The Joker is perhaps Batman’s greatest enemy. However, the clown prince is only mildly interested in his secret identity. On the contrary: Obviously, the man doesn’t even want to know who is hiding under the bat mask.
In most stories, Batman’s secret identity is his name, known only to his closest allies. That billionaire Bruce Wayne hides behind the detective is something that some villains like Penguin or Two-Face would love to know.
And the Joker?
Well, the Joker is a bit different. For him, Batman is usually not just an obstacle to his criminal enterprises, but often the declared target of his murderous charades. The Joker and Batman share a rivalry that is hard to wash away.
But that’s exactly it: Joker has a problem with Batman. Not with Bruce Wayne, or whoever he suspects is under the mask. In most stories, he doesn’t know who Batman is, and he doesn’t care. On the contrary: Joker actually does not want to know.
In Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight,” for instance, the Joker demands Batman reveal his identity – but to the public. Here, too, the Joker seems less concerned about who Batman is. The demand is more part of the game, and in the end, he still doesn’t find out who Batman is.
What happens if the Joker finds out who Batman actually is can be seen in the 2020 animated series “Harley Quinn.” The scene was uploaded by the official DC channel and can be found here. Logical: Spoiler alert!
Don’t ruin the Joker’s fun with Batman
In the scene, the Joker is seen on his birthday. He spends the day torturing the bound Batman with electric shocks. But the clown is bored and overall not happy with his birthday.
Scarecrow, who is also present, tries to cheer the Joker up, suggests a few other villainous deeds, and then suddenly grabs Batman’s mask to reveal his identity.
This proves to be a mistake. While Scarecrow is shocked to see Bruce Wayne in front of him, the Joker is shocked that Scarecrow had the audacity to steal the mask from him – thus destroying the mystery of their relationship.
He didn’t want to know that Batman is “just a rich guy with parent issues.” In a quick move, he grabs Scarecrow, throws him down the stairs, and finishes him off with acid.
Afterward, he tries to start a quarrel with Bruce Wayne, about whose “WayneTech” he ordered and already paid for an electric car but is still waiting on. He doesn’t seem to worry about it too much, though.
So, you can see: It’s better not to tell the Joker who Batman is. Generally, it’s best to avoid the clown altogether, as the murderous comedian has pulled off plenty of scary acts over the years. There are plenty of variations of him nowadays. You can find 7 absurd versions of the Joker here.
