Games

Best Joker Voice Actors

Published

1 month ago

November 18, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Mark Hamill is the ultimate Joker voice actor, setting the standard for all other portrayals.
Different actors brought unique twists to the Joker, such as more sinister or comedic takes.
Voice actors like Jason Spisak captured the Joker’s sinister playfulness, but need more recognition.

The Joker first appeared in Batman #1 way back in 1940. Ever since he and Batman have pretty much been joined at the hip, and the Joker has arguably become the world’s most iconic comic book villain as well as one of the most famous villains in all fiction. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that over the years he’s stepped out of his comic origins to appear in live-action movies, animation, and multiple video games.

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When it comes to live-action versions of the Joker, most fans would agree that Heath Ledger’s rendition is best, but the animated versions are a different story. A fair few voice actors have voiced Batman’s most famous villain, and many of them have brought their unique twists to the character. These examples are the best based on what they brought to their version of the famous role rather than on the quality of the overall project they appeared in.

10 Jason Spisak

Captured The Joker’s Sinister Playfulness, But We Need To Hear More

Most notable appearance: Batman: Hush

When people talk about the Batman movies with the best stories, they tend to forget the animated movies, which is a real disservice. Compared to the live-action films, DC’s animated Batman movies have adapted some of his best comic book arcs. An excellent example of this is 2019’s Batman: Hush.

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One of the things that makes the film stand out is that the Joker isn’t even in it all that much. Jason Spisak’s Joker only appears in a handful of scenes, but he still manages to make his version leave an impression. He nails the Joker’s twisted sense of humor and manages to bring the Joker’s sinister playfulness and odd relationship with Batman to life.

Some fans felt his version of Joker was a little too nasally, but most critics agreed that Spisak did a good job. Unfortunately, Spisak hasn’t been given much of a chance to reprise the role. With so little to go on, it’s impossible to rank him any higher, but he definitely has the potential to rank higher in the future.

9 Brent Spiner

Takes The Performer Out Of The Joker

Most notable appearance: Young Justice

Young Justice is an amazing show that doesn’t get anywhere near enough attention. Once dismissed as being a Saturday morning cartoon for kids, it’s so much more. The Joker only appears in a handful of episodes, but when he does, he leaves his mark. Whereas most animated versions of the Joker play up the clown/stand-up comedian aspects of the character, Spiner plays it straight.

His Joker is a stone-cold maniac who lives to make others suffer. This is a downright evil and surprisingly scary Joker. Spiner also benefits from being given several good monologues that allow him to show off his Joker. This being said, Spiner’s Joker still doesn’t get that much screen time, making it hard to rank him higher. Like other low-ranking voice actors on this list, he has the potential to rise through the ranks in the future.

8 Kevin Michael Richardson

A High-Energy Joker With a Terrifying Growl

Most notable appearance: The Batman

When CW released The Batman in 2004, they could have settled for copying the success of the beloved Batman The Animated Series. Instead, the show’s creators largely did their own thing, making major changes to the hero’s rogues gallery. Nowhere was that more true than with the show’s Joker. This version was even more high-energy than Hamill’s and could hold his own against Batman in a fight. He also had an interesting look that would prove to be controversial with fans of the old series.

Whether you love or hate The Batman‘s take on Joker one has to give Richardson credit. At first, his Joker sounds a lot, maybe too much, like Hamill’s version, but there’s a key difference. When this version of Joker is about to snap and do something particularly dangerous, an awful growl enters his voice. It’s a small touch, but one that suits this more energetic version of the character.

7 Troy Baker

A Joker Inspired By The Best

batman arkham origins players discovers a neat physics detail

Most notable appearance: Batman: Origins

No one can call Troy Baker lazy; he’s one of the most prolific voice actors in the world. However, that being said, he definitely took an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach when voicing the Joker. He first played the Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins, the ugly duckling prequel to Rocksteady’s Arkham games. Since the legendary Hamill had already played the Joker in the first two games, Baker had little choice but to copy Hamill’s homework.

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This up-and-coming, younger version of the Joker is a bit more rough around the edges than the one seen in the main Arkham games. For his part, Baker does an excellent job of aping Hamill’s performance while doing just enough to make his Joker distinct. If this ranking was based just on this performance, Baker might rank a little lower, but since Origins, he has played the Joker several more times. With each new performance, he has tweaked his version of the Joker, gradually creating something more distinct. So far, his Joker has only been middle of the pack, but practice makes perfect.

6 Zach Galifianakis

Proves Lego Batman Isn’t Just For Kids

Most notable appearance: The Lego Batman Movie

It’s difficult to rank Galifianakis’ version of the Joker. Some might argue that a version of the Joker aimed mainly at kids has been dumbed down and shouldn’t rank so highly, especially not above Baker’s. But unlike our last two entries, Galifianakis delivered a more original take on the villain. If one can look past the Lego trappings, Galifianakis also gave his Joker plenty of depth.

