With the release of the highly anticipated ,it’s the perfect time to look back on Harley and the Joker’s tumultuous relationship via some of the best adaptations of the pair on screen. Seeing as Harley has only been in three live-action movies—two of which don’t feature the Joker—we’re looking outside of the big screen as we focus on some of the most vital appearances of the pair. From video games to anime, there are a ton of fantastic representations of DC’s most iconic villainous duo and we’re digging into some of the most memorable here.
Batman: The Animated Series, “Joker’s Favor”
It would be impossible to write this piece without mentioning Harley Quinn’s debut in the iconic Batman: The Animated Series.It was in this extremely fun episode that we met the would-be Joker henchie Harley Quinn, who was so well received that she’d go on to become one of the four pillars of DC alongside Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. This is a great representation of the quick-witted quip-filled relationship that sums up why we love this early Harley and Mistah J, as well as an interesting look at the imbalance in power that defined their partnership for the ’90s and ’00s before Harley was reimagined as a powerful an anti-hero in her own right.
Harley Quinn, “Til Death Do Us Part”
Speaking of reinterpretations of Harley Quinn, her titular Max Original series brought Harley to the forefront of her own animated adventures that thanks to the TV-MA rating allowed her to be as rude and raucous as many fans had already imagined she was. Kaley Cuoco brings her to life as a brutal, bloody and brash sometimes hero who is dealing with the fallout of her breakup with the Joker. Don’t worry, though, as the pair still get plenty of screen time together as they work out just how to exist as separate entities in the crime-ridden world of Gotham. For many, this is the definitive version of Harley and it’s easy to see why it’s had such a big impact on both the comics and onscreen versions of her.
Suicide Squad ISEKAI, “A New World”
The debut episode of the awesome Suicide Squad ISEKAIseries sees Amanda Waller’s expendable army of villains thrown into another world. But first we meet one of the most fun iterations of Harley and the Joker in a while. If you’ve been missing the classic DC romance between the pair, then you’ll be happy to see them team up again here. But while their relationship in ISEKAI is a throwback to their old school romance, there’s nothing musty about the representation of the characters, who both get delightfully new character designs and vibes. Joker brings the sexy f-boy vibes that many fans have been looking for along with a fantastic new vehicle that the Joker drives by playing the piano!
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Next up is the sole video game on our list—but it’s a big one that redefined both Harley and the Joker for a new generation. Batman: Arkham Asylumsets you loose as Batman in Gotham’s most famous mental asylum where you must go up against some of the most ruthless criminals that the city has ever seen. Joker is, as always, at the center of Bats’ bad day as he and Harley plot to take over Arkham and trap the Gotham do-gooder inside. In a nice nod to the origins of Harley Quinn, Arleen Sorkin—who was the inspiration for the Clown Queen of Crime—returns to voice her. The most notable thing about Harley here, though, is her sexy redesign which is still inspiring cosplayers to this day. With Mark Hamill’s Joker at her side, this is one of the defining representations of the pair!
Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Emperor Joker!”
As its many fans will attest, Batman: The Brave and the Boldreally does deliver the old school comic adventures that its name hints at. One of the best Harley and Joker episodes also features that darling li’l chaos gremlin, Bat-Mite. When Bat-Mite accidentally grants Joker infinite power, he has to team up with Batman to stop him. Meanwhile, Harley gets transformed into a black and white flapper cartoon and this leads to one of the most fun fights of the season. With Harley and Bat-Mite making eyes at each other, the Joker’s wild new powers bring joyous madness to Gotham and we even get a Joker-Mite! What more could you want from your Harley and Joker adventures?
Joker: Folie À Deux, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, is in theaters this Friday, October 4th.
