auguy86: Blog

Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog on the art and craft of storytelling. Today, we’ll be completing a trio of entries. Where my last two blogs dealt with story openings and midpoints, respectively, I’ll now discuss some of the most satisfying endings in film. Ending a story arc in a truly satisfying way is often the ultimate goal of any storyteller, especially if they can perfectly tie up all plot threads in a way that leaves the audience fulfilled and not wanting for anything else. But how do we write such an ending? Let’s find out by diving into some of the most well-crafted endings of all time. Of note, I’m taking an ending to mean a conclusion, which means I will tend to favor films that are the end of a series or franchise. There may be an exception or two to this in the list, but in general, endings that feature cliffhangers or hints as to the next part of the story aren’t true conclusions, so I want to avoid that if possible. With that said, let’s get started!

Number Ten – The Lion King (1994)

Arguably the greatest of the Disney animated classics, The Lion King has a story that’s nothing short of Shakespearian. Growth, loss of innocence, and confronting past sins all feature as prominent themes. Add in a manipulative backstabber as a villain, and you have a story Hamlet himself would be proud of. Though the entire film is excellent, the climax is particularly good, combining breathtaking visuals, incredible music, and some of the best dialogue I’ve ever heard. Seriously, when Matthew Broderick and Jeremy Irons go to work together in this final sequence, it’s a masterclass in delivery. But what really makes this such a satisfying ending is the denouement. With Hans Zimmer’s score swelling to a fever pitch, Simba takes his place as king, restores the Pride Lands, and the Circle of Life begins anew. It’s a wonderful coalescing of all the story’s themes, and it concludes a truly perfect movie. Yes, I know direct-to-video sequels and spinoffs were made, but it was all so unnecessary. This was an ending worthy of being known as a conclusion.

Final takeaway: Bring your story’s themes full circle in the end.

Number Nine – Back to the Future Part III (1990)

By the end of this trilogy of films, Marty and Doc have been through the wringer, to say the least. After nearly erasing his own existence, accidentally empowering Biff Tannen, and saving Doc from the Old West, Marty at last returns home, only for the DeLorean to be destroyed. With that, it seems Doc will be forever stranded in the past, leaving Marty with nobody to lean on except his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker. The story could have ended there, but it keeps going for a few more glorious minutes, showing the growth Marty has achieved through his adventures. Where his past self would have engaged in a street race and ruined his life, Marty finally chooses wisdom in the face of being called a coward, changing his future in the process. This leads us at last to the final scene where Doc, now married and with two boys of his own, returns to 1985 with his Time Train. Elated to see Marty and Jennifer again, Doc reminds them that neither of their futures have been written yet, so they’d better make it a good one. Godspeed, Doc Brown.

Final takeaway: Sometimes, all you need is an iconic line to sum up your story’s lesson.

Number Eight – Rocky (1976)

While the sequel gave us a bigger single moment with Rocky’s victory over Apollo, the original Rocky is far and away the better film. It’s a complete story, one of the greatest stories of proving oneself ever written. Rocky Balboa is the epitome of the American Dream, a down-on-his-luck amateur boxer who gets a chance against the greatest champion in the sport. It’s easy to think he wants to beat Apollo and overturn the boxing establishment, but that isn’t Rocky’s goal. Instead, he wants to take Apollo the distance and go all fifteen rounds with the champ. When he does this, Rocky proves that he belongs and proves himself more than just some chump nobody. But best of all is that, after the final fight, everything is kept in perspective. With reporters swarming him and a background announcement of Apollo’s victory, Rocky can only call out to his girlfriend, Adrian. Only when pressed by a reporter does Rocky address him, saying there won’t be a rematch with Apollo. From there, we get an iconic embrace by one of the best film couples of all time. Rocky has become a somebody, and he’s found the love of his life in the process. Man, this is just beautiful and as successful as the franchise has become, it could have ended with this film and made everyone just as happy with it.

Final takeaway: Keep the point of the story in the proper perspective during the ending.

Number Seven – Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of historic romance stories. That said, I can objectively say that Jane Austen’s enduring masterpiece is the best of them all. It has been adapted to TV and film many times, but this 2005 version takes the cake. First off, the story itself is one of the most complete stories ever written, which is a major reason for its enduring popularity. But more than that, the two lead actors, Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden, are at the absolute peak of their skills. They shine throughout the film, but never more than in the climactic reconciliation scene between their characters. This scene is so well done, and not just by the actors. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, using no CGI whatsoever. Instead, the crew does the hard work of getting all actors and equipment ready in the dead of night and waiting for that perfect morning sunrise. This is a culmination crafted with extreme care and precision, engaging not only the audience’s emotions but their senses, as well. You can almost smell the field they’re standing in, hear the birds chirping nearby, and that final sunrise shot is one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. The story itself is an immortal classic, but Joe Wright’s direction took it to the next level. In the words of Dr. Sheldon Cooper, she has too much pride, he has too much prejudice, and it just works.

Final takeaway: An incredible setting for a climax is just as important as iconic dialogue.

Number Six – Return of the Jedi (1983)

The original Star Wars trilogy is arguably the greatest film trilogy of them all, and when taken as a group, they really are a work of art. With Episode IV all about introductions and Episode V all about tension and development, Episode VI had to have a massive amount of payoff, and man, does it deliver. While the film individually does have its detractors, particularly regarding the Ewoks, it serves as a fantastic final act to the overall story George Lucas is telling. Every plot thread is resolved in a satisfying way – Luke’s Jedi training, Han and Leia’s romance, and, most importantly of all, Anakin Skywalker’s redemption. Anakin is the tragic hero of the franchise, and his story is arguably the greatest redemption arc in any movie. From the infiltration of Jabba’s palace all the way to the Ewok celebration on Endor, this is a film that strives to give its audience happiness and enjoyment.

Final takeaway: Deliver on the promises made in earlier chapters and stories.

Number Five – Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Steven Spielberg was already a genius filmmaker, but this incredible movie might be his crowning achievement. The power behind this film’s ending starts with the opening scene, where a nameless veteran walks through a cemetery. As he stops in front of one headstone, the old man silently tears up. Remember, someone watching this film for the first time has no idea who this man is. Could he be Private Ryan, or did this man fail to save Private Ryan? What follows is one of the grittiest and most realistic depictions of WWII ever to grace the silver screen, and it culminates in epic fashion. Captain Miller and his team have found Ryan, the last surviving of four brothers, who they are determined to get home alive. Ryan, however, is holding a crucial bridge and refuses to leave his post, giving Miller no choice but to take command and help Ryan hold the bridge. The ensuing battle claims the lives of every American soldier on Miller’s team, save for Ryan himself. Tom Hanks delivers Miller’s incredible dying plea, telling Ryan to earn the life they’ve sacrificed their lives to give him, to be worthy of it. We soon rejoin the old veteran from the beginning and learn he is, in fact, Private Ryan. It’s a beautiful and poetic ending, showcasing the film’s themes of heroism, sacrifice, and making sure the war wasn’t for nothing. Just try and watch it without crying. Just try.

Final takeaway: Make the audience ask a question, then withhold the answer until the perfect poetic moment.

