Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League Hints at Major Villains' Return

The Clown Prince and Princess of Crime are returning for Batman Ninja's upcoming sequel.

By Evan Valentine

Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League acts as the sequel to the 2018 surreal anime film that kicked off this series, Batman Ninja. In the initial outing, the Dark Knight found himself transported to feudal Japan and sporting a look that prepared him for the challenges of that era. Unfortunately for Bruce Wayne, he wasn't the only one to be teleported to the past as several members of his Rogue's Gallery received a ticket to Japan's past. While the sequel movie sees Batman and his allies taking on a drastically different version of the Justice League, that doesn't mean that the Caped Crusader's villains aren't making a return in the upcoming film.

In Batman Ninja, the biggest villains of the movie were arguably the Joker and Harley Quinn as the clowning duo sported brand new looks to fit into feudal Japan. On top of giving the Dark Knight problems when it came to hand-to-hand combat, the antagonists caused even more of a headache when they were able to jump into bizarre mechs. Ultimately, the Clown Prince of Crime and his Princess were defeated and Batman was able to find a way back home for both his allies and his enemies to cap off the preliminary anime outing.

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(Photo: DC Comics)

The Joker And Harley Quinn's Anime Return

The reasoning behind why there is an evil, "Yakuza" version of the Justice League fighting against Batman and his sidekicks remains a mystery, though Harley Quinn and the Joker's upcoming return might hint that they have a hand in the heroes switching sides. In revealing that the villainous duo will be a part of Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League, Warner Bros has released a new poster showing off the Joker and Harley's new look for the sequel. While it might be tough to compete with evil iterations of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Flash, if anyone can do it, it's Harley Quinn and Joker. For the upcoming film, Wataru Takagi and Rie Kugimiya will return to their roles for the sequel's Japanese dub.

Harley Quinn and Joker's Anime History

On top of playing major roles in Batman Ninja, the Clown Prince of Crime and Harley Quinn played significant roles in another major anime project, Suicide Squad Isekai. In the recent series, Task Force X was dropped into an Isekai world wherein the likes of Harley, Peacemaker, Deadshot, King Shark, and Clayface were struggling to survive this anime landscape. While the Joker appeared quite frequently thanks to flashbacks, the first season finale revealed that the Joker had been pretending to be several characters to help Harley experience a fun world.

While the Suicide Squad Isekai hasn't stated that a second season is in the works from WB and Wit Studio, the former has stated in the past that the studio is looking to invest more in the anime medium. As Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League proves, the deadly duo are continuing to return to the anime medium. Of course, anime isn't the only place where you can witness the Joker and Harley Quinn on a rampage.

Related:

Joker 2: The Deadly Duo Hit The Silver Screen

Joker: Folie à Deux is now playing in theaters and not only sees Joaquin Phoneix returning to the role of Arthur Fleck but also sees Lady Gaga stepping into the role of Harleen Quinzel. While a Joker 3 might not be confirmed, that won't stop the Joker and Harley Quinn from returning in multiple avenues in the future. 

Want to stay up to date on the upcoming Batman Ninja sequel? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Dark Knight's anime adventures and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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