The Joker is usually seen in a slick gangster suit, but he is not immune to switching it up from time to time. While his classic purple suit costume is a favorite, that has not stopped the evil Clown Prince from taking on some sartorial changes. Different storylines have called for different looks for the character, especially those plots that see the Joker acting much more differently than usual.

For instance, when the Joker takes on a more altruistic persona in the White Knight universe, his clothing reflects his change from gangster to Gotham helper. Likewise, in the storylines where the Joker is even more deranged than usual, his clothing and overall looks reflect his horrifying behavior.

10

Batman R.I.P.’s Suspenders

Costume Debuted in 2008

As part of Grant Morrison’s legendary run on various Batman titles, the events of Batman R.I.P. deal with the formidable new villain, Dr. Hurt. After Dr. Hurt has invited the Joker to the evil secret group, The Black Glove, to be part of their plan to destroy Batman. The Joker strikes back after the Black Glove imprisons him in a cell.

He goes on a rampage, first disfiguring someone’s face before killing off members of the secret society one by one. Akin to a serial killer in a slasher movie, the Joker hunts down and kills members of the Black Glove. Eventually, Batman sees a bloodthirsty Joker before him wearing just purple pinstripe pants and some suspenders. An accessory to his deranged outfit is a razor blade that he was carrying, which he uses to cut his own tongue.

9

Coveralls and a Face Mask

Costume Debuted in 2012

The New 52 brought some dark changes to Batman and Joker lore. As part of the new dark changes of the New 52, the Joker underwent a macabre and grotesque transformation. He had his face surgically removed, and it began to decompose. After some time, he returned to Gotham, reclaiming his face and rigging it into a mask for himself, and it looks as terrifying as it sounds.

In the “Death of the Family” story by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, when the Joker is trying to hunt down Batman and his family, the Joker has a new look: pulled into place with clamps, he literally wears his face as a mask alongside a set of coveralls he stole. An incredibly dark character, the Joker is made to look even more wicked with this costume change that is on par with a look from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

8

Original Red Hood

Costume Debuted in 1951

A far cry from the more gaudy and clownish looks readers would expect to see from the Joker, his “red hood” costume is technically the character’s very first look. Debuting in Detective Comics #168 by Bill Finger, Win Mortimer, Lew Sayre Schwartz, and George Roussos, the Joker was actually called the Red Hood long before Jason Todd took on the title. He tried to make it as a comedian before turning to a life of crime.

Embarking on a series of robberies and heists while wearing the red hood costume to conceal his identity, one particular heist caught the attention of Batman, who pursued the Joker to the Ace Chemical Processing Plant, where he accidentally pushed the Joker into the notorious vat of chemicals that turned him into the madman readers know today. While the Joker would eventually leave the red hood behind, another DC character took up the costume for himself: Jason Todd, of course.

7

Endgame’s Suit

Costume Debuted in 2014

The “Endgame” storyline by Snyder and Capullo showed the Joker going back to a look that readers were accustomed to after a period of time when he took on different appearances in DC’s New 52-era publications. In “Endgame,” the Joker’s experience with the ancient metal Dionesum proved to have quite the effect on the infamous Batman villain.

The Dionesum gave the Joker regenerative healing that restored his body back to mint condition. As part of his regeneration, the Joker celebrated with a new dark suit that was very slick. Suits are par for the course when it comes to the Joker’s wardrobe, but the “Endgame” suit was a different look that looked more down to Earth (as much as the Joker can be down to Earth) and closer to what one would wear in a realistic setting, as it was less cartoonish and clown-like.

6

The Joker’s Red and Yellow Movie Suit

Costume Debuted in 2019

Both Tim Burton’s Batman and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight have shown movie adaptations of the Joker, staying true to the character’s typical purple costume. However, with Todd Phillips’ adaptation of the character giving him a backstory that was inspired by Batman: The Killing Joke, The King of New York, Taxi Driver, and The Dark Knight Returns comic book miniseries, the 2019 film Joker included a new look for the character.

Since the movie tracks the beginnings of the character in the early ’80s, the Joker wears a polyester suit that is befitting of the decade; however, it is done in the bright primary colors of red and yellow in addition to the secondary color of green. He wears this colorful suit along with newly-died green hair for his first appearance on the TV show he has long aspired to be a guest on, showing how the Joker envisions dressing for success.

5

Batman: White Knight’s Casual Attire

Costume Debuted in 2017

In the universe of Batman: White Knight by Sean Murphy, Batman is a lot darker, becoming a much more brutal version than his main reality counterpart. While Batman’s hardcore transformation was not a great thing for everyone, it does cure the Joker. Gaining sanity as a result of Batman’s hash justice, the Joker has become Jack Napier, who gives himself the job of being the white knight of Gotham City.

With a new take on life comes a new wardrobe, and the Joker takes on a casual outfit that looks like it is out of a ’90s punk magazine. With the same pinstripe purple pants and suspenders he is accustomed to, he chooses to wear a Batman T-shirt with combat boots.

