bring them the head of the Northsider in the video. Unfortunately, Jughead advised them against such action, claiming that he knew the guy in the video, who he described as being a lame target. If they actually sought to prove something, Jughead suggested that they got after the Black Hood, though as Sweet Pea explained, this wouldn't be in their best interest. The Black Hood was doing their work for them by going solely after Northsiders, essentially making him a hero.

Later that day, Toni found Jughead in the Red and Black offices reading Beware of the Zodiac. She noted that while it was a decent read, she preferred Robert Graysmith's definitive books on the subject. Jughead's phone then began to ring. Calling him, was Betty, though he chose to ignore it. Jones, Jones, Jones, you disappoint me, Toni said. If serial killers were an interest of his, Toni suggested that he check out Ted Bundy, Albert Fish, Aileen Wuornos. However, as Jughead explained, none of them fit the profile. Unlike most serial killers, the Black Hood wore a mask. He's most likely someone consumed with self-loathing. Conversely, he also sent letters and cryptos to the press. Admittedly, Toni was a "true crime junkie". Toni confessed that she didn't stop by for a friendly chat, she was seeking Jughead out, hoping that he would help her crack the Black Hood's cipher that was posted in the latest print from the Register.

The following night, Toni, Jughead, Betty, and Kevin convened in FP's trailer. where the four of them work together in an attempt to decode the cipher. Betty remarked that the codes looked familiar, though she couldn't quite place them. Toni suggested that she loosen her ponytail, which she swore was a joke, though the awkward tension was apparent. Back on the topic of cracking the cipher, Toni explained that she was looking for doubles letters, such as double L and four-letter words like kill. It was then that Jughead began to question why the Black Hood chose now to start killing. From what little they knew of the Black Hood, he was obsessed with cleansing the town of sinners and hypocrites, seemingly attacking anyone with ties to the north side, which Toni referred to as fake news. All the Northsiders ever did was demonize the south side, so it came as no surprise that they would suspect the killer of being from there. Betty's defense was that she was merely stating facts, though Toni made a point of addressing how drugs in town were sold mainly to north side crackheads. She then turned her attention to the Red Circle, or as she preferred to call them the Red Psychos. She was surprised that Betty hadn't already come out to say that she thought the Black Hood was a Serpent, as they all knew how much Betty hated the Serpent, proving this claim to be true as she outed Jughead for hiding from Betty the fact that he sat with the Serpents at lunch. Having said that, she decided to leave.

A War on the Verge
With a war brewing between the Northside and the Southside, Sweet Pea and Fogarty decided to take matters into their own hands after the Register published an article falsely accusing the Southside Serpents of randomly attacking Northside teen, Dilton Doiley, when in actuality, he stabbed himself, with his own knife, during the rumble between Serpents and Bulldogs. Though she was not compliant in their revenge scheme, Toni joined them in the courtyard as they announced their plan of blowing up the Register with a pipe bomb to Jughead, who objected to the bombing due to the fact that blowing up a building would only make matters worse. He asked that they hold off from exacting revenge until he could talk to Archie, but they weren't inclined to listen due to growing tired of Jughead's peaceful means of resolution. Furthermore, they didn't even know which side Jughead stood on. He couldn't be half a Serpent. As Sweet Pea and Fogarty exited the courtyard, Jughead took a seat next to Toni, upset that Archie started World War III. Toni explained to Jughead that the Northside had been dumping on them for years, but FP managed to keep the peace to some degree, and avoid bloodshed. However, now that he's gone, idiots like Sweet Pea, only saw one path to solving the problem; violence.

Toni sat quietly in the Whyte Wyrm, alongside Fogarty, as Jughead entered the bar, wearing the Serpents jacket given to him by Tall Boy. Jughead claimed that he wished to stand with them, just as his father led them. However, if Jughead truly wished to be a member of the Southside Serpents, he would first have to survive the initiation.

The next day, while leaving Southside High with Jughead, Toni asked him how the first trial of his initiation was going with guarding the Beast, otherwise known as Hot Dog. Jughead replied that he stinks, and constantly barked on top of having no boundaries, though it was tradition that every new recruit take care of Hot Dog, Toni explained. She then went on to tell Jughead that the Hot Dog under his guardianship was their third Hot Dog, thus making him a third generation, much like Jughead (i.e. Forsythe Pendleton Jones III).

Later, at the Sunnyside Trailer Park, Toni assisted Jughead in his reviewing of the six laws to being a Southside Serpent, which were, "a Serpent never shows cowardice", and "if a Serpent is killed or imprisoned, then their family will be taken care of". Unfortunately, Jughead failed to cite the remaining laws. Toni instructed him to focus and take the trials seriously. Jughead swore that he was taking it all seriously, though between Hot Dog and the laws, it was a bit overwhelming. Why the sudden change of heart, Toni asked. She couldn't quite figure out why Jughead wanted to go from conscientious objector to full fledged member. Much to Toni's surprise, Jughead replied that his sudden change in direction was because of her prior statement in regards to his father being responsible for keeping Serpents like Sweet Pea inline. Someone needed to step up, in order to keep an all out war from erupting. Jughead believed he was the right person for job. Pleased to hear that he was in fact taking the trials seriously, Toni decided to continue with the review.

