Rank Every Joker From Worst To Best

[jolldan]

With Joaquin Phoenix latest portrayal of the Joker I thought it would be interesting to see where people rank him amongst all the other iterations.

Joaquin Phoenix - Joker (2019)

Zach Galifianakis - Lego Batman (2017)

Jared Leto - Suicide Squad (2016)

Cameron Monaghan - Gotham (2014-2019)

Troy Baker - Arkham Origins - (2013)

Michael Emerson - The Dark Knight Returns (2012-2013)

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight (2012)

Brent Spiner - Young Justice (2011)

John DiMaggio - Under The Red Hood (2010)

Kevin Michael Richardson - The Batman (2004-2008)

Mark Hamill - Batman: The Animated Series (1992-2018)

Jack Nicholson - Batman (1989)

Cesar Romero - Batman (1966-1968)

 

[Gothamsknight]

For now, I'll just do live action. Top is best, bottom is worst.

Heath Ledger
Joaquin Phoenix
Jack Nicholson
Cesar Romero
Cameron Monaghan
Jared Leto

 

[jolldan]

For now, I'll just do live action

Heath Ledger
Joaquin Phoenix
Jack Nicholson
Cesar Romero
Cameron Monaghan
Jared Leto

This is relatively similar to mine.

I would go with this for my top 5

1. Ledger
2. Hamill.
3. Phoenix
4. Nicholson
5. Baker

After that it either gets very close or I haven't seen that iteration.

Cesar takes sixth just for the legacy of what he did with the character for me.

 

[TheGuy]

You should add a poll.

 

[Gothamsknight]

This is relatively similar to mine.

I would go with this for my top 5

1. Ledger
2. Hamill.
3. Phoenix
4. Nicholson
5. Baker

After that it either gets very close or I haven't seen that iteration.

Cesar takes sixth just for the legacy of what he did with the character for me.

Good list! It'll take some time for me if I include all the animated versions. obviously, Hamill is the best animated version ever and, and up there right next to Ledger. I'd probably still rank Ledger as the best Joker ever even with Hamill on the list, so Hamill would be literally right next to ledger for me with Ledger still being king.

 

[jolldan]

You should add a poll.

I think I needed to do that when I was creating the thread my bad, not sure if its possible to edit now.

If a mod will add one happy to update it.

 

[Boom]

I'm going to keep this limited to live-action actors.

1. Heath Ledger
2. Joaquin Phoenix
3. Jack Nicholson
4. Cesar Romero
5. Jared Leto

 

[TheGuy]

Live-action:
1. Ledger
2. Phoenix
3. Romero
4. Nicholson
5. Monaghan
6. Leto

 

[TheGuy]

I think I needed to do that when I was creating the thread my bad, not sure if its possible to edit now.

If a mod will add one happy to update it.

Sure. No problem.

 

[AcidRain]

Live action only : (1) Ledger (2) Phoenix (3) Nicholson (4) Romero (5) Leto (6) Monaghan

 

[Closerframe]

Live action:
1. Joaquin Phoenix
2. Heath Ledger
3. Jack Nicholson
4. Cesar Romero
5. Jared Leto

 

[Rorschach2012]

Ledger
Nicholson
Phoenix
Romero
Monaghan
Leto

 

[BatLobster]

1. Leto
2. Monaghan
3. Romero
4. Phoenix
5. Nicholson
6. Ledger

 

[MovieSlave]

I'm going to keep this limited to live-action actors.

1. Heath Ledger
2. Joaquin Phoenix
3. Jack Nicholson
4. Cesar Romero
5. Jared Leto

This order for me. Although I hate having to rank Ledger and Phoenix against each other. They both gave amazing performances but played two entirely different takes on the character.

 

[Slade W]

I haven't seen Joker yet. I rank them as follows:

Ledger
Hamill
Emerson
Di Maggio

I do not think much of the others that I have seen.

 

[TheGuy]

Emerson was a great Joker in TDKR. Creepy, sinister and violent as ****.

 

[Brother Jack]

This order for me. Although I hate having to rank Ledger and Phoenix against each other. They both gave amazing performances but played two entirely different takes on the character.

Agreed. They are opposite characterizations in a lot of ways. Phoenix as Arthur is very human with very human motivations like revenge and a warped sense of justice. That is vastly different to the reptilian demon Ledger was playing, who had no discernibly human motives or origin with which to ground him.

 

[Filmfreak]

From worst to best:

Leto
Romero
Nicholson
Phoenix
Ledger

The animated ones are a whole different category for me and I haven't seen much from the guy in Gotham to count him, but from the episodes and scenes I watched he wasn't a pleasant experience.

 

[Micromind]

Live action -

Joaquin Phoenix
Heath Ledger
Jack Nicholson
Jared Leto
Cesar Romero

 

[The Joker]

Only doing a rank for live action, the actors who had to physically bring the character to life. Best to worst;

1. Ledger
2. Phoenix
3. Romero
4. Nicholson
5. Monaghan
6. Leto

 

[P Supreme]

Live action only

1. Ledger
2. Nicholson
3. Phoenix
4. Leto
5. Romero

never seen Gotham so I can't offer an opinion on that version

 

[metaphysician]

1. Hamil
2. Ledger
3. Nicholson
4. Romero
5. The Rest
10. Leto
N/A. Phoenix

 

[Doc Samson]

With Phoenix playing a completely different Joker, and it being very fresh still, I think I'll reserve judgement for a bit.

Still, the spirit of Ledger's is very much in tune with what I consider definitive. The only thing he wasn't was permawhite and well dressed. His motivations (or lack thereof), unpredictability, mysteriousness, theatricality, dialogue, relationship to Batman, it was literally the Batman movie I wanted my entire life. Hard for me to see past it.

I think over the years Nicholson has been criminally underrated too. It's cliche but each of the big three IMO worked perfectly for their films and eras...

 

[Charzhin0]

I think Nicholson is underrated as well. IMO he's the most comic accurate classic Joker from looks, theatrics, personality and origin. The only thing he doesn't have is height (Cesar Romero therefore is visually the most accurate).

 

[Doc Samson]

Only thing I would say in regards to looks is weight. I've always envisioned the Joker, maybe not as emaciated as Joaquin's, but definitely skinny. Jack was a little too chubby (and short as you mentioned, though Keaton wasn't any better) to be comic accurate.

There is still an extremely accurate portrayal of the Joker that could be made in regards to his look, the Joker the MCU would probably make if it were their property. I'm excited to see that one day...