Tag: rank

Here at The Ringer, Megan Schuster and I have spent years ranking things like movie monsters, sharks, and dinosaurs, all of which have a reputation for terrifying people. But we’ve never had a task as daunting as putting together a list of what are arguably the single-scariest figures in pop culture: clowns.

In real life, clowns are meant to entertain children at birthday parties and circuses —to spread joy with laughter. In pop culture, however, clowns are primarily depicted as nefarious figures who torment and kill people. In fact, the biggest challenge while coming up with this ranking was trying to find good pop culture clowns. (Spoiler alert: It was slim pickings out there.) No wonder as much as 42 percent of Americans have at least a minor case of coulrophobia.

Unfortunately, this ranking will not help the public perception of clowns as nightmare fuel—this exercise even led to many sleepless nights for your intrepid bloggers. (Clown-related trauma will be brought up at my next performance review.) Before we get to the ranking, a quick overview of the criteria: We capped the list at 30 entries, and if there were multiple interpretations of a character, they’d be roped together—also known as the Joker Clause.

All right, Megan, time to send in the clowns. —Miles Surrey

30. John Wayne Gacy

Surrey: In the many years Megan and I have been doing these rankings, there’s never been an easier call to make for last place. One of America’s most notorious serial killers, John Wayne Gacy was responsible for 33 confirmed murders around Chicago, where he also performed at children’s parties as Pogo the Clown. (Remind me to never hire a clown for my nephew’s future birthdays.) Gacy’s atrocities have been covered in docuseries (Conversations With a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes) and film adaptations (Gacy), and there’s no escaping the fact that one of the reasons he’s received a ton of media attention is because he moonlighted as, of all things, a clown. Professional clowns already have to deal with bad PR from all the sinister characters in fiction; Gacy turned those fears into a terrifying reality.

Schuster: The first time we’ve ever had a serial killer in these rankings—what a massive, horrible milestone.

29. Happy Slappy, Air Bud

Schuster: Happy Slappy’s real name (at least in the Air Bud–verse) is Norman Snively, and let me just say, the movie’s writers couldn’t have come up with a more appropriate moniker. Norman is a sniveling, creepy man who’s abusive to his dog, cruel to children, and all around a pretty terrible clown. He’s Buddy the golden retriever’s first owner, but after the dog embarrasses him at a children’s birthday party, Norman tries to drop him off at the pound. Snively only tries to get Buddy back once the dog has achieved local TV stardom for his play on the basketball court.

Fortunately for all involved, Buddy winds up staying with Josh and his family; Norman is arrested; and, god willing, no one ever has to see the clown ever again. Though I admit I’ll continue to think about this thread from Norman’s Disney wiki page, in which someone earnestly asks, “If Norman hates being a clown, why can’t he just quit the job and find something else to do?”

Surrey: This is the problem with getting a bachelor’s degree from a clown college.

28. Jangles the Clown, Inside Out

Surrey: A child’s mind is a place like no other, which Inside Out conceptualizes as a trippy workplace where different emotions take turns running the show. When Joy and Sadness enter a chamber containing the darkest fears of 11-year-old Riley, they encounter tree-sized stalks of broccoli and—gasp!—grandma’s vacuum cleaner. But the scariest sight of all is Jangles, a clown who traumatized Riley at her third birthday party and has been reimagined as a hulking, kooky monster. Jangles is the perfect embodiment of an irrational childhood fear, and in true Pixar fashion, he’s also got a wagon:

Disney/Pixar

Don’t shoot the messenger—I’m just calling it like it is!

Schuster: Pixar, and Ross and Rachel’s kid in Friends: all about the ass.

27. Binky the Clown, Garfield

Schuster: In the Garfield comic extended universe, Binky the Clown is known for being loud and obnoxious and for having possibly the worst timing ever. In fact, in the show Garfield and Friends, Binky has a segment titled “Screaming With Binky,” in which his sole purpose is to disrupt situations that require precise movement or masterful concentration by screaming his signature catchphrase, “Hey kids!”

Binky isn’t a particularly substantive character in either the original comic or the TV show—he’s more of a running bit, à la Itchy and Scratchy in The Simpsons. (Jon could be seen drinking out of a Binky the Clown mug at times, and Garfield once competed in a game show called “Name That Fish” that Binky hosted. Sidenote: how is “Name That Fish” not already a network show?) But Binky frequently serves as a comedic foil to Garfield, which is enough to get him on the list.