Rosie Knight is an award-winning journalist and author who loves Swamp Thing, the DC Cosmic and writing the monthly gossip column here at DC.com. You can also listen to her waxing lyrical about comics, movies and more each week as she co-hosts Crooked Media’s pop-culture podcast, X-Ray Vision.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Rosie Knight and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
[[{“value”:”With the release of the highly anticipated ,it’s the perfect time to look back on Harley and the Joker’s tumultuous relationship via some of the best adaptations of the pair on screen. Seeing as Harley has only been in three live-action movies—two of which don’t feature the Joker—we’re looking outside of the big screen as we focus on some of the most vital appearances of the pair. From video games to anime, there are a ton of fantastic representations of DC’s most iconic villainous duo and we’re digging into some of the most memorable here.
Batman: The Animated Series, “Joker’s Favor”
It would be impossible to write this piece without mentioning Harley Quinn’s debut in the iconic Batman: The Animated Series.It was in this extremely fun episode that we met the would-be Joker henchie Harley Quinn, who was so well received that she’d go on to become one of the four pillars of DC alongside Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. This is a great representation of the quick-witted quip-filled relationship that sums up why we love this early Harley and Mistah J, as well as an interesting look at the imbalance in power that defined their partnership for the ’90s and ’00s before Harley was reimagined as a powerful an anti-hero in her own right.
Harley Quinn, “Til Death Do Us Part”
Speaking of reinterpretations of Harley Quinn, her titular Max Original series brought Harley to the forefront of her own animated adventures that thanks to the TV-MA rating allowed her to be as rude and raucous as many fans had already imagined she was. Kaley Cuoco brings her to life as a brutal, bloody and brash sometimes hero who is dealing with the fallout of her breakup with the Joker. Don’t worry, though, as the pair still get plenty of screen time together as they work out just how to exist as separate entities in the crime-ridden world of Gotham. For many, this is the definitive version of Harley and it’s easy to see why it’s had such a big impact on both the comics and onscreen versions of her.
Suicide Squad ISEKAI, “A New World”
The debut episode of the awesome Suicide Squad ISEKAIseries sees Amanda Waller’s expendable army of villains thrown into another world. But first we meet one of the most fun iterations of Harley and the Joker in a while. If you’ve been missing the classic DC romance between the pair, then you’ll be happy to see them team up again here. But while their relationship in ISEKAI is a throwback to their old school romance, there’s nothing musty about the representation of the characters, who both get delightfully new character designs and vibes. Joker brings the sexy f-boy vibes that many fans have been looking for along with a fantastic new vehicle that the Joker drives by playing the piano!
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Next up is the sole video game on our list—but it’s a big one that redefined both Harley and the Joker for a new generation. Batman: Arkham Asylumsets you loose as Batman in Gotham’s most famous mental asylum where you must go up against some of the most ruthless criminals that the city has ever seen. Joker is, as always, at the center of Bats’ bad day as he and Harley plot to take over Arkham and trap the Gotham do-gooder inside. In a nice nod to the origins of Harley Quinn, Arleen Sorkin—who was the inspiration for the Clown Queen of Crime—returns to voice her. The most notable thing about Harley here, though, is her sexy redesign which is still inspiring cosplayers to this day. With Mark Hamill’s Joker at her side, this is one of the defining representations of the pair!
Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Emperor Joker!”
As its many fans will attest, Batman: The Brave and the Boldreally does deliver the old school comic adventures that its name hints at. One of the best Harley and Joker episodes also features that darling li’l chaos gremlin, Bat-Mite. When Bat-Mite accidentally grants Joker infinite power, he has to team up with Batman to stop him. Meanwhile, Harley gets transformed into a black and white flapper cartoon and this leads to one of the most fun fights of the season. With Harley and Bat-Mite making eyes at each other, the Joker’s wild new powers bring joyous madness to Gotham and we even get a Joker-Mite! What more could you want from your Harley and Joker adventures?
Joker: Folie À Deux, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, is in theaters this Friday, October 4th.
Rosie Knight is an award-winning journalist and author who loves Swamp Thing, the DC Cosmic and writing the monthly gossip column here at DC.com. You can also listen to her waxing lyrical about comics, movies and more each week as she co-hosts Crooked Media’s pop-culture podcast, X-Ray Vision.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Rosie Knight and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.”}]]
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