Who could blame Josie for leaving Riverdale when the town is full of criminals, murderers, and strange cults. It’s a place you really don’t want to be staying long term in unless you want to be the next victim on Hiram or Penelope Blossom’s hit-list.
It’s no exaggeration either that the town is rife with serial killers, with a total of 66 people being murdered (and counting). Would you like to know who is responsible for most of them? From the Black Hood to Sister Agatha Woodhouse, here are the 10 characters with the highest kill counts, ranked.
Andre
The first person to make the list has to be the Lodges’ capo, Andre. First introduced in season 2 as Smithers’ replacement, Andre was seen to drive and chauffeur Veronica around town. However, he proved to be Hiram’s lackey when the crime boss orders him to kill “Poppa Poutine” - which he did.
Andre was also responsible for the death of Cassidy Bullock, killing the store clerk after he broke into the cabin where Veronica and her friends were staying. Although we are only aware of his 2 murders, there is an implication that there could be more since it is suspected that he was under Hiram’s employment prior.
Clifford Blossom
The most obvious entry to the list has to be Clifford Blossom, who was responsible for the deaths of 2 people. As we all know, the first crime Clifford committed was against his son, Jason, after the Blossom twin realized their family’s Maple Syrup business was a cover for a drug ring and tried to run away. Fearing that his son would lead to his demise, Clifford killed Jason by shooting him in the head.
Clifford also murdered the Serpent member, Mustang, who helped the businessman cover up his son’s murder. The Blossom patriarch arranged for his death to look like an accidental overdose, with the truth only being discovered after further examination.
Hermione Lodge
The unlikeliest of killers, Hermione has gained herself a place on the list with 2 murders. The first person she killed was Small Fry Boucher, who she shot several times. This was because he broke into the Pembrooke and tried to kill her and Veronica in revenge after the crime boss killed his father.
However, a dark side to Hermione was revealed in “Chapter Forty-Six: The Red Dahlia” when she murdered Michael Minetta. It is hinted that she and Minetta conspired to have Hiram killed. When that failed, Hermione decided to cover up her tracks and shoots him five times. She’s most likely to get more ruthless as the time goes on.
Sheriff Michael Minetta
Fans will remember Michael Minetta as another one of Hiram’s lackeys, hired by the crime-boss to replace Tom Keller as the town’s sheriff. However, he proves to be just as corrupt as anyone when he helps Hiram to set up Archie for the murder of Cassidy Bullock.
In total, the Sheriff ended up killing 3 people. These murders were executed under the orders of Hiram Lodge, who requested he kills the Shadow Lake Boys because they were loose ends. He almost added Hiram to the list but was unsuccessful as Archie scared him off.
Chic
Otherwise known as The Gargoyle King, Chic, too, was another killer who plagued the town. First introduced in season 2, Chic was welcomed into the Cooper family after Alice was led to believe he was her long-lost son, Charles. However, Chic turned out to be psychopath when he bludgeoned Dwayne/Shady Man after in “self-defense”.
Whilst he assumed the role of The Gargoyle King, Chic had been responsible for many deaths, including Kurtz, Baby Teeth and Warden Norton. Charles has also alleged that Chic has killed an unknown man after he found him covered in blood.
Louis Cooper
Although most of his murders occurred pre-series, Louis Cooper has one of the highest kill counts with 5 people. Known by the town to be the Riverdale Reaper, Louis murdered the Conway family after Jim Conway tried blackmailing him. This was because he discovered the truth about Louis’s father murdering his own brother.
Louis was also responsible for the death of another innocent, helping the town bury a man alive after he was accused to be the Reaper. Hal revealed that his family knew of his father’s crimes and asked him to manipulate Joseph Conway into believing it was someone else.
Hiram Lodge
Hiram Lodge may not be the one to pull the trigger but he is the one who always loads the gun. If we take this into account then that means he is responsible for the deaths of 5 people, including Poppa Poutine, Cassidy Bullock and three Shadow Lake Boys.
Hiram’s motives tend to be self-interest, the first two murders enacted to protect his family. However, the murder of the three Shadow Lake Boys was planned as he bribed them to frame Archie for the death of Cassidy. There is a high chance that this kill count will increase as the season progresses.
Sister Agatha Woodhouse
One of the most unsuspecting killers has to be Sister Woodhouse, who has killed a total of 7 people. Introduced in season 2 as the nun who overlooked the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, Agatha helped Betty with her investigation into the Black Hood. She also seemed to have close ties to Penelope Blossom, which was proven in the finale of season 3.
Not only did the Sister help Penelope with her revenge plan but it was also revealed that she was responsible for the murder of several nuns, who were poisoned by cyanide when they drank the blueberry “Fresh-Aid”. Penelope later revealed that the Sister was the one who taught her how to use the poisons.
Hal Cooper
The big bad in season 2 saw Riverdale plagued by the Black Hood - a masked villain who was determined to exterminate the town of all its sinners. In total, he killed 7 people including Ms. Grundy, Robert Phillips, Midge, Dr. Steven Masters, and three Riverdale High students.
By the end of season 2, the identity of the Black Hood turned out to be Hal Cooper. Hal revealed to Betty and Alice that he began his spree after the 75th Anniversary Jubilee, where Betty’s speech reminded of a promise he made to his mother about the town doing better. He also was in cahoots with Penelope Blossom and Chic.
Penelope Blossom
Out of all the characters in Riverdale, Penelope Blossom is shown to have the highest kill count with 24 people in total. Penelope was personally responsible for the murders of Felix Featherhead, Hal Cooper, Clifford Blossom, and his brother Claudius.
Some of her victims were killed during the Griffins and Gargoyles game. Although most of the players committed suicide because they wanted to “ascend”, Penelope was the one who orchestrated the game to get revenge on the town. Let’s not forget her playing Hal’s Lady Macbeth and ordering him to rid the town of sinners. The blood of his victims is also on her hands too.