Number Four – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Perhaps the most classic Christmas film of all, Jimmy Stewart’s performance in this film is nothing short of transcendent. After all, this was his first role after serving in WWII, and he used the trauma he suffered during the war to drive home the suffering of George Bailey. Despite being a holiday film, this is no feel-good romp. The story remains a dark, depressing tale right up until the very end. And this, to me, is what makes it such a worthy Christmas film. One of the story’s central themes can be summed up with an iconic Bible verse: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” George Bailey, for all his suffering, is a light for so many others, but in his darkness, he couldn’t comprehend that fact. It’s only when light emerges from the darkness, courtesy of all his friends stepping forward to help him in his hour of need, that he overcomes his inner demons. Thanks to them, with an assist from a certain guardian angel, George understands at last how blessed he is and how many others he can rely on in times of trial. Sometimes, the oldest of lessons are the ones that must be retaught again and again through great stories, and it makes this ending one of the most satisfying of all.

Final takeaway: Struggle and strife can make an ending even more satisfying, but only if hope is eventually delivered.

Number Three – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

The finale to Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy is hotly-debated among fans. Some feel it went on too long, destroying the pace of the film. Others hate the changes it made from the book, particularly cutting out the Scouring of the Shire. Still others, like myself, acknowledge these things but judge the film’s lengthy denouement for what it is: a masterful tying up of the many plot threads Jackson wove through his three films. Did it destroy the pace of the film? Have you watched these three movies?! They’re very slow and methodical, taking enough time with each major character and location to impress upon the audience the sheer scale of the world, and this ending is no different. Yes, it goes on for over twenty minutes, but every minute of it is necessary. With each payoff rolling into the next, dedicated fans of these films will find themselves in tears by the time the credits finally roll. The One Ring is destroyed, Frodo’s reunited with his friends, Aragorn is crowned king, we learn of Frodo’s trauma, and Sam gets his deserved happy ending with Rose. I will admit that these films, and thus this ending, are not for the faint of heart. But for those who can remain immersed through the whole trilogy, Peter Jackson’s methodical pace will at last deliver a truly epic finale.

Final takeaway: Pace your ending in the same way as the rest of your story.

Number Two – Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Wow. Just wow. This is how you craft a satisfying conclusion to one of the longest and most epic series of interconnected films of all time. After nearly two-dozen films, many thought there was no way the Marvel Cinematic Universe could deliver a universally loved conclusion to the Infinity Saga, but the Russo brothers proved everyone wrong. As I’ve said in the past, Endgame is a great solo film, but as the culmination of an entire saga of films, it’s transformative. Everything we’ve hoped for is here. Natasha Romanoff’s sacrifice, Bruce Banner perfecting Hulk, Thor working past his identity crisis, and Clint Barton getting his family back. But in the end, it all comes back to Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, as well it should. Remember my last blog entry? Steve and Tony’s philosophical differences created the Avengers Civil War at the midpoint of the MCU. To conclude that arc in a satisfying way, each character had to transcend their past conflicts. Though they begin the film at odds, they come to terms with everything that’s happened and decide to work together on the Time Heist, setting the stage for an unbelievable climax. Tony, the selfish playboy, makes the ultimate sacrifice to stop Thanos and save the universe, losing his life in the process. And Steve, the good soldier who lost his postwar happiness, is finally rewarded for his steadfast refusal to be moved and rejoins his lost love, Peggy Carter. That final shot of Steve and Peggy dancing will go down as one of the most romantic images in film. Bravo!

Final takeaway: Recall the story’s biggest moment of tension when resolving it.

Before we get to the top pick, let’s do a few…

Honorable Mentions

The Karate Kid (1984) – Who doesn’t love this great ending? After a whole film of struggling to fit in and getting beaten up by his bullies, Daniel Larusso finally proves himself and finds balance in the process.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (2011) – Though this film did make some unfortunate changes from the books in its finale, it remains a classic ending to a franchise many kids grew up with. Hell, this is the series that got so many people back into the fantasy genre!

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) – Again, a perfect ending for an amazing franchise, capping off one of the best father/son adventures ever made. I, personally, don’t acknowledge the fourth installment. We’ll see what happens with the fifth. But as for this one, seeing Indy and his dad ride off together will always stick with me.

Miracle (2004) – I didn’t put this one on the list because it covers actual historical events, but it deserves a mention because no screenwriter could write a more incredible underdog story. The members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team will be sports icons forever, and the ending of this film communicates that perfectly.

And with that, it’s time for…

Number One – The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Could it have been anything else? This film is an absolute masterpiece from start to finish, anchored by two of the most incredible acting jobs of all time from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. But the best part is that this is one of those rare examples of a film adaptation being even better than the original book. The film gave us the dramatic deaths of Brooks, Tommy, and the Warden, not the book. Andy playing Mozart over the loudspeaker happened in the film, not in the book. Seriously, I can’t say enough about this incredible story, but I’ll certainly try. The story’s themes of hope and hopelessness are prominent throughout. Andy is driven to the brink time and time again. Sure, he uses his wits and manages to scrape by, but he’s only surviving, not living. Yet he maintains hope of a life beyond the walls of Shawshank State Prison. Contrasting this is the jaded hopelessness of Andy’s best friend, Red. After Brooks commits suicide and Tommy is murdered on the Warden’s orders, Red has nothing to be hopeful for. Hell, we the audience have nothing to be hopeful for. The film masterfully plays this up, duping us into thinking Andy is about to hang himself in his jail cell. Instead, we’re treated to the best and most satisfying ending in the history of cinema, an ending that leaves no detail out. The ploy to switch Warden Norton’s books and steal his suit, Andy assuming the identity of Randall Stephens, and, of course, the rock hammer and poster that allowed Andy to dig his way to freedom. That is how you truly resolve dramatic tension. The film could have ended there, but it doesn’t, and this is the biggest reason it’s the greatest ending of all time. Despite his jaded personality, Red is soon paroled after forty years behind bars. At first, he fears he’ll end up like Brooks, unable to adjust to freedom and committing suicide. But unlike Brooks, he has something to hope for in finding his best friend. The beautiful visuals of Red finding Andy’s hidden stash of money and traveling south to meet him in Mexico combine with Morgan Freeman’s mesmerizing narration to create something truly transcendent. The film may have lost at the Academy Awards and box office to other films like Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction, but The Shawshank Redemption remains one of the greatest and most satisfying stories ever told.

Final takeaway: Every tiny detail can contribute to an amazing ending. Waste not.

And that’s going to do it for this ranking! I hope my thoughts helped you in crafting a perfectly satisfying conclusion for your own stories. But I want to know what you thought. Did I get it right? Leave something out? Feel free to let me know in the comments or reach out directly if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!

Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog post on the art and craft of storytelling. Today, we’ll be looking at midpoints, not only of books but also of entire story arcs. To do that, I wanted to take a deep dive into what I think is one of the best-written midpoints of all – that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga. In this sprawling arc spanning nearly two dozen films, the midpoint is reached in the film Captain America: Civil War. While this is actually film number 13, putting it a bit past the midpoint numerically, the story represents the narrative and philosophical midpoint of the saga. After looking at this moment in time as is, I’ll also do some speculation about how a single alteration might have completely changed the outcome of the film and, by extension, the films that follow. With that said, let’s get started!

