✓ | ||
This villain was proposed but was rejected by the community for not being heinous enough or lacks what is necessary to be a Pure Evil villain. Therefore, this villain shall be added to our "Never Again List", where proposed villains rejected by the community shall be placed to prevent future proposals of the same evil-doer. They can be proposed again (with the permission of an administrator) if new elements appear in their series that can change their status as non-PE villains. Any act of adding this villain to the Pure Evil category without a proposal or creating a proposal for this villain without the permission of an administrator will result in a ban. |
This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
“ | You know, you used to tell me that my laugh was a condition, that there's something wrong with me. There isn't. That's the real me. "Happy". Funny. I haven't been happy for one minute of my entire f-cking life. You know what's funny? You know what really makes me laugh? I used to think that my life was a tragedy. But now, I realize, it's a f-cking comedy. | „ |
~ Arthur accepting himself as Joker as he kills his mother, Penny Fleck. |
“ | How about another joke, Murray? What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash?! I'll tell you what you get - you get what you f-cking deserve! | „ |
~ Arthur's breakdown and most famous quote as he kills Murray Franklin. |
Arthur Fleck, later and formerly known as Joker, is the titular main protagonist of the 2019 psychological thriller film of the same name and its 2024 sequel Joker: Folie à Deux.
He was a mentally unstable, impoverished clown-for-hire and aspiring/failed stand-up comedian living in crime-ridden Gotham City during the early-1980's. After becoming frustrated with the lack of respect and success, his failure to make it as a comedian and having learned of the truth of his past, he lost his sanity and became a nihilistic psychopath determined to take his anger out on the world by causing chaos and whose actions inspired an anarchist uprising against Gotham's wealthy elite.
He was portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, who also played Commodus in Gladiator and Napoleon Bonaparte in Napoleon. In the Japanese dub, he is voiced by Hiroaki Hirata, who also voiced Suikotsu in Inuyasha, Vinsmoke Sanji, Inuppe and Demaro Black in One Piece and Máscara da Morte de Câncer in Saint Seiya: Legends of Sanctuary.
Appearance[]
Arthur Fleck is a middle-aged man with thick and wavy shoulder-length dark brown hair, he is very pale and has an emaciated body with almost no muscle or fat, as well as appearing old and sickly, likely a result of his poor lifestyle and smoking habits. He was often seen wearing a casual brown jacket, brown pants and grey buttoned shirt. He has an almost constant demented gaze that he gave off. As his original clown persona Carnival, he wore big clown shoes, a squirt flower, a small hat and a bald cap with two funny tufts of curly green hair on either side.
As Joker, he wears a crimson slim fit suit, marigold waistcoat and green patterned dress shirt as well thick white socks and dark brown shoes. He also dyed his hair bottle green and slicked it back while painting his face with clown makeup, drawing tear-like blue markings around his eyes, while his mouth was painted with a bright red smile.
Personality[]
“ | Murray: Okay, I-I think I-I understand that you... did this to start a movement? To become a-a symbol? Joker: Come on, Mur-ray. Do I look like the kind of clown that can start a movement? I killed those guys because they were awful. Everybody is awful these days. It's enough to make anyone crazy. Murray: Okay, that's it? You're crazy. That's your defence for killing three young men? Joker: No, they couldn't carry a tune to save their lives. [The audience boos him] Ohhhh, why is everybody so upset about these guys? If it was me dying on the sidewalk, you'd walk right over me. I pass you every day but you don't notice me but these guys? What, because Thomas Wayne went and cried about them on TV? Murray: You have a problem... with Thomas Wayne? Joker: Yes I do. Have you seen what it's like out there, Murray? Do you ever actually leave the studio? Everybody just yells and screams at each other, nobody's CIVIL anymore! Nobody thinks what it's like to be the other guy! You think men like Thomas Wayne ever think what it's like to be someone like me?! To be somebody but themselves?! They don't. They think that we'll just sit there and take it like good little boys! That we won't werewolf and go wild!'' |
„ |
~ Joker ranting about society and how it broke him. |
Initially, Arthur is a deeply disturbed and broken man who is in a near constant state of anguish and clinical depression who still tried his best to be kind towards others. While he claims to enjoy certain things in life, it isn't clear if he is serious, as he once told his mother he was "never happy for a single minute of his life."
Ever since that he was born, however, Arthur Fleck was an altruistic and good man who didn't want others to suffer as he does, and always wanted to bring laughter and joy to the entire world, aiming to do so by becoming an famous comedian. However, he was often physically and mentally abused by his mother and her boyfriend due to being the estranged son of a billionaire, something Arthur later takes as hatred toward the rich and the powerful. As a result of being abused, Arthur dives deeply into depression, borderline personality disorder and pathological laughter created by the abuse.
