Top 20 Greatest Joker Moments Ever
Top 20 Joker Moments
Top 20 Scariest Joker Moments
This legendary villain will leave you shaking with fear, laughter or a bit of both. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 20 Joker Moments. For this list, we’ll be looking at the twisted clown’s most memorable moments. Our picks will be taken from Joker’s appearances in television, film, comics and video games. And since we’ll be diving into every aspect of Joker’s violent history, a spoiler alert and mature content warning are both in effect.
#20: Stair Dance
“Joker” (2019) After adding his former coworker Randall to his growing body count, Arthur Fleck fixes his clown makeup, throws on a colorful suit and heads out to his TV interview. But before getting in front of a camera, he decides to dance out his feelings on a long set of stairs. But Arthur's joyful and manic moves have a dark undertone to them. As he dances down the steps with blood on his hands, he descends deeper into insanity. Arthur's dance resonated with audiences so much that fans went to the real-life shooting location in New York City to imitate him. Although the locals weren't too pleased with the tourists, they couldn't stop Joker's dance from becoming a cultural phenomenon.
#19: The Joker's TV Special
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“Batman” (1966-68) The Joker was always a fan of theatrics. In the villain's grand scheme to hijack the S.S. Gotham, The Joker baits Batman and the Boy Wonder to the Gotham City Opera Company, where he knew they'd attempt to capture him. Having been defeated by Batman’s gas pellets earlier in the episode, the villain decides to get even with some chemicals of his own. Subduing the two with sneezing powder, Joker now plans to unveil Batman and Robin’s secret identities on live television. This puts quite a twist on the show's typical death trap cliff hangar, and is a scheme worthy of the Crown Prince of Crime.
#18: Black Mask's Henchman
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“Batman: Under the Red Hood” (2010) Most villains know better than to make a deal with the Joker, but after nearly being assassinated by the Red Hood, Black Mask decides to ask the clown for help. Black Mask gathers his henchmen and breaks into Arkham Asylum to talk to an imprisoned Joker. When the clown is asked if he could handle taking out the new villain, he murders all the goons in the room. Once they're all dead, Joker agrees to accept the job... if Black Mask gives him more henchmen. This short scene perfectly captures how unpredictable and sadistic the clown can be. The Joker is so manic and terrifying that even the intimidating Black Mask will give the clown whatever he wants.
#17: The Pencil Trick
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“The Dark Knight” (2008) Shortly after stealing money from every mob boss in Gotham, the Joker crashes their private meeting. He offers to make up for his intrusion by showing them a magic trick with a pencil. After the mob chooses a volunteer, the Joker makes the pencil disappear into the volunteer’s eye. His brutal magic trick was a great way to show how reckless Heath Ledger's Joker was. Even when he's outnumbered, this version of the clown prince won’t hesitate to satisfy his most primal desires. Unsurprisingly, the Joker’s brutality and boldness eventually wins the mob over and they hire him to kill Batman. Let's just hope they didn't hire the clown to do any magic shows.
#16: What He Does to a Hospital
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“The Dark Knight” (2008) Seeing an empty yet functional hospital explode should be a tragedy, but the Joker managed to turn the event into a properly funny moment. After throwing on a nurse's outfit, the not so serious one detonates the massive number of explosives he placed inside of Gotham General Hospital. While walking away from the flames, the explosions suddenly stop. A confused and disappointed Joker messes around with the detonator until the explosions begin again. The way the Joker reacts to everything in this scene is priceless. He has fun setting off the explosives and seems genuinely surprised when they start up after the delay. Heath Ledger's fantastic comedic timing kept us laughing throughout this explosive scene, even though it feels so wrong.
#15: And the Crowd Goes Wild
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“Joker” (2019) Throughout 2019’s “Joker”, Gotham's poorest citizens are mistreated and neglected by the rich. So, when Arthur kills three wealthy businessmen while wearing clown makeup, the disenfranchised citizens of Gotham see him as a hero. They are so dedicated to their murderous idol that they even break him out of police custody. When Arthur finds himself surrounded by his new fans, he paints a bloody smile on his face and greets them as the Joker. Although it's unclear if this crowd scene was real or one of Arthur's frequent delusions, the news reports throughout the film paint an undeniable truth. The Joker’s twisted actions inspired people to embrace their worst instincts.
