His distinctive look, unexpected techniques, incomprehensible background, and insatiable appetite for evil have kept directors and performers interested in the role for more than 30 years, resulting in several reinventions of the figure, the majority of which seem definitive for their time. Joker is the perfect nemesis to the Dark Knight. Let’s check out 15 of the best Joker scenes that are worth re-watching!
15. The Joker As an Entertainer
Batman (1966) and the immensely devoted performance of Cesar Romero as the Joker must be represented at least once on this list – truly, behold this supercut of his chuckles, which create a frenetic energy that fits wonderfully in this exaggerated version of these characters. If you're like that degree of camp, Romero's rendition of the character is wonderful across the board, but he arguably hit his zenith in this scene. Why do Batman and the Joker compete in a surf contest in "Surf's Up! Joker's Under!" from season three? The issue that deserves serious consideration is "why didn't it occur sooner?"
14. Batman: The Animated Series: "Joker's Wild" (1992) — Joker Sees a Branding Opportunity
It's fascinating how often a great Joker story doesn't feature him as the main antagonist; this episode of Batman: The Animated Series is a perfect example of this, as the Joker sets out to destroy a new casino using his likeness, which is exactly what Kaiser, the crooked businessman who built the casino, wanted. Joker reacts negatively upon learning that he was being exploited by Kaiser, determining that he should take over the casino rather than destroy it. The Joker sometimes has a keen business sense.
13. Museum Murder Dance Party – Batman (1989)
Jack Nicholson has already acquired quite a corpse count by this time in Tim Burton's first Batman picture, but he's not through yet. Joker has a huge infatuation on photographer Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) and has a brilliant plan for their first date, forcing her to watch while everyone else in a museum in Gotham City chokes to death on his characteristic poison gas. ("I adore the Joker!") Vicki is unaware that the horrific slaughter she has seen is only laying the stage for Joker's grand debut.
12. "Christmas With The Joker" (1992) — Joker Appreciates a Classic
The second episode of The Animated Series is a Joker-palooza of moments, but Joker's first animated adventure is a triumph for the scene in which he goes out of his way to ensure that Batman gets hit in the face with a cream pie. An intriguing feature of the Joker's nature is that his freedom appears very inconsequential to him; the action or joke is more vital.
11. "I'm Glad You're Dead" – Batman (1989)
There is something so sick and horrifying about one of the Joker's initial pranks in Batman. Later, Nicholson will spew acid from a flower on his lapel onto the face of Vicki Vale, and much later, he will do the legendary fake pistol, teeth, and hand gags. But first, there is his aggressive takeover of Carl Grissom's (Jack Palance) criminal enterprise and a shocking encounter with Antoine Rotelli (Edwin Craig) that he will not soon forget.
10. Batman (1989) — A Dinner Date with Vicki Vale
Part of this character's compelling danger is the juxtaposition between the ludicrous and the horrifying; it's a dichotomy that places the viewer squarely in Vicki Vale's extremely fine high shoes as she goes up against Jack Nicholson's Joker in all his suave terrifying persona. In addition, the scene's climax, the unveiling of the scarred face of the girlfriend of the Joker, adds an additional degree of dread.
9. Return of the Joker - Batman Beyond (2000)
Batman: Beyond: Return of the Joker is neither the most popular Batman nor Joker film. In fact, it is one of the few films on our list that was never released in theaters. Yet, we would argue that Mark Hamill's voice portrayal as Mistah J has never been crueler or scarier than in the sequence in which Tim Drake's fate is revealed to Batman and the audience in The Animated Series.
Following Robin's disappearance for many weeks, the Joker and Harley Quinn lead Batman and Batgirl to a derelict location, where the Joker reveals through black-and-white home video reels that he has brainwashed Robin into being a literal mini-Joker using torture and narcotics.
