The 20 Best Joker Performances From 'The Batman' To 'Suicide Squad,' Ranked
While Joaquin Phoenix may be the current Clown Prince of Crime, and Barry Keoghan is poised to don the iconic makeup, who's the best Harlequin of Hate? These are the 20 greatest portrayals of the King of Gotham City.
In the vast history of comic books, there hasn’t been any villain more impactful, more complex, and more intriguing than The Clown Prince of Crime: The Joker.
Ever since his debut in 1940, the Harlequin of Hate has captivated audiences: he is an agent of chaos, has no motive to his actions, and finds humor in the most sadistic parts of human psychology. No other villain in comic history is more intricately developed than The Joker, and thus it’s always a tall task when translating this character to other mediums. Many have tried, some have succeeded, and just as many have failed, but each time the audiences clamor to see more of Mr. J.
But from games to movies to television, which iteration of The Joker is the most diabolical of them all? That's tough, however, with the Joaquin Phoenix-led Joker: Folie à Deux now in theaters, we did our best to answer that very question by compiling a list of the 20 greatest Joker performances to date. Who is your favorite actor to don the red, green, and white makeup? Laugh it out in the comments below.
20.Lennie Weinrib
Appeared in: The New Adventures of Batman (animated series)
Lennie Weinrib’s portrayal was a solid attempt that left a lot to be desired, especially compared to future portrayals. This being one of the first times we ever heard The Joker’s voice, the performance leaned a bit too much on the corny side, and Weinrib’s voice was a bit too deep.
19.Jeff Bennett
Appeared in: Batman: The Brave and The Bold (animated series)
Bennett’s turn as The Joker was a very interesting deviation from what we all were familiar with. The Brave and The Bold TV series was a tribute to the golden age of Batman comics, and this voice fit perfectly within that era. While being an acceptable performance, this Joker did lack a lot of the sinister edge we expect from the villain.
18.Jared Leto
Appeared in: Suicide Squad (film)
Arguably the most polarizing portrayal of The Joker to date. When Leto was first announced as The Joker following Heath Ledger’s performance, many were skeptical. Some credit should be given to Leto for attempting to try something different, but a lot of his swings didn't connect. Whether it was the too self-aware tattoos or the grill or the laugh itself, this performance just didn’t vibe with the audience.
17.Jeff Bergman
Appeared in: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (film)
This portrayal gets a lot of brownie points for capturing the essence of Cesar Romero's legendary performance of the iconic villain. Return of The Caped Crusaders was an animated continuation of the original Batman live-action show, which brought back Adam West and Burt Ward. And since Romero had long since passed away, Bergman was able to fill in flawlessly while delivering a convincing and loving tribute.
16.Christopher Corey Smith
Appeared in: Lego Batman (game), Lego DC Superheroes Unite (film)
Christopher Corey Smith gives us a pretty solid Joker in the Lego Universe. This performance is definitely an offshoot of Mark Hamill's characterization, but Smith makes the performance his own vocal flourishes distinct to him. Smith gives us a great Joker laugh as well as a maniacal vocal tone that does the character justice.
15.Zach Galifianakis
Appeared in: The Lego Batman Movie (film)
Comedy icon Zach Galifianakis was an interesting casting choice to play The Joker in The Lego Batman Movie, and he did not disappoint. Galifianakis’ turn is decidedly different than any other iteration we have seen. The tone and demeanor of The Joker is different, but it somehow works thanks to Galifianakis' timing and punchlines, as well as the hysterical relationship he shares with Will Arnett's Batman.
14.Michael Emerson
Appeared in: The Dark Knight Returns (animated film)
This animated adaption of Frank Miller’s legendary 1986 comic of the same name portrayed a darker version of The Joker. As opposed to being loud and flamboyant, this Joker was more reserved, more calculating, and more evil. Emerson's cold and sociopathic tone was an interesting deviation from the usual formula we've heard before.
13.Jason Spisak
Appeared In: Batman: Hush (animated film)
Hush is one of the more highly revered Batman storylines, and when the animated adaption needed a Joker, Jason Spisak took the ball and ran to the end zone. Spisak captured The Joker's twisted sick sense of humor, and was someone that you could laugh with and be terrified of at the same time. The best Joker performances combine chaos with sinister playfulness, and Spisak accomplished this in spades.
12.Anthony Ingruber
Appeared In: Batman: The Telltale Series (game)
This Joker was unique in the sense that we saw his evolution into the psychopath we all know. Telltale’s awesome adventure games put you in the shoes of The Dark Knight, with your choices affecting the story and leading to multiple outcomes. Anthony Ingruber shows his acting chops by delivering an evolving performance that went over extremely well with the fans, and giving us a more in-depth portrayal of The Joker.
11.Barry Keoghan
Appeared in: The Batman (deleted film scene)
Barry Keoghan gave us such a powerful, unique Joker portrayal that it became infamous as a deleted scene! For whatever reason, the scene where Robert Pattinson’s Batman interrogates Keoghan’s Joker was left on the cutting room floor. However, after the film's release, Matt Reeves uploaded the scene online, and this performance left the fans begging for more. This is easily the most grotesque Joker we have seen, and even though we don’t get a clear view, the fear and intimidation Keoghan exudes leave us hoping to see more in the next Batman film.
