The joke's on us

Since I mentioned The Killing Joke in my previous post, it only seems right that I discuss my favorite Gotham villain as well. Joker will forever be the bane of Batman's existence. They are polar opposites and yet continue to be foils for each other in the strangest of ways.

 Batman claims to have one rule, to never kill, yet because of Joker we see that he holds to a set of standards much more rigid than any normal person adheres to. Here is this man, without a name, without a face, without any sort of identity other than that of a clown. He is the definition of madness and chaos and he makes Bruce Wayne's life hell at every turn. 

He killed one partner, paralyzed another and come dangerously close to bringing down Gotham time and time again for no other reason than because he wanted to and had the means to do so. In past continuities Batman actually has broken his one rule to eliminate Joker for good. In my opinion Joker is the only villain who could pull the bat so far down that he would do this.