The Civil War

As fans of the MCU are well aware, Civil War brought the philosophical differences between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark to the forefront. After Age of Ultron, Tony has retired as Iron Man, and Steve is leading a new team of Avengers. But after a mission in Lagos goes awry, resulting in civilian casualties, Tony’s guilt begins to get the better of him. Being the control freak that he is, Tony goes behind the backs of the Avengers and approaches the U.S. Department of Defense and the United Nations to draft the Sokovia Accords. This document forces the Avengers to either submit to UN oversight of their activities or be disbanded.

Though the team is divided, Steve can’t bring himself to accept this change. Since his arrival in the present day, Steve’s worldview has been challenged to the extreme. Where he was once a good soldier who always followed orders, he now felt massive distrust in the government. This came to a head during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. From here, the Civil War was inevitable. Steve opposes Tony and goes off the reservation, forcing the rest of the team to pick sides. The end result is a broken remnant of the Avengers led by Tony while Steve takes his allies into hiding as fugitives. This obviously made Earth’s heroes weaker and more vulnerable for the eventual confrontation with Thanos.

Such a twist certainly makes for incredible storytelling, but did it have to be this way? How could the Civil War have been avoided? If it had, would it have harmed the story in the process? Let’s take a look.

One small difference

In my speculative scenario, the beginning of Civil War plays out as in the film, with the botched Lagos mission and Tony’s guilt still present. However, instead of immediately running to the government for a fix, Tony swallows his pride and asks Steve for a private meeting. Steve agrees, and the pair begin to sort out these problems. The mere fact that Tony extended the olive branch changes how these two men interact. While Steve understands and empathizes with Tony’s guilt, he bristles at Tony’s suggestion of governmental oversight of the Avengers. And even though Tony still distrusts Steve for his supposed lack of a dark side, he understands Steve’s position of distrust in government. Still, they both recognize that something has to change if the Avengers are to survive. That’s when Tony comes up with a radical idea.

While Steve is adamant that no governmental committee could be trusted to oversee the Avengers properly, Tony asks him if an individual could. Not just any individual, but the right individual. Someone who completely understands the impossible situations the Avengers often face and the threats they must confront. Steve agrees in theory but doesn’t know of any one person who would fit that bill. Tony says he knows of one: Steve Rogers himself. Steve is confused at first since he already leads the Avengers, but Tony begins to explain.

The safest hands

Tony understands Steve’s core philosophy, “The safest hands are our own,” exists because Steve has become the symbol of individual exceptionalism. This stands in contrast to governments, which are built around the idea of systematic exceptionalism, at least in the best of cases. Tony goes on to say that these governments can hem and haw about property damage and loss of life, but everyone knows the Avengers end up saving far more lives than are lost. What these governments decrying the Avengers are really worried about is power.

Many governments see how powerful the Avengers are and view them as a direct threat to the balance of power in the world. Steve pushes back on this, adamant that the Avengers are protectors, not conquerors. Tony agrees but reminds Steve that this truth is irrelevant, at least in the mind of a powerful bureaucrat with no enhanced abilities, such as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. Such individuals are naturally fearful of the very existence of the Avengers, and especially of the possibility that they might go rogue. This fear often drives bureaucrats to do something, anything at all, even if it’s the wrong thing. While some change needs to be made to the Avengers, Steve and Tony have to get ahead of the problem by doing the right something and doing it fast. That’s the only chance they have of these changes being guided by wisdom instead of fear.

Steve understands Tony’s point but still fails to see how one individual overseeing the Avengers could put these governmental fears to rest. Tony then reveals the crux of his radical idea: Steve must put together secret profiles detailing everything about each member of the Avengers. Their background, powers, strengths, and weaknesses must all be documented and a strategy formulated to neutralize them, as Banner had done in helping Tony build the Hulkbuster armor. To further ease global fears, the Avengers could submit to this willingly, working with Steve to develop their own countermeasures before having Vision erase their memories of the details with the Mind Stone. Steve is surprised by the suggestion, but the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes it’s the best way for the Avengers to continue to do what they do best. Still, Tony has yet to figure out the final snag – how to account for Steve going rogue. Steve just grins and says there’s always been a countermeasure for him: The Avengers. Provided that Tony took command, Steve knows the Avengers would be able to stop him if he ever went bad.

The Sokovia Protocols

Thanks to Tony and Steve, the Sokovia Protocols are born. Though the Avengers may still operate independently, Steve gains the trust of each member and past member and convinces them to help build the secret profiles. Still, some members are skeptical, most notably the former Avenger Thor, who refuses to submit, though his frequent time off world leads Steve to classify Thor as not a threat. On the other hand, certain individuals in the various governments of the world are not satisfied with this solution and secretly plan to discredit the Avengers.

Such an opportunity arises less than a year later when a young Peter Parker tries to bring down Adrian Toomes on the Staten Island ferry. Not only did he interfere with an ongoing FBI operation, but his actions nearly destroyed the boat, endangering the lives of the passengers in the process. Tony takes away Peter’s enhanced Spider-Man suit just as in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but the damage has been done. A coalition of government officials, such as “Thunderbolt” Ross, demand Steve Rogers now act in oversight of other enhanced individuals not affiliated with the Avengers, collecting data on them and forming countermeasures in the event they become a threat.

Steve, naturally, refuses this latest demand. He compromised in the creation of the Sokovia Protocols, largely because the Avengers agreed as a team to go along with it, but this would require him to out innocent kids as enhanced individuals and essentially kidnap them to learn more about them. Ross then pressures the President to declare the Avengers disbanded, which in turn pressures other nations to disavow the heroes as vigilantes. Tony brings Peter into the fold of the Avengers to protect him. He and Steve then take the team on the run as fugitives.

A new Endgame

These changes would drastically alter the time between Civil War and Infinity War. While Doctor Strange and Ragnarok would play out largely the same, the events of Black Panther would be very different. Without the Sokovia Accords, the UN would not have convened in Germany when they did, denying Zemo the chance to bomb the event and frame Bucky for it. With Bucky still in the wind, it’s likely that Steve would find him and bring him into the Avengers as Tony did with Peter. But even bigger, King T’chaka would still be alive in Wakanda, though T’challa is still the Black Panther. With several of the deaths in the botched Lagos operation being Wakandan nationals, King T’chaka would have been an ardent opponent of the Sokovia Protocols. Once the Avengers became fugitives, he would have sent the Black Panther to locate them.

The T’challa who hounds the Avengers would not be the wise and noble ruler we know from the MCU. Without the Avengers Civil War, this T’challa would not have been able to learn the hard, painful lessons about revenge and forgiveness. This would be an angry young man out for blood in the name of his people. T’challa would view the Avengers in much the same way his father viewed Ulysses Klaue. Speaking of Klaue, Wakanda would have attempted to capture him as in the film, but without a prior working relationship with Everett Ross from Civil War, the botched operation would likely have resulted in Everett Ross’ death, heightening tensions even further. Worse, Erik Killmonger would have tried his ploy to gain favor with Wakanda. Without T’challa there and with T’chaka now forced to confront his past sins, the king would either abdicate the throne or be killed by Killmonger in ritual combat.

