Batman's greatest villain. The Clown Prince of Crime. The Joker. For more than 75 years the deranged clown has captivated fans no matter the medium, whether it be in comics, movies, on television or in videogames. In those 75 years we've had a number of different versions of the character, each similar but also unique in their adaptation of the Dark Knight's greatest foe.
Naturally, we've decided to pit some of the character's greatest non-comic incarnations against one another to definitively prove once and for all which Joker is best. Read on to find out which clown will come out on top.
Look
Cesar Romero's Joker: Romero's Joker from the 1960s Batman TV show is as classic as it gets. Green hair. White face paint. Purple suit. The red lipstick. However, if you look closely, you'll notice that this particular Joker has a mustache. Romero refused to shave his facial hair, so his white face paint was applied over it.
Jack Nicholson's Joker: Nicholson's Joker portrayal in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film is very close to that of Romero's. All the signature Joker traits are there, as is Nicholson's signature smile. While Joker can always be quickly identified by his unnatural grin, Nicholson's Joker physically can't stop smiling. His smile isn't simply the result of red lipstick either: after the characters transformation into the Joker, his smile is permanently locked in place. That would be enough to make anybody go crazy. This particular Joker hides his white skin by applying make-up over the top of it, giving him an even stranger look.
Batman: The Animated Series Joker: The animated Joker is a little different from some other versions seen on the big and small screen. Signature characteristics like the purple suit and red lipstick are all there. His hair, however, is slightly different. Unlike the very clearly green dye seen in other versions of the character, this particular Joker's hair is jet black with an occasional tint of green in certain lighting. He also apparently shaves his eyebrows.
Heath Ledger's Joker: Dangerous. That's the perfect way to describe Heath Ledger's Joker look. Something tells me those scars on each side of his mouth are self-inflicted. Unkempt, greasy and with a hint of insanity lurking behind every corner, it doesn't get much more terrifying Ledger's version of the character.
Arkham Joker: The Joker seen in Rocksteady's Batman video games and voiced by Mark Hamill stays true to the character's long history with his purple suit, corsage and green hair. Stylistically, this Joker is a much thinner, sleeker version of the character than we are used to seeing.
Verdict: A tough one to be sure. Each share certain qualities but also have little distinguishing characteristics that make the look unique to their particular version of the character. The Joker from the Arkham game series keeps many of the character's signature elements -- the purple suit, the green hair, red lipstick -- and presents it in a way that is just different enough to make it feel fresh and new. Advantage: Arkham Joker
Laugh
Cesar Romero's Joker:
Jack Nicholson's Joker:
Animated Series Joker:
Heath Ledger's Joker:
Arkham Joker:
Verdict: Each Joker laugh is special in its own way, but we are going to give this one to Romero's Joker. It is classic in every sense of the word and inspired all of the laughs to come.
Advantage: Cesar Romero's Joker
Sense of Humor
Cesar Romero's Joker: All of the 1960's Batman series is one big joke. In that regard Romero's character is no exception. He is a bit of a wimp who talks a big game, only to be thwarted by Batman and the Boy Wonder time and time again. Far from the funniest version of the Joker, Cesar Romero's Clown Prince spends most of his time laughing hysterically to himself.
Jack Nicholson's Joker: Nicholson's Joker has a love of theatrics. He's not one for jokes in the traditional sense. Quirky dances and visual gags are more his style, like when he marches into a fine art museum and vandalizes it with tags like "Joker was here," or when his end-game plan is to throw a big parade where he gives away money to the citizens of Gotham. When Batman arrives in the batwing, Joker pulls a revolver from his waistband with a barrel that seems to be never ending, aims, shoots and brings the Batwing crashing down.
Animated Series Joker: Mark Hamill once described his take on the Joker as "delightfully deranged." It's an accurate description, and it helps define the character's sense of humor throughout Batman: The Animated Series. He often pokes fun at other villains by calling them names and thoroughly enjoys cracking jokes, even if they are just for himself. His plots, though elaborate, are often as harmless as they are hilarious...like when he turns all of Gotham's fish into "joker fish" so he can get royalties for every fish product sold.
