What is the appeal of Harley Quinn?

[Lammasu]

I've been to Wizard World St. Louis and c2e2 recently and I saw a ton of Harley cosplays, one that looked about 10. Thing is I've never really understood the attraction to her. It seems her defining characteristic is being in an abusive relationship. So what makes this character so popular?

[Jackalope89]

Some characters simply appeal more to other people.

Like some people absolutely abhor Great Saiyaman from DBZ. Me? He's one of my favorite parts of the series.

For reference, think goofy Superman parody, with weird poses. In short, a very cheesy take on the superhero genre.

[Restingvoice]

I've asked her fans before and the reasons are
- Sympathetic for being abuse victim
- Actually rising against said abuse so she becomes an inspiration too
- Loves animals
- Funny
- Her series is continuity light so easy to get into
- Awesome character and costume design
- Lesbian with Ivy, so you can add LGBTQ fans and Ivy fans
- Gotham City Sirens girl power
- The usual villainness/anti heroine character as escapism fantasy for girls who don't want to be a good girl
Also apparently Harley's design is very popular among casuals or people who only heard about her. The red and black pattern can be applicable to merchandise like bags, umbrellas, and dresses. Her style from the movie is applicable for parties, halloween, or music band. So she's a style icon too.

[L.H.]

A lot of women are or were involved in abusive relationship, so looking at Harley, who had the worst one, and knowing that she's free right now is probably making them feeling better. It's like someone who always says: "I understand what you are/were going trough, and you can be free". A lot of women died because of abusive relationship, she is alive, she is strong, she is crazy. It's a very important message. A friend of mine has a brain cancer, and she also loves Harley as a strong woman who can rise again after everything, still being funny and a sex symbol. She gives hope, that's the point I've seen around.
And also all the thing that Restingvoice pointed out.

[lucius121]

Harley is very entertaining when written well, she is a character who has overcome adversity. She is strong compassionate and crazy it’s appealing to a lot of people.

[Tuck]

Arleen Sorkin





Conner and Palmiotti's run also filled in that space left by Lobo's absence.

[Ascended]

I've asked her fans before and the reasons are
- Sympathetic for being abuse victim
- Actually rising against said abuse so she becomes an inspiration too
- Loves animals
- Funny
- Her series is continuity light so easy to get into
- Awesome character and costume design
- Lesbian with Ivy, so you can add LGBTQ fans and Ivy fans
- Gotham City Sirens girl power
- The usual villainness/anti heroine character as escapism fantasy for girls who don't want to be a good girl
Also apparently Harley's design is very popular among casuals or people who only heard about her. The red and black pattern can be applicable to merchandise like bags, umbrellas, and dresses. Her style from the movie is applicable for parties, halloween, or music band. So she's a style icon too.

This sums it up pretty well.

There are stories about domestic violence you can tell with Harley that you cannot tell with any other DC character. Maybe not even any Marvel character. That's pretty gods damn unique. And being someone who believes that comics should tackle issues like this (even in this era where kids don't read many comics), I believe its a story that needs to be told. Harley's rise out of Joker's abusive gutter took a long damn time to tell, with plenty of back-slides on Harley's part; returning to the Joker with her tail between her legs. Just like a lot of real women. But in the end, Harley triumphed. There are few stories as potent in comics as her's.

She's also become their resident anti-hero and comedic relief, but in a slightly less ironic, self-aware way than Lobo.

She has a great visual, a fun personality......there's a lot to like about Harley. I mean, obviously she won't be for everybody, but she's got a huge following than many of DC's oldest and most storied names can't match.

[soundsci]

I've asked her fans before and the reasons are
- Sympathetic for being abuse victim
- Actually rising against said abuse so she becomes an inspiration too
- Loves animals
- Funny
- Her series is continuity light so easy to get into
- Awesome character and costume design
- Lesbian with Ivy, so you can add LGBTQ fans and Ivy fans
- Gotham City Sirens girl power
- The usual villainness/anti heroine character as escapism fantasy for girls who don't want to be a good girl
Also apparently Harley's design is very popular among casuals or people who only heard about her. The red and black pattern can be applicable to merchandise like bags, umbrellas, and dresses. Her style from the movie is applicable for parties, halloween, or music band. So she's a style icon too.

I think you hit the nail on the head here. Her look is iconic and I think that will appeal to somebody looking to cosplay a character. Personally, I wish she still used the black/red jester outfit as I really get put off by the Suicide Squad live action movie look.

As for her character, I think many are drawn to her craziness and humor for similar reasons that people like Deadpool, though they have different styles for sure. For me, I just like that she's a bit of a wildcard and unpredictable at times, which makes her fun to read.

