The dreaded Joker is a character with no equal. The sheer level of chaos and anarchy is unmatched in DC Comics, and that makes him a threat both to superheroes and supervillains alike. It's hard to imagine such a person being romantically involved with anyone, but even the Clown Prince of Crime has his followers and his attractions.
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Throughout various media, male and female versions of the Joker have developed romantic interests with popular characters like Harley Quinn and even Batman himself. Some of these relationships were mutual, others were rebuffed, and some were figments of the Joker's strained mental state.
Updated on November 4, 2022 by Cole Kennedy: Romance is far from the first thing fans think of when they picture the Joker, but the Clown Prince of Crime has been involved in a surprising number of romances throughout DC's comic multiverse and other media like the Batman and Joker live-action films. The Joker often attracts people who share his views, like Punchline or Harley Quinn before her. The Joker is also a master manipulator who will develop relationships purely for selfish purposes.
10 Thomas Wayne's Batman
Flashpoint: Batman - Knight Of Vengeance (2011) By Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso & Patricia Mulvihill
In the alternate Flashpoint timeline, the criminal known as Joe Chill did not murder Bruce Wayne's parents, but Bruce himself. This set into motion a series of events that would lead Bruce's father Thomas Wayne to take up the mantle of the Batman. Martha Wayne, however, went down a far more terrifying path.
This iteration of the character eventually became the Joker. Her campaign of destruction was terrible, which was made all the more tragic given her previous romance with her husband. It's a dark take on the Batman origin story which also gives the Joker an awful new foundation.
9 Empress Lois Lane
Adventures Of Superman #583 (2000) By J.M. DeMatteis, Mike S. Miller, Armando Durruthy & Wildstorm FX
In the "Emperor Joker" storyline that spanned various Superman comic book titles, Joker tricked Mister Mxyzptlk and gained 99% of the imp's 5th dimensional powers, essentially becoming a god. With his newfound, godlike powers, Joker became emperor of the universe and warped all reality.
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The Joker made heroes like Superman and Batman into criminals and even created his own super-team called the Joker League of Anarchy. Lois Lane was on the roster and even served as the Joker's empress, sitting alongside him on their thrones. Thankfully, this nightmarish reality was reversed when Joker lost his new powers.
8 Marian Drews
Batman: White Knight #2 (2018) By Sean Murphy & Matt Hollingsworth
Sean Murphy shook up the Batman universe with his White Knight miniseries. White Knight takes place in an alternate DC universe where the Joker cures himself and allows Jack Napier to reclaim his body and persona. Jack uses his newfound sanity and intelligence to ruin Batman's reputation and heal Gotham City.
However, a new villain emerges named Neo-Joker. Marian Drews was the second "Harley Quinn" of this universe who fell in love with the Joker but hated Jack Napier. Marian served as one of the main antagonists of the first miniseries and helped resurrect the Joker within Napier.
7 Gotham City's Mayor & Harley Quinn
Batman: Thrillkiller (1997) By Howard Chaykin & Dan Brereton
In an alternate version of the iconic Gotham City shown in Batman: Thrillkiller, the Joker is a woman named Bianca Steeplechase who is every bit as deadly as her main universe counterpart. In this timeline, she kills Robin with a poisonous kiss, frames Batman for the murder of Selina Kyle, and runs a criminal gang.
She's also the wife of Gotham City's current mayor, which makes her story all the more interesting. Her own ambitions would prove to be her undoing, but she enjoyed the ride while it lasted. She even had a romantic attachment to that universe's Harley Quinn, a parallel of their prime universe relationship.
6 Alicia Hunt
Batman (1989) Directed By Tim Burton
This particular romance took place in the 1989 Batman film when Jack Napier got a little too close to the head mafia boss's girlfriend. As a result, he was set up during a raid on the Axis Chemicals plant by the corrupt Max Eckhardt. Batman showed up to intervene, taking out many of Napier's men before confronting Napier himself.
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After falling into a vat of chemicals and re-emerging as the Joker, he killed his former boss and took over his operation. Alicia stayed with him, but their relationship deteriorated quickly when the Joker began experimenting on her with a series of chemicals. After scarring her face and forcing her to wear a mask, the Joker revealed that Alicia threw herself out of a window.
5 Sophie Dumond
Joker (2019) Directed By Todd Phillips
The 2019 standalone Joker film introduced Sophie Dumond, a single mother living within Gotham City. She lived in the same apartment complex as Arthur Fleck, the man who would eventually become the Joker. Her mildly friendly interactions with Fleck were taken as a sign of affection, leading him down a very dark path.
He began hallucinating and conjuring up false memories where the two eventually became romantically linked. In the end, this false premise was undone when he broke into her apartment, frightening the life out of her. As can be expected, this didn't go over well with Fleck's already deteriorating view of the world.
4 Harley Quinn
Batman: The Animated Series "Joker's Favor" (1992) Directed By Boyd Kirkland
The Joker's most famous romantic partner is definitely Harley Quinn. Together, they were two peas in a pod, at least until it all came crashing down. Harley Quinn got her start with the Joker when she became his psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum. Her intentions were to study criminals, but this particular bad guy proved a bit too much.
Eventually, the Joker drove Quinn down the same path to insanity, and the two became romantically linked. Quinn adored the Joker's deranged charisma and dedication to chaos. She eventually became his right-hand woman, carrying out his plans with dutiful adoration. Had she not met the Joker, her life may have turned out quite differently.
3 Punchline
Batman Vol. 3 #89 (2020) By James Tynion IV, Guillem March, Carlo Pagulayan, Danny Miki & Tomeu Morey
In contrast to Harley Quinn, Punchline was far more of a soulmate to the Joker. She was originally hired by the Clown Prince of Crime, but their relationship blossomed to the point where he developed strong feelings for her. The two soon became an item, and the Joker finally found the answer to his own riddle.
Punchline was quite different in comparison to Harley Quinn, as was their relationship. While the Joker had repeatedly used and abused Quinn both physically and psychologically, he was far more considerate of Punchline's feelings and showed genuine affection for her.
2 Jeannie
Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) By Alan Moore, Brian Bolland & John Higgins
The famous Killing Joke storyline gave some much-needed (albeit hazy) exposition as to the Joker's backstory. In this tale, the character was married to a woman sometimes referred to as "Jeannie," who was also pregnant with their unborn child. The two were down on their luck, and each time the Joker tried to get ahead, he ended up taking two steps back.
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After falling into a vat of acid during a confrontation with Batman, the Joker was born. However, Jeannie died soon after, leaving him broken and despondent, though Three Jokers added new revelations to this event. For all intents and purposes, this romance appeared to be born out of genuine love between two people, rather than a twisted fling.
1 Batman
Batman #1 (1940) By Bill Finger, Bob Kane & Jerry Robinson
The Joker has shown a bizarre fascination and infatuation for the Dark Knight throughout the decades, and it's no secret that he views Batman as a potential partner. In his mind, Batman is a necessary component for his own happiness. With no polar opposite to battle, his life is meaningless.
He took this to new heights when he murdered Selina Kyle, right before confessing his love for the Caped Crusader. In reality, this adoration was probably not romantic, but symbolic in nature. The Joker's very identity hinged on Batman's own existence, and to someone of the Joker's fragile state, that would have meant the world.
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