The stage would now be set for an apocalyptic climax. Killmonger is on the throne of Wakanda and stands ready to declare war on the rest of the world, starting with the United States. The Avengers remain in hiding, their attention on the constant raids by Black Panther and his team. But during a major confrontation, T’challa receives a coded message from his late father explaining what has happened back in Wakanda. The Avengers get wind of this and, knowing how destabilizing Killmonger’s reign would be, agree to a temporary truce with T’challa so they can depose Killmonger. But before the operation can begin, a portal opens, introducing Doctor Strange to the Avengers. He reveals he has Bruce Banner with him and needs Tony Stark to come with him to New York, as happened in Infinity War.

From here, things play out much as they did in Infinity War. Tony takes War Machine and Spider-Man with him to New York. He wants to bring Vision as well, but Strange shoots that down in favor of keeping the Time Stone and the Mind Stone in separate locations. In New York, Tony's team soon encounters half of the Black Order and must follow them into space after Strange is captured. Meanwhile, T'challa teams with Steve and the remaining Avengers to try and remove Killmonger from Wakanda. Thanks to insider help from Nakia and Shuri, their incursion is successful, but just as they make their move on Killmonger, the rest of the Black Order arrives with its army, intent on taking the Mind Stone from Vision. All hell breaks loose, but T’challa finishes Killmonger in the chaos, allowing Shuri to regain control of Wakanda’s tech.

At this point, the two battles progress as in Infinity War, with Thanos defeating Tony’s crew and obtaining the Time Stone before moving to Wakanda and taking the Mind Stone. We all know what happens next. Crying Wanda, Thor should’ve gone for the head, and oh snap! So, even with the avoidance of the Avengers Civil War, things look to have ended up in the same place, right? Wrong. There’s one crucial difference from how things played out in the MCU, and it all deals with one of the few heroes I haven’t yet mentioned: Ant-Man. Without the Civil War, Scott Lang would never have been recruited by Steve Rogers. This means he wouldn’t have been put under house arrest, which delayed his further experiments with Hank Pym regarding the Quantum Realm. Without those delays, Scott would almost certainly not be in the Quantum Realm at the time of The Snap. As a result, even if he ended up surviving The Snap, Scott wouldn’t have had the idea for the Time Heist without his time trapped in the Quantum Realm. No Time Heist, no Infinity Stones. The world has no choice but to live with the ultimate failure of the Avengers.

Conclusion

So, what can authors learn from these hypothetical musings? First is the necessity of good conflict. The MCU as it was written does a phenomenal job of this, building the conflict between Steve and Tony through the changes to their world views. While my hypothetical scenario was arguably more realistic, it ends up avoiding one conflict in favor of another, much worse conflict. Yes, the MCU has many characters, Steve and Tony chief among them, acting and thinking at the extremes of their character traits, not with moderate rationality like many normal people. And maybe that’s the point: these aren’t normal people. They’re extraordinary individuals who often carry the literal weight of the world on their shoulders. So, while it may be easy for an outsider to see a solution that avoids the Avengers Civil War, it turns out to make less sense for the Avengers themselves to see it.

Additionally, we can see the importance of midpoints as the primary means for setting up the final climax. Here, we have the awful things happening to the characters we’ve grown to love, the forces of darkness on the move, and little hope in sight of a happy ending. Steve and Tony at odds, the Avengers breaking up, Thor and Hulk nowhere to be found – all the chess pieces are moving into position, ready to coalesce as the final act reaches its climax. A proper midpoint serves a similar role to the point guard on a basketball team, ready to pass the ball to the right teammate at the right time for a big payoff. When an author can write their midpoint with the right amount of tension, it allows them to make the final act all the more satisfying as all the plot threads unravel.

Ultimately, while all parts of a story are vital and important, midpoints are arguably the most vital to the overall plot. The midpoint, when written well, connects everything in the beginning to the changes in the end. The story’s characters, world, and philosophical themes can only reach critical mass through this time of tension, stress, and conflict. I have struggled with this in my own stories, sometimes tending to avoid good conflict rather than embracing it. While we as authors always love writing the final climax, we must learn not to shy away from a proper amount of conflict of different types during the midpoint. Otherwise, we risk the greatest sin of all – a boring, predictable story. But with a strong middle act, we have a fighting chance to craft a magical story that grips the audience and never lets them go.

And that’s going to do it for this blog entry. I hope my hypothetical ramblings helped you in your own storytelling endeavors. Of course, I’d love to know what you thought. Feel free to let me know in the comments or reach out directly if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!

Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog on the art and craft of storytelling. Today’s topic? How to create an attention-grabbing opening for your story that hooks the audience from the get-go. This is one of the most difficult things for authors and storytellers, as opening chapters frequently go through significant changes over many rounds of edits and revisions. Ian Fleming had a knack for this in his James Bond novel series, but the subsequent film franchise took story openings to a whole new level. The movies always begin with a cold opening, usually an action sequence of some sort, but perhaps even more memorable than these scenes are what comes next: the theme songs.

I’m such a fan of how the Bond theme songs have changed over the years. They encompass so many different musical styles and are basically a who’s who of some of the most successful singers of all time. Still, not all Bond songs are created equal. Some are forgettable, some are too stylistically different, and some are just flat-out ridiculous. Still, there are a select few that truly rise to the top. They fit the mood of their respective film, feature an incredible vocalist, and are so iconic that they stick in your ear long after the song has ended. Today, I’ll count down, in my opinion, the top ten of these elite movie theme songs. Of note, I won’t be including “The James Bond Theme,” as it’s instrumental only and by far the most iconic of them all. Also, the quality of the film itself is largely irrelevant, as a subpar Bond film can still have an excellent theme song. With that said, let’s see which songs are truly worthy of Bond, James Bond.

Number Ten: “Nobody Does it Better” by Carly Simon

This ballad opened The Spy Who Loved Me, one of Roger Moore’s more memorable outings as Bond. The song was also the first theme song since Dr. No to not share its title with the film it opens, something that’s become a bit more common in recent years. Commercially, this remains one of the top Bond songs, spending three weeks at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Performance-wise, Simon is delightfully sultry, even if the lyrics aren’t particularly deep. I mean, the entire song is basically a lust letter to the sexual prowess of Bond himself, though Simon manages to keep the innuendos relatively subtle. It works well overall, as the driving force behind the film itself is the tension between Bond and his Soviet partner, Anya Amasova. Their tension isn’t purely sexual, either – when Anya finds out Bond is the one who killed her former lover, she proclaims she will do the same to him once their mission is complete. It’s a fitting performance that sets the tone for this excellent Bond film.

Number Nine: “License to Kill” by Gladys Knight

Poor Timothy Dalton may not be the best Bond out there, but his second and final outing gave us an excellent theme song. Originally, Eric Clapton was asked to write and perform the theme for this film, but Gladys Knight’s song won out in the end. A powerful, brassy number harkening back to some of the Bond classics of the 60s and 70s, Knight holds nothing back in her performance. Any other singer going this hard would be lampooned for it, but Knight makes it work as few others could. And that opening trumpet line! Holy crap, that earworm will stick with you for days. This might be a so-so Bond film, but it sure isn’t due to the theme song.

