Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto— all iconic actors who have taken on the role of DC Comic’s most recognizable villain: The Joker. Alongside these infamous actors, cosplayers also have a talent for putting on the Joker’s smile and iconic purple and green garb and getting into the villainous spirit.
With the upcoming solo and self-titled Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix, we will undoubtedly be seeing more variations of The Ace of Knaves come out of the cosplay community. And while his frequent antics to bulldoze the city of Gotham should have fans rooting for his demise, we can’t help but love this crazy, twisted DC character.
From The Dark Knight to Suicide Squad, check out these ten incredible Joker cosplays that'll terrify you!
10 10. Pongo
Take a look at this real-life Joker. Pongo is a voice-over actor who is well-known for his startling clown appearances. His take of the 2008 Joker is pretty convincing, and he seems to play the part well. Those red and yellow contacts add a whole new perception to the clown character. It’s a bit of a Pennywise meets the Joker mashup.
Pongo’s clown makeup is nothing short of masterful. His work on other notorious clown characters are recognizable due to his signature look of splattered paint and demonizing contacts. Pongo also frequently works haunted houses where he is, no doubt, one of the more frightening creatures.
9 9. The Real Doom
This Joker cosplay seems to be a bit of Jack Nicholson meets The Mad Hatter. While habitual Joker attributes are still at play (notably the green hair), this photo has some curious easter eggs that play into the character. This cosplayer amped up the scene with a green potion, which is probably his Joker Venom. This toxic concoction sends the Joker's victims into fits of laughter that can ultimately lead to paralysis or worse. The ingredients of this poison are only known to the Joker.
This cosplayer goes by the pseudonym, The Real Doom, where he states, “Life is too short to be serious all the time.” His portfolio hosts a bevy of Joker alterations, including a Tourist Joker.
8 8. Geoffrey Riot
A frequent redesign that cosplayers play into is turning a character into a “goth” or “punk” iteration. This Gothic Joker is a convincing play on the character’s reckless behavior. In addition to the iconic green hair, cosplayer Geoffrey Riot, made sure to pay homage to the traditional character by adding in a Batman pin and flower onto his vest.
Geoffrey is a makeup artist and cosplayer who is known for his Joker cosplays. Besides his uncanny ability to mimic the Joker’s mannerisms, Geoffrey’s work as the Joker ranges from 1989Nicholson version to a very unique Rocky Horror Picture Show Joker creation.
7 7. Sr.pool_cosplay
An absolute dead-ringer for Heath Ledger’s version of Batman’s nemesis. Sr Pool Cosplay brings this notable scene to life from the 2008 film The Dark Knight. This picture recalls the moment when the Joker, amidst a dangerous group of gangsters, threatens to pull the plug if they refuse to cooperate.
This cosplayer’s detailed work goes well beyond the addition of props and gadgets. If you look closely, you will notice remarkable special effects makeup that might make people wonder how he did actually get those scars.
6 6. Infinite Polygon Cosplay
The Joker is marked as Gotham’s unpredictable madman. He’s known to capture, kill, and cause destruction to anything in his path. And he does it all with a smile on his face. And while the Joker doesn’t have any superhuman abilities, his background in mechanical engineering aids him in whipping up some of his most dangerous weapons.
Colin, known on Instagram as Infinite Polygon Cosplay, has a way of bringing out the Joker’s true demeanor in his cosplay photos. No matter what version of the psychotic villain this cosplayer dreams up, he always pulls off the DC character with extraordinary flair.
5 5. Accado Cosplay
Even though the Joker is known for his more subtle weapons, like his acid-spraying flower lapel and razor-sharp playing cards, he never shies away from weapons of mass destruction. However, due to his tendency to pull pranks, victims of the crazed assailant never know if these weapons will ever go off with a bang.
Accado is a French cosplayer who plays into the Joker’s prankster routine. His representation of the Gotham villain looks flawless, from the hairline down to his pinstripe suit. Accado Cosplay’s unwavering smile plays up the jape bazooka prop especially well in this photo.
4 4. Jean Markus
The Joker’s costume, though it has changed slightly throughout his appearances in comics, TV, and film, has always held a common theme. His hair has always been green, his coat has always been purple, and he has always had that wide red-stained smile.
But check out this Joker cosplay! Imagine Joker impenetrable behind his own armor? It could be just what makes him unstoppable. Cosplayer Jean Markus fashioned together this incredible Joker armor, making sure to incorporate the villain’s signature colors. The Joker is also known to poke fun at Batman’s artillery (he once made his own Utility Belt and Jokermobile), so perhaps that's what Jean was going for with this cosplay.
3 3. Blue Desota
Clown makeup has always been perceived as frightening, which is probably what makes the Joker’s look so fitting as a villain. But creative cosplayers like Blue Desota help to bring the daunting facade up a notch with exceptional makeup skills.
This artist uses shading techniques to really bring the horror that this character induces. She even went as far as to give her Joker rotting teeth and blood-stained eyes to give it that extra depth of insanity.
2 2. Freaky Vitta
This cosplayer’s Joker cosplay is one-of-a-kind. This portrayal is in resemblance to Jared Ledo’s Joker style in Suicide Squad. Although it’s a genderbend cosplay, this artist didn’t do much in terms of adding feminine features to her Joker. Besides the fitted purple corset, she did a fantastic job of horrifying the Joker, props and all.
Freaky Vitta also cosplays as Sejuan from League of Legends and made a similarly frightening Geralt of Rivia cosplay from Witcher.
1 Lime Spider Cosplay
After the trailer dropped for the new Joker film, cosplayers were the first on the scene to replicate Joaquin Phoenix’s new look. Lime Spider Cosplay was amongst the first to try out the Joker’s reimagined facade. Surprisingly, we see this Joker sans his iconic purple and green colors and instead, are given a clashing orange and red white collar attire.
This cosplayer has created many different versions of the Joker throughout his cosplay career, including the Suicide Squad Joker and an unnerving New 52 Joker cosplay.