Joker (The Dark Knight)

The Joker is a fictional character portrayed by Heath Ledger and the main antagonist of Christopher Nolan's 2008 film The Dark Knight—the second installment in The Dark Knight trilogy—based on the DC Comics character of the same name. He is depicted as a psychopathic criminal mastermind who describes himself as an "agent of chaos" and is determined to sow chaos and anarchy throughout Gotham City.

Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was influenced by the graphic novels Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (1989). The character retains his traditional purple-and-green color palette, while his disfigured, clown-like appearance is achieved through smeared makeup concealing facial scars resembling a Glasgow smile, rather than the chemically bleached skin depicted in some comic book origins. Additional inspiration for the performance came from the works of painter Francis Bacon, the character Alex DeLarge from Anthony Burgess' 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange and its 1971 film adaptation of the same name, as well as elements of punk rock culture.

Although Ledger's casting was initially met with skepticism, his performance was released to widespread acclaim following the film's premiere in July 2008, six months after his death from an accidental prescription drug overdose. He posthumously received numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Ledger's Joker is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most iconic villains in film history and popular culture, and is regarded as one of the most definitive screen adaptations of the character.