Harley Quinn’s 7 Best Outfits & Costumes in DC Media

She’s a barrel of laughs … and a barrel of bombs, if you’re lucky. Even on her best day, Harley Quinn is an unpredictable mess of psychosis. But hey, isn’t that part of her charm? With that sweet lil’ Brooklyn accent and a smile worth a million screams, Harls really knows how to light up a Rogues Gallery.

Once she was just The Joker’s Maid of Mischief but now she’s so much more. From cinematic appearances to her animated debut, Harley Quinn has a whole wardrobe full of iconic outfits. Here are her top 7, puddin!

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Harley Quinn’s Original Batman: The Animated Series (1992) Outfit

“You’d think after living with Mr. J, I’d be used to a little pain.”

Ain’t nothin’ wrong with the classics, isn’t that right, Mistah J? When people mention Harley Quinn, it’s hard not to picture her debut costume, the jester ensemble designed by Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series. With symmetrically opposed sections of red and black, plus white ruffles that match her makeup, she’s hard to miss. The domino mask and jingling jester’s hat complete the signature look. The cherry on top is Arleen Sorkin’s unforgettable voice acting, which adds so many emotional layers to an already visually striking character.

Harley first appeared as The Joker’s right-hand gal in “Joker’s Favor,” a henchman who shared a sweet-as-cyanide romance with the super-villain. For a long time, Harley remained his devoted Clown Princess of Crime. But all that changed in 1993 when she teamed up with her future girlfriend, Poison Ivy, in “Harley and Ivy.” Ivy helped Harley slowly see that The Joker was more toxic than anything concocted at Ace Chemicals. In time, this jester’s outfit would become symbolic of a dark era for Harley and today it signifies not only her beginnings but also the steps she’s taken to be her own headlining act.

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Harley Quinn’s Arkham: Asylum (2009) Nurse Costume

“Hey Bats, you gonna join the party or what?”

When The Joker schemes to lock Batman and Commissioner Gordon in Arkham Asylum, all hell literally breaks loose. A bunch of villains running around a decrepit mental facility and historic estate is the stuff of nightmares.

In the Arkham Asylum video game, Harley’s running commentary keeps Batman going, goading him into danger and doing The Joker’s bidding. She’s the Queen of Quips with her sassy one-liners and endless taunting. Calling Batman “the Dork Knight?” Truly inspired. Plus, her corseted nurse outfit, with harlequin accoutrements, is a design that also carried over to the New 52 comics and her time with the Suicide Squad. It’s a notable departure from the jester getup and signifies Harley’s slow transition into a villain outside of The Joker’s shadow. Paul Dini’s Harley Loves Joker #2 (2018) sheds even more light onto Harley’s costume evolution. There’s still some purple peeking through but Harley is showing her true colors bit by bit.

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Suicide Squad (2016) Daddy’s Lil’ Monster Outfit

“We’re bad guys. It’s what we do.”

She’s known to be quite vexing — but this Harley Quinn breathed new life into an already iconic fan-favorite character. Of course, her familiar accent is there and so are the effortless gymnastic feats. Give her a mallet or a bat and she’s ready to go. Yet underneath all the deranged antics, this Harley has that undeniable charm that captivated audiences back in the ’90s. You just gotta look past her willingness to kill!

Besides, as far as looks go, this one is right up there with Harley’s debut animated costume. Her pigtails mirror her jester’s hat from years before, but she’s mixed in disheveled blue and pink dye. Fingerless gloves, a bomber jacket, that gold choker spelling out Puddin, and a cutoff tee that says Daddy’s Lil Monster all give Harley a grungy, gritty makeover. There’s no denying Harley Quinn is a superfreak who catches everyone’s eye (and side eye).

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Birds of Prey (2020) Caution Tape Jacket

“Do you know what a harlequin is?”