26. Doink the Clown, WWF

Schuster: Doink the Clown went through a number of iterations during his time in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). He was originally played by Matt Borne as a technically proficient heel—a sad-clown character who squirted children with fake flowers, attacked opponents with prosthetic limbs, and used tripwire in some of his many pranks. But over time Doink went through an evolution, and in later years he could be seen showing a kinder side: making children smile and teaming up with a miniature version of himself named Dink to battle WWE’s infamous villains.

Sadly, though, after Matt Borne’s death in 2013, his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against WWE claiming that the culture of the sport led Borne to suffer “illnesses and injuries, including depression and drug abuse, which ultimately resulted in his untimely death.” The lawsuit was eventually dismissed in a U.S. district court, and Doink is only sporadically portrayed these days by other wrestlers on the independent circuit.

25. Captain Spaulding, Rob Zombie’s Filmography

Surrey: There are two things you need to know about Rob Zombie movies: He will put his wife in every single one of them, and they’re gonna feature some seriously fucked-up characters. One such figure is Captain Spaulding, the proprietor of a dinky gas station and roadside attraction who first appears in House of 1000 Corpses. Named after a Groucho Marx character and played by the late Sid Haig, Spaulding is, in Zombie’s own words, a “lovable asshole,” which is, uh, certainly one way to describe a sadistic killer caked in clown makeup. To quote a gas station robber moments before Spaulding blows his head off: “I hate clowns.” Hard agree.

24. Loonette, The Big Comfy Couch

Schuster: Millennials, this blurb is for you. If you, like me, were a child and a PBS viewer in the mid-’90s, then you may remember The Big Comfy Couch and, more specifically, the clown (Loonette) and her doll (Molly) who hosted it. Now, I’ll admit that I’m fuzzy on many of the show’s finer details—was it just … about a couch that was comfy? Why did a clown need to host it? And what was the deal with said clown’s Wicked Witch of the East stockings?—but I will always vividly remember trying to re-create Loonette’s clock stretch on the floor of my living room. (Spoiler alert: It never went well. And yes, I did try it again just before writing this.)

23. Circus Clowns From Dumbo

Schuster: It’s wild how many clowns on this list are cruel to animals. The clowns in Dumbo, for example, are largely silent creatures, but they humiliate Dumbo during a circus performance in which a clown dresses like Dumbo’s mother and encourages the elephant to jump out a window. Dumbo is hesitant at first, but another clown comes up from behind him and smacks him with a plank, forcing him to fall into a tub of random goop.

Dumbo eventually gets one over on the clowns in the end by flying and sending their whole routine into chaos—serves you right, jerks!—but this crew gives circus performers a bad name.

22. “Crazy” Joe Davola, Seinfeld

Surrey: Seinfeld is many things; scary isn’t one of them. But the six-episode arc of “Crazy” Joe Davola, an unhinged writer who blames Jerry for his script being rejected by NBC, feels like something out of Mindhunter. When Elaine unwittingly dates Joe and visits his apartment, she discovers an entire wall of photos he’s taken of her—including when she’s showered. (Unsurprisingly, Elaine pepper-sprays Joe and gets the hell out of there.) Later, Joe dresses up as Pagliacci, beats the crap out of some hooligans in Central Park, and reminds Kramer of his childhood fear of clowns. For a network sitcom, it’s genuinely freaky stuff. This is what my sleep paralysis demon would look like if I turned on the lights:

Castle Rock Entertainment

21. Flunky the Clown, Late Night With David Letterman

Schuster: Flunky was a depressed, chain-smoking clown who first showed up on Late Night With David Letterman in 1985 to help Dave answer viewer letters. In his original appearance, the clown is described as the “flunkie who actually reads these letters for Dave”—only for viewers to be introduced to a literal clown backstage played by longtime Letterman writer Jeff Martin. In the letter, Dave is asked whether the author (who also goes by Jeff!) should go to Europe for the summer. Flunky responds: “Yeah, I got some advice. Don’t go to Europe, Jeff, stay in school or you’ll wind up like me, a pathetic old clown reading somebody else’s mail.”

Good advice for us all!