8. A Reflective Moment in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
The dilemma of how large is too huge is a recurring motif in Joker depictions. The Animated Programs and linked series tend to be on the campier side of the spectrum, maybe due to the animation or Mark Hamill's acting style, although the 1993 feature film recognizes this in a smart scene. Joker's involvement in Mask of the Phantasm is a bit of a red herring, since the true threat Batman faces is the return of his ex-lover Andrea, but he shines while confronting the masked person who has been murdering mobsters in Gotham City: "The costume is a little over the top, but who am I to judge?" (Later, he and Batman engage in a fistfight as Joker soars on a jetpack. Normal supervillain activities)
7. Batman and Captain America, Volume 1 (1996)
It's incredible that in 1996, a DC Elseworlds story had a crossover with one of Marvel's most popular characters. Nevertheless, Disney will likely acquire WarnerMedia in the future. This difficult-to-find comic, created by industry pioneer John Byrne, has been often highlighted online for one pivotal event. After finding that Red Skull is, you know, a Nazi, the Joker turns against him. "I may be a criminal lunatic but I'm an American criminal lunatic," he yells, serving as another more reminder that the guy has a very distinct set of values.
6. Joker Commits Suicide in The Dark Knight Returns (1986)
In Frank Miller's 1986 classic book, when Joker comes to harass a 55-year-old Batman, he makes it plain that his objective is not Batman's life, but his reputation. Choosing to commit himself (by fracturing his own spine), he frames Batman for his death, forcing him to hide from the police once again; it's a harrowing scenario that also demonstrates how much the Joker cherishes having the final laugh, no matter the cost.
5. Magic Trick – The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight's second scene with the Joker. His introduction to the major actors in Gotham City's organized crime instantly exposes him as dangerous, competent, highly intelligent, and perhaps a little insane. As one would expect, Joker begins the meeting by inserting a pencil into the eye socket of a thug. Then, he correctly identifies the gangster's issue: Batman. Also, he correctly deduces that the only answer to a masked freak wandering around the city at night is another masked freak going around the city at night like himself. This moment emphasizes more than any other in Nolan's trilogy how fast a somewhat regular, but corrupt city like Gotham can become a comic book nightmare.
4. Hospital Destruction in The Dark Knight (2008)
For the hospital scene, Nolan really blew up an abandoned old structure, a risky decision that might have easily gone poorly. Fortunately, Heath Ledger was so immersed in his role that he improvised brilliantly during the whole scene, shaking the "detonator" with the same realism as one would shake a broken remote control. Due to Ledger's authenticity, when the explosion occurred a few seconds later, the scene exceeded all expectations.
3. Under the Red Hood — The Death of Jason Todd (2010)
Too often, performers portraying the Joker focus only on the character's psychotic traits, neglecting to explore the other facets. So it's kind of a relief when an actor finds a fresh perspective on the multidimensional lunatic, preserving the terror without relying on the same basic tropes. In the 2010 direct-to-video film Batman: Under the Red Hood, renowned voice actor John DiMaggio provides a new and horrifying interpretation of the antagonist. Contrary to its title, Under the Red Hood is also an adaptation of one of the most famous Batman tales of all time, Death in the Family, in which the Joker kills Jason Todd, the second Robin. Given the absurdity of the original narrative from 1988's Batman #427, which also has the Joker joining the Iranian government, one might envisage a similarly absurd and exaggerated performance.
2. The Joker as a Source of Destruction
A comedy from a different era, excerpted here. The "Joker's Boner" plot is more of an internet joke than an important event in the character's history. However, despite the fact that the Joker uses "boner" several times, and despite the fact that the term had an entirely different meaning in 1951.
1. Joker: "You Get What You Deserve" (2019)
Joaquin Phoenix's Joker never seems exactly like the famed comic book character, but unstable sad sack Arthur Fleck remains a disturbing presence throughout the film. In the end, though, after murdering his mother and others, he dons the iconic makeup and green hair and does something befitting of the grim Frank Miller interpretation of the character.
The newly renamed "Joker" plans to commit himself on live television while attending his favorite late-night talk show. But after seeing the moral superiority of his former hero (Robert De Niro through Johnny Carson), he resolves to murder him instead, yelling, “What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash?! You get what you fu*king deserve!”
Conclusion:
The clown prince of crime is a worldwide favorite villain and the perfect antagonist created by DC. When the casting is done right and the dialogues/actions are on-point; a maniacal Joker scene stuns the audience in a way that you just want to watch that scene again and again to comprehend the cynicism that you have witnessed. I hope you enjoyed reading this post on amazing Joker scenes that are worth re-watching.
Read More:
[Top 10] Best Movies With Joker In Them
[Top 15] Best Joker Figurines That Look Freakin' Awesome
[Top 25] Best Joker Quotes That Are Legendary
[Top 10] Best Joker and Harley Quinn Comics You Should Read
