The Jokers, Ranked from Worst to Best
Ever since Joaquin Phoenix slapped on that greasy white paint and creepy grin for Todd Phillips’s Joker, he officially joined the small but mighty club of actors who’ve played Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime.
The Joker captivates actors with his unique blend of chaotic charisma, unstable insanity, and calculated madness. Now that we’ve seen a good amount of Joker in movies and TV shows, who did the worst and best portrayal of him so far?
1. Jared Leto—Suicide Squad (2016)
Yeah, no surprise here, huh? Before Suicide Squad came out, Leto made headlines for going full “method acting” route, sending dead rats and used condoms to his castmates, because that’s what Joker would do in his mind. No, Jared, Mr. J would blow up the whole studio if he found out they cast you as the Joker. Either way, all that effort was for nothing, as the Joker was barely in the movie, and when he is on-screen, he’s a try-hard mess. Leto cackles, pouts, and flashes gold teeth, but he’s about as scary as a dollar-store Halloween mask. Bonus cringe points for the “Damaged” forehead tattoo. Hard pass.
2. Cesar Romero—Batman (TV, 1966-1968)
Jared Leto may have been aiming for edgy, but maybe he should’ve looked back to Cesar Romero’s original campy Joker. On the old Batman TV show, Romero played the Joker like a game show host who had far too much coffee and now wants to blow everyone up. The bright colors, goofy music, and POW!’s were pure ’60s fun. But unfortunately, his Joker doesn’t really hold up today. Aside from its sentimental value, this version of the Joker is likely even trashier than Leto’s portrayal.
3. Zach Galifianakis—The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Galifianakis voices the Joker in this hilarious LEGO parody, and while he’s not trying to be terrifying, he’s surprisingly spot-on. His Joker is needy, petty, and desperate for Batman’s attention, which hilariously reframes their rivalry as an awkward break-up. While the humor is evident, it manages to capture the Joker’s twisted obsession with Batman more effectively than some “serious” interpretations.
4. Jack Nicholson—Batman (1989)
Jack Nicholson basically got paid a mountain of cash for playing Batman’s #1 enemy, and he did … well? He’s always front and center, hamming it up and dancing to Prince songs. His Joker is more of a performer than an unhinged psycho, but Nicholson’s natural menace still peeks through. Even when he’s wearing a giant purple hat and defacing art galleries, he’s got that ‘come closer and I’ll stab you’ glint in his eye. Definitely over the top, but still fun to watch.
5. Cameron Monaghan—Gotham (2015-2019)
We hear you yell, “Um, actually, Jerome is not the Joker!” Okay, yes, technically, the word “Joker” was never officially spoken about Cameron’s character, but come on! It’s like saying the young Bruce Wayne was not Batman because the show didn’t have the rights to use that name. Monaghan’s portrayal mimics Heath Ledger’s vibe but never crosses that unseen line where it’s just a parody, and that’s why the fans loved him so much.
6. Joaquin Phoenix—Joker (2019), Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
Oh, what’s this? Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker isn’t in the #1 spot? Hell no! Sure, he won an Oscar for the 2019 movie, and yes, he’s one of the best actors out there, but his Joker was kind of a lot. It was a great take on the character, and the tiny details, like Phoenix’s endless twitching, giggling, and creepy dance routines, will forever live in our memories. If there’s one thing that’s missing, I’d say it’s the trademark Joker chaos. Compared to his layered work in The Master, Phoenix’s Joker feels shallow and way too serious for its own good.
7. Mark Hamill—Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
Mark Hamill’s greatest legacy is not that scrawny padawan but the best Joker laugh in the history of everything. In case you somehow didn’t know this, Hamill has been voicing the Joker for decades, starting with Batman: The Animated Series and carrying on through movies and video games. His take is deliciously sinister, going from a circus clown to an unhinged mastermind in a single line. If there were an Oscar for voice acting, Hamill would have shelves full of them.
8. Heath Ledger—The Dark Knight (2008)
Unsurprisingly, the top spot is reserved for the one and only Clown Prince of Crime—Heath Ledger. His Joker is almost unanimously better in every way than all the names above. Ledger turned this DC villain into pure chaos incarnate, a truly “bad guy” who’s unpredictable, terrifying, and magnetic. It’s no wonder he earned a posthumous Oscar for this role. As Michael Caine’s Alfred memorably said, “Some men just want to watch the world burn.” And no one lit that fire quite like Ledger.