When the trailer for the first wave of downloadable characters for Mortal Kombat 11 arrived last year, most fans seemed to be upset that The Joker was included. No only has the character been already seen in NetherRealm Studio’s other popular fighting game Injustice, but the Clown Prince of Crime’s appearance was fairly off-putting as well. However, as the studio continued to work on the DLC fighters, Joker has steadily improved over time, giving fans their first but brief look at the character at The Game Awards this past December.

A few weeks later, the official gameplay trailer for The Joker finally arrived and it seems to have converted most Mortal Kombat 11 players who were originally against the character. Not only does the violence and blood associated with the Mortal Kombat series better suit the criminal figure, but his overall appearance has improved from its original look in the first Kombat Pack trailer.

The trailer also shows off new Elseworld inspired skins coming to the game which turns Noob Saibot into the Batman Who Laughs, Kitana into Catwoman, and Baraka into Killer Croc. Considering the rich comics and media history that comes with a character like The Joker, here are alternative skins that NetherRealm Studios should add to Mortal Kombat 11.

 Cesar Romero Joker

Portrayed in the original 60’s live-action Batman show, this version was actually the first time the character was brought to life outside of the comics. Cesar Romero’s take on the villain was more lighthearted as he focused more on city-wide pranks than killing innocents.

His outfit consisted of a purple suit, green shirt, and dark tie to go along with the iconic white clown makeup and green hair. What made this character truely standout is Romero’s refusal to shave his mustache and forcing makeup artists to do their best to paint over it to cover it up. In the end, Romero’s version of The Joker inspired many other actors who would come after him to take on the role.

The Killing Joke

Arguably one of the most iconic looks for the Batman villain showed up in the controversial comic The Killing Joke. With this book, Alan Moore took the character beyond anything he had done previously as he showed up to the apartment of Barbara Gordon and shot her at point blank range with a pistol. The shot pierced her spine, paralyzing her and ultimately transforming her into the wheelchair bound Oracle. However, as part of a larger plan to drive Jim Gordon and Batman insane, Joker strips Barbara of her clothes and takes pictures of her, which are later used against Gordon.

In addition to the iconic One Bad Day origin story for The Joker, the book also gives him one of his most well known outfits. Wearing a wide-brimmed purple hat, the Joker is also wearing a Hawaiian shirt with palm trees on it as well as shorts. Around his neck is the infamous camera.

Jack Nicholson Joker

Following Romero, many fans would point to Jack Nicholson’s performance of The Joker to be iconic. Unlike the Romero version, Nicholson’s take in the 1989 Batman film was a little more villainous as The Joker was ultimately responsible for the death’s of Martha and Thomas Wayne. Not only did this help provide a deeper connection to Batman and The Joker than viewers had seen before, but it provided a new twist on the familiar story.

As for his look, this version of the character kept the purple suit but added a bow tie, green shirt, and a wide brimmed purple hat. However, his most defining feature may have been the fact that his facial muscles were pushed into a permanent smile.

Arkham Joker

Another skin which should be considered for Mortal Kombat 11 comes from Rocksteady’s very popular video game series. First seen in Batman: Arkham Asylum, this version of Joker leads Batman into a trap as he soon takes control of Arkham Asylum and manages to release many of the biggest villains locked up there. Naturally, it’s a long night for Batman as he attempts to rescue trapped civilians, stop Joker, and restore order.

This version of Joker steers closer to his classic look, which may help make it easier to incorporate. He’s got the white makeup with red smile and wispy green hair that also features a hairline with very high widow’s peaks. He’s also rocking the classic purple suit and green shirt.

Death of the Family Joker

If NetherRealm wants to get really weird, the Death of the Family style Joker would absolutely fit the bill. Originally introduced inside of the New 52 run of Batman from writer Scott Snyder and artwork by Greg Capullo, this unhinged version of the character was more of a serial killer who wore his original face, that was originally surgically removed by the villain Dollmaker, stretched and strapped around his head.

This version of the character also ditched the typical purple in favor of a mechanic’s outfit as well as his head being shaved around the side with the usual green hair on top. In addition to indiscriminately killing random people, this grotesque version of the character went around and slowly picked off Bat-family members like Red Hood, Batgirl, Nightwing, and the others. He put them through a lot of mental anguish before Batman could get to them.

Heath Ledger Joker

For live-action Joker’s, Health Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight remains near the top for most fans. Unlike previous versions of the character, Ledger’s version was far more chaotic, violent, and dirty than the older versions. The unique visual look no doubt inspired countless Halloween outfits and helped further push the character’s popularity.

What helped make this version standout is the look of the character. Instead of the normal short and slicked back green hair, this version had longer, dirtier, and messy green hair with makeup that appeared to be applied quickly and carelessly. In addition to facial scars that formed a smile on his face, he wore a long purple coat, a green vest, and a lavender button up shirt.

Joaquin Phoenix Joker (2019)

Likely seen as an obvious choice due to how recent this movie was as well as how well it did at the box office, this R rated version of the character is also the most unique of the live action versions. Known as Arthur Fleck, viewers witness the downfall of this character into madness thanks to being beaten down by society, mental illness, and just one bad day.

Featuring the longer hair from the Ledger version, the slicked back green hair is paired with a different style clown makeup that includes blue diamonds over the eyes and a bright red nose in addition to the red smile and eyebrows. He also wears an orange suit, yellow vest, and a green button up shirt, which gives this version of the character a completely different look from how most Jokers are presented. Thankfully, fans have already taken up the challenge and created art showing how this design would look in game.

The Dark Knight Returns Joker

For a completely different look and feel, The Dark Knight Returns Joker is one that is much older than previous versions of the character. Written and drawn by Frank Miller, this version of the character essentially comes out of retirement for one more crack at Gotham City and an older Batman.

While retaining the red smile and green hair, this version of the character appears to be a bit more proper. Wearing a purple button up shirt, the character also sports a white suit and tie, which could pose a problem with all of the blood that flies around in Mortal Kombat.

Mortal Kombat 11 is out now for PC, PS4, Switch, Stadia, and Xbox One. Joker releases on January 28, 2020.