Back at the Whyte Wyrm, after what was presumably a successful review of the serpent laws, Toni observed from afar, as Jughead cited all six laws of being a Serpent. In closing, the entire bar shouted "in unity their is strength." Upon completion, it was time to move on to the third trial, which called for Jughead to retrieve a knife from inside the cage of a venomous rattle snake. Taken by surprise with Tall Boy's request, Jughead looked to Toni for reassurance, who nodded her head, as if to tell him to follow through with the trial. Trusting Toni's judgement, Jughead showed no fear in retrieving the blade, however, he was bitten while doing so. Little did he know, the snake's venom glands had been removed, which Toni neglected to inform him of, as the third trial was a test of courage. As he wrapped his hand with gauze, Toni explained that it would all be worth it in the end, "you're almost a Serpent now, Juggie", she said. Having referred to him by this name for the first time, there was a bit of awkward tension left between the two.

The following night, Toni dropped by the trailer to warn Jughead about the final step in his initiation. She told him that if he was having any second thoughts, now would be the time to back out because the final trial, the gauntlet, was on a whole other level. He remarked that he would be fine if the gauntlet was anything like the Beast. Though, he didn't appear to be taking her warning seriously. Toni explained if he joined the Serpents, he had to be willing to die for them, because they were willing to die for him. As for his Northside friends, he'd look up one day, and they'd all be gone. That's what happens when you join a gang, the Serpents were no exception. Jughead thanked Toni for stopping by, telling her that she can consider him warned.

One day had passed since Toni warned Jughead to back out the initiation if he had any second thoughts, and it was time for him to complete his final trial. Toni stood on the sideline with Fogarty and Tall Boy as Jughead prepared for the gauntlet, which consisted of a number of Serpents surrounding him on both sides, and forming a path, that would lead him down to Sweet Pea. Disallowed from fighting back, Jughead was forced to walk down the path, as the Serpents landed delivered punch after punch, one after another, attacking him like a pack of wild animals. Despite the ongoing attack, Jughead continued down the path until reaching Sweet Pea. Battered and bruised, Jughead asked if that was all they had to offer. Sweet Pea, while wearing brass knuckles, delivered a massive punch, knocking Jughead to the ground, instantly. After regaining consciousness, Jughead stood to his feet and shook Sweet Pea's hand as a sign of great respect after passing the finale trial. Having completed the initiation, Jughead was accepted into the gang, and handed his Serpents jacket by Toni.

Afterward, Toni and Jughead returned to the trailer, where she congratulated Jughead on officially becoming a Serpent. As he held an ice pack to his face, Toni pointed out that he was going to have a difficult time hiding his brand new double-headed Serpent tattoo from Betty, though Jughead would come to inform her that he and Betty broke up, thus making his tattoo a non-issue. Toni then gazed into his eyes, as he gazed into hers, just before she went in for a kiss.

Physical Appearance
Toni is a beautiful teenage girl, with dark brown hair with stand-out light pink highlights. Additionally, she has a small frame, light brown skin, and almond-shaped, brown eyes.

Personality
Toni shares similar traits with Jughead, such as seeking out justice and the truth in journalism. For those reasons, Jughead offered her a chance to join Southside High's newspaper, the Red and Black, as the photographer.

Toni is both loyal and accepting to those whom she makes an instant connection with, as seen with Jughead. With him, she has shown a near instantaneous loyalty. Despite Jughead not being an official member of the Southside Serpents gang, Toni and the rest of the Serpents have demonstrated that they are willing to protect him at all costs, as they consider him one of their own, identifying Jughead as a "Serpent by Blood". Though, Toni has exhibited more than just loyalty towards Jughead. Proven by a kiss they shared in the trailer, Toni has been shown to have romantic feelings for Jughead.

She and Jughead also share a sense of humor, a particularly sarcastic one, as seen when she suggested that Betty loosen up her Ponytail to help her think better. Above all else, Toni is very outspoken about her feelings towards the negativity in which they are viewed by Northsiders, while she on the other hand sees them as the privileged, that's constantly looking down upon them and demonizing them for their actions.

Relationships

 * Toni and Jughead

Trivia

 * She is Riverdale's first (openly) bisexual character.
 * According to showrunner, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Toni is Jughead's guide into the Serpent world. She has a lot of the same interests as Jughead – it's almost as if she's a female Jughead, which means she is trouble.
 * As well as her 'siren-like' call for Jughead, deeper into a Serpent lineage, this could mean trouble for Betty and Jughead's relationship.

Gallery

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Promotional Images

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Season 1 Screencaps

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