Top 5 Harley Quinn Moments in Suicide Squad

Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was a major breakout star of Suicide Squad, bringingunpredictable and dynamic fun charisma to the screen. After seeing the movie version of the character, we’re ready for Harley Quinn to become a DC Extended Universe star, whether popping up in projects like Ben Affleck’s Batman movie, or getting her very own spinoff film.

With fans buzzing about so many different things about Harley Quinn’s cinematic debut, we had to narrow it down to the Top 5 Harley Quinn Moments in Suicide Squad.

Attempted Jail Break

Attempted Jail Break

Our first introduction to Harley Quinn pretty much says it all: Belle Reve guard Griggs (Ike Barinholtz) goes down to the cage where Harley is kept, in order to retrieve her for Amanda Waller. Harley comes at Griggs with her full arsenal: acrobatics, charm, sexual wiles – and best of all, psychotic fury. 

Suicide Squad invested a lot of time in introductions, but Harley Quinn’s was definitely a standout. After that first meeting, we knew we were in for a good ride with at least one of the characters.  

Will You Live For Me?

Will You Live For Me? 

 We found out about Harley Quinn’s origin in splintered bits of flashback, but one of the more iconic moments from that origin story (if you were a comic book or DC cartoon fan) was seeing Dr. Harleen Quinzel’s plunge into a vat of skin-whitening chemicals, at Gotham’s Ace Chemical company. 

In one of the better scripted moments of the movie, Joker ask Harleen a question: “Will you die for me?” before amending it to the more challenging request of, “Would you live for me?”

Showing total devotion, Harley takes the plunge, arms open, never looking down. It’s a fearlessness that would come to define her as Harley Quinn. 

Elevator Fight

Elevator Fight

It’s probably the best moment of Harley Quinn we got – one that was unfortunately ruined in the promotional marketing.

It’s a classic Harley move that only further underscores Margot Robbie’s creation of the character onscreen: Harley slips away from the group with ease, taking an elevator up to the office high rise that’s their objective. She of course uses the private time to text Joker with final plans for an escape, when she is attacked by some of Enchantresses possessed minions. 

The way Harley whupped ass in that elevator made her an instant DCEU icon – and it’s even more impressive when you learn that Margot Robbie did that sequence herself, with no harness. That’s actually Robbie kicking ass onscreen. Whoa. 

Harley Gets Real

Harley Gets Real

 At the end of the second act, we see Task Force X ambushed by Joker and his gang, who are posing as Amanda Waller’s rescue chopper crew. Harley Quinn uses the ambush as a means to escape from Waller’s clutches – but Waller pulls no punches, and has the chopper blown out of the sky. 

Harley manages to jump to safety, but at first it seems as though her beloved Joker has perished. In that moment, with no sense of family or belonging, Robbie displays a vulnerability and depth to her character that would make her worthy of carrying her own film. 

…But as soon as Harley sees her Squad approaching, she snaps back into her swaggered shell and bounces right along to join them in that horrible third act showdown. Bravo to Robbie for giving Harley so much range with so little script to work from. 

Sophisticated Psycho

Sophisticated Psycho

One of the more subtle things that Margot Robbie did with her Harley Quinn was to create a version of the character who never really lost the Dr. Quinzel side of her psyche – she just supplanted it with her Harley Quinn persona. 

Flashes of “Dr. Quinn” peak through at certain key moments of the film (like the barroom scene where El Diablo reveals his tragic history), giving Harley a sort of slyness and advantage over those she toys with, despite her loony demeanour. If nothing else reminds us that Harley is actually a highly educated scholar, her hilarious final scene says it all. 

After all the madness of the Midway City mission, all Harley wants is some espresso and a good romance novel (note the dainty grip of her espresso cup. Quite proper!). The picture above says it all; like a colorful onion, there are many layers to this girl, and each one is pretty damn fun. 

Suicide Squad is now in theaters; Wonder Woman is coming on June 2, 2017; followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017; The Flash on March 16, 2018; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League 2 on June 14, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps on July 24, 2020.

Have you seen Suicide Squad yet? Want to win a Hot Toys Joker figure from the movie? All you have to do head on over to ComicBook.com’s Movie Database or click the image above and rate the movie to enter! A winner will be chosen August 19th, 2016!