The Joker is one of the most iconic villains in cinematic and comic books due to his iconic one-liners and morbidly hysterical jokes. After all, a maniacal supervillain who dresses like a clown should have some pretty good zingers.
Below are the best Joker funny quotes and phrases, collected from his most famous comic book appearances to his most iconic movie appearances. I’ve also included a bit of backstory on each quote to put it in context.
1. “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin Laid An Egg. The Batmobile Lost A Wheel And The Joker Got Away!”
From: Batman: The Animated Series, S1 Episode 38, “Christmas with the Joker.”
On Christmas Eve, Joker takes over the television to air a pirated “Christmas Special,” giving Batman and Robin until midnight to rescue Commissioner Gordon from Joker’s traps.
But before he can take over the airwaves, he has to escape Arkham Asylum. And since The Joker can never miss an opportunity to ham it up, he takes the Christmas spirit in stride and sings his way out of the asylum riding a… Christmas tree?!
Played with absolute glee by the voice talent of Mark Hamill, this episode is also allegedly Mark’s favorite episode as himself playing the killer clown.
It’s full of gallows humor as Joker pretends to host a Christmas special, complete with commercial breaks and cutaways to killer toys terrorizing Joker’s hostages.
2. “This suit wasn’t cheap. You outta know, you bought it.”
From: The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is the best live-action, on-screen portrayal of the Joker ever attempted, but unfortunately, Heath Ledger passed away before he could reprise the role.
In this scene, Joker crashes a “meeting of the mobsters” to offer his services. He immediately dispenses with one of their bodyguards to assert dominance in a room full of alphas.
But in classic Joker style, he can’t just come in guns blazing, so he offers this as an opening gambit:
“How about a magic trick? I’m gonna make this pencil disappear…Ta-daa! It’s… it’s gone.”
Right after the Joker’s magic disappearing pencil trick, he threatens (or, more like teases) the mobsters not to mess up his new suit (that he bought with their stolen money) with this iconic line. Check it out:
3. “Well, That Was Fun. Who’s For Chinese?”
From: Batman: The Animated Series, S1, EP49: The Man Who Killed Batman
Now, Mark Hamil’s favorite Joker moment is the eulogy for Batman The Joker gives near the end of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series.
The Joker believes a small-time crook accidentally killed Batman, so he throws him a funeral (which ends up being the “funeral” or, should I say, execution of the crook himself). And then, after Harlequin plays off Batman and the crook to a beautiful kazoo rendition of Amazing Grace, the Joker lets out a silent flood of tears for his fallen adversary.
Written by Paul Dini, the entire eulogy is a genius monologue that twists from “reverence to rage” and finally settles on “Who’s for Chinese?”
For the Joker to be the Joker, he can’t linger on his feelings too long… But as Heath Ledger’s Joker says in the Dark Knight: “Kill you? I don’t want to kill you. You… you complete me!”
4. “Oh Salvator, why so formal? Mi Casa nostra es su Casa nostra”
From: Batman, Mask of the Phantasm
The very dark 1993 Batman movie Mask of the Phantasm is an underrated classic. In the film, Batman is wrongfully accused of a series of murders undertaken by a similarly dressed masked vigilante.
This new assassin slowly takes down Gotham’s top mob leaders with a scythe-like blade and a grim reaper aesthetic.
When the last of the old-time mob bosses have to track down the Joker at an abandoned World Fair, the Joker (played again by the incredible Mark Hamill) is gleeful to see an old friend. He’s full of manic joy and has no shortage of mafia-inspired puns that fly right over many kids’ heads.
“Can it be? Old Sallie “the Wheezer” Valestra! Welcome, paisan! It’s been a dog’s age!”
To those who don’t know, the term paisan means “fellow countrymen” in Italian and is a term used in a ton of mob media:
The joke that this headline is based on is a play on words on La Cosa Nostra, which is the name of the Italian mob.
5. “Compare Me To Batman?! I’ve Got More Style. More Brain. I’m Certainly A Better Dresser.”
From: Batman: The Animated Series, S1, Episode 11: “Be a Clown”
Joker can’t suffer insults without dishing out a taste of his medicine. That’s why, when the Mayor of Gotham calls Batman and The Joker “cut from the same cloth,” he goes off at the TV.
6. “Aw, so you do think about me.”
From: Batman: Under the Red Hood
Without giving away spoilers, the storyline of Under the Red Hood leads Joker, Batman, and Jason Todd to face off. Jason Todd challenges Batman’s moral code over his inability to kill Joker.
They have a pretty intense debate, which leads to this quippy one-liner that is so classic Joker.
7. “Let her go” “Very poor choice of words…”
From: The Dark Knight
The first time Heath Ledger’s Joker and Batman face off is an amazing showdown that’s too short. Of course, the Joker knows he can’t beat Batman in a fair fight so he resorts to cheap tricks, like a knife in his shoe, to get the advantage.
Batman takes out all of the Joker’s men and is left face-to-face with Him, but before Batman can get the jump on him, the Joker has Rachel, Batman’s childhood friend and serious girlfriend of Gotham defense attorney Harvey Dent, at gunpoint.