#14: The Joker Has the Bat Family for Dinner
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“Death of the Family” (2012) If your arch nemesis ever invites you over for supper, just politely decline. After capturing most of the Bat Family, Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood and Batgirl in 2012’s “Death of the Family” The Joker forces Batman to surrender, subsequently electrocuting him and knocking him unconscious. When The Dark Knight wakes up, he finds that the Joker has seated him at a mock dinner party, surrounded by his friends, whose faces are covered with bloody rags and been douses in gasoline. The Joker, with the help of a brainwashed Alfred, serve the gang up with what he claims to be their own severed faces. If that isn’t the stuff of nightmare fuel, we don’t know what is.
#13: The Joker Reveals Himself
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“Batman” (1989) While we can’t say enough good things about Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker, Jack Nicholson’s performance in the 1989 Batman film is just as haunting and memorable. When crime boss Carl Grissom conspires to have his rival Jack Napier killed during a heist gone wrong, Jack is reborn as the Joker. Imagine Grissom’s surprise when Jack shows up in his office, alive and seemingly well. It is revealed however that being doused with toxic waste and the subsequent reconstructive surgery left him with a very unique appearance, and quite the personality disorder.
#12: His First Appearance
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“Batman #01” (1940) One must ask themselves: has The Joker always been this maniacal and random? Well, his first appearance in 1940’s “Batman #1” as Gotham's most twisted crime boss shows us that, yes, yes he was. The Joker makes his own grand introduction via a live radio broadcast, announcing the murders and crimes he plans to commit. Besides this, he also takes down some city's most infamous gangsters and abducts Robin all at the same time. The villain is eventually captured by Batman and sent to prison, and thus begins one of the most interesting hero/villain relationships in comic book history.
#11: The Joker’s Strange Philosophy
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“The Dark Knight” (2008) Heath Ledger's Joker loved to get deep. Working on orders from the Joker to kill each other off as they work their way through a bank heist, one henchman remains by the end. Revealed to be none other than the Joker himself, the clown prince of crime is soon given the chance to share part of his strangle outlook on life. Joker's reply could be his way of telling us that a violent past turned him into an unpredictable criminal, but his philosophy could just as easily apply to Bruce Wayne's batly motivations. After surviving a traumatic past, what’s stranger than dressing up like a bat every night? No matter how you choose to interpret it, Joker's post-heist philosophy lesson is strangely genius.
#10: The Joker Drives Superman Insane
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“Injustice: Gods Among Us” (2013) The Joker, tired of losing to Batman decides to quote ‘try it on easy mode’ and go up against Superman instead. In “Injustice: Gods Among Us” The Joker murders Superman’s pal Jimmy Olson and kidnaps a pregnant Lois Lane. Using Kryptonite infused Scarecrow toxin, the Joker tricks the now delusional Man of Steel into killing Lois Lane. As if that wasn’t ‘funny’ enough, Joker rigged a nuclear bomb to detonate in Metropolis when Lois dies, destroying Superman’s home. Yikes. Superman kills The Joker in reprisal, but this was all part of The Joker’s plan, as because he was never able to defeat Batman, maybe an enraged and insane Superman will do it for him.
#9: “You Complete Me.”
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“The Dark Knight” (2008) During “Dark Knight’s” iconic interrogation scene, the Joker is asked why he tried to kill Batman. The madman laughs and insists he never wanted to murder the bat. The Joker then quotes “Jerry Maguire” and tells Batman “you complete me”. In three short words, Joker gives us huge insight into his relationship with the bat. Joker commits horrendous crimes in Gotham in order to get Batman’s attention. The Dark Knight is forced to confront the fact that his twisted dynamic with the clown prince has cost innocent people their lives. This scene is a brilliant encapsulation of Batman and Jokers’ relationship. And to think, it all began with a quote from a rom com.
#8: A Captivating Catchphrase
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“Batman” (1989) After killing Thomas and Martha Wayne, Jack Napier asks Bruce Wayne “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”. Years later, the Joker asks Bruce the same question. Once Batman realizes Joker and Jack are the same person, he becomes more determined to take the clown down. But the catchphrase that set Batman off is a great metaphor for the Joker. It’s dramatic, thought-provoking and insanely memorable. But the real irony of the phrase is that there’s no actual meaning behind it. The Joker just asks the question for fun. Unfortunately for him, he gets a taste of his own medicine when Batman delivers the moonlight question with a side of punch.
