It’s often been said that in the world of comics and superhero films that a hero is only as good as his villain. There have been many great villains over the decades, especially in film. Darth Vader, Count Dracula, Magneto, Khan Noonien Singh(Star Trek), and various others have become iconic in their own distinct way. When it comes to super-villains in comics, though, the variety of bad guys is extraordinary, regardless of whether you’re reading DC, Marvel or Dark Horse comics. Superman’s got his own Rogues Gallery, as does the X-Men and The Avengers. But it’s Batman’s line-up of villains that is most extraordinary. Batman is a damaged individual and his villains often represent a fractured part of his psyche. But the one villain that really drives Batman’s need for justice, and the one villain that seems to escape it the most, is the Joker. The Joker is basically Batman’s polar opposite. Batman represents law and order, while the Joker thrives on chaos and anarchy. From a psychological standpoint, the Joker is a very interesting character, both in terms of his complexity and motivations. The Joker is not interested in world domination or even money and power. For him, his purpose is to sow chaos and discord in Gotham City, basically making it a very hostile place for the average person. The only person managing to keep the city from falling into complete chaos is Batman. I love all the other villains that Batman has, but it’s the Joker that defines Batman. He may not be able to take on the Dark Knight physically, as Batman as superior fighter, but the Joker’s demented intelligence manages to keep him a few steps ahead of the Caped Crusader. The Joker is also the only villain that I know of that has never truly been beaten by Batman. For this post, I’m going to go over some of my favorite moments featuring Gotham’s Crown Prince of Crime. There have been many actors to portray the character, and each version is unique, for better or worse(I’m looking at you Suicide Squad). Now, I’m going to discuss the more serious incarnations of the Joker, so Cesar Romero’s version is going to stay off this list, because that version is just too damned goofy to take seriously, with all due respect to Mr. Romero. So, with that said, let’s dig into what makes the Joker such an awesome villain!
“You can call me….Joker.” – Tim Burton’s Batman(1989)
You know I had to bring Jack Nicholson’s performance into this. This particular scene is a strong showcase for Jack Nicholson’s unhinged performance. This scene showcases two things: First off, it reintroduces the character of Jack Napier as the Joker and it sets up the kind of crime lord that the Joker is going to be for the rest of the film. Jack Nicholson simply nailed it here. The make-up and prosthetics used to create the look of this particular joker are incredible and somewhat disturbing as the character now suffers from a permanent smile. Watching the character just go off the rails shooting the mob boss and laughing while he does it sends shivers down your spine. This isn’t a character you want to mess with.
Mark Hamill’s Joker -Batman: The Animated Series
Of all the actors that portrayed the Joker over the years, Mark Hamill has done it the longest. I’d always thought of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, but I never really recognized him doing the voice of the Joker in the animated series. It’s just as well, he just disappears into the role and that laugh. I don’t think there’s a more iconic villainous cackle. Hamill’s portrayal of the Joker is equal parts hilarious and straight-up disturbing. Batman: The Animated Series, even though it was touted as a kids’ show, went to some really dark places and the Joker ended up being a large part of that.
The Interrogation – The Dark Knight
Many people would argue that Heath Ledger’s interpretation of the Joker is the most iconic and best realized. I would say that it’s different, as Jack Nicholson’s version is almost as iconic. What makes Heath Ledger’s version so unique, is how the late actor just disappeared into the role. You can’t even recognize the actor, either his voice or his face. He BECAME the Joker. I’ll be bringing up more of Ledger’s character later on, but this scene is one of the most intense in the entire film. The Joker reveals some very uncomfortable truths about Gotham’s society and justice system. The Joker needs Batman to exist so he can basically manipulate Batman to help create chaos. That’s my interpretation of the scene, but you can’t help but feel that Batman is being outmaneuvered in nearly every single way throughout the movie. That is the insane brilliance of Heath Ledger’s Joker. What also is striking about this film(pun intended)is that Heath Ledger dives so far into the performance that he has Christian Bale actually punch him full force in the face….twice. If that’s not method acting, I don’t know what is.
