7 Great Mysterious Strangers in Movies
2. "The Joker" from The Dark Knight (2008)
Who else could be near the top of a list like this but the legendary character of the Joker? Batman's nemesis has been an enigma since his inception in the comic books, an element greatly exploited in Christopher Nolan's thrilling, neo-noir masterpiece. A character who works primarily behind the scenes (tons of kidnappings, "impromptu" plans, and bomb placements galore), Joker's level of interest only rises with the audience as he prances around, creating (possibly) falsified accounts of how he got the scars on his face. What makes the character so amusing is that it's entirely plausible that the Joker himself has no idea where he came from, why he is the way he is, and what his end goal is. As Michael Caine's trusty Alfred tells the film's hero, "Some men just like to watch the world burn." "I believe whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you...stranger."