Suicide Squad: Decoding All 16 Of Jared Leto's Joker Tattoos

Torso

7. Joker

Surely it goes without saying? It's so he doesn't forget his name when he's naked and looking in a mirror. Obviously.

6. The Jester

This dead jester tattoo could be symbolic on a couple of levels.

In terms of the mythology of the movie, it could be reference to his relationship with Harley Quinn - not only twisted and dark, but dead (since she's been taken away from him). The fact that it's not over his heart, though, suggests less romance than something more sinister. Perhaps it's another trophy tattoo - his taunting at having killed Dr Harleen Quinzel and anointed her with a jester hat to become Harley?

In more traditional symbolism, a jester was used to denote someone who is a fan of jokes and pranks: could the dead jester for the Joker mean he's no longer that sort of figure. That he's an entirely different animal - more dangerous, more dark - than earlier, more jovial versions of the character?

5. "All In"

Cards tend to suggest a gambler, while All-In has further gambling connotations as well as commitment and ferocity. That latter element is seemingly confirmed by the presence of a skull within the ace of spaces card.

The Ace Of Spades itself has wider connotations: in military use, it was adopted as a symbol of luck, but also as one of fear. In Vietnam US soldiers would carry the card in their helmet for luck and to inspire fear in their enemy. Just as the Joker has done, the cards were also left on the bodies of dead Vietcong to advance that fear.

For the Joker, you'd have to think he's adopted the card as a symbol of death; this is his version of the calling card that he used to leave behind in the comics to denote his crimes.

There's also a specific reference in the comics: one of the Joker's most iconic appearances came in Denny ONeills 1970 arc Five Way Revenge, which features a complicated scheme to take out Batman. The cover art shows Batman pinned to the same card...