Joker and Harley Quinn will return for Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, and they have incredible new designs. The film’s premise is that following the events of Batman Ninja, history has been changed so that the Justice League is now the villainous Yakuza League, and it’s up to Batman and the Batfamily to sort things out and bring things back to normal.

Joker and Harley Quinn also seem to have adopted a Japanese aesthetic, and it’s an incredibly inspired look for them. Whereas the previous film had them adopt a samurai aesthetic to fit the feudal Japan setting, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League gives Joker and Harley Quinn a fantastic modern design based around Japanese delinquents and bikers, with Harley even sporting a stereotypical bat with nails sticking out of it. It’s one of the strongest designs they’ve ever had in an anime, and it perfectly embodies why Batman Ninja is such an underrated gem.

Joker & Harley Get Their Best Anime Designs Yet In New Batman Ninja Movie

Before Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, the only two notable instances of Joker and Harley Quinn were Wit Studio’s Suicide Squad Isekai and, of course, Batman Ninja. Suicide Squad Isekai largely kept to their modern designs, albeit with a few cosmetic changes, and as previously mentioned, Batman Ninja gave them both clothing that fit the aesthetic of feudal Japan, and Joker was even modeled directly after legendary warlord Oda Nobunaga. Joker and Harley Quinn are always kept recognizable in anime, even when changes are made to their designs, and that’s part of what makes those designs so strong.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League also doesn’t stretch too far from the basics, but everything is done far better than previous examples. Simply depicting Joker and Harley as Japanese delinquents is a more grounded choice than their over-the-top designs in Batman Ninja, but it’s still wonderfully goofy, and the detail in things like the lettering on Joker’s outfit and the multiple colors in Harley’s hair sell that even further. Joker and Harley Quinn’s designs for Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League capture an anime aesthetic while not going too over-the-top with things, and that’s why they’re so great to look at.

Batman Ninja’s Take On Classic DC Characters Is What Makes It So Refreshing
Why Batman Ninja Is An Underrated Gem

The inspired design choice for Joker and Harley Quinn is, of course, another part of why Batman Ninja is such a refreshing DC project. DC has a bad reputation for how serious their projects are both in and out of comics, but in direct contrast to that, Batman Ninja ’s goofy, yet sincere, storytelling and designs make it come off as one of the most fun DC animated movies a person can watch. Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will likely be the same in that regard, and if it is, it’s sure to be an even greater follow-up to the original.

Source: Batman Ninja’s official X account.