20. Laughing Clown From Happy Gilmore

Schuster: Deep into the greatest movie of all time, a.k.a. Happy Gilmore, our titular protagonist is struggling with his short game. Who among us can relate? So Happy’s intrepid golf coach, Chubbs Peterson, takes him to Happy Land, a miniature golf spot that looks cute and fun on the outside but is actually filled with impossible holes designed to break your will to live. There, Happy knocks a ball over a fence, breaks various signage, and disappoints Lee Trevino. And that’s all before he squares off against The Clown.

I’d like to think all of us have been personally victimized by a mini golf hole at one point or another in our lives. But more than 20 years after seeing this movie for the first time, I’m still haunted by this clown’s laugh.

Honestly, “You’re gonna die, clown!” is probably the nicest thing Happy could have said in that moment.

Surrey: I have a clown question, bro: How do you even get past this hole? Happy was putting perfectly and the clown kept closing its mouth on the ball. I’m all for obstacles, but this clown ruined the sanctity of one of America’s great pastimes.

19. Jack, Jack in the Box fast food chain

Surrey: I had no idea a fast food mascot could have fascinating lore, but the titular Jack of Jack in the Box has been through it. In the ’80s, Jack’s clown head was blown up in a commercial in which a sweet old lady shouts “Waste him!” in a truly deranged bit of marketing. (Considering the decade, I can only assume ad executives everywhere were tripped out on certain … substances.) However, when Jack in the Box’s reputation took a hit from an E. coli outbreak in the ’90s, Jack was rebranded as the “CEO” of the company and sought revenge against those who’d wronged him. Jack walked so Heath Ledger’s Joker could run:

I’m not sure committing domestic terrorism is a great way to promote fast food, but I’m invested all the same. Megan, just imagine what Jack would do to his employees if they unionized.

Schuster: I like that the rebrand is supposed to make him seem more competent, and then in the end the suit just makes him look like a knockoff Patrick Bateman. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that ad agency.

18. Homey D. Clown, In Living Color

Schuster: Homey D. Clown was an incredible invention from In Living Color. The character, played by Damon Wayans from 1990 to 1994, is on a prison work release program where he is forced to clown for children—all while getting his thoughts out about “Whitey” and The Man. Rather than my trying to explain the full magic of Homey, I think we’d be better served by reading and hearing a collection of some of his best quotes.

Obviously there’s his signature catch phrase: “Homey don’t play that.” But there’s so much more. During a birthday party episode hosted at “Home E. Cheese,” Homey welcomes the group to a place “where a kid can be a kid—unless he gets on my damn nerves.” Then there’s the time he stars in a commercial for “Homey Wheats” cereal: “So remember, little childrens, do what The Man says: Go out and buy yourself a box of new Homey Wheats, the only cereal made from cookies, marshmallows, sugar cubes, and other nutritional pieces of candy.” And finally, there’s the episode where he’s reunited with his son, Homey Jr., and sings him this lullaby:

17. Twisty the Clown, American Horror Story: Freak Show

Surrey: I was already conditioned to be freaked out by John Carroll Lynch thanks to Zodiac, where he played the man suspected—but never proved—to be the infamous serial killer. But then Ryan Murphy cast Lynch on American Horror Story and had him looking like this:

FX

Even in a ranking consisting (mostly) of clowns that’ll keep you up at night, Twisty’s appearance is no laughing matter.

16. Sweet Tooth, Twisted Metal

Surrey: There are a lot of unsavory characters you’d want to avoid in the postapocalyptic wasteland of Peacock’s Twisted Metal, but Sweet Tooth takes the cake. With a clown mask, the body of professional wrestler Samoa Joe, and the disarming voice of Will Arnett, Sweet Tooth is nothing if not unique: a chaos agent who gleefully kills people as often as he invites them to attend his one-man show in the ruins of Las Vegas. (True to his name, Sweet Tooth also drives an ice cream truck.) For what it’s worth, if we put together a Royal Rumble and threw all the pop culture clowns into the ring, my money’s on this guy.

15. Fizbo, Modern Family

Schuster: One of the best scenes of Modern Family is the introduction to Fizbo. It’s midway through Season 1: Luke is having a birthday party, and Cameron oh so innocently asks whether a clown will be performing.