Let’s face it: There’s nothing subtle about Harley Quinn. She’s an over-the-top, extra AF, in-your-face type of personality. So it stands to reason when she finally emancipates herself from The Joker’s influence, Harley Quinn goes all out. Step One? Get her hands on the perfect egg sandwich. Can’t start your new life on an empty stomach!

Fresh off the scene from blowing up Ace Chemicals, Harley is looking for a spiritual recharge via cheesy goodness. Her costume for these segments, designed by Erin Benach, is an ode to the DIY nature of Harley’s persona. She does everything for herself so the clothes she wears reflect that. It’s a jacket she could have pieced together on her own and her jean shorts are haphazardly painted on as well. The ultra colorful, seamlessly mismatched caution tape jacket serves as a warning to the world. Watch out — Harley Quinn is on the loose.

Honorable Mentions

Harley also wears a fantabulous vintage-looking, wide-brimmed hat ensemble when she storms the police station, perhaps a reference to Mike S. Miller’s Harley outfit from Injustice: Gods Among Us – Year Two #18. Later, Harley slaps on some skates for a roller derby outfit near the movie’s climax. Who knew roller skates and a hammer could be such a winning combo? Well, Harley, of course.

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The Suicide Squad (2021) Red Princess Dress

“Recently, I made a promise to myself that the next time I got a boyfriend, I’d be on the lookout for red flags. And if I saw any, I would do the healthy thing and I would murder him.”

When in Corto Maltese, do as the Corto Maltesians do! For Harley Quinn, that means a flowy red dress and shacking up with the country’s handsome dictator. But don’t worry. Harley is nobody’s fool anymore.

After her stay at the palace becomes more than hostile, Harley takes matters into her own hands. In her bright red princess dress and freshly stolen combat boots, she blasts her way to safety with semi-automatic weapons and a trusty javelin. It’s also important to note that her dress is all one color. No divided patterns here. There might still be a lot of voices in her head, but they’re all her own now. During her escape, technicolor petals burst from her victims in violent sprays as she dances and dismembers down the hallways. She didn’t need her teammates to rescue her but it sure was nice they offered.

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Caped Crusader (2024) Harley Quinn Jester Outfit

“How many criminals do you have to catch before you feel better, Batman?”

Sure, Harley is dangerous. And you’d be hard-pressed to catch her when she’s not acting unhinged. But this incarnation of Harley Quinn is absolutely chilling. Gone are her usual lilting accent and happy-go-lucky cackle. Instead, Dr. Harleen Quinzel of Batman: Caped Crusader acts all of her own accord, a lone criminal who lies to her friend Barbara Gordon and plays mind games with weak, wealthy men. Her voice is low and menacing, a cold whisper against enemies. She’s still using a jester motif, but the diamond eyes and sinister yellow-black suit make her more of a lethal wasp, ready to sting.

Though her foundation might have crumbled in the end, it remains to be seen whether Batman really got the drop on this Harley. If she does come back … consider us scared silly.

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Rebirth Era of Modern Comics

“I’m gonna change yer name ta KNOCKOUT!”

Nowadays, Harley Quinn is all mixed up in the Rebirth era — but in the best way. She’s a little bad, a little good, and more than a teeny bit angry, especially when she’s dealing with Punchline. After all these years, there’s an edge to Harley that can only be softened by her love for Poison Ivy and her newfound Bat-Family. Well, when they see eye to eye, which is hard when you’re a semi-reformed super-villain.

To reflect her changing persona, modern Harley Quinn outfits are a mashup of her visual history. You’ve got the classic red and black color scheme and her infamous blonde pigtails dipped in pink and blue. Sometimes she wears shorts like her cinematic counterpart, other times just leggings. She also has leather jackets, long trench coats, and lots of synthetic accents because there’s nothing natural about this crazed clown. Artists like Jorge Jiménez and Mindy Lee are designing looks for Harley Quinn that give her pretty much the best of every world. And Harley would know all about that since she’s broken the Multiverse a few times.

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Tell us, puddin — what’s your favorite Harley Quinn outfit?

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