#7: Batman Makes the Joker Laugh
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“Batman: Arkham City” (2011) Batman and the Joker have never been able to see eye to eye when it comes to humor, but irony is something the two can both appreciate. In one last desperate attempt to steal the serum that would cure him of Venom sickness, The Joker blindsides Batman with a knife, which only results in the hero dropping the antidote to the floor. Devastated and hopeless, the villain attempts to sip on the last few droplets left from the spill while Batman reminds the Joker that he would have never chosen to let him die.
#6: The Joker Dies
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“The Dark Knight Returns” (1986) Batman's deepest internal battle is remaining a symbol of justice, and The Joker's prime directive is to persistently challenge that very notion. Like we saw in our previous entry, The Joker has met his demise at various points in his mythos, however none of these other instances stack up to his death in Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns”. In a desperate struggle, Batman was forced to snap The Joker's neck, but only enough to paralyze him. Opting not to kill him as it would destroy his moral code as well as public appeal, the Joker finishes the job himself as one last parting gift to dear old Bats.
#5: Live with Murray Franklin
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“Joker” (2019) Aspiring comedian Arthur Fleck dreamed of being on the Murray Franklin show. Unfortunately, that wish only came true when a video of his comedy routine was presented and mocked by the talk show host on national TV. When Arthur's invited to appear on the show, he requests Murray call him “Joker”... and packs a gun. After the interview inevitably goes south, Joker shocks the audience by killing Murray on live TV. It's impossible to look away from either the carnage or Joaquin Phoenix’s Academy Award-winning performance as Arthur in this scene. His realistic and chilling acting helped cement the moment Arthur went past the point of no return and truly became the Joker.
#4: The Joker Paralyzes Barbara Gordon
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“Batman: The Killing Joke” (1998) If there's one thing the Joker can't stand, it's those that just don’t laugh at his humor. In 1988’s “The Killing Joke,” the villain decides to bring none other than Commissioner Gordon into his construct of madness by shooting and paralyzing his daughter in their own home. To add injury to insult, The Joker takes pictures of Barbara Gordon's crippled body, and forces her father to view them on his twisted carnival ride. Not only is this horrifying event every parent’s worst nightmare, but the physical and mental damage the Joker inflicted upon Barbara would become a permanent aspect of her character.
#3: “Why So Serious?”
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“The Dark Knight” (2008) As eloquent as he is maniacal, the Joker really knows how to tell a story. And while we may never know the truth behind how he got his scars, we can’t deny the tension he created when he told his tale at Harvey Dent’s fund-raiser while pulling a blade to Rachel Dawes’ mouth. However, it’s an earlier scene in which he recounts an entirely different version of his scars’ origin to Gambol that still gives us chills to this day. Those last three words, which he repeats to terrifying effect just before ending the African mafia boss’ life, really set the stakes for the remaining associates, who are left to battle it out to the death for a chance to join the Joker.
#2: The Joker Does Away with Jason Todd
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Batman #427 (1988) As ruthless and cold as we know this villain to be, there's no getting past how utterly disturbing this moment in comic book history was. In “A Death in the Family,” Jason Todd’s Robin parts ways with Batman in order to find his real mother. After reuniting with her, The Joker kidnaps the two and brutally beats Jason halfway to death with a crowbar. Batman arrives on the scene just a moment too late as The Joker blows both Jason and his mother up in a fiery explosion. Out of every act of villainy the Joker has committed against Batman and his allies, this was one of ones that cut the deepest. Before we highlight our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. The Joker Finally Gets Batman to Kill Him “JLA: The Nail” (1998) “I’m Melting!” “Batman” (1989) The Joker Gives Batman a Pie for Christmas “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992-95) Laughing at the Death of the Waynes “Joker” (2019) Finding What Happened to His Mother Funny “Gotham” (2014-19)
#1: The Joker Makes Batman Laugh
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“Batman: The Killing Joke” (1988) Alan Moore’s groundbreaking graphic novel follows the Joker’s attempts to drive Jim Gordon insane. After Batman saves the commissioner, the mad clown delivers a memorable speech where he insists one bad day can drive a person crazy. But the highlight of the story comes when Batman offers to help his longtime enemy. Joker politely refuses and tells a joke. Instead of ignoring him, Batman shocked everyone by laughing. His laughter could indicate that he finally snapped. Then again, maybe Batman had a genuine moment of connection with the Joker. Both the comic and movie adaptation let the audience decide how this wonderfully complex story ends. By making Batman laugh, Joker created an iconic moment between the duo that comes with a multiple-choice conclusion.