Top 30 villains in television history

Photo Credit: FOX

13. “The Joker” 

Gotham has gotten mixed reviews based on how much one enjoys unabashed campiness versus realism. One thing everyone can agree on is how amazing Cameron Monaghan is as Jerome Valaska, or “The Joker”. While the series has yet to commit to actually calling him the Joker, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that it’s who he’s playing. Armed with a creepy laugh and a wide smile, Jerome gleefully moves around Gotham savoring the violence.

One of the highlights of the series is watching the mild-mannered Jerome grieve his dead mother before switching the flip and becoming a Joker like character. He revels in his mother’s demise and laughs in Jim Gordon’s face over how long it took for the detective to realize it was him who killed her after tiring of her promiscuous attitude.

Fan popularity led to Jerome returning even more like the Joker then ever before. DC Comics realized that Monaghan had become the most popular version of the character since Heath Ledger, and began to capitalize on the newfound success of the portrayal. Monaghan’s return this season has been one of the most hyped appearances of any FOX series, and he looks more like the Joker than ever.

His smile has been carved into his face, and he maniacally laughs at Penguin beating up other inmates at Arkham Asylum. There aren’t a lot of actors who can send chills down the spine of a viewer with one laugh, but Cameron Monaghan as the Joker is definitely one of them.