Joker Actors Ranked

Every great Batman needs his Joker. So for Part 3 of my Batman series, I thought it would be fun to rank all 7 of the Joker actors. The Joker is the most iconic of the Batman villains and one of my favorite villains of all time. Just like with Batman, the actors that have played the Joker have varied in quality but I have enjoyed almost all of them. With that being said, here is my ranking of the 7 Joker actors.

7. Jared Leto

Jared Leto is the worst of all the Joker actors. Jared Leto was the Joker in the DCEU appearing in Suicide Squad and a brief cameo in Zach Snyder's Justice League. Part of his issue is that he gets very limited screen time. He only gets about 20 minutes between the two films that he is in which just isn't enough time to cook as the Joker. When he is on screen the portrayal comes across as very edge and off-putting. This may have been what Jared Leto was going for but it just doesn't make the character as fan as the other actors do. There really isn't much else to say considering has got so little time to shine. Overall, he is just not a great Joker.

6. Zach Galifianakis

Zach Galifianakis is the first of the animated Jokers on the list. He voices the Joker in The Lego Batman Movie. He brings a bit more of a sane take to the Joker as his character's main goal is to be the main focus of Batman's life which brings in a fun bromance/ love-hate relationship between the two. He brings a bit more vulnerability to the character as you start to feel bad for him after Batman rejects him. However, he really isn't all the memorable of a Joker. He doesn't have the craziness that all of the others have nor does he really have any memorable attributes to him. He just kind of feels there. In the end, he is an ok Joker but I wish he would have done more with the role.

5. Cesar Romero

Cesar Romero is the original live-action Joker. He portrays the Joker in the 1966 TV show and movie opposite Adam West's Batman. He portrays the craziness of Joker quite well. There are a lot of moments in the film where he is just doing such crazy stuff around Batman and the other villains. A funny story about Cesar Romero was that he didn't want to shave his mustache to play The Joker, so the makeup artists just painted over it which you can clearly see when there is a close-up on his face. The main issue with this Joker is that he doesn't get a lot of time to do his thing. In this movie, he has to share the spotlight with 3 other villains so instead of feeling like his own character, he just feels like a part of this group. Overall, Cesar Romero does a great job as the Joker when he gets his moments but those are few and far between.

The next three on this list are all about the same. They could change positions on any given day.

4. Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson is another one of the classic Jokers. He plays The Joker in Tim Burton's Batman and is one of my favorite comic book movie villains. He does a great job at balancing the funniness of the Joker with the seriousness of a mob boss. He manages to keep audiences both amused and frightened at the same time. I also enjoy how much energy Jack puts into the performance. You can tell that he has a lot of fun with the role. I also liked how this movie tied the Joker into Batman's past as he is the one that killed Bruce's parents. Finally, this Joker also delivers a lot of iconic moments such as dancing to Prince in the art museum and the battle with Batman in the church. In the end, he is such a class portrayal of the character. He does such a good job that the movie essentially elevates him to be a co-lead with Michael Keaton.

3. Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix is the one Joker that gets his own movie and doesn't have a Batman to fight against. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Joker in the 2019 film Joker. Joaquin gets so much time to shine as he gets an entire movie devoted to his journey. He does a great job of portraying a mentally unstable man that eventually goes over the edge. He goes all with his performance and is such a great actor to the extent that he ends up winning Best Actor because of the role. The movie does a great job of portraying the struggles of mental health and the impact it can have on a person and Joaquin is right there making the journey as perfect as possible. Overall, Joaquin Phoenix gives an amazing performance as the Joker and earns himself a well-deserved Oscar.

2. Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill is the second of the animated Jokers on the list. He portrays the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series as well as several animated movies, video games, and other TV shows. Mark Hamill goes all out with his voice performance and manages to create a Joker that is so sadistic, crazy, and entertaining all at the same time. Out of all the Jokers, Mark Hamill's is probably the craziest. Even though he is only providing the voice, it is just so great that it elevates the character to the next level. He just nails the tone perfectly with how a Joker should sound and act. I think it would be so cool to see him as a live-action Joker but I don't think that will ever be the case. I also think it is really cool to know that Luke Skywalker is the voice of the Joker. In the end, Mark Hamill not only gives one of the best Joker performances but also one of the best voice-acting performances of all time.

I. Heath Ledger

Without a doubt, Heath Ledger is the best person to ever play the Joker. Heath Ledger plays the Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. He gives a performance so different from everyone else. His performance is just so dry and straight but somehow still still works within the world of Nolan's Batman. He has such an iconic look and personality. I really like how he uses war paint to create his look instead of makeup like previous renditions. This Joker just does a perfect job of harnessing the idea of chaos into the role while also still having a master plan. Heath Ledger's Joker is just so iconic with a memorable look and the famous line "Why so Serious?" He does such a great job with the role that he won an Oscar for best-supporting actor. Overall, not only is he the best Joker, but he is also one of my favorite movie characters and one of the greatest movie villains of all time.

Which Joker is your favorite?

• Jared Leto
• Zach Galifianakis
• Cesar Romero
• Jack Nicholson

See All Options