While the respective universes of Dragon Ball and DC Comics wouldn’t normally be considered similar enough to compare–aside from the ever-raging ‘Goku vs Superman’ debate–Dragon Ball Super reveals its own version of Harley Quinn and the Joker, and they prove to be even more twisted than the originals.
In the realm of DC, Harley Quinn was introduced as an elevated henchman of the Joker who grew so much in popularity that she became his second in command. However, Harley Quinn eventually ventured out on her own after years of suffering the Joker’s constant abuse–both physical and emotional. However, while the Joker’s treatment of Harley Quinn was bad in DC Comics, it wasn’t nearly as bad as that of their Dragon Ball Super counterparts.
In Dragon Ball Super Chapter 28 by Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou, Goku invites himself to the home of the Omni-King Zeno to ask the god above gods about the possibility of holding a multiversal tournament that is later dubbed the Tournament of Power. Zeno (or Zenos as there were two at that point) thinks it is a great idea and summons every Kai and Destroyer God across the multiverse to his temple to discuss the parameters of the tournament, including the God of Destruction of the 11th Universe, Belmod whose physical form is that of a clown. Before he gets the summons from Zeno, Belmod is celebrating his birthday with a number of his female disciples, including one who proves to be far more devout than the rest. When Belmod’s angel alerts him of Zeno’s message, Belmod’s Harley Quinn-esque follower pulls a knife on the angel, threatening to stab her if she interrupts their time with Belmod again. For this, Belmod destroys his worshiper on the spot, and says that he was thinking about destroying her and her entire planet anyway despite her proven loyalty.
The Joker has seemingly always considered himself to be something of a god, especially when considering the theory that he is somehow ‘Super Sane’ which makes him aware of the fact that he is a comic book character–allowing him to do whatever he wants because his fictitious immortal life doesn’t actually matter. Plus, the fact that his Dragon Ball Super counterpart is a God of Destruction is even more fitting to the Joker as a character. Joker once famously gained god-like powers, so Belmond isn't far off from the genuine article. When Harley Quinn was obsessed with the Joker she always revered him as one would a deity, only adding to that god complex. For these reasons, this comparison goes beyond the clown aesthetic and actually delves into the personalities and perceived titles of the respective characters, not to mention the truly horrific abusive behavior exhibited by both Belmod and the Joker.
Belmod’s god complex (which is a given since he is a literal god) and treatment of his most loyal follower is strikingly reminiscent of the Joker and how he treated Harley Quinn for years before she finally left him. However, the Joker never reduced Harley Quinn to smoldering ash without a moment’s hesitation despite his many efforts to kill her in the past, proving that Dragon Ball Super’s version of Harley Quinn and the Joker is even more twisted.