Number Eight: “Thunderball” by Tom Jones

Eon Productions had a notoriously difficult time with the title song for this film of the same name. They had originally hired Shirley Bassey to sing a song titled “Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang,” but the entire song was scrapped by United Artists because the film’s title was not featured anywhere in the lyrics. With Bassey unavailable, “Thunderball” was hastily written for the great Tom Jones to perform. Thankfully, Tom gave it his all, quite literally. Per subsequent interviews, he admitted that he held the final note of the song as long as he could before passing out. Talk about dedication! The song itself was important, as it established a pattern of brassy power anthems to open these films. This was, after all, only the second Bond film to feature a singer in its theme song, despite being the fourth film overall. While it comes up a bit short in comparison to some of its contemporaries in the series, many future Bond songs owe much to the precedents reaffirmed here in “Thunderball.”

Number Seven: “You Only Live Twice” by Nancy Sinatra

The Bond film that followed Thunderball took a very different risk in its title song. Rather than follow the previous trend of brassy power anthems, they wrote a song that was much more subdued and romantic in style. It was a strange concept for such a comparatively violent film, but it’s surprisingly fitting. Bond fakes his death in the opening of the film and spends much of the story trying to keep his cover so he can more easily figure out who is trying to start another world war. He even goes through a fake marriage to keep up the ruse! Anyway, this different type of song might not have been successful if Cubby Broccoli’s first choice of singer had accepted – Frank Sinatra. Thankfully, the Chairman of the Board declined, opening the door for his daughter to deliver an iconic performance. Without Nancy Sinatra’s sweet voice singing the haunting lyrics, I doubt this song would ever have stood a chance of making this list. Yet here it is, thanks to the right performer at the right time.

Number Six: “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran

We’ll skip ahead to the 80s for this next pick, and there isn’t a more 80s Bond song than this guilty pleasure by Duran Duran. As Bond would be leaving Roger Moore behind after this film, the character began a period of transition into a newer, more modern age, which fits well with Duran Duran’s synth-pop style. It’s energetic, enjoyable, and just the right amount of trippy with its lyrics, which explains why it became one of the band’s biggest hits of all time. In fact, as of 2022, this song remains the only Bond song to reach number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top 100. What else can I say? The film itself got pretty cartoony and campy in its style, but this song is the only one that could successfully open such a movie. It’s pure fun, plain and simple.

Number Five: “GoldenEye” by Tina Turner

Many artists have tried their best to imitate Shirley Bassey’s iconic Bond style over the years, but nobody came as close to succeeding as Tina Turner. This, as it turns out, was a much-needed aspect of this film. In 1995, Bond films had been on a six-year hiatus with this next release featuring many changes. Pierce Brosnan as Bond, Judy Dench as M, Cubby Broccoli no longer producing, and the first Bond film not to be based on one of Ian Fleming’s novels. Then, there was the biggest change of all – it being the first Bond film made since the end of the Soviet Union. This was a new world for James Bond, and the audience needed some semblance of familiarity to cling to before diving into this modern Bond film. Tina Turner’s stellar performance of this power number gave us exactly that. She was the perfect reassurance at the opening of the film and sent a message to the audience – Don’t worry, this is still the James Bond you know and love. The world may have changed, but the core of what makes James Bond great remained the same, as this song helped prove.

Number Four: “For Your Eyes Only” by Sheena Easton

Here in the middle of Roger Moore’s time in the tuxedo, James Bond had gotten sillier and campier with each film. After the insanely ridiculous Moonraker, Eon Productions wisely brought the series back to its roots with For Your Eyes Only. Sheena Easton’s beautiful performance of the opening song played a big role in this, delivering a sensual ballad with just enough powerful moments to remind the audience of why they fell in love with these films and characters, to begin with. Still, the song was a bit of a risk, as Easton was not yet a music star. This song was the one that blew the doors of her career wide open. The title sequence is also unique in that it is the only Bond theme song to feature the singer performing the song as a part of the sequence. Not that it was a bad thing – Sheena Easton is gorgeous and has incredible artistic expression in her delivery, helping her fit right in with this Bond title song. It remains a great personal favorite of mine to this day.

Number Three: “Skyfall” by Adele

Now, we’re getting into the truly elite Bond songs. Adele’s performance of this power ballad is moody and dark, which is an absolute requirement. After all, the audience has just witnessed Bond’s supposed death in the scene immediately preceding the title sequence. The song is somber and morbid at the start, before growing into something with an amazing amount of life and depth by the time it reaches the climax. Combine that with the mysterious lyrics which hint at the story and plot of the film, and you have an instant classic – such a classic that Adele became the first person to win an Academy Award for her performance of a Bond theme song. I can literally find no fault in any part of this piece of music. The only reason I have it ranked third is that it hasn’t been around nearly as long as my top two picks. But who knows? Adele’s contribution to the Bond franchise could very well stand the test of time and eventually rise even higher in the rankings one day. For now, sadly, this is as high as I can justify putting this masterpiece.

Number Two: “Goldfinger” by Shirley Bassey

Shirley Bassey is the undisputed queen of Bond theme songs, and for good reasons. Nobody has performed more than one theme song, but Dame Shirley Bassey has done not one, not two, but THREE songs! That alone is huge. Still, of her three performances, this one is undoubtedly the greatest. Goldfinger is considered by most to be the best film in the franchise, and its theme song is the perfect way to open it. The lyrics make it clear that the film’s larger-than-life villain is perhaps the biggest threat Bond has ever encountered. This promise is kept, as Goldfinger’s character features prominently throughout the story, contrasting with previous villains who either remained hidden or didn’t interact directly with Bond until the end of the film. This story is all about Bond versus Goldfinger, and the song perfectly sells that. And this isn’t even mentioning the incredible vocal performance of Bassey, plus the other elements that would become customary in many Bond songs. From the powerful brass instrumentals and bombastic vocal performance to the story contained in the lyrics, this perfect song set the standard for what a Bond song should be. It could very easily be number one, and I nearly placed it there, but one song took just enough risks to steal the crown away.

Before we get to the top pick, let’s do a few…

Honorable Mentions

“Diamonds are Forever” – Another wonderful song by Shirley Bassey, but not quite as magical as her first outing.

“Writing’s on the Wall” – Sam Smith won an Academy award for this one in the film SPECTRE, though I don’t find it nearly as iconic as “Skyfall.”

“No Time to Die” – Billie Eilish found success with this song, making it the third straight Bond song to win an Academy Award.

And just for fun, how ‘bout some…

Dishonorable Mentions

“Moonraker” – Yawn, not even Shirley Bassey could save this utterly boring song to an even worse Bond film.

“The Man with the Golden Gun” – Yikes, Lulu’s chance to do a Bond song was not a good one at all, being little more than three minutes of uncreative innuendo.

“Die Another Day” – Perhaps the biggest name to ever do a Bond song, Madonna proves that star power is nothing if the song’s lyrics and music suck.

