Characters / Batman: The Telltale Series: John Doe

Main Character Index
Heroes | Criminals (John Doe) | Other Characters

---

John Doe/The Joker

^{Click here} for Vigilante Joker

^{Click here} for Villain Joker

Voiced By: Anthony Ingruber

"We're two threads in the same stitch — bound together even under strain."

A strange patient at Arkham Asylum, who befriends Bruce after he saves his life from some inmates who want revenge for Thomas Wayne putting them there. While he refuses to tell the doctors his real name, "John" is one of Arkham's greatest success stories and is widely considered to be harmless, but we know better. In Season 2, John is released from Arkham and joins the Pact, and he really wants Bruce, whom he considers his best friend, to join too.

---

A-G

• Aborted Arc: The end of Season 1 all but implies that Joker was the one who hired an assassin to attack Gordon's press conference. In Season 2, this plotline is never resolved or even mentioned.
• Adaptational Badass: In Season 2, where he can become a Batman themed vigilante who's just as competent a fighter as the Dark Knight.
• Adaptational Heroism: He doesn't approve of the other inmates picking on newbies, and even saves Bruce from a beating upon his arrival at Arkham. It's not much (and it's implied he may have ulterior motives) but it is a scruple of some sort, more than most versions of the Joker have. In Season Two, he plays the role of a willing if mysterious ally to Bruce. Furthermore, he seems to genuinely like Harley, as he asks Bruce to make sure he looks good in front of her, and if Bruce chooses to leave Harley behind instead of Bane, he will angrily demand they go back to help her.
  • Season 2 shows that John legitimately admires Batman, enough that he would go as far as betraying Harley, the subject of his Mad Love, potentially twice.
  • Exaggerated in Season 2 episode 4. If Bruce Wayne puts faith in him, John will get over his love for Harley and brings her to custody. When Waller demands that he hands the virus over to her, John refuses, because he rightly believes she is too dangerous to be in possession of it. It is not until Waller callously attempts to off him in spite of his heroic exploit that he goes violent. And even in his rampage, he fully believes himself to be fighting for justice against the Agency and trusts Batman to be his ally. Simply put, this version of the Joker can become something of a Well-Intentioned Extremist, an Anti-Hero or even a Sociopathic Hero.
  • Ultimately Double Subverted in the finale of season 2. John starts off as Vigilante Joker and saves Batman from agents and then teams up with him against Bane. When the agents give permission to use deadly force against him and Batman he still never kills or seriously wounds the agents, only hitting them in their shoulders. He even admires Alfred. For the second half he's so desperate to get revenge against Waller he just can't resist his urge to kill her. While John is obviously trying to be a hero and is still leagues better than his other counterpart of being a villain (not to mention he has multiple reasons and makes good points for his actions and even still admires Batman), he is simply too unstable to be one and brutally kills three agents forcing Batman to stop him. However he does have a Heel Realization after the fight admitting that he can't be a hero but despite Bruce using him he does not hate him because he enjoyed his time together with him and should Bruce reveal he considered him a friend Bruce visits him in Arkham, showing their friendship survived.
  • Zig-zagged with Villain Joker. While he is a more traditional Joker and he happily shows this by gassing Gotham, he still cares for Harley; in fact, his turn to evil in this continuity was partly motivated out of a desire to save her, and when she gets angry at him to the point of strangling him, he actually does his best to apologize, and in general, their partnership is more equal. BUT on the other hand, he has no problem sabotaging her plans so he could keep torturing Bruce, and during the climax he happily leaves her behind with Catwoman so he could have Bruce all to himself for the final fight. Even as a villain, Joker still has some fondness for Bruce and his entire motivation is to make Bruce into his "best enemy" in an implied Suicide by Cop and a way to have something more beautiful than their old friendship. This is shown by his constant unwillingness to kill Bruce at the dinner party and Bruce and his friends escaping could depending on your choices be due to him distracting Harley and trying to prevent Bruce from being killed by her.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: While he's often Faux Affably Evil or even Affably Evil in most incarnations, John Doe seems to actually be genuinely trying to be a good friend to Bruce (with mixed results), albeit with his own strings attached. He can become a villain though he still cares about Bruce and refuses to kill him. Exaggerated if he becomes a vigilante. If you tell him you thought of him as a friend in the vigilante path, he actually stays friends with Bruce.
• Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: Naturally no prior version of the Joker was shown to have the relationship, and at times friendship, with Batman that the Telltale version has, nor have any been shown to have been influenced by him in the same way. In fact the player's decisions not only affect what kind of Joker he becomes, but also the exact nature of their relationship.
  • If the Villain route is taken, John becomes obsessed with becoming Bruce's greatest enemy though he becomes conflicted on what kind of enemy he sees himself being. If Bruce admits that he did have fun with John sometimes, John's last scene suggests that their relationship will have the romantic undertones seen in some versions while John also sees their future fights as more fun times together. If Bruce says that he wishes he had never met John, then his last scene will suggest their relationship is a very personal and bitter hatred for each other with John being determined to ruin him.
  • If the Vigilante route is chosen, Joker attempts to become a Batman inspired vigilante and is excited at the idea of being his partner before becoming a villain. If Bruce says that they were never friends, then their relationship becomes a classic hero-villain dynamic where they see each other as enemies before anything else. If Bruce however says that they were friends, then the game ends with Bruce visiting John suggesting that there is a chance that they could remain friends and John won't truly become the Joker like in the comics.
• Adaptational Wimp: One of the most famous dynamics between him and Harley was that she was the infatuated flunkie who was pathetically devoted to him. Here, the roles are surprisingly reversed, with John wanting to earn Harley's approval by working for her.
• Affably Evil: In Episode 4, he's very friendly to Bruce during his stay as an inmate, even genuinely acting as though he wants to be his friend. It doesn't stop him from causing a Prison Riot in a rather sadistic way by slashing a tally into Zsasz's face when he hasn't killed someone, but even that is ostensibly for a relatively good reason. He slips into Faux Affably Evil if he becomes a villain. But he remains Affably Evil as a vigilante even after he snaps as he admits he merely wanted to be loved by Batman.
• Ambiguously Evil: His aforementioned niceness compared to most incarnations of the Joker causes him to come off as this. He's clearly off his rocker in a lot of ways, and is a criminal allied with the Pact. But he also seems to genuinely care about Bruce as a friend, and tries to help him as much as possible (though not always in ways Bruce would necessarily appreciate).
• Arch-Enemy: Invoking this is his entire motivation as Villain Joker as he wants Bruce as his best enemy and gasses Wayne Enterprises and Gotham and hurting his allies to make things as personal as possible. Bruce denying him this sends Joker into a rage. Vigilante Joker inverts this as he wants to be Batman's partner and Bruce can actually make excuses for Joker's violent behavior until Alfred shows him news footage of The Joker's rampage and Batman can tell Joker he was his friend leading to Bruce visiting Joker in Arkham surviving their friendship. In one of the Vigilante Joker stingers, it's shown that they develop this relationship as Batman pays a visit to Joker at Arkham to keep an eye on him and the Joker declares that nothing will keep enemies like them apart.
• Ax-Crazy: Though he's rather subdued about it for the most part, he definitely gets his kicks out of violence. Gets taken up to eleven in the vigilante path of episode 5 after he kills three agents brutally getting blood all over his mouth and laughing continuously throughout his fight with Batman.
• Badass Longcoat: As a Vigilante, he sports the classic purple longcoat but modified to resemble Batman's cape.
• Bad Boss: In the Villain route, he shoots one of his men in the head to stop them from beating Gordon to death.
• Batman Gambit: Villain Joker lures Batman himself into a trap by faking a Wayne Enterprises gun order document.
• Benevolent Boss: In the Vigilante route, he looks out for the well-being of his subordinates and the loyalty is returned as they initially try to refuse John's order to leave when Bane shows up. If Willy dies due to Batman saving Harrison, Joker is grief-stricken. If Batman hesitates to make a decision Joker will save Willy himself from Bane.
• Big Bad: Regardless if John becomes a villain or a vigilante at the end of ep 4, he takes over as the main villain of the Enemy Within for its final episode. Also doubles as a meta Hijacked by Ganon as he becomes the main villain once the other villains are taken down.
• Blade Enthusiast: In Episode 5 of Season 2, John is revealed to carry a collection of knives. He'll use them as both a Villain and a Vigilante.
• Bloodbath Villain Origin: When he finally snaps in the "Vigilante" route he brutally slaughters a trio of Agency agents with his knife before breaking down in mad laughter
• Camera Fiend: John loves taking pictures with his smartphone, whether or not the situation calls for it. His personal room in the Pact hideout is littered with a bunch of pictures from people he's annoyed. After finishing Season Two, the game lets you browse through his phone to see all the pictures he took throughout the course of the season.