He cracks the window and dangles her out of it, prompting Batman to ask him to “let her go.”
As the Joker says… “Very poor choice of words…”
8. “You know, its funny. This reminds me of a joke…”
From: Batman, The Killing Joke
One of the best comics featuring the Joker is The Killing Joke by Alan Moore. The comic was adapted into the 2016 animated film of the same name.
After a dramatic, cathartic moment in which Batman and the Joker reconcile with the fact that they are cut from the same cloth, Batman offers a chance for the Joker to try and get healthy again.
The Joker is forced to turn him down and states he’s far too gone to be saved. However, the whole thing does remind him of a joke.
I won’t kill the punchline, so I’ll let you watch the clip. It’s the perfect ending to the film.
9. “You look good. Been working out? You could probably use a little sun. Then again, who am I to talk?”
From: Batman: Under the Red Hood
Batman and Robin visit Joker in Arkham Asylum to uncover what he knows about the new mysterious villain “under the red hood.” Upon seeing Batman for the first time in a long while, Joker can’t help but tease the caped crusader.
Of course, he can’t help but make the joke self-deprecating because he’s been locked in a padded cell for years and always wears pale white makeup.
10. “Don’t like it? I’m crazy for it!”
From: The Killing Joke
In The Killing Joke, the mad clown prince of crime is in the market for some new property. He’s shown around an abandoned circus by the carnival owner, and the following exchange ensues
Not only is this a genius play on words due to the Joker’s psychological state, but the idea of children getting maimed would be his idea of the perfect investment.
11. “I’m only laughing on the outside. My smile is just skin deep. If you could see inside, I’m really crying. You might join me for a weep.”
From: Batman (1989)
Before Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson’s Joker performance was heralded as the best. Of course, the part was perfect for Nicholson’s manic acting style, so he didn’t have to act much.
As he famously told Michael Keaton in rehearsals, “we just gotta let the wardrobe do the acting.”
Here’s a scene where Joker confronts Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale in her flat. Joker, “in love with” Vicki, pulls the gun on Bruce and threatens him like so:
The Joker: “Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?”
Bruce Wayne: “What?”
The Joker: “I always ask that of all my prey. I just… like the sound of it.”
And then, of course, he shoots him.
As he leaves Vicki, he leaves her with this iconic line. To understand its humor, you have to watch Jack’s performance as the Joker. There’s nothing like a good raspberry to close out a scene!
Of course, Jack’s love of improv and unchained performance hammered up the role, making Heath Ledger’s performance even more surprising and exciting.
12. “I go Looney”
From: The Killing Joke
Since Mark Hamil said The Killing Joke would probably be the last time he played the Joker due to what the voice does to his vocal cords, the whole movie is truly a gem.
Not only is it based on the best Joker comic ever written, but it’s a fairly faithful adaptation—not quite as dark as the comic, but in some ways even darker.
In one way that is both dark and light, the Joker gets a musical number that I’m absolutely mad about. Without spoiling the rest of it besides the main hook (featured above), you can check it out for yourself in the clip below:
13. “You know, kids, a lot has changed while your old Uncle Joker’s been away. New Gotham, new rules, even a new Batman. But now I’m tanned, I’m rested, and I’m ready to give this old town a wedgie again!”
From: Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Batman Beyond was a fun early 2000s reinterpretation of what would happen when Bruce Wayne retires and a new Batman takes on the mantle, set in a futuristic world.
While the show was a hit for kids who grew up with it, many might have missed the television show.
However, The Clown Prince of Crime fans should check out the feature film version, once again starring Mark Hamill in the Joker’s first appearance in the series.
Despite being in his mid-80s, the Joker seems as spry and lively as he always was, complete with his devilish humor.
14. “As though we were made for each other…Beauty and the Beast. Of course, if anyone else calls you ‘beast,’ I’ll rip their lungs out.”
From: Batman (1989)
In this scene, Joker and Batman have a bell-tower brawl. Joker takes Vicki Vale dancing with him. He stops and then decides, manically, to hold a gun to his head and pull the trigger. Of course, there’s a BANG flag in it. Classic Joker!
As we close in on the couple dancing while Batman fights off a henchman, Joker says this iconic (and hilarious) quote.
Closing thoughts
Joker’s quotes are right up there with famous Batman quotes, which only seems appropriate since he is the dark knight’s arch-enemy.
With his grim humor and unsettling charm, the Joker has carved a niche for himself among cultural icons. His infamous quotes, drawn from his appearances in comics, television, and movies, provide a glimpse into the turbulent psyche of the Clown Prince of Crime.
These words unveil a figure driven by a relentless desire for chaos and disruption and a morbid sense of humor that has enthralled audiences for generations.
Whether it’s Heath Ledger’s haunting portrayals or Mark Hamill’s animated performances, the Joker’s lines endure, reminding us of the thin divide between humor and insanity.
His puns, jokes, and one-liners stand as evidence of the lasting impact of one of literature’s most intricate and enthralling antagonists, guaranteeing his continued effect on popular culture as a symbol of masterfully devised malevolence with a smile.
Check out these deep Joker quotes for more of Joker’s darker side.