InkedMag
  • Articles
    • Top Stories
    • Culture
    • Art
    • Music
    • Digital Cover
    • Events
  • Shop
    • Subscriptions
    • InkedShop
  • Tattoo Shops
  • INKED COVER GIRL
  • Company
    • About
    • Contact
    • SUBSCRIPTION
    • Newsletter
    • Media Kit
  • Policies
    • DMCA
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
InkedMag
  • Top Stories
  • Culture
  • Art
  • Music
  • Events
  • Store
  • Digital Cover
  • INKED COVER GIRL
  • Tattoo Shops

Newsletter

Inked newsletter

"*" indicates required fields

This field is hidden when viewing the form

Next Steps: Sync an Email Add-On

InkedMag

Inked Mag Staff

August 11th, 2016

Share Now
0
0
0

‘Suicide Squad’ Director Reveals the Story Behind the Joker’s ‘Damaged’ Tattoo

When the first photos of the “antihero” superhero film,Suicide Squad, first cropped up online last year, it was Jared Leto’s Joker that had everyone talking, mostly about his silver grill…

When the first photos of the “antihero” superhero film,Suicide Squad, first cropped up online last year, it was Jared Leto’s Joker that had everyone talking, mostly about his silver grill and the tattoos that covered his body. It was an unexpected surprise to see the Joker rocking so much ink, when previous portrayals of the villain were consistently tattoo-free, and it was the “Damaged” forehead tat in particular that left a sour taste in fans’ mouths. Well, David Ayer, director of this summer’s most highly-anticipated flick, has finally spilled the beans about that “Damaged” tattoo, revealing the backstory behind the Joker’s infamous ink.

During a recent interview with Empire, Ayer talked about the reasoning behind the Joker’s forehead tattoo, saying, “This is sort of my personal thing and maybe less about a larger connection. But Joker killed Robin and Batman basically smashes his teeth out and locks him up in Arkham Asylum. It’s in the asylum where Joker would have done the ‘damaged’ tattoo as a message to Batman saying, ‘You’ve damaged me. I was so beautiful before and now you’ve destroyed my face.’” That’s also where the Joker’s silver grill comes in, in case you were wondering.

While none of this is discussed in the actual movie, which is now in theaters, Ayer explained in the Empire interview that the Joker’s grill and tattoos help tell a certain story about the Suicide Squad character, who, according to Ayer, was actually modeled after drug lords. “If a guy like him really existed today, where would he come from,” Ayer asked himself when developing the character. “How would he do business? Who would he know? What would he look like? In my mind, I took a lot of inspiration from drug lords on Instagram. It’s a great way to understand the lifestyle of a villain.”

Rather than attempting to portray a “modern” Joker though, the grill Leto wears in the film is meant to illustrate a long and painful history between Batman and his arch enemy, “the clown prince of crime” and Robin’s killer. As for the “Damaged” tattoo on the Joker’s forehead, it may be his most hotly-contested ink, but it’s not the only tattoo the supervillain rocks in the film. He also has a tattoo of a skull wearing a jester hat, a “J” tattoo, a tat of four aces, a couple of Cheshire-cat-like smiles, and a series of “Ha Ha Ha’s,” among others, none of which have been explained. According to Ayer though, “The tattoos tell a very specific story. And eventually people will decipher them and understand what’s going on.”

Editor's Picks

Heartless Ink Banner Art
Bridging Classical Art and Modern Tattooing

Esteban Rodriguez brings the discipline of classical fine art to the living canvas of skin, creating hyper-realistic tattoos that merge technical mastery with emotional depth.

Show your Ink Fashions Fashion
Show Your Ink Fashions Brings Custom Style to Tattoo Culture

Show Your Ink Fashions creates custom shirts designed to showcase your tattoos as wearable art, blending fashion with personal expression.

Culture
The Ultimate “Superman” Tattoo Roundup: Just in Time for Superman’s Return to Screens

With Superman’s big return to theaters, fans are revisiting some of the most iconic ink inspired by the Man of Steel.

More From Celebrities

ANYMA - INKED MAG
The Rise of Anyma
July 21, 2025
Teddy Swims: Dripping with Artistry
July 17, 2025
Ozzy Osbourne’s Final Black Sabbath Show Raises $190 Million for Charity
July 10, 2025
Black Music Month 2025: Celebrating Tattooed Icons, Inked Culture, and Timeless Soundtracks
June 19, 2025
Lil Wayne Drops Long-Awaited Album “Tha Carter VI”
June 6, 2025

Recommended For You

INKED Recommends
The Tattoo Artist Who Turned a Drunk Rabbit into Tequila’s Spirit Animal
ANYMA - INKED MAG Celebrities
The Rise of Anyma
Tequila Day Culture
Tequila Bottles That Look Like They Belong in a Tattoo Studio
Heartless Ink Banner Art
Bridging Classical Art and Modern Tattooing
earthlite-tattoo
InkedMag

QUICK LINKS

  • Top Stories
  • Culture
  • Art
  • Music
  • Events
  • Store
  • Tattoo Shops
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • SUBSCRIPTION
  • INKED COVER GIRL
  • MEDIA KIT
  • DMCA
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS & CONDITIONS

Input your search keywords and press Enter.