The Joker is one of the most well-known villains in fiction and it's arguable that he's one of the greatest. The Joker may not have world-ending superpowers but his insanity, unpredictability, and ruthless imagination make him the kind of bad guy that no one wants to face. He's been able to pull off some truly horrific attacks on Gotham City and is always a grave challenge to Batman.
As great as Joker is, though, there are plenty of other villains out there who are possibly greater, challenging the heroes of the DC Universe in ways that make the Joker look like, well, a joke.
10 Joker Is The Best: When He Gained Omnipotence, He Made Sure To Torture Batman
Joker isn't the type to go after ultimate power but when it fell into his lap in Emperor Joker, he made sure to use it in ways that amused him. This caused trouble for everyone because this was the Joker, but he made sure to take some special time out to hurt Batman by making him unkillable and tormenting him constantly.
Sure, he could have killed him but that's not the Joker's style- he wanted him to suffer and made it happen. He proved that he was Batman's greatest foe with this little act- death was too good for his enemy but suffering? Well, that was what Batman deserved in the Joker's eyes. The unremitting evil of this act says a lot about the Joker.
9 Better Than The Joker: Reverse Flash Has The Power To Back Up His Crazy
Joker's insanity makes him dangerous but he's not only the insane archenemy out there. Reverse Flash fills that spot with the Flash but he's even more dangerous than the Joker because of the power of the Negative Speed Force. Reverse Flash's powers, combined with his own special brand of crazy, make him one of the dangerous villains in the DC Universe.
Joker is a master of doing damage, but Reverse Flash can mess with time itself, changing whatever he feels like. On top of that, he's a master of his speedster abilities and able to hold his own against entire teams of heroes. Reverse Flash is easily one of the most frightening villains out there.
8 Joker Is The Best: Everything He Did In The Killing Joke
Few Joker stories hold more weight than The Killing Joke when it comes to describing why the Joker is the best villain. It's not just what he did- paralyzing Barbara Gordon and torturing Jim Gordon- but the whys and the consequences. Joker wanted to hurt someone to prove that anyone could be him. That was it. There was no grand plan beyond showing what pain could do to a person.
He wanted to break something for the express purposes of breaking it and that's just next level evil. On top of that, his actions left scars that festered on the souls of Barbara and Jim Gordon, as well as Batman. It was one of his most heinous acts and he did it for no gain other than to prove a point.
7 Better Than The Joker: Deathstroke Is One Of The Most Dangerous People On The Planet
Deathstroke made a name for himself as the best mercenary ever and is easily one of the most dangerous people on the planet. Deathstroke is the kind of guy who takes out entire teams of heroes singlehandedly, sometimes for profits and sometimes because it's personal. When Deathstroke shows up, someone is getting hurt.
Deathstroke goes back and forth on the hero/villain spectrum, but he's most effective as a villain. He can use the entirety of his skills best as a bad guy and it fits his ruthless persona much better. The Joker is dangerous because he's a mad dog; Deathstroke is dangerous because he's thought of a million ways to beat everyone.
6 Joker Is The Best: He Knows Batman's Identity And Doesn't Care
Batman: Three Jokers has a lot of problems but it reveals something very intriguing at the end - that the Joker, or at least the Comedian version and only survivor of the three - knows that Batman is Bruce Wayne and he just doesn't care. This is one of those little wrinkles that really show just how great a villain the Joker is.
Knowing his foe's secret identity means nothing to him. It has nothing to do with his battle against Batman because he's not fighting Bruce Wayne. He's fighting Batman. If he kills Batman, he kills Bruce Wayne, so what does his secret identity matter?
5 Better Than The Joker: Sinestro's Core Of Fascism Makes Him So Dangerous
Sinestro seems like he's justified and that's what makes him so dangerous. He believes in order more than anything else and will go to any lengths to ensure it, even using fear and conquest to make the universe work the way he wants it to. Sinestro wholeheartedly believes in fascism and it's simple for him to fool others into following him.
This is what makes him so dangerous; he can fool others into believing that his mission is noble. The Joker is dangerous, sure, but he's never going to be able to convince anyone not completely mentally ill to follow him for any other reason than monetary gain; Sinestro can convince people that his way is the best and set them down the path of atrocity.
4 Joker Is The Best: He's Chaos Incarnate
Joker is known for his chaotic way of doing things and nowhere was this as apparent as in No Man's Land. Gotham had been ravaged by an earthquake, with Batman, the police, and various criminals carving out fiefdoms in the City. Joker wasn't one for any of that; instead, he laid low for a while before attacking everyone.
He didn't do it for gain; he wasn't trying to take anyone's supplies or take over the city. No, Joker just did it to spread even more misery. He took a bunch of babies hostage, killed Gordon's wife Sarah, and generally caused chaos. There was no plan but to hurt people.
3 Better Than The Joker: The Tragedy Of Two-Face Makes Him Compelling
Two-Face is one of those villains whose tragedy is central to who they are and is what makes him such an amazing villain. Two-Face was scarred doing the right thing and the realization of the terrors of the world, the randomness of suffering, transformed a good man into a true arbiter of life and death, all decided with a coin flip.
Two-Face is one of the most compelling villains that Batman faces. He could be a great hero but his twisted belief in duality motivates him, with his desire for revenge against Batman and the system making him more interesting than the Joker.
2 Joker Is The Best: He Killed Jason Todd
The death of Jason Todd may not seem like such a big deal now that he's been brought back to life. However, that doesn't lessen the sting of what the Joker did that day. It wasn't just killing one person or even killing one person that was close to Batman; it was shattering something that Batman came to depend on.
The Robins aren't just sidekicks for Batman but family. He depends on them for a little bit of light in his dark, dark world. Joker's killing of Jason Todd represented the death of that and is a failure that still affects Batman all these years later.
1 Better Than The Joker: Lex Luthor's Reach And The Scope Of His Ambitions Are Greater
Lex Luthor is just about unrivaled in the DC Universe when it comes to villainy. One of the smartest people on the planet, Lex Luthor's jealousy of Superman's power and the adulation he receives has transformed him into one of the most dangerous villains on the planet.
The Joker may have a greater body count but the scope of Luthor's actions is much greater. On top of that, Luthor's greater abilities, resources, and leadership qualities make him the kind of villain that others will follow. Luthor's threat is much greater than the Joker's.