Cam’s told that no, there won’t be that kind of entertainment at the party. And Mitchell begs Cam to let it go, saying that if Luke wanted a clown, his parents would have already hired one. But as Cam stares at himself in the mirror and gets ready to celebrate his nephew’s big day, he can’t help himself. He whips out the makeup, puts on a red nose, and says, “Hello, old friend.” Enter Fizbo, the attention-seeking clown.

From there, things take a twist. Fizbo threatens a man who was rude to Mitchell at a gas station; unintentionally terrorizes Phil, Luke’s dad, who has a previously undisclosed fear of clowns; and eventually saves the day via a cake delivery to the hospital where Luke ends up due to a rogue escaped scorpion. Fizbo may not have been properly appreciated in his time, but we support him—one of the actually nice, benevolent clowns on this list.

14. Clown Doll, Poltergeist

Surrey: Before malevolent spirits attack the Freeling family in Poltergeist, viewers will notice a clown doll kept in the children’s bedroom. This is its face:

MGM Studios

You don’t need to be a horror movie expert to understand that this thing is bad news, and sure enough, the possessed doll ends up attacking little Robbie Freeling. (The clown’s cheery smile also turns into an evil grin, which absolutely traumatized me as a child.) In fact, the image of Poltergeist’s sinister clown is so iconic that the 2015 remake led with it in the promotional material. One could say Poltergeist’s marketing wasn’t … clowning around. Sorry, I’ll see myself out.

Schuster: How dare you, Miles; we all know clowns aren’t things to jest about.

13. Buggy the Clown, One Piece

Surrey: In the fantastical world of One Piece, the popular pirate manga recently adapted into a live-action series on Netflix, there are “devil fruits” that, if ingested, give someone special abilities. The show’s protagonist, aspiring pirate king Monkey D. Luffy, can stretch his body à la Mr. Fantastic; meanwhile, one of the first villains introduced in the series, Buggy the Clown, is able to split his body into pieces. (Like all the major characters in One Piece, Buggy is a pirate … who just so happens to dress like a clown.) As you’d expect, having Luffy and Buggy square off using their respective powers—one guy stretching like a giant stick of gum, the other intentionally turning himself into sashimi—makes for cartoonishly entertaining television. A favorite of One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, Buggy captures the series’ offbeat tone in a nutshell: a little bit goofy, a little bit disturbing, and unlike anything you’ve seen before.

12. Zeebo the Clown, Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Schuster: This may be a good place to explicitly disclose that I am a journalist and have a massive phobia of clowns. (A conflict of interest, you say? Too bad!) Zeebo the Clown is a big reason why. I mean, LOOK AT THIS:

Nickelodeon Productions

Not only is he a terrifying figure, but he also had the crypto-bro eyes before that was even a thing. Hardest possible pass.

Surrey: It happened to me: I’ve laid my eyes on Zeebo, and now I’m afraid of the dark.

11. Pagliacci

Schuster: The Pagliacci meme has been around for decades—and its roots can be traced back to the 1800s. For those unfamiliar, the meme stems from the story of a man who goes to see a doctor because he’s depressed. The doctor’s suggested treatment? “The great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him! That should sort you out.” The man then bursts into tears and responds: “But doctor, I am Pagliacci.”

The story was referenced by a number of comedians after Robin Williams’s death in 2014. But the meme took on a life of its own in 2022—to the point that Wired wrote a detailed story about it. Over time, the meme has spawned many new iterations on social media. For example:

MAN: I’m depressed

DOCTOR: ok we can try lexapro

MAN: hmm I was hoping more for like a clown recommendation?

Another one says: “Man goes to see Pagliacci, goes backstage. Tells Pagliacci he thought the show would cheer him up, but he’s still depressed. Pagliacci says, ‘Oh well I’m just a silly clown. Shouldn’t you go see a real doctor?’ Man bursts into tears. Says, ‘But Pagliacci,”

The meme isn’t quite as prevalent today, but for nearly a decade, the sad clown was an important internet reference point.

Surrey: But Megan, how could you omit the greatest Pagliacci reference of them all?

I may or may not have spent years doing a Rorschach impression because of this. It may or may not have gone down well with my (former) friends.