The movie mined the weirdly co-dependent relationship between Joker and Batman to hilarious effect. In the early sections of the movie, Joker is suitably threatening (while still child-friendly) but becomes more sympathetic and even vulnerable as the movie progresses. Galifianakis has the comedic timing to make this lighter version of the Joker work, and there’s enough darkness beneath the surface to keep adult fans happy. It would be interesting to see Galifianakis voice a version of the character aimed purely at adults that deals with more mature themes. Until then, Galifianakis’ take on one of Batman’s most evil villains can’t rank any higher.

5 Anthony Ingruber

A More Sympathetic Take On The Villain

Most notable appearance: Batman: The Telltale Series

If voicing the Joker wasn’t intimidating enough, poor Ingruber had to voice multiple versions of the character within the same game. Not only did he pull it off, but he gave fans arguably the most sympathetic and human version of the clown fans have ever seen. Batman: The Telltale Series were some of the best Batman games ever, and Ingruber’s Joker was a real scene stealer.

Ingruber was tasked by the game’s devs to create a joker that took elements of Ledger, Nicholson, and Hamill while creating something new. No easy task. Ingruber’s Joker starts as “John Doe” in the first episode and then evolves depending on the player’s decisions – either turning into the classic villain or a vigilante ally of Batman. To make players care about the Joker’s path, Ingruber had to give the character heaps of pathos without losing sight of who the character is. No other voice actor has made fans care about the Joker in quite the same way.

4 Alan Tudyk

The Funniest The Clown Prince Of Crime Has Ever Been

Most notable appearance: Harley Quinn

DC and Warner Bros have spent the last few years milking Harley Quinn for all she’s worth, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Harley Quinn show is pretty awesome. A brilliant deconstruction of villain and superhero tropes, the show’s Joker could have been painfully one-note, but thankfully, they gave the role to Tudyk. An incredibly gifted comedic actor, Tudyk takes the Joker and dials his performance up to 11.

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Tudyk’s exaggerated version of the Joker is hilarious without sacrificing his inner menace. Thanks to the show’s writing, the actor gets a lot to work with, and viewers get to see sides to the Joker which would be seen as sacrilege anywhere else. Perhaps most importantly, it’s clear that Tudyk is having a whale of a time playing the character. The actor was brilliant in Doom Patrol, one of DC’s best TV projects, and out of all of Joker’s voice actors, he’d arguably make the best live-action version. The only reason he doesn’t rank higher is that he’s only appeared as the Joker in one series, and his version is so far removed from traditional portrayals that it’s hard to compare them.

3 John Di Maggio

A Menacing Mix Of Hamill And Ledger

joker in prison in Batman: Under the redhood

Most notable appearance: Batman: Under the Red Hood

If Di Maggio’s name sounds familiar, it’s probably because he’s most well-known for playing Bender in Futurama. He’s played the Joker twice, in the excellent Batman: Under the Red Hood and Batman: Death in the Family. Both times he made the role his own by paying homage to two of the most beloved versions of the Joker.

Both films feature a particularly brutal version of the Joker who is less concerned with appearing like a clown and more concerned with making Batman’s life hell. Many Joker voice actors opt for a charismatic portrayal with a high-pitched voice, but Di Maggio’s Joker has a lower, gravely voice reminiscent of Heath Ledger’s portrayal. Yet the Joker is nothing without his laugh, and this Joker’s laugh is very Hamill-like. The result is a Joker that feels far more menacing than usual, which is fitting considering his actions in both films.

2 Michael Emerson

An Older, Calmer But Just As Insane Joker

Most notable appearance: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 And 2

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Emerson’s Joker is far removed from Hamill’s. Whereas most versions of the Joker are maniacally crazy, Emerson’s is calm and collected. After coming out of a decades-long coma, the first thing he does is go on a talk show. This version of the Joker almost comes across as almost sane at times, but Emerson’s nuanced performance constantly hints at the chaos lurking within. When the real Joker finally surfaces, he’s downright terrifying, just as brutal and crazy as traditional portrayals. Emerson gets second place because his Joker isn’t as iconic as Hamill’s, but DC should give him another chance.

1 Mark Hamill

The G.O.A.T. Of Joker Voice Actors

The Joker from Batman: The Animated Series

Most notable appearance: Batman: The Animated Series

Mark Hamill is to the Joker what Robert Downey Jr. is to Iron Man and Hugh Jackman is to Wolverine. Hamill simply is the Joker to multiple generations of Batman fans. Hamill first voiced the maniac clown in the best DC animated series, Batman: The Animated Series, but went on to voice him in notable animated films and Rocksteady’s Arkham games.

Hamill’s Joker is the benchmark that all other attempts to voice the character are judged by. Voice actors who stray too close to his Joker are criticized as being poor imitations, while attempts to do something different often feel underwhelming. Put plainly, Hamill is an almost impossible act to follow. He created Joker’s signature laugh, which he has described as being an instrument. Hamill’s Joker has countless different variations of that laugh, each of which illustrates one of the villain’s dangerous moods. Sadly, Hamill claims to be done with the Joker, if for no other reason than that, he says the voice hurts his throat. Who would have thought Luke Skywalker would grow up to be the perfect Joker?