Batman and The Joker have been fighting each other since the early 1940s, and it doesn't look like their feud is going to end anytime soon. With that being said, a lot of fans have debated over what would happen if Batman decided he had had enough and just killed The Joker.
It's a question that's been pondered by the people behind the comics as well, with Grant Morrison mentioning that Batman killed his greatest nemesis in the pages of The Killing Joke. So, if Bruce Wayne finally decided to end his mortal enemy, what would be the benefits of doing the deed? And what are some of the cons?
Should: He Should've Done Something By Now
Even if the amount of people The Joker has hurt outside of Batman's social circle is ignored, The Clown Prince of Crime has ruined enough lives for Batman to kill him. Even though his two most famous victims, Barbara Gordon and Jason Todd, have moved past their trauma, the trauma of them getting hurt has stuck with Batman.
After Jason was brutally murdered and Barbara was shot in the spine, Batman probably should have done something about the clown-themed monster that's haunted his life for years. To be frank, Batman murdering The Joker doesn't even feel satisfying compared to the horrors he's forced the citizens of Gotham to deal with.
Shouldn't: He Shouldn't Be The One To Do It
If The Joker was found dead in an alley, there'd be a lot of suspects. Plenty of people could get away with killing The Joker other than The Dark Knight, with The Red Hood, Barbara Gordon, and Harley Quinn springing to mind.
Outside of Batman, no one could possibly have more motivation to kill The Joker than Commissioner James Gordon. Not only did The Joker permanently injure his daughter, but he also murdered his wife and has traumatized him beyond belief.
Should: One Less Headache For The Future
Should Batman kill The Joker, it would lift a massive weight from the shoulders of the future generation of The Bat Family. Killing Joker would mean that the Batman of the future wouldn't have to suffer the brunt of his cruelty.
Whether the next Batman is Terry McGuiness, Dick Grayson, Jace Fox, or Damian Wayne, their careers would be a lot easier than Bruce Wayne's. That said, it isn't like a new, perhaps even worse threat could rise in The Joker's place.
Shouldn't: The Dynamic Is Lost
Though there isn't a whole lot of correlation between clowns and bats, Batman and The Joker are a mismatch made in Heaven. The sheer insanity of their dynamic is one of a kind, in fact, it saved The Joker from being killed in his first appearance.
Batman killing The Joker would mean that this dynamic is gone. It would deprive the reader more than The World's Greatest Detective, but as much as Batman hates The Joker, they compliment each other too well.
Should: It Would Make His Job Easier
If Batman murdered The Joker, it would probably be rough for his mental state for a while, but eventually, he'd realize that his job is far easier. Batman has some really deadly villains, but outside of someone like The Scarecrow, there's no one as downright evil as The Joker.
In this hypothetical world, it's even likely that Batman could take steps to eventually retire. It's certainly possible that he could even devote more of his time to The Justice League or to improving Gotham City.
Shouldn't: Curing Him Would Be Better
Joker is a deeply evil individual, but no one knows what he was like before he had a date with some elixirs at Ace Chemicals. If The Killing Joke and Batman: White Knight is to be believed, his prior self isn't as evil as The Clown Prince of Crime.
Should Batman find a way to cure Joker of his madness, all it would take is some strenuous supervision to ensure that he'd become an individual that could contribute to society. In fact, the information he'd probably have could really serve to put a dent in crime, provided he remembers his time as The Joker.
Should: He Has Enough Villains
The Caped Crusader has a surplus of great villains, it's why Batman's rogue's gallery is seen by many fans as the greatest of all time. So with that in mind, if The Joker died, a lot of overlooked crooks would get their time to shine.
If Batman has to have a nemesis, it wouldn't take long for someone like Two-Face, Bane, or Ra's Al Ghul to fill The Joker's shoes. Though those shoes are massive ones to fill, the prospect of some of Batman's more overlooked foes getting attention is exciting.
Shouldn't: Public Enemy #1
Murder, no matter how justified, is still a crime, so Batman would find himself in quite a pickle if he were to kill his greatest foe. Batman is no stranger to being hunted by The GCPD, Batman: Year One is a testament to that.
However, there's a difference between being hunted down for vigilante activity and being hunted down for murder. Batman could always rely on The Justice League to protect him, but it seems unlikely that his friends wouldn't talk him into turning himself in.
Should: It'd Be The Only Time He Kills
In the story "Under The Hood," Batman explains to Jason Todd that if he killed The Joker, he'd cross a path that he could never return from. It's a fairly famous explanation, but also one that has a ton of holes.
Unless Batman harbors murderous intent in his heart, killing The Joker won't cause Batman to start murdering criminals. Batman's method of crimefighting would most likely be exactly the same whether or not he puts The Joker on ice, though it'd probably have an effect on how he's viewed by the public.
Shouldn't: The Joker Wins
Putting it bluntly, if Batman finally offed The Joker, that means that The Joker wins. The Joker has no respect for life, so it should come as no surprise that he doesn't value his own. That said, if Joker found out that he could use his own death to hurt Batman, he'd be overjoyed.
No one would really miss The Joker, in fact, many would celebrate that he's no longer a factor. However, even if Batman doesn't become a wanted criminal after killing The Alabaster Jester, it would forever alter Gotham's perception of their savior.