While fans are waiting to see what characters make an appearance in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, one that has been a staple since its reveal is Harley Quinn. This is not all that surprising as she is one of the most popular characters in DC Comics' stable of heroes and villains, and is a frequent member of the Suicide Squad, including through both of the recent live-action films. While including Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League makes a lot of sense, it could create a challenge for the developers at Rocksteady.
The character's popularity has lead to her appearing in numerous DC Comics movies and games over the years, so fans have seen a handful of versions of the character. This could make it difficult for the developer to ensure its rendition of Harley Quinn stands out from the others. There are some differences between Kill the Justice League's Harley Quinn and others, but really making the character feel new and unique will take a bit more work.
Harley Quinn in Movies and Shows
Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn has become one of the standout performances in the live-action DC Extended Universe. She has been featured in both Suicide Squad films and Birds of Prey. While Harley's characterization across these movies has fluctuated, there are some aspects of her character that have been consistent. She often plays the role of comedic relief, while also being particularly eccentric. She has an arc throughout the movies of getting over her toxic relationship with Joker and striking out to find her own place in the world without him.
Another recent representation comes in the adult animated series Harley Quinn. The series has been a big hit with fans and follows the character as she sets out to make her own name as a queen of crime. The series' depiction of the character is also appreciated for taking more time to examine trauma and mental health, as well as giving her a canonical relationship with Poison Ivy. This mature look at the character has proven that Harley Quinn is a great anti-hero, and has allowed fans to connect with her in a deeper and more meaningful way.
Harley Quinn in Video Games
As for her appearances in video games, they can mostly be divided into two camps. The first is the nearest to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, as it was also developed by Rocksteady: the Batman: Arkham series. While Kill the Justice League has teased connections to Rocksteady's previous titles, it does not seem entirely clear if the Harley Quinn from those games is the same as in Suicide Squad. Either way, she will likely act quite differently from the Arkham series, as Harley in those games was a minor character who mostly appeared to trigger traps or taunt the player.
The second place to recently feature Harley Quinn are the Injustice games. Both games include Harley in their roster of playable fighters, as well as having her play a large role in their story modes. The version of Harley in the games is an interesting one, as she teams up with Batman following the start of Superman's authoritarian reign of terror. This sees her playing the role of a hero rather than an anti-hero, as she also works to move past her relationship with Joker after his death at the hands of Superman. This makes her feel similar to the Harley Quinn in recent movies, but she is still played more closely to what fans would expect from her original comics or television appearances.
How Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Can Make Harley Quinn Stand Out
The design of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's Harley Quinn seems close to her appearance in the 2016 Suicide Squad movie. While players have gotten some peeks at Harley in Kill the Justice League, there are still a lot of questions regarding her personality and abilities. She is mostly shown with a baseball bat, and the game's trailers point toward her being a comedically irreverent character. So far it does not seem as though the game's portrayal of the character is very different from what fans have seen, but there are a few options the developer has to make its Harley feel more unique.
One of these is her playstyle. It looks as though Harley could be a melee-focused character thanks to her baseball bat. This would be a great way to make her stand out from past iterations that see her frequently using a wide variety of weapons. It would be very cool to see her play similarly to a rogue character that distracts enemies to sneak around the battlefield and attack from unexpected angles. Harley has been shown with a revolver in Kill the Justice League, but that could not be her main method of attack. She could also be more unique through her personality, either by giving her more of a leadership role within the squad or by giving her a slightly more serious edge that lies beneath the surface.
Either way, it will be interesting to see where Rocksteady takes this iteration of Harley Quinn. It would be especially interesting if she ends up being the same character as in the Batman: Arkham games, as that could give the character some great opportunities for growth. As fans get more news on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, hopefully they will start getting a clearer picture of what makes this particular Harley Quinn unique.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League releases in 2022 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