4

Emperor Joker

Costume Debuted in 2000

In Superman: Emperor Joker by Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinnes, Joe Kelly, and Doug Mahnke, the Joker inherits the powers of the criminally underrated Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk, who can warp reality. Since he can alter reality, he can also give himself any power or ability he wants. Since the Joker inherits his powers, he receives this formidable ability as well.

With new powers comes a new wardrobe, as seen in the more royal transformation his wardrobe undergoes during the storyline. Since he used his newfound ability to make himself Emperor of the World (how humble of him), he wears an ermine fur collar, common to royal robes, around his ensemble. Likewise, he has a purple, black, and gold outfit befitting of a king – or emperor – with an occasionally present green scarf-like accent that has playing card insignias, like clubs and diamonds, on it.

3

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns’ White Suit

Costume Debuted in 1986

Taking place in a future version of Gotham City, Batman has retired while the Joker is an inmate at Arkham Asylum and has been for years. However, when the Dark Knight comes out of retirement to go back to defending Gotham City from evil, it causes the Joker to also get back on the streets to reignite his rivalry with Batman.

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An important storyline that sheds an interesting light on the relationship and inner workings between the Joker and Batman, The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller shows the Joker in a new look as well. Since part of the Joker’s plans involved him going on a TV show, he gets some spiffy new duds to mark the occasion, wearing a pinstriped white suit complete with his signature color purple for a dress shirt underneath the striking suit jacket.

2

Modified Batman Armor

Costume Debuted in 2020

Before his own death, Alfred Pennyworth made Bruce Wayne a Batsuit that was completely armored and bright, because it was intended to be worn out in the city during the day. Bruce Wayne never got the chance to wear this awesome suit, which sets the stage for an unlikely person to get ahold of the Alfred-made suit.

In the “Joker War” storyline by James Tynion IV and Jorge Jiménez, the Clown Prince takes over not just Gotham City but all of Batman’s assets. Consequently, the Joker saw the armored suit intended for Batman and took it for himself, but not without adding some personal touches first. The armored suit was transformed to be green with lime green “ha ha ha”s sprinkled around his side to really get across his unhinged nature.

1

Classic Purple Suit Variations

Costume Debuted in the 1940s

The Joker costume that everyone knows is his iconic purple pinstriped gangster suit with a green tie, shirt, or other kind of accent. There have been some variations of the classic costume over the years, with sometimes the shirt colors underneath the suit jacket being different or the cut of the suit sometimes changing, but the tried and true look of the costume more or less stays the same.

The purple suit is the Joker’s longest-running, most famous costume, appearing in multiple adaptations of the character. Whether it be the animated adaptations of the Joker like in Batman: The Animated Series and in the Arkham video games, or in live action versions like the 1960s TV series Batman or the live action film versions, the Joker’s purple suit is a consistent costume for the arguably most famous Batman villain.

The Joker

The Joker is a psychopathic criminal mastermind with a warped sense of humor. Initially introduced as a remorseless serial killer, the character evolved over time, often oscillating between a prankster and a homicidal maniac. His relationship with Batman is one of the most complex in comic book history, defined by their mutual obsession. Over the decades, the Joker has become an enduring icon of chaos and madness, embodying the antithesis of Batman’s order and justice.

Created By

Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson

First Appearance

Batman (1940)

Alias

Red Hood, Clown Prince of Crime, Ace of Knaves

RELATIONSHIPS

Batman (archenemy), Harley Quinn (former psychiatrist, on-and-off girlfriend), Penguin (frequent collaborator), Two-Face (frequent collaborator)

Alliance

Injustice League, Legion of Doom, Injustice Gang

Video Games

Batman: Return of the Joker, The Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES), Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Batman: Arkham Asylum (dupe), Batman: Arkham City, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Batman: Arkham Origins, LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, Batman: Arkham Knight, Mortal Kombat 11, Injustice 2, Gotham Knights

Franchise

D.C.

POWERS

Criminal Mastermind, Expert Chemist, Weaponized Props, Psychological Manipulation, Combat Skills, Unpredictability, High Pain Tolerance, Charisma, Escape Artist

HISTORY

The Joker’s history has been depicted with various origin stories, the most common being his transformation into the Joker after falling into a vat of chemical waste that bleaches his skin white, turns his hair green, and lips bright red. This disfigurement drives him insane, leading him to become Batman’s greatest nemesis.

NAME

Arthur Fleck

Age

Varies by portrayal; generally depicted as being in his 30s to 40s.

Height

Typically depicted around 6 feet (1.83 meters).

Comic Books

Joker #1, The Joker #5, Joker: Killer Smile #1, Batman: Three Jokers #1, Batman: The Joker War Zone #1, DC’s Year of the Villain: Joker #1, Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1, Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity Secret Files #1, The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1

Summary

The Joker is one of the most iconic villains in comic book history, known for his chaotic nature and as Batman’s ultimate nemesis. He has been portrayed by multiple actors in various media, each bringing their unique interpretation to the character, from Cesar Romero’s campy take in the 1960s to Joaquin Phoenix’s gritty portrayal in 2019. The Joker’s influence extends beyond comics into films, TV shows, and video games, making him a cornerstone of DC’s villainous pantheon.

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