• Card-Carrying Villain: Before fighting Bruce in the Villain Route, he declares himself the Villain of his dreams.
• Catchphrase: He has a habit of calling people and situations that upset him "rude" and "disappointing" respectively.
• Characterization Marches On: In his few appearances in Season 1, he's depicted as rather subdued compared to his comics counterpart, yet still a sadist who is amused by chaos, and someone who appears to know many of the dark secrets underpinning Gotham (such as Vicki secretly being the last of the Arkhams); in Season 2, he shows himself to be more excitable and socially awkward (his insensitive remarks stemming from his lack of social skills rather than any malicious intent), conflicted about hurting anyone despite how much he seems to enjoy it, and generally naive. This is given a in-universe justification — like many long-institutionalized people, the routine and structure of the asylum gave John a degree of control over his life and a world he could understand and function in, but now that he's beyond its walls, he finds it extremely difficult to get by.
• Combat Sadomasochist: Regardless of whether John becomes a Vigilante or a Villain he will fight Batman/Bruce. And during the fight John doesn't hold back at all and he laughs whenever he gets hurt.
• Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: He's only ever called "John Doe", though the credits in Episode 4 list him as "Joker". Averted completely in Season 2 Episode 5, where he starts openly calling himself "The Joker" as a heroic/villainous alias, and the name is quickly picked up by the media.
• Comically Missing the Point: In the Vigilante path of the Season 2 finale, John is terrified that Waller will turn him into a slave like she did Bane.
  John: And look what happened to him! I don't want to have some maniac stab me!^note John himself was the maniac stabbing Bane after the latter accused him of killing Riddler.
• Composite Character:
  • His one-sided obsession with Harley and potential status as an Anti-Hero is reminiscent of the Creeper.
  • Overall his entire Character is a love letter to all the previous Jokers. Makes sense considering his voice actor started as a youtube impressionist.
    • His John Doe persona takes influence from the Cesar Romero Joker as a goofy and harmless buffoon but with a hidden violent side. Like the Kevin Richardson Joker he's introduced as an unknown patient that not even the orderlies know how he got admitted in and the adaptational badass skills and bits of the Mark Hamill version as with his hatred of rudeness and him asking a favor from Bruce like he did with Charlie.
    • The Villain Joker takes the most influence from the Jack Nicholson, Jared Leto, Lego Movie and Death of the Family incarnations.
    • Vigilante Joker has the Mark Hamill, Heath Ledger, Kevin Richardson, and Cesar Romero and Arkhamverse incarnations as his influences. In terms of his role in the story, his frustration at Batman's no-killing rule, his favoring of Pay Evil unto Evil, and his clashing with Batman, whom he previously idolized, actually makes him similar to Jason Todd.
• Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: To Lady Arkham:
  • Vicki is a case of Adaptational Villainy. John is an Adaptational Nice Guy.
  • Vicki is female and outside of her costume looks like a regular person. John is male and has green hair and chalk white skin.
  • Vicki has a clear and defined backstory. John's life before Arkham Asylum remains a mystery.
  • Vicki despises Bruce for what his family did to hers. John legitimately considers Bruce to be his best friend.
  • Vicki became Lady Arkham before the events of the game. How John becomes the Joker depends on how Bruce treats him.
• Crazy Jealous Guy: If Bruce starts flirting with Harley, John reacts... negatively. Harley will show interest in Bruce regardless of his actions, which will result in John seething with Tranquil Fury. Luckily he will end up getting Harley if he becomes a villain.
• Create Your Own Villain: The ways in which both Bruce and Batman treat him will influence what kind of threat he'll become. At the end of Season 2 Episode 4, John will either trust Batman but loathe the Agency (becoming a vigilante), or will breakdown and pursue a personal vendetta on Bruce and terrorize Gotham. This is lampshaded by Alfred in Ep 5.
• Deal with the Devil: He asks Bruce a favor in return for information about Lady Arkham. Whether Bruce complies or not is up to you.
• Deuteragonist: In Season 2, he accompanies Bruce on various missions.
• Dissonant Serenity: During the riot when Lady Arkham releases all of the patients, John just sits, drinks his beverage and bemusedly enjoys the chaos around him. This is in contrast to the way all of the others are acting.
• Dramatically Missing the Point: Vigilante Joker imitates Batman — mostly all of the worst traits Batman has.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Essentially what his presence amounts to in Season One. He does relatively little aside from pointing Bruce towards the right direction and messing with him a bit, and it's Season Two where he plays a much bigger role.