10. Art the Clown, Terrifier

Surrey: You have to be a sick bastard to seek out the Terrifier movies, so naturally … I have. For the uninitiated, the Terrifier franchise follows the twisted exploits of Art: a psychopathic, potentially unkillable clown who revels in finding increasingly creative ways to murder people. The deaths in Terrifier 2 were so gruesome that people apparently vomited and fainted during screenings, which didn’t stop the movie from becoming one of the greatest indie success stories of 2022. (For any curious sickos out there, here’s a link to one of Art’s most iconic kills; be warned, it’s gnarly.)

Art has done for on-screen deaths what Stephen Curry’s 3-point shooting has done for basketball: He’s changed the game. The Christmas-themed Terrifier 3 is set to come out later this month, and if Art continues to one-up himself in the killing department, we’ll have to consider moving him up the rankings. Seriously, Megan, we have to. I really don’t want to get on his bad side.

Schuster: Can’t believe we got a Steph Curry comp in a piece about clowns. Honestly, bravo to us.

9. Bozo the Clown

Schuster: “The World’s Most Famous Clown” came into existence in the 1940s; by the late 1950s, the character himself had become a franchise and was appearing in television markets across the United States. Bozo became a touchpoint for a number of future TV clowns, and he was even the inspiration for Ronald McDonald—fun fact: The first Ronald McDonald was played by Willard Scott, who’d previously played Bozo on WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. (More on Ronald later!)

8. Killer Klowns, Killer Klowns From Outer Space

Surrey: I mean, the title speaks for itself. Probably the only film in existence that could be described as “clownsploitation,” Killer Klowns From Outer Space is set in a small town that gets invaded by—wait for it—extraterrestrial clowns who capture humans for sustenance. The killer klowns have all the (circus) tricks in the book: cotton candy cocoons, balloon bloodhounds, pies apparently made out of sulfuric acid, and popcorn guns. They might not be nearly as scary as some of the other clowns on this list, but the killer klowns endure as B-movie royalty. (Be sure to check out Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game, and yes, that is a real thing.) Also, they’ve got a theme song that has no reason to go this hard.

No joke, I’d put this on my wedding playlist.

7. Ronald McDonald

Schuster: As ubiquitous as the golden arches themselves, Ronald McDonald has become a worldwide fast food icon. The hair; the yellow jumpsuit; his crew of Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese—these are all things many of us have been exposed to since we were children running around in PlayPlaces.

Now, whether it’s a positive thing that a clown has lured children into consuming fast food is certainly something we could discuss. (Seeing an image of Ronald McDonald still makes me crave a Happy Meal, like I’m one of Pavlov’s dogs.) I suppose we could just pretend that millions of us haven’t been conditioned over the years by a multibillion-dollar corporation. Yeah, let’s go with option no. 2.

Surrey: Is it just me, or has McDonald’s marketing basically abandoned Ronald and his crew? I’m worried this is a Five Nights at Freddy’s situation just waiting to happen. (To be clear: would watch a horror movie about Ronald taking out McDonald’s executives—and a crossover with Jack from Jack in the Box.)

6. Insane Clown Posse

Surrey: I have only nice things to say about Insane Clown Posse—because I’d hate to incur the wrath of the Juggalos. Great hip-hop duo, totally normal clown gimmick. Crank up that “Boogie Woogie Wu.”

5. Harley Quinn

Surrey: Going back to her first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series in the early ’90s, Harley Quinn has long served as the sidekick and love interest of the Joker—a worthy supporting player, but one who’s always ceded the spotlight to the Clown Prince of Crime. But one of the (few) good things about the 21st century’s superhero boom is that it’s allowed Harley to become a star in her own right. On the big screen, Margot Robbie has memorably inhabited the character in the DC Extended Universe (RIP), bringing a chaotic, charismatic energy to everything from fight scenes to a romantic montage with a fictional South American dictator. (Lady Gaga’s Harley has big shoes to fill in Joker: Folie à Deux.)

Not to be outdone, Max’s Harley Quinn animated series is a hilarious love letter to the Batman universe, full of misunderstood villains just looking for acceptance—title character included. (Season 5 can’t come soon enough.) Even as superhero fatigue sets in, the strongest endorsement I can give to Harley is that her antics are never tiresome. What can I say? When she’s not snapping femurs, Harley just knows how to hit your funny bone.

