DC's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) reunited viewers with Harley Quinn after her introduction in Suicide Squad, but what happened to her between both films? Warner Bros. brought the Suicide Squad to the big screen in 2016, and with that a new Joker (Jared Leto) and the first cinematic version of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). Suicide Squad followed a team of villains recruited by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) with the purpose of executing dangerous black ops missions. The team, known as Task Force X, was formed by Harley Quinn, Deadshot (Will Smith), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Slipknot (Adam Beach). Meanwhile, the Joker was working on his own plans.

By the end of Suicide Squad, the members of Task Force X were sent back to Belle Reve with ten years off their sentences, but with a couple of perks (except for Captain Boomerang). Harley was rescued by the Joker, and she wasn’t seen again until Birds of Prey. Directed by Cathy Yan, Birds of Prey saw Harley teaming up with Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to keep young thief Cassandra Cain safe from crime lord Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). Birds of Prey isn’t a Suicide Squad sequel and it doesn’t include any of Harley’s former teammates, instead focusing on her new life and adventures. So, what happened to her between both films?

Related: Why Jared Leto Doesn't Play Joker In Birds Of Prey

Birds of Prey opens with an animated sequence telling the most important events in Harley Quinn’s life, since she was very little. Of course, these included her time as a Task Force X member and her tumultuous relationship with the Joker. Prior to the events of Birds of Prey, Harley was seen leaving Belle Reve with the Joker, and she continued to be by his side for a while until they broke up. The Joker threw her out on the streets of Gotham City and left her pretty devastated (even if she says the contrary).

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn cutting hair in Birds of Prey

With nowhere to go, Harley was taken in by Doc, the elderly owner of a Taiwanese restaurant, who let her stay at the apartment above. In order to recover from the break up, Harley watched a bunch of movies and ate all the snacks she could find, cut the colored parts of her hair, and later adopted a spotted hyena she named after Bruce Wayne, all as part of her emancipation process.

Harley later took up roller derby as part of her process (and to channel her anger, of course), and during all this time, she kept her break up a secret as being the Joker’s girlfriend granted her protection in the criminal world – and it’s the revelation of this that kickstarts her story in Birds of Prey. During this time between Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, there were other events linked to her that took place in the DCEU, most notably Captain Boomerang’s escape from prison, which will hopefully be explained in The Suicide Squad. Birds of Prey gave Harley Quinn’s story a better and different perspective by not making the Joker the center of her life, proving that she’s better off without him.

Next: Birds Of Prey Gives Harley Quinn A Better Origin Story Than Suicide Squad

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