Heath Ledger's Joker: Ledger's Joker isn't a comedian and he knows it. He even remarks about how his jokes are bad. This Joker's "funniest" moments come from the dark, twisted tricks he plays on people. Whether it is making a pencil magically disappear by smashing a man's face into it or having two goons fight to the death with a pool stick for a spot on Joker's "team", this Joker instills fear first and laughter second. Though he does look pretty funny when he dresses up as a nurse.
Arkham Joker: In his second go-around as Joker, Mark Hamill brings a little bit of his earlier Joker work and combines it with the dangerous edge of Ledger's Joker portrayal. The result is a Joker quick to laugh and not afraid to poke fun at Batman's ever serious tone, while still presenting a real threat to the player and other characters in the game. If the player does happen to die thanks to Jokers schemes in Batman: Arkham Asylum, he shows up to taunt and laugh at the player on the "Game Over" screen. We don't think it's very funny, but he sure does.
Verdict: By far Mark Hamill's Joker from the Animated Series is the funniest of the bunch in a traditional sense.
Advantage: Animated Series Joker
Viciousness
Cesar Romero's Joker: If you've watched the Batman TV series, you know that no character even comes remotely close to the definition of "vicious." Joker is no exception. He tries to act tough, but once Batman appears and starts tossing him around, his tune quickly changes as he runs for cover.
Jack Nicholson's Joker: Tim Burton's Joker can be vicious when he wants to be. His first act after officially adopting the Joker name is to gun down his former mob boss. Later, Joker burns a man alive (and laughs about it) because he doesn't want to be a part of Joker's plan. He also gases a lot of people. Definitely not a nice guy.
Animated Series Joker: This animated incarnation of the Joker can't be too violent simply because of his environment. Batman: The Animated Series is a remarkable show, but at the end of the day it is still a cartoon aimed at kids and teens. A kid show can't have a sadistic Joker maiming and kill innocent men and women. The result is a Joker that is at times comedic and genuinely human, and at other times angry and lashing out. But no matter how many bullets he shoots or gas bombs he drops, he can never do much real damage. Such is his curse.
Heath Ledger's Joker: Sadistic. Unhinged. And yes, vicious. All these words describe Ledger's truly terrifying performance as Batman's greatest villain. When he appears on screen it's like watching a horribly accident occur in slow motion: you don't want to see the bloody aftermath, yet you are unable to look away. You just know, that any moment, this guy could snap, and when he does somebody is going to die. From having thugs duel each other to the death for the "honor" of working with him to slicing a man open, stuffing him with a bomb and then sewing him back shut, this Joker doesn't mess around.
Arkham Joker: This video game version of the character is a combination of Clown Princes over the years. Comedic and at times playful like Joker in the Animated Series, he also borrows a page from Heath Ledger's book. This Joker is tall, thin and at times very dangerous. He is skilled with a knife and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty in a brawl with the bat. He also transforms into Bane sized-rage monster and attempts to rip Batman to pieces. That's new.
Verdict: Was there ever any doubt? Ledger's unhinged and downright deadly Joker is one that continues to haunt moviegoers to this day. When it comes to Joker's portrayal outside of the comics, there has never been a more disturbing or violent take on the deranged character.
Advantage: Heath Ledger's Joker
Conclusion
A four-way tie! Okay, so maybe this isn't exactly a definitive answer as to which Joker is best. For example, we love Jack Nicholson's Joker, even though he didn't win a category. It just goes to show that no matter what version of the character you are watching, each is captivating, terrifying and funny in their own way. In that case, it's easy to see why the character has endured for so long. There is just something about the Joker that captures our imaginations.
Soon we will have another Joker to add to the list in the form of Jared Leto. We can't wait to see what he does with one of the most iconic villains in all of pop culture when Suicide Squad releases in 2016. No pressure.
Which version of the Joker is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
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