It goes without saying that the Joker is not only one of the most popular comic book villains out there, but he’s also one of the biggest villains in all of fiction. He’s become a household name, has appeared in thousands of comics, and has been in too many adaptations to count. Even the most casual of fans can recognize the Joker regardless of the version.

That being said, despite the characters’ fame and popularity, there tends to be one key detail that folks seem to often forget. The Joker is meant to be funny.

The Joker is known as the Clown Prince of Crime. He’s meant to tell jokes that are actually chuckle-worthy. He’s a clown, meant to be the complete opposite of the always-serious Batman. However, many depictions of the Joker, especially in more recent years, present him as an overly dark, crazy guy who likes brutally killing people for fun.

Sure, the Joker is obviously crazy, and he loves to cause the misfortune and demise of others, but he’s meant to be joking around as he does it, not just laughing and certainly not just yelling or acting like any other serial killer. Mark Hamill, who has voiced the Joker more than anyone and is considered the gold standard for portrayals of the character, has even stated on social media and in various interviews over the years that while the Joker is crazy and dangerous, he is genuinely funny. However, the humor has been lost with some versions.

Instead of simply stabbing or shooting his victims, it’s much better to have him plan crimes and murders around jokes and puns. Again, he’s literally a clown. Having him just slicing someone with a knife is uninspired and unimaginative. Forcing foes to laugh themselves to death because of a toxic gas is much more entertaining to read or watch and is much more fitting for the character.

In addition to that, the Joker is always better and more interesting when he’s got his gadgets. Batman is all about the gadgets; his nemesis needs some too. Obviously, the Joker uses different gadgets from the likes of Batarangs and grappling hooks like Batman does. Instead, he’s known to use joy buzzers to electrocute people, razor-tipped playing cards, chattering teeth that explode, and lapel flowers that spray acid instead of water. The last few live action Jokers have completely nixed these twisted toys ghoulish gags for boring, everyday weapons.

What’s the point of the Joker being a clown if he’s not going to be funny and he’s not going to use clown-themed weaponry? There are still versions of the character coming out that still remember to make him funny, like in MultiVersus and in the Harley Quinn TV series, but it’s not always the case. Hopefully future versions remember to stick to what the character is all about.

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