Despite his mental health, Arthur would have never thought of giving up on his goal to be a popular comedian, and, when he goes to achieve this goal, he takes the job of a clown for a talent agency. As he was abused again by a group of teenagers, Arthur developed a hatred towards society. Hence, Arthur's fragile sanity began to be broken, and he was still not giving up and found some joy in his mother and Sophie Dumond, until he wound up being humiliated by society again, this time by his beloved TV idol Murray Franklin.
When he shot the bullies, he ran to a public restroom and for the first time in his life, he experiences something unfamiliar to him: contentment. All the weight of the world, the expectations, moral obligations, all the put downs and times life had crushed him where alleviated. For the first time in his entire life, Arthur felt like he was in control and had achieved something meaningful. However, this was also one of several breaking points for Arthur and one of several lines he would cross, from that moment on he begins to develop a sociopathic persona, who lacks empathy, lacks remorse, is manipulative, violent, cold, aggressive and relentless.
As satisfaction and happiness introduced themselves to him, he dances triumphantly as he experienced all these new, wonderful, pleasant sensations. He waved his arms and swayed his head in euphoric delight. The pent-up blood cravings had manifested and were quenched. "Killing felt GOOD" Arthur thought, and this satisfaction would need to be refuelled again. Arthur always loved taking care of his mother, until he learned that she wasn't his real mother and realized she had always been horrible, false and negligent towards him, which moved Arthur to kill her, though the deed pained him. Upon meeting his estranged father, Arthur was in denial of how his father was denying his existence, yet showed joy with meeting Bruce Wayne, his estranged brother and his yet-to-be arch-enemy.
After a complete mental breakdown, Arthur lost the capacity to fear anything and having scraped rock bottom for so long, he realized the only new direction to take is up as his life couldn't get any worse. He developed a totally nihilistic outlook on life and therefore decided to go with the flow rather than change anything.
As Joker, Arthur loved being completely freed from his depressed life he used to have, liking to think that his life is a comedy now rather than a tragedy, and, he later developed himself to become the leader of the Clowns after killing his TV idol in front of a horrified crowd, yet, he was already inside of his insanity, so he burst out in crazy laughter, which is commonly regarded as his first true and honest laugh in the film. Having triumphantly danced on a stair case, he finally basked in the embracing warmth of happiness and the sensation of pleasure which was new and wonderful to him. Once he accepts his new life as Joker, he expresses no remorse or regrets for any of his murders and actually seems to take pride in them and frequently made jokes about the people he killed. He also revels in the destruction and chaos he causes in Gotham, calling it "beautiful".
However even after his breakdown he had some moral standards as he allowed Gary to leave unscathed. He spared Sophie and her daughter as well because they never wronged him. After killing Murray, Arthur shoots Murray’s corpse a second time but didn’t shot Ms. Ruth or anybody else in the area despite the fact he easily could have done so since he still had bullets in his gun.
Arthur also had a soft spot for children. He didn’t fight back against the teenagers who attacked him due to their youth. He enjoyed entertaining sick children at a hospital and a young child on a bus. He spared Sophie and her daughter and stopped himself from killing Alfred when he saw a young Bruce Wayne watching in horror.
However, despite his moral standards, Arthur has committed many terrible crimes to get his point across. Also, as with most versions of the Joker, his mental illness makes it hard to tell which events of the film did happen. For example, while Franklin was a bit rude towards Arthur on his show, it is possible that it was part of the program. Therefore, it is possible that Arthur's decision on who to kill or not stems from a warped morality.
Skills and Abilities[]
- Peak Human Condition: Despite receiving very little to no physical training at all, Arthur is in peak human condition as evidenced in multiple occasions in the movie when he performed feats such as: Cracking the thick glass in a telephone booth with a single headbutt, destroying a metal punch clock with a few punches, stabbing a man in the eye before he could react, sprinting a very far distance without showing a single sign of fatigue and getting hit by a speeding taxi and then getting up like nothing happened.
- Pain Tolerance: Arthur has a high tolerance for pain. This is seen when he was hit by a taxi and kept on running. He even quickly recovered from being hit by a speeding car. However despite of that, there times that Arthur can feel pain, this is demonstrated when Thomas Wayne punched him in the face, Arthur shows traces of pain. Also, unlike many versions of the Joker, he does not appear to enjoy his own pain. This indicates that, like his other counterparts, his illness makes it easier to endure pain.