Mob Boss Scene – Tim Burton’s Batman(1989)
Full marks have to be give to Jack Nicholson for his bat-shit crazy performance in this film. This scene is one of two mob boss scenes I’m including on this list, but this one is definitely deranged. The Joker, having killed Carl Grissom, assumes command of the entire crime syndicate. The Joker wants the other mob bosses to create as much panic and chaos throughout the city as possible, but when one of them refuses, The Joker shakes his hand and electrocutes him using his hand buzzer. To show how demented this character truly is, he talks to the mob boss’s charred corpse. This is definitely not a kid friendly scene as it is pretty gruesome and darkly funny at the same time.
“How about a magic trick?” – The Dark Knight
While the first mob boss scene that I showed above was kind of deranged, this particular moment shows you how much of a threat that the Joker poses. Not just to Gotham’s police force or Batman, but also to the mob. This guy comes prepared with a magic trick, but is more than willing to blow himself up and the other mobsters to make a point. This character fears NOTHING and that is part of what makes him so damned interesting. His motivations are constantly erratic, changing from moment to moment, until you realize that all he wants to see is the world burn. As Alfred says to Bruce Wayne, this is not a character that can be bargained or negotiated with and that makes him absolutely terrifying.
“I’m an agent of chaos” – The Dark Knight
This is another fantastic scene with the Joker that, again, reveals some pretty horrific truths about how everyone’s got a plan for certain situations, but when you have someone as unpredictable as the Joker show up, those plans get thrown out the window, because nobody knows what to do with somebody like the Joker. He says he’s not a guy with a plan, but I suspect that’s entirely true. But it also reveals a little something about this version of the Joker. He may have been a veteran or an ex-cop at some point, which would explain how and why he’s able to throw Gotham’s police force and mob bosses for a complete loop. He understands how things work and he knows how to cause damage. This makes him more of terrorist than a typical criminal. Yet, everything he says and does has a twisted kind of logic to it that makes sense in a disturbing kind of way.
The Killing Joke – Joker Makes Batman Laugh
The Killing Joke is one of the most important stories ever released by DC Comics, for a number of reasons. It’s dark, it also explains some of Joker’s origins to a certain extent, but it also puts one of Batman’s allies in extreme jeopardy. I’ll admit that I had issues with the animated adaptation of the story, particularly the first 20 minutes or so. But when the real story begins, it’s awesome. The original graphic novel wasn’t even a hundred pages long, but it was a very influential story that inspired Tim Burton’s Batman as well as Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. This final scene, like the graphic novel, is left open to interpretation. Batman doesn’t want to kill the Joker and wants to help him, but the Joker refuses. He tells a joke instead that gets Batman to laugh, and then the screen goes black. It’s a surprisingly thoughtful and human moment between hero and villain. Mark Hamill, as always, nails it as the Joker.
“Everything Burns.” – The Dark Knight
If it wasn’t clear before, it should be now as to what Heath Ledger’s Joker wants to do. He doesn’t care about money or power. All he wants is absolute chaos. It doesn’t sound like a fairly convincing motivation, does it? But that’s the point. The character up until this point has been very unpredictable, brutal, and yet, strangely methodical about knowing when and where to cause damage. He wants to drive everybody in the city over the edge, and he’s clearly capable of doing it. That makes for one of the most terrifying villains in pop culture. I have to say that Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker is one of a kind and people were not expecting it to be.
Joker – Trailer
This upcoming film is one of the reasons why I did this list. Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is set to be released on October 4th. Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill individual who, through harsh situations and brutal attacks on him, becomes the villainous Joker. The early word on the film is that Phoenix may get nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in this film. A lot of critics who have already seen early cuts of the film have praised the film for being twisted, dark, and tragic. I’m honestly looking forward to seeing this film myself when it comes out. It’s the first live-action DC comics film to be rated R and not be based on any previous story or origin of the Joker. Joaquin Phoenix is one of the most celebrated actors in the industry today and I can’t wait to see how he does in this film. It looks fantastic. So, I will be reviewing once I’ve had the opportunity to see it, so you expect to see a review of the film on or a little after the 4th of October.
When people think of comic book villains, the Joker usually comes to mind, and for a good reason. He’s one of the most brilliantly diabolical and twisted villains that Batman has ever come across, and there really hasn’t been an actor that has done a bad job of portraying him. I don’t blame Jared Leto for what happened with his version of the character. That fault lies with David Ayer and the other producers of Suicide Squad. Between Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Mark Hamill, and hopefully Joaquin Phoenix, the character of the Joker won’t be going away anytime soon. Remember: Let’s put a smile on that face.