Certain things in the world of Riverdale are just so iconic, it's nearly impossible to imagine the show without them. Archie's bright red hair, Betty's blonde ponytail (which is canonically "iconic and beyond reproach" thanks to Kevin), and Veronica's insistence on saying "Daddy" whenever she speaks to Hiram are what make Riverdale what it is. At the top of that list, arguably, is Jughead's beanie. The grey, crown-trimmed hat is basically the fifth member of the Core Four at this point, which is why it was so shocking to see Jughead throw away his Riverdale beanie after high school graduation. I guess he's officially no longer a self-described "weirdo."
Jughead made the ultimate sacrifice when he and the rest of his friends were deciding what items to put in Riverdale High's time capsule. After watching everyone throw in newspapers, t-shirts, and footballs, Jughead took off his beanie and said a quick goodbye before leaving it to be buried. Thanks to a first-look clip of Jughead after the seven-year time jump that's about to take place, fans know his beanie really is gone for good, marking a massive aesthetic shift for everyone's favorite Southside Serpent. In honor of the beanie's years of service, let's take some time to remember its most glorious moments:
First and foremost, you just have to give it up for Jughead's most important speech in Riverdale history: the legendary "I'm a weirdo" rant from Season 1. As the angsty outsider assertively points out, nobody ever sees him without his "stupid hat," which is — yes, you guessed it — weird.
Jughead's unparalleled devotion to his knitted headwear was so intense that it even bordered on potentially offensive. Who could forget when Jughead brazenly wore his beanie throughout the funeral of his slaughtered classmate, Midge Klump.
The beanie became even more important in Season 4, with Betty even crediting the cap with saving Jughead's life after his Stonewall Prep adversaries hit him on the head with a rock. Betty ceremonially burned the beanie with Archie and Veronica to fake Jughead's death, and then immediately knitted him a new one to wear upon his revival.
It is going to be strange to see Jughead without his beanie from now on, but at least Riverdale fans will always have the memories. RIP, weirdo Jughead — apparently, it's normie Jughead from here on out.
