Mark Hamill, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger ... whose Joker was best?

Most people know Mark Hamill as a certain starry-eyed wannabe Jedi with a penchant for hokey religions, ancient weapons and mystical energy fields. And yet for an entire generation of comic book fans, particularly those who grew up watching the 90s classic Batman: The Animated Series and its various feature-length spin-offs, Hamill will always be the cackling, demented voice of The Joker, Batman’s greatest nemesis.

Now, in the wake of his dramatic return to the public eye in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Hamill has signed up to play the clown prince of Gotham once again in a new animated adaptation of the classic Alan Moore graphic novel The Killing Joke, which alongside Frank Millers’ The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One represents the holy trinity of Batman comics. But will the 64-year-old star really be remembered as the greatest Joker ever, as many fans would have us believe? Or do Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, or even Cesar Romero, hold the real trump cards?

Joker: Jack Nicholson

Appearances: Batman (1989)

Rather than disappear into the role, Nicholson simply essayed a Jokerised version of a trademark charming-maniac persona honed in movies such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Shining. Except this time the famous grin and demonic raised eyebrows were painted on. Retaining much of his well-worn, comic-book origins story – including falling into a vat of acid and taking down his enemies with poison-infused hand buzzers – Nicholson’s Joker is spiky and deranged. For a vision of the clown prince as ultimate scenery-chewing pantomime villain, look no further.

Costume: 7/10
Maniacal laugh: 7/10
Killing skills: 7/10
Overall Joker grade: 7/10

Joker: Heath Ledger

Appearances: The Dark Knight (2008)

Tasked with imagining a Joker for Christopher Nolan’s real-world vision of Gotham City, the Australian actor turned in a performance of startling, venomous intensity, bringing a rabid insouciance to the part which will most likely never be matched. What his predecessors might have achieved with the help of supernatural forces or murderous reinventions of a clown’s standard gag-kit, the new Joker was able to pull off with a simple pencil. Ledger was so good, and so different from his predecessors that it seems unlikely anyone will ever attempt to copy those strange verbal ticks and that bizarre shuffling gait – Jared Leto seems to be going for a completely different take in the upcoming Suicide Squad. The best supporting actor Oscar would surely have been Ledger’s even if it had not been for the star’s tragic death.

Costume: 7.5/10
Maniacal laugh: 8/10
Killing skills: 8.5/10
Overall Joker grade: 8.5/10

Joker: Cesar Romero

Appearances: Batman (1966-1968); Batman: the Movie (1966)

Romero took on the role at a time when the sociopathic, murderous Joker imagined by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson in 1940 had made way for a kid-friendly prankster clown. The unhinged, unpredictable qualities which make the character so dangerous, and so fascinating, are largely absent, along with the criminal mastermind’s trademark sociopathic intensity. In fact, the sixties Joker is more a figure of fun than anything else, and therefore not nearly so interesting.

Costume: 7/10
Maniacal laugh: 6/10
Killing skills: 4/10
Overall Joker grade: 6/10

Joker: Mark Hamill

Appearances: Batman: The Animated Series (1992 – 1994) and numerous spin-offs

Hamill’s Joker will always be defined by that high-pitched, hyena-like cackle. His noir-flavored version of the clown prince is the ultimate entertainer, performing manic magic tricks for an audience of one: himself. He deals out danger and hokey puns in equal measure, all with that distinct, deadly mid-Atlantic brogue. Is Hamill the best Joker? Many fans might prefer a version of the character with a greater kill count. But it would be fair to say that the Star Wars icon’s performances as the super-villain represent the greatest traditionalist take on Batman’s greatest foe. Moreover, the upcoming adaptation of The Killing Joke, with its numerous controversies, looks likely to represent a daring shift into more grown-up territory when compared to his classic 90s ventures. Hamill’s greatest hand may not yet have been dealt.

Costume: 6/10
Maniacal laugh: 10/10
Killing skills: 6/10
Overall Joker grade: 8/10