10.Richard Epcar
Appeared in: Injustice (game)
The hit fighting game series Injustice gave us one of the more intriguing DC storylines to date. Richard Epcar’s turn as The Joker in the series is considered one of the more accurate and true to the villain's roots in the medium. This Joker needed to be viewed as a formidable opponent to whichever character you choose to fight as, and Epcar succeeded in this despite being visually less imposing than the rest of the roster.
9.Troy Baker
Appeared in: Batman: Arkham Origins (game), Batman: Assault On Arkham (animated film)
One of the more underrated performances, Troy Baker picked up where Hamill left off in the Arkham video game series and gave us a very strong tribute. In WB Games Montréal's Arkham Origins, we control Batman in the early days of his battles with The Joker, and Baker succeeded in giving us what is essentially a younger, newer version Hamill's portrayal. And Baker’s appearance in the Assault On Arkham animated movie was executed in a way that was familiar but new all the same, making the storied voice actor an iconic and memorable Joker.
8.Cameron Monaghan
Appeared in: Gotham (TV series)
While not outright called The Joker, we all know who Cameron Monaghan was when he popped up in the hit TV series Gotham. This interpretation was unique because it was two portrayals that summed up different sides of The Joker’s psyche. Jerome was the more unhinged, psychotic, and brutal part of the character while his twin brother, Jeremiah, was more calculating and in-control. Each of these versions reflect various aspects of The Joker, with one being simply insane and the other is methodically cerebral.
7.Kevin Michael Richardson
Appeared in: The Batman (animated series)
Legendary voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson is well known for many famous animated characters, but it was his turn as The Joker in The Batman animated series that gave us an innovative performance that has yet to be replicated. This Joker was more physical, more brutal, more inclined to get his hands dirty in a fight, and Richardson’s deeply vibrant voice resonated as someone the Batman could not take lightly.
6.John DiMaggio
Appeared in: Batman: Under The Red Hood (animated film)
More famous for his comedic roles like Adventure Time's Jake the Dog and Futurama's Bender, John DiMaggio was certainly not on everyone’s list of excepted choices to play The Joker in the animated adaptation of Under The Red Hood. What we ended up getting, though, was a freshly horrifying and riveting take on the character. We got one of the more violently sadistic Joker's from DiMaggio and were terrified to witness the infamous scene of The Joker bashing Robin’s face in with a crowbar.
5.Cesar Romero
Appeared in: Batman (TV series)
In many ways, this was the template that was established for many actors taking on the role. Cesar Romero perfectly captured the golden era of The Joker for the live-action Batman TV series with his over-the-top line delivery, spot-on laugh, and not-too-sinister method of outlaw activity. This Joker was perfect for the character’s first live-action iteration, laying the groundwork for future performances. We wouldn’t have any of the other Jokers we have today without Romero’s take.
4.Joaquin Phoenix
Appeared in: Joker (film)
Heath Ledger left big shoes to fill after playing The Joker in The Dark Knight. Thankfully, Joaquin Phoenix was up for the difficult task. Phoenix made the smart decision of not paying tribute to Ledger by taking the source material and incorporating other films such as The King of Comedy, resulting in a more mentally sick and deranged Joker than ever seen before. In Joker, the audience experiences reality as the titular villain sees it, leaving us unsure if what we are seeing throughout the film is reality or just psychotic manifestations. Phoenix’s Joker garners a lot of sympathy as well as disgust—someone who never really had a chance, pushed to the edge of sanity before he snaps.
3.Mark Hamill
Appeared in: Batman The Animated Series (animated series), Arkham Trilogy (game), Batman: The Killing Joke (animated film)
Luke Skywalker’s turn as The Joker may have initially sounded unlikely on paper, but after his first appearance in the hit '90’s animated series, Hamill became the go-to voice actor for any animated iteration of maniacal villain. Hamill gave the character a much darker edge never before seen at the time. He leaned more into the source material and, as a result, we saw a more sociopathic Joker who simultaneously made us laugh. Hamill, along with Kevin Conroy as Batman, became the mainstay duo to portray the rivals until Conroy’s untimely passing in 2022.
2.Jack Nicholson
Appeared in: Batman (film)
Nicholson was born to play The Joker. Already born with a harlequin grin, arched eyebrows, and a comedically sinister wit, Nicholson’s performance in Tim Burton’s Batman became instantly iconic. In many ways, Nicholson even stole the...film...from Michael Keaton’s Batman. Not only nailing the look, Nicholson perfected the mixture of psychosis and humor; he was someone that we laughed at as well as feared. It was a long time before anyone was able to live up to this performance.
1.Heath Ledger
Appeared in: The Dark Knight (movie)
This GOAT, a once in a lifetime performance that can never be duplicated. When the late Heath Ledger was initially cast in The Dark Knight, the internet did what the internet does: caused a ruckus that was eventually for nothing as not only did Ledger succeed in the role, he defined it. Epitomizing the term “agent of chaos,” this Joker neither had a concise backstory (he had multiple) nor a rhyme or reason for his actions. He just did things. This Joker lived for anarchy and chaos—for nothing other than chaos’ sake. Ledger’s performance was a force of nature. You can’t stop this iteration; you could only hope to contain it. Due to Ledger’s untimely passing in 2008, we can only wonder what would've been if he had put the makeup on one last time.