And with that, we arrive at…

Number One: “Live and Let Die” by Paul McCartney and Wings

While many Bond songs sought to imitate or pay homage to Shirley Bassey, others took risks to go in a different direction. Paul McCartney took all the right risks in this incredible number, combining moody slow sections with fast-paced rock ‘n’ roll interludes. It was a perfect blending of the past and the future, at least as it was seen in the 70s. Even the lyrics are perfect, speaking about the loss of innocence. This turns out to be a central plot point, as it’s the loss of virginity for the female lead, Domino, that forces her to change sides and join with Bond. Even the title is perfect, as it ends up being the best job description for what James Bond does. Not to mention that this was the first Bond song to ever be nominated for an Academy Award. While this has become almost a foregone conclusion in today’s environment, it was completely unheard of in 1973. It took a former Beatle to break this ground, even if he didn’t ultimately win. It’s such a close call between “Goldfinger” and “Live and Let Die,” but this song was so transformative for the series that I had to put it on top.

And that’s going to do it for this ranking! I hope my musings were helpful in your own efforts to give your story a proper opening. What do you think? Did I get it right? Totally wrong? I’d love to hear from you in the comments, or you can reach out directly. Feel free to mention if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!

Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog post on the art and craft of storytelling. Today, I’m going to examine one of my favorite films of all time: Avengers – Endgame. Specifically, I want to look at how this epic, rip-roaring action film handles incredibly emotional moments in its story. The one weakness of many films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is their tendency to shoehorn in jokes and humor at bad times, interrupting poignant and emotional moments. Endgame, thankfully, is an exception to this. The film is incredibly well crafted, and the Russo brothers showed great awareness of the weight this movie carried on its shoulders. The result is a story that, while jam-packed with action, still pauses to breathe at serious moments.

Perhaps the best example of this is how the main heroes handle their grief from their biggest failure. The five stages of grief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, are a real thing, as anyone who has experienced loss or tragedy can attest to. Everyone experiences them differently, sometimes only briefly touching some stages while fixating on others. We can see this in the original six Avengers, both at the beginning of the film and near the end. Some of them are remarkably consistent in dealing with their grief, while others are impacted by the events of the story so much that things change for them by the end. To start, let’s look at the film’s beginning. The heroes’ loss to Thanos in Infinity War is still raw, and even when they manage to track him down, the Infinity Stones have already been destroyed. Their failure is complete and they are forced to live with it for five long years.

Thor Odinson’s grief is the easiest to pinpoint – denial. It makes sense why he would find himself in such a state. Not only was Thor perhaps the strongest Avenger, especially with the new weapon he acquired to battle Thanos with, but he nearly won the day. He should have won the day, but instead of going for a kill shot on Thanos when he had the chance, he went for the heart to cause the Mad Titan a more painful death as retribution for a previous attack on Thor’s people. He should have gone for the head, and that knowledge haunts him for years. Yes, Thor is the one who ultimately kills Thanos, which he’s happy to boast of to Rocket and Banner, but even Thor knows that he was all too late. As he wastes away his days with beer, pizza, and video games, he sinks further into denial, not only about Thanos but also about being the ruler of his people. Thor lost the fight, and in the process, the Asgardians lost their king.

The loss against Thanos came as a shock to all of Earth’s heroes, but none more so than Clint Barton. Recently paroled and on house arrest after the events of Civil War, Clint has retired as Hawkeye and devoted himself to his family, hence why he wasn’t even involved in the battle against Thanos. With no warning whatsoever, his entire family disappears, leaving Clint completely alone and without his foundation. He spends the next five years as the Ronin, a masked vigilante who hunts down members of organized crime syndicates with lethal force. Clint is not just angry – he has given himself completely over to his rage. The fact that many who survived the Snap still seek to harm their fellow human beings enrages him, especially with the loss of his family. In such a mental state, what is there for a retired assassin and agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. to do? Bring about his vision of justice in violent fashion.

At first glance, it seems Bruce Banner is doing well five years after Thanos. When the Hulk refused to appear in that fight, Bruce decided to devote himself to creating his perfect self. The result was Hulk’s massively strong body being controlled by Bruce’s brilliant mind, or as he calls it, the best of both worlds. Bruce is still helping the public as much as possible and has become something of a celebrity since the Snap. But under the surface, Bruce still carries unbelievable pain, which points directly to his stage of grief – bargaining. Unable to believe how badly they lost, Bruce constantly questions the situation and what he can do about it. “What if I improve the Hulk? Constantly save civilians? Become a role model for kids? If I do these things, will the hurt go away?” Bruce is willing to pay any price to erase the pain of their defeat, but he has no idea how high that price will eventually be.

Steve Rogers has spent his five years reaching out to as many people as he can, trying to help them through the loss of half the world’s population. His group therapy sessions appear to be helpful, as the members are slowly starting to build new lives and families for themselves. Steve’s ability to empathize with them, having lost his original life after WWII, is also of great benefit. Yet in spite of helping others through their grief, Steve is unable to help himself. He later admits to Natasha that, as much as he’s helping others to move on, he simply can’t. Steve is deep in depression, and a classic sign of those who are most depressed is a compulsive desire to help others and make others happy, even at the cost of one’s own health and mental state.

Of all the Avengers, Tony Stark is the one who has truly accepted their loss. He has married Pepper Potts, built a home for them in the mountains, and even had a daughter along the way. This actually makes sense, given that he and Nebula were stranded for days in space after the Snap. Tony had already accepted that he would die, so how tough could accepting a loss and building a new life be? Even in his grief, he’s found new happiness that he wouldn’t trade for the world. This is why he is initially so resistant to the possibility of undoing the damage Thanos did to the world. He won’t risk what he’s gained. Even once he comes on board with the Time Heist, he talks about his family at every turn, ensuring none of the other Avengers try anything that might harm them by accident. Tony’s acceptance has made him stronger, but also desperate to keep the new status quo intact.

So, we have the five stages of grief in five Avengers, but where does that leave our sixth Avenger, Natasha Romanoff? Nat is actually someone we actively see go through the five stages of grief through the course of the movie. At the very beginning, she’s in denial that Thanos could have won, telling Steve their plan to track him down will work. Five years after their failure, Nat is now in command of S.H.I.E.L.D. and trying to keep order in the world, a classic sign of bargaining, as we’ve seen with Bruce. At the same time, we see her try to contain her anger at the situation, particularly when she reprimands Steve for an optimistic comment about seeing whales off the coast of Manhattan. She soon arrives at depression when she can no longer ignore the reports of Barton’s acts of terror and violence. Finally, she reaches acceptance when she and Clint go to retrieve the Soul Stone. In deciding to sacrifice herself for the chance to undo the damage of the past, Nat accepts many things. She accepts her grief, her past mistakes, her love for the Avengers, and the full responsibility as head of S.H.I.E.L.D. to protect the world. Most of all, she finally accepts that she has transitioned from a cold, selfish assassin to a true hero.

Natasha’s sacrifice leads us to one of the most emotional scenes of the entire film. With the Time Heist successfully completed, all of the Avengers return to their present, only to discover Nat didn’t make it back. We then cut to a dock on a lake where the remaining five original Avengers process the situation. Once again, their natural stages of grief are apparent. Thor is in complete denial, confident that they can bring her back with the Infinity Stones. Having watched Nat die, Clint lashes out at Thor in anger because he knows even the Infinity Stones can’t revive her. Bruce is similarly angry, but after throwing a bench into the lake in frustration, he states that they have to make it count. Bruce is still bargaining, trying to think of anything he can do to erase the pain. Steve is now more depressed than ever, silently crying off to the side and barely able to form a word. And finally, there’s Tony. Knowing the finality of Nat’s sacrifice, he’s already accepted the truth and moved on with a single question: Did she have any family? Steve can only reply that they were her family.

