This Theory That The Gargoyle King Is The Dark Lord On 'Riverdale' Is *So* Convincing

Now that the Gargoyle King is officially back in full force on Riverdale, an intriguing theory has begun to circulate among viewers. Given all the creepy, mythological chaos the creature has inflicted upon the town, is it possible the Gargoyle King is the Dark Lord? Like, the one from Riverdale's sister show, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina? He's already been unmasked twice. There are only so many other people it could be.

While CAOS deals heavily with Satan, witches, and other supernatural beings, Riverdale has so far stayed within the murder-mystery vein. The Gargoyle King marks the first time the show has introduced anything even supernaturally adjacent. Little do they know that real, dark magic is thriving on the other side of Sweetwater River.

Would it be a cop-out if, after wreaking havoc on Sabrina for two seasons, the Dark Lord was Riverdale's big bad too? Maybe, but it would make way more sense than all the other explanations that have come and gone in Season 3. It's no surprise, then, that social media has caught onto this theory, with many fans noting the physical similarities between the Dark Lord and the King. They both have horns, a long face, and "decorative" teeth — that Gargoyle King has them strung up on a necklace, and the Dark Lord just has them straight-up coming out of his body. Lovely.

At the very least, the person or group associated with the King must know a witch — right? There's no way that they're aesthetically so similar by coincidence. Maybe the person behind the King costume is a human disciple of the Dark Lord on CAOS, and therefore designed his or her outfit in Satan's image.

Riverdale and Sabrina acknowledge the proximity of Greendale and Riverdale, the one character (pizza boy Ben Button) who has appeared on both shows was killed by the Gargoyle King. The pieces, so to speak, are in the right place for them to be connected. Redditors are on the case as well, wondering if Griffins and Gargoyles was an accidental summoning spell that brought the Dark Lord to town, or if Madame Satan gave Ben the game in exchange for pizza.

The only problem with this theory — spoilers for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 2 ahead — is that at the moment, the Dark Lord is a bit indisposed. Sabrina and her friends bound Satan to Nick Scratch and banished him back to hell. So there are some logistical problems with the Dark Lord being the Gargoyle King, but not so much as to totally debunk the theory. It's possible Riverdale is operating on a different timeline than what we've seen unfold on CAOS.

How any of this connects to the Farm and their ability to speak to the dead, if at all, remains to be seen. Riverdale has been flirting with the supernatural for almost three whole seasons now. And with a town full of spooky witches just across the river, who can blame them? The resemblance between the Dark Lord and Gargoyle King is too eerie to ignore — could this mean they really are teeing up a crossover? Riverdale's Season 3 finale isn't too far away, so hopefully all will be revealed soon.