Batman The Animated Series: The Joker’s 10 Funniest Quotes

There have been countless versions of Joker in Batman movies and television show over the years, but one of the most beloved is the iteration featured in Batman: The Animated Series. Voiced by Mark Hamill, this Joker was the perfect blend of a threatening criminal and a hilarious prankster.

While the show features so many of Batman’s exciting villains, Joker stands out as the chief antagonist to the Caped Crusader. And even when he was trying to kill Batman or take over Gotham, he was still making audiences laugh with his hilarious one-liners.

10 “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin Laid An Egg. The Batmobile Lost A Wheel And The Joker Got Away!”

It’s likely that just about every child knows the schoolyard song inserting Batman into the Christmas classic, “Jingle Bells.” While the song didn’t originate on Batman: The Animated Series, it was fun to see it get included on the show.

During the holiday episode, “Christmas with the Joker,” a gang of prisoners at Arkham Asylum are singing the carol when Joker interrupts with his ruder version of the show. It is also fitting that Joker takes the lyrics literally and escapes from prison as he finishes singing.

9 “Their Names Escape Me For The Moment.”

Though Joker can cause a lot of trouble on his own, he is always seen to have plenty of goons by his side during his various crimes. These low-level criminals are fairly disposable and are just there for Batman to beat up. In a funny moment, Joker seems to acknowledge how unimportant his men are.

As Joker barges into a new target’s office, he politely introduces himself and Harley Quinn. But when he turns to his goons to introduce them, he realizes that he doesn’t even know their names.

8 “Colonel What’s-His-Name Has Chickens And They Don’t Even Have Mustaches.”

Joker certainly has some wild and outlandish schemes in the live-action Batman movies, but they don’t compare to what he gets up to in the animated series. One of his zaniest criminal plots involves releasing a toxin in Gotham’s harbor which mutates all the fish.

When the fish come out with Joker smiles on their faces, he goes to a patent office to copyright the animals. When he is told by the meek clerk that it can’t be done, Joker points out the perceived hypocrisy of Colonel Sanders getting away with it.

7 “The Only Things Gaining Now Are The Laughing Stocks.”

There are few comic book villains that can get away with the kind of gags Joker does. While he has moments of dark humor that can be shocking, his jokes can also be so bad that they are hard not to laugh at.

In one episode, Joker gets into financial crimes and manipulates the stock market. As Joker watches various stocks plummet, he remarks that the only things that are succeeding are the “laughing stocks.” The moment is made even funnier when Joker’s goons are seen rolling their eyes at his cheesy pun.

6 “Compare Me To Batman?! I’ve Got More Style. More Brain. I’m Certainly A Better Dresser.”

It’s very interesting how perfect Batman and Joker are as hero and villain despite being so different. They are the exact opposite of each other in terms of morals, personality, and even their wardrobe.

In an interview on the news, Gotham’s mayor condemns Batman’s vigilante actions and suggests he and criminals like Joker are one and the same. Watching the report, Joker seems to take it as a personal insult to be compared to the Caped Crusader.

5 “Remember, It’s Not The Fall. It’s The Sudden Stop.”

Some of Joker’s best quotes are the ones that highlight his twisted sense of humor. Joker can seem to find the opportunity for a joke in any situation, even when threatening someone with a brutal death.

After Hugo Strange fails to follow through on his promise to unmask Batman, Joker and some other villains take him for a plane ride. As Joker hangs the terrified man out of the plane door, Joker offers some not-so-reassuring words to help with the fear.

4 “Well, That Was Fun. Who’s Up For Chinese?”

One of the best episodes in Batman: The Animated Series is “The Man Who Killed Batman.” It tells the story of a low-level and reluctant criminal who seems to accidentally kill Batman, making him a star in Gotham’s crime world.

However, the most interesting part of the episode is how Joker mourns the loss of his favorite adversary. Joker even throws a funeral for Batman and gives a hilarious eulogy. Of course, in the end, he is still Joker and concludes by suggesting they order Chinese food.

3 “Sunshine. Clean Air. *Coughs* I Hate It.”

Joker is one of the characters to appear the most in Batman: The Animated Series and it’s not hard to see why he was so popular. There was so much fun had with his eccentric nature and warped view of the world, making for some great quotes.

Even a trip to paradise is lost on Joker when he arrives at Hugo Strange’s island hideout. As Joker gets off the plane, he breathes in the air and begins coughing, presumably because he prefers gloomy days filled with pollution.

2 “Oh Well. Arkham Is Nice This Time Of Year.”

Though Joker is often robbing banks and jewelry stores, it doesn’t seem he is really in this job to get rich. Joker’s main passion is simply being a criminal and he has made quite a life out of that pursuit.

One of the funniest examples of this comes during one of his many run-ins with Batman. After a brief battle, Joker seems to realize he is beaten. But instead of lamenting his capture, he takes it in stride, having come to see prison as a home of sorts at this point.

1 “Why Can’t He Ever Stay Dead?”

The Batman: The Animated Series is a great example of the long history of Batman and Joker as enemies. With countless episodes of the show showcasing them fighting, they seem to come to expect certain things from each other.

In one episode, Joker seems to beat Batman only for the hero to come back for more. A frustrated Joker wonders the same thing all of Batman’s villains likely think about. It is a great mix of meta-comedy along with Joker’s zany sense of humor to ask such a morbid question.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2027 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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