This is a beautiful, heartbreaking scene that is so wonderfully crafted. Each character reacts to Nat’s death exactly as one would expect from their past interactions. Thor is hurt to lose a teammate but didn’t have quite the personal connection to her. Tony remains a bit aloof with a few cracks in the armor, harkening back to his early distrustful relationship with Nat. Steve, having grown close to Nat in S.H.I.E.L.D. and on the run as vigilantes, is devastated at the loss of, in essence, his sister. As for Bruce and Clint, none of the Avengers had a stronger bond with Nat than them. It stands to reason they would be the angriest of all. Even with her incredible courage and willpower, Bruce and Clint had always worked to protect her – Clint in helping her turn from her past to join S.H.I.E.L.D. and Bruce by leaving Earth after the battle of Sokovia. Nat may have made her choice, but Bruce and Clint still believe they failed her. The final piece of beauty in this scene is the audience’s realization that this is a callback to the Avengers’ first adventure together, where the loss of Phil Coulson galvanized them to save the world. Here again, the loss of a beloved hero with no powers at all becomes the catalyst for the Avengers’ ultimate victory.

That’s going to do it for this short entry. We storytellers always strive for impactful moments of real emotion, but crafting those moments is such a difficult process. I hope my musings have helped you work grief and acceptance into your own stories and characters. I’d love to hear about your efforts in the comments, or you can reach out directly. Feel free to mention if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!

Greetings, intrepid readers! M. H. Barton here with another blog entry on the art and craft of storytelling. Today, we’ll be delving into how to write a truly unhinged and insane villain. To do that, I’m going to look at perhaps the most insane villain of them all: Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime. He’s such an archetype that he has been reinterpreted in many different ways over the years. While his comic book iterations remain definitive, I think we can learn more by looking at how others have sought to portray this character across different mediums. I’ve done the research and will be counting down the top ten actors’ interpretations of Batman’s greatest foe over the years. In addition to the ranking, I’ll also be picking that actor’s defining moment as the Joker. I’ve looked at live-action, animation, film, TV, direct-to-video, and even video games. There are far more versions of the Joker than you may realize, and some of these picks may seem a bit obscure. Nonetheless, I hope this ranking encourages you to look into these various works as you plot your own stories. With that said, let’s get started!

Number Ten – Kevin Michael Richardson

The 2004 animated series The Batman is a bit of an awkward one, as it rebooted Batman following the massive success of the DC Animated Universe. While not the best series overall, one of the high points is definitely Richardson’s Joker. He’s got the voice acting credentials and a deep and menacing range, so I can definitely see how he got the job. He isn’t a true standout on this list, hence him only being number ten, but his Joker ably ran the gamut from zany to terrifying on this show.

Defining moment: The episode “The Rubber Face of Comedy” has this Joker at his most sadistic. Mad that the Gotham Police have deemed Batman a bigger public threat than him, Joker goes on a rampage. Eventually, he kidnaps officer Ethan Bennett and proceeds to give him “that one bad day,” torturing him with a substance called Joker Putty which turns Bennett into Clayface.

Number Nine – Cameron Monaghan

The live-action TV show Gotham began in 2014 and ran for five seasons. During its run, Monaghan portrayed two characters, twins Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska. Though each shows glimpses of the quintessential Joker at times, it still feels pretty rough for much of the show’s run. After all, it’s usually accepted that Batman’s presence in Gotham gave rise to the Joker, meaning the show’s writers had to tread lightly, never once referring to either character as the Joker. Nonetheless, Monaghan’s performance gets much stronger in later seasons, making him a worthy entry on this list.

Defining moment: The fifth season episode “Ace Chemicals” has a lot going on. On the anniversary of the deaths of Bruce Wayne’s parents, Jeremiah hires a pair of doppelganger actors to portray them and warp Bruce’s mind. As well, Wayne Manor is destroyed and Jim Gordon nearly dies foiling Jeremiah’s plot to poison Gotham. All of this leads to Bruce chasing Jeremiah into the Ace Chemicals building, where they fight on a catwalk over a vat of chemicals and Jeremiah eventually falls in, turning him into the madman Gotham will eventually come to fear. It’s an intense episode and is particularly noteworthy for being only the second live-action portrayal of Joker’s origin.

Number Eight – Zach Galifianakis

Various iterations of the Joker are often either psychotic or silly, but the Joker found in 2017’s The Lego Batman Movie is perhaps the only tongue-in-cheek Joker. This version both plays into the typical Batman/Joker tropes while managing to make fun of them at the same time. Here, Joker is intensely dependent on his adversarial relationship with Batman, but rather than try to force Batman to break his One Rule like in other versions, his goal is simply to have Batman acknowledge that he’s as dependent on their relationship as Joker is. That, plus the fact that Galifianakis absolutely nails what a Lego Joker should sound like puts him higher on this list than I thought he’d rank.

Defining moment: Joker’s first appearance at the opening of the movie is memorable and hilarious for any longtime fan of Batman. Not only is Joker made fun of for hijacking a plane (It’s just like the two boats!) but he also proceeds to name every other villain he’s working with from Riddler all the way down to Condiment King. The fact that he namechecks some of the most ridiculous and obscure Batman villains of all time instantly sets the tone for what to expect from the Joker in this film.

Number Seven – Michael Emerson

The direct-to-video animated film Batman: The Dark Knight Returns brought one of Batman’s darkest and grimmest stories to life. Michael Emerson steals the show with his Joker portrayal, whose story arc takes him from catatonic to feigning remorse for his past crimes and finally to the sadist who knows he’s on the verge of defeating Batman for good. Though Emerson is definitely helped by the stunningly gritty visuals, his voice is definitely one of the creepiest and most unsettling in the history of the character.

Defining moment: Batman and Joker’s climactic fight at a carnival takes the cake with ease. This scene is brutal and gut-wrenching throughout and culminates with Batman being stabbed multiple times, resulting in him paralyzing Joker from the neck down. Joker’s final moments are disturbing, to say the least. Emerson’s voice gets more maniacal by the second as he realizes he’s finally won in making Batman lose control of himself. His laugh as the Joker commits suicide by finishing breaking his own neck still haunts me to this day.

Number Six – John DiMaggio

Another direct-to-video animated movie, Batman: Under the Red Hood tells the story of Jason Todd, the second Robin who was brutally murdered by the Joker. Acclaimed voice actor John DiMaggio brings out Joker’s gleeful side throughout the film, delighting in causing pain and suffering at every turn, yet always remaining unpredictable. His spot-on delivery is also good for more than a few genuine laughs for the audience, particularly in the scene where Joker negotiates a job with Black Mask. With DiMaggio voicing the character, there was no chance of a letdown with this Joker.