• Enemy Within: John's dark impulses are the titular Enemy Within of Season 2 Episode 5, regardless of whether the player picks the vigilante or villain paths.
• Everyone Has Standards: He hates the Riddler and celebrates his demise. But in episode 5, he denies involvement in the murder and holds the real killer in contempt. He even gets slightly offended that Bruce thinks he'd actually kill Riddler.
• Eviler than Thou:
  • Villain Joker invokes this by saying that what makes him a greater evil than Lady Arkham, Penguin, and Riddler is that he knows how to hit Bruce where it hurts, and he proves this by gassing Wayne Enterprises and several spots in Gotham while forcing Bruce to watch and kidnapping several of his allies.
  • Vigilante Joker tries to invert this by saying his code makes him better than the rest of the Pact, and spends half the episode aiding Batman against the Agency and actually being a Benevolent Boss to his minions. However, while he isn't evil compared the previous villains or especially the Pact, he still becomes the main villain of the story, and overshadows the Pact and Waller as threats, by blowing up GCPD, sending the Agency into chaos by kidnapping Waller, and rampages through Gotham as news reports note.
• Fallen Hero: Possibly can become one his Vigilante route. He at least tries to be a hero, but he ultimately fails to overcome his darker impulses as he breaks down and actively murders three members of the Agency. After being beaten down, he will admit with a great amount of sadness and self-loathing that he just isn't cut out to be a hero. That being said he only becomes this if you tell him you never thought of him as a friend or stay silent, as you can maintain your friendship with him if you tell him you did think of him as your friend which technically still makes him a good guy.
• Fashionable Asymmetry: As a villain, Joker wears two different shoes and has shaved off one of his eyebrows.
• Fatal Flaw: His It's All About Me worldview. John Doe only focuses on how he feels and how others think of him, causing most of his issues throughout the series as he's too eager to please people, is prone to being manipulated and used by others, and can be rather inconsiderate. If he becomes a villain, the whole reason he became one was because Bruce didn't believe him when he claimed he killed the Agency Agents in self-defense. He blames Bruce for 'John Doe's death' and is motivated by his desire to make Bruce's life a living hell for 'hurting his feelings'.
• Felony Misdemeanor: John's lack of wherewithal in social situations ("it takes a lot of confidence to tell a joke") mean that he's always afraid of slipping up or saying the wrong thing, especially in front of Harley, so anyone purposefully being even a little rude — like Riddler did when interrupting him — will humiliate him and get on his bad side very quickly.
• The Fettered: If he became a Vigilante in Episode 4, he'll be this in Episode 5, ranting about his "Code" and chastising Batman whenever he's forced to make a compromise. If you went the other way in 4, he becomes The Unfettered. Even if he becomes a vigilante, his inner darkness causes him to try to kill Waller, and Batman's attempts to stop him from doing so cause him to become a villain.
• Fighting from the Inside: In the Villain route of Season 2 Episode 5, it's indicated that what's left of John Doe wants Bruce to put an end to his evil persona's reign of terror: the Joker tells Bruce his only demand is for Batman to be his "best enemy" — the man he needs him to be — and stop him; and if Bruce tells him it doesn't have to be this way, the Joker replies that that the only thing that's left for them now is to be enemies after all that he's done.
• Final Boss: Of Season 2, regardless of what he becomes in Episode 5. In the Vigilante Route, he’s fought by Batman after proving to be too unstable and dangerous to be a hero. In the Villain Route, he’s fought by Bruce after vowing to destroy Bruce’s life and be his “best enemy”.
• Foreshadowing: His presence was foreshadowed as early as the first episode, when an article on the news ticker mentioned there'd been an accident at the Ace Chemicals plant. While this turns out to be a Red Herring for his origin, Vigilante Joker uses the Ace Chemicals plant as his hideout in Season 2 Episode 5, which is mentioned to have been shut down following said incident.
• Friendly Enemy: If Bruce had the best relationship possible with John, in The Stinger, Bruce will visit John at Arkham Asylum, and John will display visible delight seeing him. It shows that, despite everything that happened between them, Bruce and John still consider each other friends.
• The "Fun" in "Funeral": Deconstructed. He pulls as much as he can without getting enough attention to be kicked out, up to and including cracking jokes about the deceased and taking a selfie with his best friend, Bruce Wayne, during the eulogy, but it's barely tolerated and shown to be his deeply inappropriate way of trying to belong.