- Intelligence: Initially Arthur was a rather simple-minded man and very clumsy, but as time progressed he became increasingly cunning and shrewd. However, due to his mental illness, Arthur often misspells words and shows many signs of being very impulsive.
- Fearlessness: While Arthur initially had severe anxiety issues, he eventually "burned out" and became totally numbed to anything remotely frightening. This may be due to his new outlook on life as he sees his existence as a meaningless comedy.
- Combat Skills: Surprisingly, Athur's lithe, wiry physique doesn't stop Arthur from having aggressive outbursts and combined with his unpredictability, he can occasionally return punishment to anyone who crosses him.
- Marksmanship: Arthur has some skill using a gun. This is seen when he performed two close-range headshots in quick succession while on the ground. He even shot someone in the leg while they were running away from him from a few feet away.
Arsenal[]
- 38-caliber: Joker's main weapon was a large calibur pistol he got from Randall. It was the gun he used to kill the Wall Street Trio as well as Murray. It was confiscated when he was initially arrested by the GCPD.
- Scissors: Joker used a pair of scissors to murder Randall.
- Pillow: Joker killed his mother Peggy by smothering her with a pillow.
Kill Count[]
Directly[]
- Three Wayne Enterprises employees (shot dead)
- Penny Fleck (smothered to death with pillow)
- Randall (brutally stabbed in the neck and then the right eye with scissors, head smashed against a wall multiple times)
- Murray Franklin (shot in the head and then in the chest post-mortem)
Indirectly[]
- Thomas and Martha Wayne
- Many other unnamed victims
Quotes[]
“ | My mom always told me to smile… and put on a happy face… Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there? | „ |
~ Arthur Fleck aka Joker. |
“ | Growing up, I hated school. And my mother would say, "You should enjoy it. One day, you'll have to work for a living." No, I won't, ma. I'm going to be a comedian. | „ |
~ Arthur performing stand-up. |
“ | I f-cked up. I’ve done some bad shit. And I’ve been thinking real hard about it. It’s so hard just to try and be happy all the time. | „ |
~ Arthur to Carl. |
“ | It's f-cking crazy, innit? Me on the telly? | „ |
~ Arthur to Gary after killing Randall. |
“ | When you bring me out… can you introduce me as Joker? | „ |
~ Arthur to Murray Franklin. |
“ | Murray: You okay? Joker: Yeah. This is exactly how I imagined it. Murray: Well, that makes one of us. So, can you tell us about this look? When we spoke earlier, you mentioned that this look is not a political statement. Is that right? Joker: That's right, Murray. I'm not political. I'ma just tryin'a make people laugh. Murray: And how's that goin' for you? Joker: [laughs with the audience] Murray: So-so I know you are a comedian. Have you been working on ny new materials? You wanna tell us a joke? Joker: Yeah. Okay. [pulls out his psychological diary] Murray: He's gotta book. A book of jokes. Take your time, got all night. Heh heh. |
„ |
~ Joker and Murray Franklin on the latter's talkshow. |
“ | Joker: Okay, okay, here's one. Knock knock. Murray: And you had to look that up? Joker: I wanna get it right. Knock knock. Murray: Who's there? Joker: It's the police, m'am. Your son's been hit by a drunk driver. He's dead. [chuckles] Doctor Friedman: No, no, no. You can't joke about that. Murray: Yeah, that's not funny Arthur. That's not the kind of humor we do on this show. Joker: Okay, okay. Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just, y'know... it's been a rough few weeks, Murray. [chuckles] Ever since I... killed those three Wall Street guys. Murray: Okay, I'm waiting for the punchline. Joker: There is no punchline. It's not a joke. Murray: You're serious, aren't you? You're telling us you killed those three young men on the subway? [Joker makes reaffirming grunts] Why should we believe you? Joker: I got nothing left to lose. Nothing can hurt me anymore. [chuckles] My life is nothing but a comedy. Murray: Let me get this straight. You think that killing those guys... is funny? Joker: I do and I'm tired of pretending it's not. Comedy is subjective, Murray. Isn't that what they say? All of you, the system that knows so much. You decide what's right and wrong. The same way that you decide what's funny or not. |
„ |
~ Joker's twisted sense of humor. |