4. Krusty the Clown, The Simpsons

Schuster: Here is a brief (or not so brief) list of some of my favorite Krusty the Clown plotlines on The Simpsons. In no particular order:

• The time he’s investigated for tax fraud and fakes his own death by crashing his plane into a mountain, only to return after Bart reminds him that he’s “more respected than all the scientists, doctors, and educators in the country put together.”
• The time he offers up Kamp Krusty as a summer getaway for kids, only to allow it to be run into the ground to the point that the kids are starving, they revolt against the authoritarian counselors, and Krusty is forced to make amends—by taking everyone on a trip to Tijuana.
• The running bit where Krusty will endorse anything so long as it pads his bottom line.
• The time he has an Alaskan timberwolf on his show and is told the wolf is spooked by loud noises. “Loud?” Krusty shouts. “That’s our secret word for the day!” The wolf goes on to maul Bart before losing in a fight to Groundskeeper Willie.
• The time Bart becomes Mr. Burns’s heir and the two pay Krusty $400 to deliver them a pizza while his show is scheduled to go live; Krusty airs a rerun, saying “no one will know the difference,” only for it to be the episode where Krusty talks about the Falkland Islands being invaded.

Fox

Krusty forever.

3. Charlie Chaplin

Schuster: Charlie Chaplin didn’t clown in the way many of us are used to. He didn’t have a crazy wig, or a red nose, or a flower that squirted water into unsuspecting faces. Rather, his character, the one he played throughout his silent films, was much more simple—but no less effective. “That character wore the same baggy pants, the same black hair and knotted suspenders, in a 1914 skating rink as it did on a 1936 assembly line,” wrote Alistair Cooke in a 1939 edition of The Atlantic. “In the intervals between a score of pictures, the same cracked boots have been preserved in ether. Chaplin’s creation is a clown, and like that of all clowns his make-up is ageless.”

The makeup was indeed ageless, as was Chaplin himself. His legacy in the world of clowning remains strong.

2. Pennywise, It (2017)

Surrey: The titular monster of Stephen King’s It has existed for millions of years, can shapeshift into any form, manipulates reality, and preys on its victims’ worst fears. So what does it say about our collective coulrophobia that this ancient, primordial evil spends most of its time as … a clown?

Pennywise is responsible for the most memorable moments in It, including the opening scene, in which the monster goads little Georgie Denbrough into sticking his hand down a sewer drain before chomping down on it. Pennywise draws power from the fear of its victims; as a reader (and viewer), it’s easy to understand why the creature has successfully terrorized Derry, Maine, for centuries. I mean, who wouldn’t be scared shitless if a grimy sewer clown was making eye contact with you from across the street?

Warner Bros.

The good news is that, for all its supernatural abilities, Pennywise does have a fatal weakness. In It: Chapter Two, the Losers Club defeats Pennywise by confronting their innermost fears and belittling it as “just a clown.” That’s right, Pennywise suffered death by shit talking. Kids, take note: Bullying works.

Schuster: I know who I’m seeking out if I’m ever confronted by Pennywise: the teens. Save me, Gen Z!

1. The Joker

Surrey: Is anyone surprised? One of the greatest villains of all time, the Joker has spent decades as a cultural phenomenon, which has been bolstered by the many talented actors—and also Jared Leto—who’ve played him. He’s the ultimate foil to Batman, and what’s most unsettling about the Joker is how many iterations of the character are nihilistic, unpredictable agents of chaos. The Joker cannot be reasoned with, and you can’t appeal to his humanity. He is, to paraphrase The Dark Knight’s Alfred Pennyworth, someone who just wants to watch the world burn.

Really, putting the Joker at the top of the clown ranking was a no-brainer; the bigger debate to be had is which actor has given us the best version of him. Cesar Romero was a campy icon, Jack Nicholson set the standard for comic book villains, Mark Hamill is the definitive Joker in the world of animation, and Joaquin Phoenix has an Oscar and the second-highest-grossing R-rated movie on his résumé. But for all these worthy contenders (and also Jared Leto), it’s tough to compete with Heath Ledger, whose Oscar-winning performance in The Dark Knight managed to be menacing and mesmerizing in equal measure. (See: the pencil trick.)

No matter how many times the character is revived, we can’t seem to get enough of the Joker terrorizing the innocent civilians of Gotham—and so the cycle continues with Joker: Folie à Deux. As a result, the Joker isn’t just a mainstay in popular culture: He always gets the last laugh.