Who Is The Black Hood On "Riverdale?"

1. Who is the REAL Black Hood on Riverdale?

The Black Hood has returned to the town of Riverdale and it was bad news for Midge, having survived the Black Hood's first attempt, she wasn't so lucky second time around. Riverdale High’s Janitor Joseph Svenson was unveiled as the Black Hood in the mid-season finale but it’s since been revealed that he was not the real killer. This means… the Black Hood is still at large and it’s probably someone we know. So who could it be? Here’s all the main suspects and their potential motives:

2. Here's everything we know about the Black Hood so far:

He was present at the Jubilee, knew of Polly’s whereabouts, had Betty’s phone number and info about her childhood, knew about Grundy’s ‘sin’, knew about Alice’s past and knew that the Sugarman existed. The victims so far include: Fred Andrews (shot but survived). Miss Grundy (strangled and killed). Moose (shot), Midge (shot but survived, stabbed to death on second attempt), and the Robert Phillips, the Sugarman (shot and killed).

miss grundy, ex husband, riverdale, black hood

3. Miss Grundy's Ex-Husband

Now, it’s entirely possible that Grundy’s ex-husband could be the masked killer. Some people didn't think he was even real but his existence was confirmed in the second episode of season two. Sheriff Keller has already claimed that he has an alibi so he’s seemingly off the table (but we guess that depends if you believe Sheriff Keller) But unless he’s been lurking in the shadows, we’re not sure how he’d have all that intel on Betty.

4. Hal Cooper

Hal looks VERY similar to the BH and is suspiciously never around when things happen but we have no idea about his possible motive. He is someone who would know everything the Black Hood knows, especially all the facts about Betty, Polly and Alice (he also has access to the Riverdale Register archives.) But if Hal *is* the killer, then his affair with Penelope while he was still married to Alice surely broke his own moral “rules”? And why would he have shot Fred anyway?!

5. Hiram Lodge

Hiram has been a main suspect from day one. We know he plans to take over the entire town and he could be doing it by terrorising everyone into thinking they need his protection. It’s clear that it’s not Hiram behind the mask but what if he hired someone to do his bidding? He once employed Tall Boy - who has very similar eyes to the BH - to carry out some light vandalism. Hiram could also be the one calling Betty. He’s also the only person with a motive to shoot Fred and get rid of the Sugarman.

6. Hermione Lodge

Hermione is not as innocent as she seems but she is twice as clever as we’ve been led to believe. We now know that she’s the boss - or least she’s playing the role of the boss to make it look like Hiram isn’t pulling the strings. But what if she’s already 4 steps ahead of Hiram? It’s clear that she respects him, but there’s a level of fear in Hermione and it’s clear she wants out. It’s entirely possible that Hermione hired the Black Hood, knowing full well Hiram would use it to his advantage.

7. Tall Boy, the Serpent

If we were you, we would keep a very close eye on Tall Boy. His eyes, eyebrows and the wrinkles on his face are almost identical to the Black Hood’s and he always wears an outfit very similar to the man who shot Fred. But what’s his motive? As we said, he could have just been hired as a hit man. A serpent looking to make money, who doesn’t mind a murder or too? Tall Boy is your guy.

8. Clifford Blossom

Fans have long since suspected that Clifford somehow faked his death. In a bid to seek his revenge on Riverdale, he could have gone on a rampage to terrorise them. The man who killed Grundy looked suspiciously like Clifford and what better way to fly under the radar by making people believe you’ve been dead this whole time?

9. Claudius Blossom

If Clifford is dead, then the sudden and opportunistic appearance of Claudius could mean that he’s been lurking in the town this whole time - he could have also framed Clifford for Jason's death. There’s also a theory that Claudius actually murdered Clifford so he could rightfully gain his place as the heir to the Blossom fortune and by posing as the Black Hood he could be filtering out the morally corrupt for the same reasons as Hiram... he does have a big Lodge grudge after all...

10. Sheriff Keller

At the start of the season, Sheriff Keller was acting HELLA suspicious. He didn’t want to cooperate with Archie regarding Fred’s shooting, he was always AWOL, he literally has no clue. The Sugarman was also shot INSIDE his cell in jail and Keller would be the only one with access to entry. More recently, how and why did he not manage to notice a MURDER backstage during the musical when he was meant to be acting as security?! If he’s not the Black Hood, then he’s probably helping who ever is.

11. Chic Cooper

While there’s absolutely no way he’s the one under the mask, the creepy references to Betty’s childhood, the fact that he’s been by the Cooper house many times before and his general sinister AF vibe all give off strong serial killer vibes. But what is his motive? We know he's not the *real* Charles, so could he be acting on his behalf? To help him seek revenge on the town who didn't want him? Also, why was he so calm in 2x18 when Midge's dead body was shown on stage? I DON'T TRUST HIM!

12. Ethel Muggs

The Black Hood is clearly not a teenage girl but Ethel's behaviour and her attitude toward the morally corrupt people of the town could have a much more sinister undertone. In 2x16, when Ethel threw the milkshake on Veronica, she said "For your crimes against the town of Riverdale, for everything you and your family have done and continue to do, we find you guilty..." Sounds like something the Black Hood would say, and also... who is "we?!" Then there was the magazine cuttings in 2x18 too.

13. Did Moose kill Midge? Is he the Black Hood?

There's no way that Moose can be the Black Hood. After all, he was shot by him while hooking up with Midge in the woods. That said, Moose seemed VERY angry during the musical episode, probably because he just caught Midge making out with Fangs backstage. Was it enough to drive him to madness and kill Midge? It seems a little far-fetched for us but that hasn't stopped people theorising that Moose is a cold blooded killer.

14. The Black Hood could be multiple killers...

Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa confirmed in an interview with Variety magazine that the writers once had THREE possible identities for the Black Hood in mind. It won't be revealed until the end of the season but it's now been confirmed that they have chosen a final culprit. But there's still a possibility that there could be two Black Hoods - one doing the killing and one on the phone to Betty. Considering Hal Cooper's change of heart towards Chic, could Papa Coop and Fake Chic be in cahoots?