“ | Joker: Have you seen what it's like out there, Murray? Do you ever actually leave the studio? Everybody just yells and screams at each other, nobody's CIVIL anymore! Nobody thinks what it's like to be the other guy! You think men like Thomas Wayne ever think what it's like to be someone like me?! To be somebody but themselves?! They don't. They think that we'll just sit there and take it like good little boys! That we won't werewolf and go wild! Murray: Yah finished? I mean, there's so much self pity, Arthur. You sound like you're making excuses for killing those young men. Not everybody, and I'll tell you this, not everyone is awful. Joker: But you're awful, Murray. Murray Franklin: Me? I'm awful? Oh yeah, how am I awful? Joker: Playing my video, inviting me on the show. You just wanted to make fun of me. You're just like the rest of them. Murray: You don't know the first thing about me, pal. Look what happened because of what you did, what it led to. There are riots out there, two policemen are in critical condition— (Arthur laughs hysterically) You're laughing, you're laughing. Someone was killed today because of what you did. Joker: I know. How about another joke, Murray? Murray: No, I think we've had enough of your jokes. Joker: What do you get… Murray: I don't think so. Joker: …when you cross… Murray: I think we're done with your joke. Joker: …a mentally-ill loner… Murray: That's it. Joker: …WITH A SOCIETY THAT ABANDONS HIM AND TREATS HIM LIKE TRASH?!?!?!?! Murray: Call the police, Gene! Joker: I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU GET!!! Murray: Call the police!!! Joker: YOU GET WHAT YOU F-CKING DESERVE!!! [Arthur shoots Murray in the forehead, killing him instantly. The audience screams and panics, with even some workers fleeing the scene. Arthur laughs again before shooting Murray a second time in the chest. He then walks to the camera and picks it up to speak to the audience.] Good night, and always remember. That's- |
„ |
~ Arthur's mental breakdown before killing Murray Franklin on live television. |
“ | I asked my mom why she only dated abusive violent guys, and she said "Beats the hell outta me!" | „ |
~ Arthur attempting to placate though also deriding Jackie Sullivan and other guards preparing to attack him. |
“ | Joker: Maybe you weren't looking... maybe no one was. Because nobody knew I existed! But look around, look at all these people! Everyone outside, these cameras... Who do you think they see, Mr. Puddles?! Gary: Joker... Joker: Oh, sweet child... What you are proving here today is that you are no different than any of those people that underestimated me. From Murray Franklin, to those goddamn, fat, stupid guards at Arkham! That think that they can treat me like trash! But I will no longer allow you, or you, or you, or any of you to keep me down! I. AM. FREE! |
„ |
~ Joker's speech at the court. |
“ | Please stop. I don't want to sing anymore. | „ |
~ Arthur telling Harleen he's tired of singing as he desperately tries to get her to stay with him. |
Joker's Laugh Vocals[]
Trivia[]
- This is one of the few Joker incarnations to be truly sympathetic with others being his The Killing Joke, Flashpoint, and Telltale incarnations. This incarnation is indeed easily considered the most tragic of all as he's one of the few versions that have a fleshed out backstory that makes him sympathetic.
- Likewise this is one of the very few incarnations of the Joker depicted as having mercy demonstrated when he spares Gary for treating him well. Thus, he's one of the few versions that don't go out of their way to kill others for the sake of chaos. That said, if a sequel does get made, it's possible that he would become less merciful over time.
- It has been widely debated whether the events of the film really happened or not as Arthur was explicitly shown to be prone to hallucinations and is unable to determine that those hallucinations are fake. Fans, however, have also pointed evidence that the events were real and Arthur did indeed become Joker before being captured and taken to Arkham. Todd Phillips stated the ending was intentionally meant to be unclear whether it happened or not but went to confirm that Arthur's appearance on Murray Franklin's show happened.
- Phillips also stated that Arthur originally intended to go on Murray's show to kill himself, but changed his mind and killed Murray instead.
- Joker's outfit seems to be similar to the adaptation of the DCEU version of Harley Quinn done through a cartoon rubber house styled animation introduction of her as a psychiatrist with the similar colored outfits with the darker red and slightly brighter orangish-yellow but having blond hair instead and how the dress is like a skirt instead of pants. This could have been a coincidence or a wink at the Joker 2019 film.
- Joaquin Phoenix's preparation for the role was so intense he would lose 50 pounds of his normalized body weight not even eating or drinking for long periods. To find the "perfect laughter" he watched and attempted to copy people with the pathological laughter disorder shown in the film.
- Joaquin Phoenix is the sixth actor to portray the Joker and the third adult actor to do so at the age of 44 alongside Jared Leto who also did so.
- This incarnation of the Joker and the film itself have been well received by both film critics and comic book fans despite initial skepticism on the film's success considering the uneven reception films in the DC Extended Universe have met. Some went as far as suggesting Phoenix's performance outranked Heath Ledger's, whose Joker is commonly regarded as the best one in film. Phoenix and Ledger were friends during the latter's lifetime and both won an Academy Award for playing the Joker. Nevertheless, while Ledger posthumously won the Best Supporting Actor Award, Phoenix won the Best Actor Award.
