Gargoyle King

"Ben and I, we thought it was just a game. A stupid role-playing game. But it's not. It's so much more. He's real. {...} The Gargoyle King."

- Dilton Doiley

The Gargoyle King is an anonymous character and one of the main antagonists of the third season of The CW's Riverdale.

Season 3
Although, the Gargoyle King does not appear, he is however mentioned by Dilton Doiley, who shows up at Sunnyside Trailer Park to warn Jughead. Dilton and Ben were playing what they initially thought to be just a role-playing game. But Dilton now realizes it's much more. Dilton states that the Gargoyle King is real. Jughead doesn't know what to make of this and he certainly doesn't have the time to figure it out. So, he tells Dilton to take a seat and they can further discuss the matter when he returns from court. However, when Jughead returns, Dilton is gone and all he finds is a map leading him to Fox Forest. When Jughead arrives at the marked location, he finds Dilton and Ben, unconscious, stripped of their clothes, with markings etched into their backs. Also on site are candles and some kind of blue liquid. It would seem a ritual of some kind was taking place. Ben wakes up, but he is unresponsive and foaming from the mouth. So, Jughead screams out for help.

The Gargoyle King has its first encounter with Betty and Jughead while in the woods of Fox Forest. It's a giant imposing creature with a bloody, snout-shaped face and branches for wings. It scares Betty and Jughead off as they were headed to meet up with Ethel.

After a failed attempt on Ethel's part to ascend to the Kingdom, the Gargoyle King visits her at Riverdale General Hospital, where he learns from her that Jughead is indeed worthy of spreading his gospel after Jughead completed his quest in Gryphons and Gargoyles. Ethel then bows down before the Gargoyle King, whose gospel is spreading as they speak with copies of the scripture having been placed in the lockers of every student at Riverdale High School.

Twenty-five years ago, the Gargoyle King surfaced at Riverdale High during an ascension party involving Fred Andrews, Alice Smith, FP Jones, Sierra Samuels, Hermione Gomez, Penelope Blossom, Hiram Lodge, Tom Keller, Marty Mantle and Darryl Doiley. However, Alice is the only one to have come in contact with it that night, running in the opposite direction after meeting its gaze.

The Gargoyle King appears in the woods outside Dilton's bunker. He turns to Jughead, who bows before him.

Jughead follows him and discovers that he has 10 other men with him. He shows up at Betty's and Alice's house and is revealed to have dug up Darryl's grave and used it to scare Betty and Alice.

The Gargoyle King stands behind Sister Woodhouse as Betty is being tested, on how she responds to the silhouettes.

The Gargoyle King appears in Hiram's study as he thanks the governor for quarantining Riverdale. Hiram then raises his glass to the Gargoyle King.

Physical Appearance
The Gargoyle King is a giant imposing creature.

Suspects

 * Edgar Evernever (by Betty Cooper; Yet to be disproved)
 * Hermione Lodge (by Betty Cooper; Yet to be disproved)
 * Sierra McCoy (by Betty Cooper; Yet to be disproved)
 * Penelope Blossom (by Betty Cooper; Yet to be disproved)
 * Tom Keller (by Betty Cooper; Yet to be disproved)
 * Marty Mantle (by Betty Cooper; Yet to be disproved)

Accomplices

 * Hiram Lodge (revealed to have been working with the Gargoyle King)
 * Sisters of Quiet Mercy (created Gryphons and Gargoyles and the Gargoyle King mythos)

Eliminated

 * Warden Norton † (by Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones)
 * Alice Cooper (attacked at her home by the Gargoyle King)
 * Darryl Doiley (disproved as the modern day Gargoyle King as Darryl is dead)
 * Hiram Lodge (disproved as Hiram was seen in the same room as the Gargoyle King)
 * FP Jones (disproved as FP was out of town with Jughead at the same time the Gargoyle King was seen with Hiram)
 * Fred Andrews (disproved as Fred was out of town with Archie at the same time the Gargoyle King was seen with Hiram)

Victims

 * Felix Featherhead † (cyanide poisoning)
 * Dilton Doiley † (cyanide poisoning)
 * Ben Button † (suicide; jumped out of window)
 * Ethel Muggs (alive; suffered a seizure and attempted to ascend)
 * Warden Norton  † (cyanide poisoning)
 * Joaquin DeSantos † (cyanide poisoning)
 * Betty Cooper  (alive; suffered a seizure)
 * Josie McCoy (alive; suffered a seizure)
 * Penelope Blossom (alive; suffered a seizure)
 * Veronica Lodge (alive; suffered a seizure)
 * Toni Topaz (alive; suffered a seizure)
 * River Vixens (alive; suffered seizures)
 * Numerous unnamed Riverdale High School students  (alive; suffered seizures)