This New 'Riverdale' Theory Claims The Gargoyle King Is A Character Nobody Expects

Riverdale fans are in the thick of the Gargoyle King mystery right now, as the mysterious killer's Gargoyle Gang is getting creepier than ever with its new leader Kurtz and assassins out to kill Archie. Even though the Gargoyle King was supposedly revealed to be Tall Boy several episodes back, it is extremely clear now that the real Gargoyle King has yet to be unmasked. You know what that means: It's theory time! And a new fan theory actually makes a pretty compelling case for the Gargoyle King being a character we haven't seen this season. Is Nick St. Clair the Gargoyle King? The villainous character has been M.I.A. all of Season 3, and he seems to have similar motives to the killer.

In case you need a refresher, Nick St. Clair appeared in a handful of episodes in Season 2. He arrived as Veronica's hard-partying friend from New York City, hoping to win her back but coming on too forcefully when she refused him. Nick went on to roofie Cheryl, attempting to rape her before the Pussycats caught him and rescued Cheryl. His attempted rape caused the Lodges to cease their business with his family, and Hiram also ordered an attack on their car as they left town, which left Nick with two broken legs.

Nick briefly returned to Riverdale once his legs healed (although he will have a limp for the rest of his life, he says) to kidnap Archie and hold him for ransom, in order to get revenge on Archie and prove himself to his disapproving father. In the end, Veronica is able to roofie Nick and save Archie, and he leaves town again.

The theory that Nick St. Clair is the Gargoyle King was shared by Reddit user Whitershadeofforever, who pointed out that the show has a history of bringing back its possibly forgotten villains and that Nick St. Clair has the resources and motives to orchestrate the Gargoyle King plot.

The theory really starts to add up when you look at what the Gargoyle King has been focusing on. Currently, the killer seems most obsessed with killing Archie, having handed out "Kill the Red Paladin" objectives to multiple characters who have tried to murder Archie. Nick hates Archie more than almost anyone else, and has already promised to kill him before. Aside from that, the Gargoyle King is also weaseling his way into Hiram Lodge's business by converting the Ghoulies and driving up demand for Fizzle Rocks. This could be Nick's way of repairing the business relations with the Lodges and his family that he ruined during his first trip to Riverdale.

It also feels important that the Gargoyle King has been messing with everyone except for Veronica. Archie, Betty, and Jughead are all wrapped up in the Gargoyle King's plot, but Veronica seems totally removed from all the hubbub. If the Gargoyle King is Nick, then he is probably trying to win Veronica back in some twisted way and would not be targeting her.

At this point, Nick St. Clair seems to stand as much of a chance of being the Gargoyle King as anyone else, so we will just have to see if we get any more clues as the season progresses.