The Best Joker Actors Ranked From Worst to Best

This week, Joaquin Phoenix's new Joker movie will give a frightening, realistic look at the character we've never seen before. In fact, this portrayal of the famed comic book villain is so polarizing that some have said a film like Joker could even be dangerous in today’s sociopolitical climate.

But that's just another entry in the long, strange history of the Joker on film and television. There is something about the character that fascinates audiences. He’s an enigmatic and fully terrifying Batman foil who was created all the way back in 1940 by the DC Comics team of Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson. A shocking phenomenon to behold, Joker’s possibly the greatest villain in pop culture history. His hilarious, sociopathic, and downright demonic presence has become something of a filmmaking tradition. Just like with James Bond, or even Batman himself, it’s no small news when an actor signs on to play the infamous Dark Knight nemesis. Here we've ranked the most famous Joker portrayals from worst to best [insert maniacal laughter here].