• Gollum Made Me Do It: In Season 2 Episode 4, John tries to explain to Bruce, who comes across him surrounded by the bodies of several brutally-murdered Agency members, that he killed them in self-defence; stating that when they attacked him something "dark, and vicious, and desperate for survival" took over him.
• Good Is Not Soft: In his Vigilante route, he still brutalizes enemies in contrast with Batman who (usually) uses the minimum amount of force necessary to take down bad guys.

H-Y

• Heroic Wannabe: Vigilante Joker in a nutshell. Though he's cunning and strong enough to go toe to toe with the Suicide Squad and Agency, saves Batman more than once and works well together with Batman against Bane (and also may save his minion Willy from certain death) and overall does try to be a hero, his mental issues, and his complete and utter lack of self-control and self awareness cause him to quickly become a Fallen Hero. He acknowledges as much to Batman in his ending, realizing that as much as he wants to be a hero, he simply can't.
• Hero with an F in Good: Vigilante Joker. An article about him and his gang mentions them helping an old lady cross the street by picking her up and carrying her. Not only was she waiting for a bus, but she wound up with two broken ribs but of couse he didn't intend for this to happen.
• Hero-Worshipper: Despite being a criminal, he has a lot of personal admiration for Batman and really wants him to take him under his wing. Batman for his part can give him a few pointers, even teaching him how to throw a batarang. In the Vigilante route of Season 2 Episode 5, John even styles his Joker persona after Batman, sporting a tattered trench coat evocative of Batman's cape, using "Jokerangs" and a grappling hook launcher, wearing black facepaint, and spiking his hair to emulate Batman's ears trying his best to be a hero like Batman.
• Hidden Depths: John may be socially inept and mentally unstable, but he's very smart and observant.
  • In Season 2 Episode 4, he taunts him about how childishly easy it was to figure out Bruce is Batman. In one path, John reveals he knew Bruce put a tracker on him earlier in the season and deliberately brings up the fact that him leaving their conversation at the cafe as soon as the Bat-Signal went up was a dead giveaway. Another path has John point out that while he stole the laptop for Bruce, he noticed Batman suddenly had it.
  • Despite no suggestions that he has any mechanical prowess, if he becomes a vigilante as the Joker, he's shown to have replicated many of Batman's gadgets for his own utility belt with the aid of Willy Deever, including a crude but perfectly functioning line launcher. Even more so, he can do this without ever getting his hands on a Batarang or any other tech, meaning he sussed out how they worked from fleeting observation and described them from memory.
• Identity Amnesia: John is just as in-the-dark about his past and appearance as everyone around him. The earliest thing he can remember is just waking up in Arkham one day.
• Innocently Insensitive: Has no idea how rude he's being at Lucius' funeral. If you call him out on it, he'll get very angry and upset at himself.
• In Love with Your Carnage: Constantly. Violence is one of the best ways for anybody to endear themselves to John.
  • In "Guardian of Gotham", he delights in the war between Harvey Dent and the Children of Arkham, and mentions that Bruce really caught his attention after seeing him beat the hell out of Oswald.
  • Rather than try to escape, he stands back and applauds Batman's work subduing an entire crowd of assailants during the Arkham Asylum riot in "City of Light".
  • During the funeral in "The Enigma", he expresses admiration for Bruce's dad, who by this point we know to be a monstrously brutal gangster. If Bruce gets rough with him, he also notes he's missed "your fire."
  • He's the one who falls for an already sadistic and violent Harley Quinn in "The Pact", rather than the other way around.
  • He's downright giddy watching Bruce and Selina fighting over the flash drive.
• It's All About Me: The world revolves around John. He only cares about what others think of him, and only his feelings truly matter, which leads to some inappropriate comments. Bruce can call him out on this in Episode 4.
• Joker Immunity: After fighting Bruce in episode 5 of season 2, a villainous Joker seems to die and is resurrected by Bruce.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: John can say some rather insensitive things and get quite violent at times, but he genuinely values his friendship with Bruce, and if Bruce decides to trust him, he'll help him and the Agency apprehend Harley. If John becomes a Vigilante and Bruce says that they were friends, he will even maintain his friendship with Bruce.
• Laughing Mad: Considering who John Doe is based on, it'd be a crime if he didn't indulge in maniacal laughter. He tries to suppress it, but can't help himself. In Episode 4 of Season 2, he notes that part of it is that he laughs when he's nervous, and he's especially nervous outside of the confines of Arkham Asylum. In the second season finale, on the Vigilante route, after the Joker decides that justice is a lie and he BRUTALLY kills three Agency members, he starts to manically laugh incessantly, not even stopping while Batman beats the crap out of him.
