Since she first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series back in the ‘90s, Harley Quinn has become not only one of the most beloved characters in the Batman franchise, but in the whole of DC Comics. Formerly Doctor Harleen Quinzel, she was the psychiatrist assigned to the Joker when he was placed in Arkham Asylum for the criminally insane. Their close proximity and her ability to understand his sociopathy laid the groundwork for a surprising romantic relationship, and she would become known as his partner in crime and longtime lover.
With her infectiously whimsical personality and constantly evolving wardrobe, she makes a natural choice to cosplay. From her classic black, white, and red harlequin bodysuit with jester cowl, to the outfit worn by Margot Robbie when she made her first live action film appearance in Suicide Squad, there are so many aesthetics to choose from. These cosplayers have managed to pull every one of them off with the same pizzazz as Harley herself.
Updated by Kayleena Pierce Bohen on May 19th, 2020: With the release of Birds of Prey to streaming and the Harley Quinn Show gaining traction on DC Universe, Harley Quinn is hotter than ever and being cosplayed even more than before. We've managed to find a few more cosplays that show off the range of Harley's different looks as well as the ingenuity of her fans!
15 CUSTOM HARLEY
No one can deny that Harley Quinn has a flair for the theatrical. Cosplayer Ryoko-demon captures her whimsical nature with this unique take on one of the most popular villains in Batman’s Rogue Gallery. Based on fellow Deviantart artist NoFlutter’s drawing of The Joker’s famous girlfriend, this Harley Quinn cosplay is strikingly original.
From the striped bustle and matching spats, to the two-toned corset and matching shrug, fun details abound, including the tiny striped top hat with a skull on it, as well as the nod to steampunk with the goggles. Finishing touches include big highly stylized platinum hair, and a gigantic mallet inscribed with the Joker and Harley’s initials.
14 CLASSIC HARLEY
Harley Quinn has had many changes to her aesthetic over the years, but no ensemble is more memorable than her classic red and black harlequin bodysuit. Cosplayer ItsKaylaErin has beautifully rendered a classic Harley look, complete with blonde hair in pigtails and pale white makeup.
Beyond the suit, which is a shiny synthetic material, she has every detail accurate, down to Harley’s mismatched gloves. Though she doesn’t have her classic jester cowl on, she does have the white blossom bib and white cuffs that Harley always wore in Batman: The Animated Series where she first premiered.
13 SUICIDE SQUAD HARLEY
Though Suicide Squad was a divisive movie and not altogether well-received by fans of the DC characters, it’s hard to dispute that Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn wasn’t its biggest bright spot. Cosplayer Kinpatsu commits to a cinema-quality replica of Harley’s ensemble from the film, right down to the baseball bat.
Not only does she have the metallic red and blue jacket and shirt that reads “Daddy’s Li’l Monster”, she also has the platinum hair in pigtails with the ends dyed blue and red. The only thing that can’t be seen is whether or not she’s wearing the collar that says “Puddin” on it from the film, but beyond that she looks exactly like her film counterpart.
12 NEW-52/DEADPOOL HARLEY
An improvised take on Harley Quinn mixed with a little Deadpool, this cosplayer has taken elements from how Harley has been imagined for the New 52- era storylines and combined them with elements from Batman: The Telltale Series as well as the Injustice series. Harley is seen in some version of a red and black color scheme in all those variations, but with differing hair, makeup, and matching accessories.
The corset-like bodice is similar to concepts from the Injustice series, while the makeup (especially the diamond shapes around the eyes) is more reminiscent of Batman: The Telltale Series. She wields two pistols instead of a mallet (as in other cosplays), and appears to be wearing high heels and stockings.
11 INJUSTICE HARLEY
When Harley was featured in Batman: The Animated Series, she was The Joker’s longtime lover, and often suffered for it by refusing to acknowledge how poorly he treated her. Apart from the Joker’s influence, Harley is capable of doing good, as seen in Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2.
This cosplayer has faithful recreated Harley’s ensemble from those storylines, with a few changes (Harley has pants). The dark, two-toned hair is in keeping with the comics, though Harley wasn’t inclined to carry her giant mallet. Still, it adds whimsy to a character whose arc became one of a trauma survivor finding redemption after the death of their abuser.
10 ARKHAM KNIGHT HARLEY
One of the most popular video games in recent years, Arkham Knight is the fourth installment in the Arkham Asylum video game series, and the successor to Batman: Arkham Origins. It follows Batman’s attempt to stop Scarecrow from taking over Gotham City, while other members of his Rogue Gallery (such as Harley Quinn) appear at various points.
The Arkham games have given Harley some pretty outrageous departures from her regular look, and this cosplayer has done an excellent job recreating the games’ version of Harley. As in other iterations, Harley is seen wearing a lot of leather accessories in her iconic black and red colors, this time with the inclusion of white. The candy cane baseball bat is a nice touch.
