10 Times Joker Outsmarted Everyone

As much as the Joker is a villain through and through, this doesn't mean that all of his smartest moves have to be wholly immoral. This is proved best in Batman: Europa, where the purple and green murder machine actually saves the Dark Knight's life, by shooting a grappling hook for him to hold onto after the Bat falls off of a roof.

While this all seems unusually wholesome for the Clown Prince of Crime, it does appear to have pragmatic roots. The Joker is aware that whoever poisoned him and his brooding bestie did so for a reason, and thus he bites down on his murderous desires in order to make sure that he has a better chance of living.

Not only does this technically equal outsmarting Bane - the mastermind behind the whole plan - but it also briefly results in the Joker outsmarting Batman, who appears to think that the clown may be reforming throughout the series. Spoilers: he's very much not.