- Despite this, however, the announcement of Joaquin Phoenix's Joker was not well received by Jared Leto who played Joker in the DCEU. Reportedly, Leto was displeased with the existence of multiple different contemporary Joker characters and went as far to convince his music manager Irving Azoff to force Warner Bros. to cancel Joker although other sources deny that. Ironically, Leto's portrayal of the Joker is considered the most negatively received.
- However, with the release of the sequel, Folie à Deux, many people no longer think highly of this incarnation of the Joker due to him regressing as a character and swearing off the persona.
- Leonardo DiCaprio, who also portrayed Calvin Candie, King Louis XIV and Jay Gatsby was originally approached by Warner Bros. to play Joker but Phoenix was cast instead. According to Todd Phillips, Phoenix was his only choice for the role. On the other hand Phoenix accepted because it was the kind of comic book film he wanted to make and he would not have to appear in sequels as the film was intended to be stand-alone.
- This is the second Joker that replaces Joe Chill as the man responsible for the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne in film; the first being the Joker from the 1989 movie. The only difference, however is that while the 1989 Joker outright murdered the Wayne couple (accompanied by Chill, who didn't expect him to kill them), the 2019 Joker just inspired some with his anarchic sense of justice which led one of the Clowns to shoot the Waynes making him responsible for their deaths albeit indirectly.
- An alternate ending had Arthur himself killing all the Waynes. However, this was scrapped because it meant Batman will never come to exist in that universe.
- This is the fourth version of the Joker in media to be given an actual name and backstory following Jack Napier, Martha Wayne and Jeremiah Valeska.
- This is one of only three Joker incarnations whose backstory does not involve falling into a vat of chemicals and being permanently disfigured to resemble a clown, the other two being the Nolanverse and Flashpoint versions.
- Since the film's release it has been debated whether Arthur killed Sophie and her daughter after trespassing in her apartment and being asked to leave as Arthur makes the gesture of shooting himself with his hand and police alarms are heard in the background. However, Lawrence Sher confirmed that Todd Phillips told him Arthur didn't kill Sophie and by extension her daughter as she didn't wrong him.
- The scene where Joker kills Murray Franklin on the talk show is similar to the one in The Dark Knight Returns comic book, where Joker kills David Endochrine on his talk show.
- Although Joker was announced as a stand-alone origin story Todd Phillips mused in an interview with Los Angeles Times that perhaps the Joker facing Batman will not be Arthur Fleck speculating that Arthur inspired the man who becomes the Joker like Jerome Valeska. This is a possibility considering Arthur's imprisonment.
- This was confirmed in the sequel, where Arthur dies and presumably, his killer becomes the future Joker.
- The background of this version of the Joker is vaguely reminiscent a flashback in the New 52 comics (although this background is also not confirmed as true): in this comic the Joker claims to have grown up with an extremely violent aunt, who beat him and physically and psychologically abused him in various ways-such as rubbing bleach on his skin to make it white. He was also bullied and lived as an outcast.
- Phoenix became the second actor to win an Oscar award for playing Joker, the first being Heath Ledger who won posthumously.
- This was the second time two different actors had won an Oscar for the same character, with the previous being Vito Corleone portrayed by Marlon Brando and then Robert De Niro (who also coincidentally portrayed Murray Franklin in Joker).
- Joaquin Phoenix was previously considered for the role of Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
- In the original script of the film (also published in volume for the "FYC" ("For Your Consideration") series of script books and later, by Insight Editions, Arthur Fleck had scars in the corners of his mouth like the Joker from the Nolanverse.
- Prior the Joker: Folie à Deux proper beginning, there is an original Looney Tunes cartoon, although featuring Arthur Fleck's Joker. It features him being a famous comedian and TV star - like his first dream. Joker's shadow detached itself, trapped Arthur in the dressing room, and took the spotlight of the show, before handing it back to the escaped Arthur and reconnecting with him. This could be interpreted as Arthur's shadow gaining more attention than the real him, which seemed to be foreshadowing of how his Joker persona has all of Gotham's attention, but Arthur isn't seen at all; unlike the cartoon, the film doesn't have Arthur's shadow reuniting with him to share the glory - and another "shadow" was arguably the unknown Arkham inmate who killed him and seemed to adopt the Joker identity for himself, thus Arthur was truly unimportant as he feared, while his shadow completely overshadowed him.
External Links[]
- Joker on the DC Database Wiki
- Joker on the Batman Wiki
- Joker on the VS Battles Wiki