Defining moment: The film is filled with iconic Joker moments, but the winner has to be the climax. A resurrected Jason Todd captures the Joker and forces Batman to make a choice: Watch Jason kill the Joker or use deadly force to stop him. Joker only has a few lines in the scene, but his interruptions are witty and memorable all the same. Even better than his dialogue is the look on Joker’s face as Batman and Jason argue – he’s hoping against hope that Batman might finally break. This scene represents how a powerful character can command a scene without actively doing anything to impact it.

Number Five – Cesar Romero

The very first man to play the Joker was certainly one of the best. The 1960’s Batman TV show was unapologetically campy and the Joker was no exception. This was the Silver Age of comics, after all. Yet despite this being the silliest Joker iteration, Romero also manages to inject a measure of intellect into the character. Add this to the incredible ownership Romero takes of the role, and you have a Joker so iconic that he laid the groundwork for everything the character would eventually become. His style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but modern Batman fans owe much to Cesar Romero.

Defining moment: The first episode to introduce the Joker is “The Joker’s Wild,” and Romero instantly makes the character his own. Though silly and theatrical from the start, Joker is also a thoughtful schemer, crafting his own utility belt to counter Batman’s after an embarrassing defeat. This turns out to be a smart move, as the Joker is eventually able to lure Batman and Robin into a trap and comes within a breath of unmasking Batman for the world. Though he ultimately lost to the Dynamic Duo, the Joker showed himself to be a criminal who Gotham would be dealing with for years.

Number Four – Jack Nicholson

Though Tim Burton’s Batman has a number of issues when viewed from a modern lens, nobody can deny how transformational it was for both Batman and the Joker. This is in large part due to Jack Nicholson’s performance. His Joker is equal parts zany, cunning, and terrifying. Though his Joker may seem cheesy to us in the 2020s, it was such a dramatic departure from Cesar Romero’s take on the character. Nicholson’s new Joker must have felt to audiences in 1989 much like Heath Ledger’s felt to me in 2008.

Defining moment: Lots of memorable scenes to pick from, but probably the most iconic is the scene where Joker vandalizes the Gotham Art Museum while Prince’s “Partyman” plays in the background. Nicholson goes from unhinged in his vandalism to respectful when he sees a work he likes in a matter of seconds. A minute later, he presents himself as cultured and refined in his meeting with Vicki Vale, only to then show his sadistic side by revealing he disfigured his mistress in the name of art. This scene hits every facet of the Joker, though I also have to give a shout-out to the later scene in Vicki’s apartment where we get Nicholson’s iconic line, “You ever danced with the Devil in the pale moon light?” Classic.

Number Three – Joaquin Phoenix

2019’s Joker gives us easily the most unsettling iteration of the character to date. Rather than a master criminal, Arthur Fleck is a mentally disturbed man yearning for acceptance yet also suffering from delusions of grandeur at every turn. While I do have personal disagreements with the film’s attempts to humanize the Joker, I can’t deny Phoenix’s incredible devotion to the role, even going as far as to lose a terrifying amount of weight to portray the emaciated Arthur Fleck. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and for good reason.

Defining moment: The final climactic scene where Arthur Fleck goes on comedian Murray Franklin’s talk show is the one that likely won Phoenix his Oscar. Between Fleck’s morbid jokes, insane ramblings about society’s treatment of him, and his shocking assassination of Franklin, this is the moment Fleck truly became the Joker. This is how a writer takes an ordinary man with no superhuman abilities and makes him one of the most terrifying things imaginable.

Number Two – Heath Ledger

Yes, yes, a curse on me and my house for only ranking Ledger second, but that’s not a knock on him, but rather a compliment to the winner. In any case, The Dark Knight’s Joker is probably the most iconic of them all – Ledger’s version is who most people think of when they hear the character mentioned. His Joker is everything great about the character. He’s funny and zany at times, yet also murderous and intelligent. Hell, he’s even a pathological liar, shown in his multiple accounts of his origin and his assertion that he’s not a guy with a plan. He absolutely is a guy with a plan. He’s the perfect post-9/11 Joker – a ruthless terrorist who plans every detail in order to better serve his ideology, chaos.

Defining moment: So many to pick from… the bank robbery, his introduction to the mob, and “Why so serious?” all come to mind. Still, the interrogation scene with Batman and Joker is one of the quintessential representations of their relationship. This scene has it all, from Batman’s intimidation tactics to Joker’s maniacal laugh, not to mention the intense philosophical undertones behind the scene. Batman’s interrogation style has worked so far, but can it work on one so deranged as Joker? Heath Ledger and Christian Bale are both so perfect in this scene, the unstoppable force and the immovable object. To top it all off, the scene concludes with Joker forcing Batman into an impossible choice of saving Rachel Dawes or Harvey Dent, and even then, Joker lies to try and break him further. This is such incredible storytelling.

Before we get to the winner, let’s do a few…

Dishonorable Mentions

Jared Leto: Poor Jared. Following in the late Heath Ledger’s footsteps was already impossible, but the direction of Suicide Squad didn’t help him either. There were some questionable design choices, resulting in a Joker that just tried too hard. Not to mention Margot Robbie completely overshadowing him as Harley Quinn.

Brent Spiner: This casting for the animated TV show Young Justice proves that star power does not necessarily make a good Joker. Spiner is an excellent actor in his own right, but he just couldn’t do justice to this role. In his few appearances, he came off as flat and boring. Joker is many things, but he can’t afford to be either of those.

Troy Baker: A renowned voice actor with lots of video game experience, Baker took on the role for the game Batman: Arkham Origins. Though he does a decent job, he suffers from a similar problem as Jared Leto. He ultimately only did an OK-ish impersonation of the guy he was replacing. Speaking of which, that leads us to…

Number One – Mark Hamill

Who’d have thought Luke Skywalker could so effectively portray one of the most iconic villains of all time? With respect to Heath Ledger, I had to rank Hamill atop this list for several reasons. For one, he’s played the Joker longer than anyone else – from 1992 until as recently as 2018. His Joker has stolen the show in the DC Animated Universe, the Batman: Arkham series of video games, and a few direct-to-video films. Most impressive of all is that this was all voice work! With nothing but his words, Hamill perfectly captures every part of the Joker’s character, from theatrical trickster to murderous psychopath. But most of all, he’s number one because I’d wager many readers of comic books, whether they realize it or not, are most likely to hear Hamill’s voice in their head as they read the Joker’s lines. And to think this role almost went to Tim Curry instead!

Defining moment: Hell, there are too many to choose from, but I think my favorite is the film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. This movie has so many classic Mark Hamill moments, but the best ones are the flashback scene showing the Joker’s death in the past and the climactic fight between a resurrected Joker and new Batman Terry McGinnis. Seriously, it doesn’t matter what kind of Joker you’re watching if Mark Hamill is doing his voice. Just sit back and enjoy perfection.

And that’s going to do it for this ranking. I hope this helped all my fellow authors with their own villains since Joker is such an enduring character. What did you think? Did I get it right? Which Jokers were too high or too low? Please let me know in the comments. Feel free to mention if you have any ideas or requests for future entries. I’ve got an active running list of ideas, but I’m always open to more. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a like and share this post on social media. And to stay up to date on future blog posts, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website. Until the next story!