• Literal Metaphor: Stabs Bruce in the side with a knife, telling him he'll forever be a knife in Bruce's side — and heavily implying in order to get rid of them, he has to kill him.
• Locked into Strangeness: His hair is green, and his skin is ghostly white. He isn't sure how they ended up that way, and it's a point of contention for him to discuss it.
• Love Martyr: In an inversion of the norm, he's one to Harley. He clearly likes her and wants to impress her, but not only does Harley treat him with cold indifference, she seems more interested in Bruce instead. There is one possible exception: at the end of Season 2 Episode 4, John either becomes a serial killer or a vigilante, and if he becomes a serial killer, Harley actually will express interest in him.
• Love Redeems: A platonic example. If Bruce continues to support and trust John all the way through the Vigilante route in Episode 5, and reaffirms their friendship when John finally crosses the Despair Event Horizon at the end of their final battle, it will ultimately lead to a reconciliation of sorts in The Stinger when Bruce goes to visit him in Arkham Asylum. John's reaction of sheer joy and Bruce's own smile indicate that, for all the suffering the two of them have endured and despite the damage John's actions have caused, their friendship has survived and John has at the very least gained some perspective along the way.
• The Mentally Ill: John is categorically unable to handle rejection, forms deep obsessions with other people at random, struggles to behave appropriately in social settings for more than a minute, and has violent impulses. This worsens considerably once he gets away from Arkham and the small semblance of structure it imposed on him; he even mentions how he sometimes wants to go back.
• Mood-Swinger: Usually pretty laid back, but he is prone to hysteric giggling and violent fits.
  "John": [suddenly pounding on a cell door, between sentences of a friendly conversation] WRONG NUMBER, DUMBASS!
• Mr. Smith: His true name is unknown, so he goes by the classic placeholder name the doctors gave him, John Doe.
• Murder Is the Best Solution: "Vigilante" John believes this.
  John Doe: If there's one thing I learned from watching you: violence solves a LOT of problems!
• Mysterious Past:
  • According to Socko (Arnold Wesker), not even the doctors at Arkham are sure where or when John came from, as there's no record of him being committed.
  • In episode three of season two, John claims that even he doesn't know where he came from or why he looks the way he does - he apparently has no memories prior to Arkham.
• No Social Skills: Despite how manipulative and superficially charming he comes across as in Season 1, he shows shades of this in Season 2. For example, he gives Bruce a cheesy "Get Well Soon" card at a funeral. And his disappointment/anger in himself if Bruce rejects it and relief if Bruce accepts it suggest it was a genuine effort, not a sick joke. Not to mention the 'having a blast' jokes, the shouting, and the selfie with Bruce, also during said funeral. He admits it's hard to adjust to life outside of Arkham Asylum and that he misses "the padded walls" sometimes because he understood the rules of the place.
• Not Good with Rejection: A non-romantic example. John doesn't take it well when his attempts at friendship are rebuked. He even says that his doctor told him this.
• Not His Sled: If you're on the Vigilante Joker path, once John goes off the deep end in Ace Chemicals, he falls off a railing towards a vat of green chemicals. It seems that Joker is going to fall into the vat and fully sink into the villainous persona we all know him for - but then Batman manages to grapple him to safety before he lands.
• Not Me This Time: In Season 2 Episode 5, if you're on the Vigilante path, both Bane and Amanda Waller accuse the Joker of having killed the Riddler back in Episode 1. The Joker reacts first by stabbing Bane and then by attempting to kill Waller, swearing that he didn't kill the Riddler. It turns out he's telling the truth; it really wasn't the Joker who killed the Riddler.
• Parts Unknown: As Socko notes, nobody even knows when he was checked into the asylum in the first place, not even the orderlies.
• Pass the Popcorn: After Vicki releases all the inmates, John's reaction is to sit back and watch the carnage.
• Psychopathic Man Child: John has this in spades throughout Season 2, particularly with both Bruce, who he treats as his best pal, and Batman, who's his biggest hero. Best shown when Batman gives him a Batarang to play with and John promises to practice throwing "a hundred times a day" until he can curve it right.
