From Suicide Squad's Jared Leto to Dark Knight's Heath Ledger: Who's the best Joker?

Even though Suicide Squad is not out yet, we have seen enough of Jared Leto’s Joker to know his portrayal of the iconic super villain is way different from the garden variety of Jokers that we are used to. Though it is too early to say, Leto looks like he can pull off playing the crazy-eyed loon with a penchant for tattoos and grills on his teeth. Till we get to see Leto live in action when the movie comes out on 5 August 2016, here’s our list of the top Jokers, starting from the best of the best: Mark Hamill Batman: The Animated Series [caption id=“attachment_2931566” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Mark Hamill as the Joker.
Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Remember the spine tingling laugh that used to completely spook you out as a kid? Originating in Batman: the Animated Series, this Joker would be the first many remember, hence his strong influence on pop culture. It’s a role that’s caused many to declare Mark Hamill as the definitive Joker and with so many since then imitating his performance, it’s a pretty safe call to make. Hamill has stared in the animated series as the Joker since 1993 and appeared as the voice of the arch-villain in many DC movie adaptations as well, most recently in the 2016 animated movie The Killing Joke. Heath Ledger The Dark Knight (2008) [caption id=“attachment_2931572” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Heath Ledger as the Joker. Image courtesy: Wikimedia commons[/caption] Heath Ledger’s Joker was perfectly summarised by Alfred, “Some people just want to watch the world burn.” Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker is of course the best till date. From the blotchy make-up to the greasy hair, this unstable character was the most sinister version that we have seen on screen (until Leto?). The menacing and diabolical image of Ledger gleefully sticking his head out of a speeding car, relishing the night wind and reveling in the chaos he has unleashed on the streets of Gotham city is forever frozen in time. Cesar Romero **Batman (1966-68) and Batman: The Movie (1966) ** [caption id=“attachment_2931578” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Cesar Romeo as the Joker. Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Cesar Romero played the ‘Clown Prince of Crime’ in the first ever live-action portrayal of the Joker, and there’s no denying that at the time, Romero’s Joker mirrored the comic book incarnation perfectly. Though the character has undergone serious transformations and become darker in later years, Romero’s Joker is the best comical version of the villain we have seen so far. Jack Nicholson Batman (1989) [caption id=“attachment_2931576” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Image courtesy: Facebook[/caption] Nicholson’s sadistic and classy Joker still remains one of the greatest iterations of the character to grace the screen to this day. Nicholson’s Joker leans more towards the sadistic and evil side rather than being a comical arch nemesis like Cesar Romero. He artfully balances the line between crazy and funny. The Joker here is Jack Napier, who fell into a vat of acid and resurfaces with a grin permanently etched on his face. Considering himself ‘a work of art’ he starts out to create similar pieces of art on the citizens of Gotham. Honorable Mentions

Troy Baker  as the Joker in the Arkham Origins video game is a definite standout with his manical laugh and evil scheming. Though he seems like a rip off of Hamill’s character, Baker’s voice does spook you out in the right way. The Lego Movie (2014) has a fun version of the Joker who keeps Batman on his toes with his sneaky antics. The Lego get up looks pretty cool too.