9 JESTER HARLEY
When Harley Quinn made her first appearance on Batman: The Animated Series, no one could have predicted how wildly popular the character would become. She had the distinction of being the only character made canon from a Batman cartoon that hadn’t already appeared in the comics. She always wore a black and red harlequin bodysuit with a jester cowl.
Artist Fra Gatsu has created this amazing full prosthetic to be worn over the head along with a matching bodysuit. Everything is made from latex and rubber to fit the head of the wearer, and then painted with a variety of acrylic paints. The end result is an amazing likeness to Harley’s original incarnation.
8 NEW-52 HARLEY
Some fans of Harley Quinn haven’t been excited about the changes made in her wardrobe for her New 52/Batman Rebirth incarnation. While elements have remained the same (such as the ruffled collar, or carrying a mallet), others are very different (her hair is purple and red, she sometimes wears a cape, and her clothes are much more revealing).
This cosplayer exhibits painstaking attention to detail with the outfit she’s created to resemble the New 52 Harley Quinn, which makes Harley as theatrical as ever even if her ensemble doesn’t exactly telegraph “harlequin” all the time. Harley went from being a violent sociopath in the Suicide Squad to rescuing stray animals, so a new set of duds reflected her character change.
7 ARKHAM ASYLUM HARLEY
The Batman: Arkham Asylum game revitalized Harley Quinn by giving her a complete makeover. She was introduced to a whole new audience without her usual black and red harlequin bodysuit, jester cowl, and little white ruffled cuffs. Her outfit combines leather accessories with elements of a nursing outfit, considering when Batman first encounters her it’s because the inmates have taken over Arkham Asylum at the Joker’s behest.
This cosplayer has faithfully recreated the in-game outfit that Harley is most often seen in, right down to the buckled corset and red, white, and purple color scheme. To complete the look Harley wears her hair in pigtails and has a half mask.
6 ARKHAM CITY HARLEY
One of the biggest changes to Harley Quinn came about in the Batman: Arkham series of video games when she no longer wore her signature jester cowl. Her hair was now worn free but in pigtails, the end of one dyed blue and the other pink. This hairstyle was also featured in the film version of Harley in Suicide Squad.
This cosplayer has faithfully recreated the black and red leather outfit Harley sports in Batman Arkham City, complete with a baseball bat. In the game, however, Harley preferred actual firepower, sometimes getting her hands on a bazooka.
5 BIRDS OF PREY HARLEY
Mister J might not have liked that Birds of Prey had nothing to do with him, but he wouldn't be able to begrudge the fact that Harley was able to hold her own against Black Mask, all the while cultivating a team of seriously talented women representing the most famous icons in DC comics.
Cosplayer Sarina Rose has perfectly captured Harley's funky style in the film, which builds on the truly signature aesthetic she had in Suicide Squad into something even more outlandish. From the rainbow fringe jacket, to the leg tattoos and lollipop, every detail small and large equates to a truly convincing cosplay.
4 GODS AMONG US HARLEY
Injustice: Gods Among Us was a special video game that examined favorite DC characters in a different light, and even Harley Quinn got a substantial re-imagining, similar to her transformation in Arkham Asylum.
Cosplayer AsherWarr has recreated Harley's look from the game as she appears as a playable character, complete with Harley's signature accessories like her giant mallet. Everything else about the outfit is incredibly accurate, and the lighting gives the photograph energy and dynamism.
3 HOMEMAKER HARLEY
Suicide Squad may not have shown a healthy relationship between The Joker and Harley Quinn, but there was a scene where her daydreams involved living in domestic bliss with the Clown Prince of Crime, complete with a bouncing baby that they doted on together.
Gothic Public Works, the group behind this fabulous reincarnation of homemaker Harley have perfectly captured her fantasies, where Mister J looks like he could introduce Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and little Joker Jr. looks like he could be quite a handful for Harley.
2 GIRLS NIGHT HARLEY
Fans of the Harley Quinn Show will know that she has a solid friendship with fellow villainess Poison Ivy, who helped her leave The Joker and strike out on her own in Gotham City. Here they share some laughs, probably at Mister J's expense.
Quinzel Cosplay is the spitting image of Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad, wearing the gold and black dress she had on in the interrogation club scene with Jared Leto's Joker. Poison Ivy's outfit is reminiscent of the one Uma Thurman wore in Batman and Robin.
1 PUDDIN HARLEY
Fans of Harley Quinn from Batman: The Animated Series rejoiced at finally seeing a live-action version of the notorious couple she made with The Joker in Suicide Squad, even if they didn't care for the film (or Jared Leto's version of the famous villain).
ThePuddins has managed to capture both the agony and the bliss the pair shared together. Their relationship was a bright flame that ultimately burned them both, but the greater heartache would have come from never giving it a shot.