• "Ray of Hope" Ending: In the Vigilante path of Season 2 Episode 5, if Bruce asserts that he truly did consider John to be his friend and not just a tool, he'll visit John in Arkham in The Stinger to the latter's delight, implying that while he may not be cut out for life on the outside, he could at least learn to make friends in his own way.
• Red Herring: Is heavily implied to be behind Riddler's murder. He isn't. Tiffany Fox is.
• Sanity Slippage: In Season 2 Episode 4, John Doe tries to be good and suppress his vicious, sadistic side... but issues with Harley, Bruce's interactions with him, and Waller's actions at the end of the episode cause him to snap and either becomes a ruthless vigilante or become violent psychotic criminal determined to make Bruce pay for using him. In the vigilante path, he suffers a further breakdown when Batman tries to stop him from killing Waller and becomes a villain.
• Secret Secret-Keeper: He's already figured out that Vicki Vale is not only the mysterious "Lady Arkham" but also a lost Arkham child and it's implied he might have figured out Bruce is Batman. "What Ails You" confirms he has indeed figured it out, though he may have done so only recently since he specifically cites Bruce ditching him at the cafe when the Bat Signal appeared as the thing that tipped him off.
• Secret Test of Character: He hands Bruce a key while he goes off to find a TV remote. The key doesn't open anything in the room and he just wanted to see how willing he was to get out of Arkham.
• Sequel Hook:
  • The season one finale, City of Light, ends with John, now out of Arkham Asylum, enjoying a martini at a bar. After watching the assassination attempt on Gordon (or Bruce, depending on your choice) on TV, he declares that it's his turn to get in on the fun...
    • If you choose to attend the press conference as Batman
      John Doe: Ooh boy, it's gonna be tough to top that! But I'll give it a shot...
    • If you went as Bruce Wayne
      John Doe: He sure does clean up well. See you soon, Brucie.^note Become very relevant if you took him up on his offer in Episode 4
  • In Season 2 Episode 4, John jumps off the side of a bridge, having either decided to become a ruthless vigilante or a serial killer.
• Serrated Blade of Pain: Vigilante Joker's smile-shaped Jokerangs have a jagged edge all the way around.
• Shadow Archetype: At his core, John Doe is a mirror of Bruce and Batman... but with the worst traits overshadowing the good ones. Both he and Bruce have established issues with socializing with people (John's lack of social awareness, and S1 Bruce's struggle to host a fundraiser), they both have romantic tension with dangerous women, need people to help set them on the right path (Bruce's potential support to steer John right and Alfred's disapproval of violent actions and subsequent approval of non-violent actions), they both hide a darker aspect to themselves (John has a growing dark side — the Joker — just waiting to get out, while philanthropist Bruce Wayne beats criminals with his bare hands as the Batman). Taken further in the Vigilante Path where the Joker becomes a Vigilante after being inspired by Bruce's trust and being enraged at the corruption of the Agency, not unlike how Bruce lost his parents to a corrupt Mayor. This is lampshaded by Alfred, who notes the Joker is a mirror of Batman even where Bruce is darkest.
• Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: He acts very friendly to Bruce in Season 1, but he does some rather morally dubious things to break him out of Arkham and the final scene of the finale implies that he has ulterior motivations. In Season 2, while he does have a few screws loose, his friendliness with Bruce turns out to be genuine.
• Shipper on Deck: While he confides in Bruce that he doesn't trust Catwoman, he immediately picks up on her and Bruce's attraction to each other and enthuses about it in Season 2 Episode 3.
• Slasher Smile: His default smile is a creepy grin, even if he's not actively trying to be malevolent.
• Snipe Hunt: Gives Bruce a mysterious key, which seems to be a cryptic hint on how to escape Arkham. None of the keyholes in the rec room fit it, and John laughs when confronted with it, saying that it's not the way to get out.
• Spanner in the Works: Lady Arkham's plan to imprison Wayne and possibly get him killed in Arkham would have went off without a hitch if he hadn't shown up to save Bruce from some vengeful inmmates.
• The Spook: Arkham staff have no records of his admittance (according to another inmate) and he's never given his name out to anyone. All we know is he seems to be personally acquainted with Lady Arkham.
• Stalker Shrine: A multi-person one in his living quarters, set against a mural of a clown's face on the wall. He has photos of himself with a visibly disinterested Harley, a photo he took with some terrified man that he taped Bruce's face over, and a blank photo frame for Batman. There a few photos of just himself, so it also counts as a Shrine to Self.
