The Joker has often been referred to as the greatest villain in the history of comic books. Due to his enduring nature, the Joker has managed to make major appearances in films, televisions, video games, and comics.
One can only wait to find out where he will appear next. There have been different interpretations of the joker, and much debate about which one is the best. Here is our ranking of the Jokers over the years, from the best to the worst.
Mark Hamill – Batman, The Animated series
In his generation, Mark Hamill was one of the most relevant actors. Many consider him one of the ultimate Jokers we’ve ever had. Hamill’s voice work has been praised as one of those that bring out the positive energy in the role.
In his role of the Joker, Hamill mostly concentrated on his voice, which would go from a high voice to light-hearted to a scornful roar. He has different iconic laughs and is both scary and intriguing. He truly sounds like what a Joker should sound like, and is the most spectacular Joker ever.
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight (2008)
Heath Ledger’s casting was met with a lot of doubts, but the actor proved the audience wrong by delivering an outstanding performance as Batman’s greatest opponent. His speech and behavior contribute to a complicated psychology and history for the villain.
His scary, visionary, and hilarious performance shows the audience the fun, the giggling, and the insanity after the damage. He may not have been the best Joker but his character depth was awesome. Even though Ledger was good, he did not go as far as Hamill.
Jack Nicholson – Batman (1989)
Many people thought that Jack Nicholson would have a tough time in the role of Joker, because he came into into it after Cesar Romero. But surprisingly, he did justice to his role.
Nicholson set the bar for the Clown Prince of Crime high. One cannot help but to get drawn in by the terror that is displayed in his performance. There were times he went overboard, though at times he played up more of the strange elements of the character.
Cesar Romero – Batman (1966)
Although he did not have much depth, Cesar Romero’s performance in the Batman series is an exemplary one. Romero mixed charming and interesting traits, and thus exaggerated his mannerisms which made his rendition of the Joker interesting to watch. Romero was good, and he set the standards high, but he was definitely not the best.
Jared Leto – Suicide Squad (2016)
In Suicide Squad, Jared Leto played the Joker, and his efforts were noticed. Leto was committed to his role, which he played pretty well. He managed to bring out his demonic side in a movie that is full of bad guys.
Despite all these, many considered him a lazy Joker who lacked skills and is therefore ranked the worst Joker. However, it is worth noting that Leto did not have much screen time, so an opinion can only be formed from the small sample size.