• Start of Darkness: The series functions as John's origin story — showing his devolution from a mentally-unstable but well-intentioned man into either a psychotic serial killer that will haunt Gotham for years as Batman's arch-enemy, or a dangerously unstable but well-intentioned vigilante... at least before his instability gets the better of him and he becomes a villain.
• Stalker without a Crush: John is uncomfortably clingy to Bruce, stalking him at the funeral reception and obsessing over how they're such good friends. When confessing that he's fallen in love with someone, there's even an option for Bruce, not having met Harley, to ask if it's himself; John is a little surprised, but softly murmurs "no", as if what they have goes beyond love (though according to the developers, John was written as bisexual with a slight preference for Bruce over Harley, so it may actually be Stalker with a Crush).
  Bruce: No matter what happens, I've got your back, John. I'm not going anywhere.
  John: Pfft!
• That Man Is Dead: Invoked in his Villainous route. During a puzzle, the Joker has a headstone for John Doe, and repeatedly states that Bruce murdered him.
• Then Let Me Be Evil: If Bruce tells John he can't trust him in Episode 4, no matter what their interactions were, John will become a villain, invoking the trope.
• Took a Level in Badass: He goes from being a submissive ally to Harley, to either a vigilante themed after Batman, or a homicidal terrorist who has an equal partnership with Harley.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: In the Villain route, he goes from being a somewhat unstable but loyal friend to Bruce, to a vicious, homicidal sociopath willing to hurt or kill anyone to get back at his old friend.
• Toxic Friend Influence: Promises to look after Bruce, and gives him hints about how to escape Arkham, but his idea of help involves starting a riot, forcing Bruce into a Sadistic Choice between making a phone call or saving a guard's life. It worsens in Season 2; although John is as nice as ever, he essentially encourages Bruce to "fall in with the bad kids" by insisting he meet the Pact and join their ranks, and clearly enjoys it if Bruce gets progressively more brutal.
• Tragic Hero: Vigilante Joker wants to be every bit the hero Batman is but his inability to rise above his psychological issues and darker impulses drive him into becoming a vicious Knight Templar and criminal that Batman has to stop.
• Uncanny Valley Makeup: Like some incarnations — such as in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns — John's lips are bleached as well as the rest of his skin, and he uses lipstick to make them incongruously bright red.
• The Unfettered: If he became a Villain in Episode 4, he'll be this in Episode 5, accusing Bats and Waller of hypocrisy for holding up a corrupt idea of justice. If he went the other way, he'll become The Fettered... initially, as his mental instability quickly gets the better of him and he careens into this trope.
• Vigilante Man: In one of the endings of Season 2 Episode 4, John actually turns over to the side of good, and saves the day. However, it lasts all of 2 minutes since once he pulls the very Batman-like stunt of refusing to hand the virus over to Waller and saying it's better off destroyed, she tries to shoot him. This causes him to snap and go crazy, but instead of channeling his murderous urges indiscriminately he decides to channel it become a vigilante with a vendetta against the corrupt Agency, cackling that he and Batman are going to take them down together before leaping off the bridge.
• Villainous Breakdown: In the Vigilante route, after deciding that Batman and Waller are the same, he brutally slaughters three Agency members and starts Laughing Mad.
• Villainous Rescue: He ends up saving Bruce from a couple of vengeful inmates at the beginning of Episode 4.
• We Used to Be Friends: His relationship with Bruce in the villain route.
• What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Tells Bruce that before he realized he loved Harley, he thought he had a disease.
• What the Hell, Hero?: During the scene where John admits he knows that you're Batman, he points out that he did have doubts considering how you were willing to toss Catwoman over to the Pact. However, if you instead gave yourself up to save Catwoman, John will still have doubts but for a different reason, as he's figured out you were using him.
• When All You Have Is a Hammer…: An inverted example in Season 2 Episode 3. When trying to go through a opening in the fence around Riddler's hideout that's covered by sheet metal, John produces a crowbar...and beats on it instead of prying it off.
• Wild Card: John's alignment and loyalties can vary wildly depending on the actions chosen.
• Yandere:
  • In the Villain Route of episode 5, Joker acts like a scorned and jealous lover towards Bruce, trying to kill or alienate all of his allies — whichever hurts Bruce the worst — so that he can have Batman all to himself as his "best enemy".
  • In the Villain Route of episode 5, when Batman tells him that he's not treating Harley like a girlfriend by not giving her the cure to her disease, he quietly plans to be her "doctor" by not giving her the cure so he can look after her while the disease overwhelms her.

---