[Chubistian]

I've asked her fans before and the reasons are
- Sympathetic for being abuse victim
- Actually rising against said abuse so she becomes an inspiration too
- Loves animals
- Funny
- Her series is continuity light so easy to get into
- Awesome character and costume design
- Lesbian with Ivy, so you can add LGBTQ fans and Ivy fans
- Gotham City Sirens girl power
- The usual villainness/anti heroine character as escapism fantasy for girls who don't want to be a good girl
Also apparently Harley's design is very popular among casuals or people who only heard about her. The red and black pattern can be applicable to merchandise like bags, umbrellas, and dresses. Her style from the movie is applicable for parties, halloween, or music band. So she's a style icon too.

Great reasons! Harley doesn't appeal me, but I wouldn't put into question people who feel interested in x character

Some characters simply appeal more to other people.

Like some people absolutely abhor Great Saiyaman from DBZ. Me? He's one of my favorite parts of the series.

For reference, think goofy Superman parody, with weird poses. In short, a very cheesy take on the superhero genre.

Haha, I love Great Saiyaman, he offered something different and overall, Toriyama is a master at humor

[dietrich]

Asked my niece who is 11 she loves Harley because no other girl in Dc is like Harley. her words " All the other girls are just the same the dame always the same. boring. Harley is just like Harley"
"She is so cool looking and she personality is different from everyone else"

I like Harley for those same reasons and she earned my respect when she broke from the Joker. Lot's of people like to bring up that crazy love as a negative and it is but reminder that Harley dumped the Joker and is still a juggernut of an IP. So to say that majority like her unhealthy relationship is not true.

Harley's defining characteristic for me is that of all the DC female character's who have a male character they are tagged with she is the only one to prove that she can stand without her other half.

[jb681131]

I've been to Wizard World St. Louis and c2e2 recently and I saw a ton of Harley cosplays, one that looked about 10. Thing is I've never really understood the attraction to her. It seems her defining characteristic is being in an abusive relationship. So what makes this character so popular?

Well let's not confuse Harley Quinn now and Harley Quinn in Batman the Animated Serie.
Then she was appealing, now she's not.

What appealed was her look: fun and sexy, her personnality: crazy and absurd.
Also what appealed was her friendship with Poinson Ivy and the Joker (if you can call that a friendship).

[Mithrill]

There're several versions of Harley and her "fans" are really several audiences love her for reasons are contradictory.

1-Cosplayers that watched Suicide Squad: they like the Bony and Clayde fantasy and the clown theme cause she wears makeup and has a cute hair, her boyfriend and Harley are "bad boys"

2-BTAS fans: the character was funny, had several good episodes, her relationship with Joker was interesting. Many people liked her background and story with Joker including Mad Love (the abusive relationship) cause the story was scary and weird.

3-General audience watched BTAS and Lego Batman or played the Arkham games: For them Harley is Joker's girlfriend and they don't think in an abusive relationship, some of them are shippers

4-Lesbian Shippers: They hate men and ship Harley with Ivy so they like the story about the abuse survivor cause men are bad

5-Feminists: they aren't lesbians but cause sometimes but specially after New52 Harley had a story about getting over Joker they feel it's the best femenist story ever.

The defining characteristic is being in a relationship with Joker somehow abusive or not.

[Tarantino]

The appeal of Harley is her link to The Joker. There are many girls out there who are fascinated with the fact that a person as cynical as the Joker, who we consider a lost cause can actually fall in love with a bubbly female character with a childlike innocence. You usually fail when you try to convince the Joker and Harley fans the relationship is actually domestic abuse and there should be nothing appealing about it.

[Restingvoice]

Speaking of Joker, I also asked about that as well.
Fans of Harley and Joker that I asked are fully aware that the relationship is abusive. The reason they still like it is because they're not interested in vanilla, healthy love story. They like it because it's wrong, insane and doomed. They find it unique, full of conflict and tragic, hence it makes for a good story.
The second reason is because Joker is different when he's with Harley. The quote, I believe is "everyone has seen Joker laugh, but only Harley has seen Joker cry" so the appeal of Harley is being the only person who can cause Joker to feel things other than jokes and murder.

[kjn]

Awesome input, Restingvoice!

Back at Worldcon 75, I asked the con photographers to do a photography workshop for kids, which was very much appreciated. As part of that, we had two experienced cosplayers to act as models: one Cordelia (of Bujold's Vorkosigan books—very much recommended) and one Deadpool. The Deadpool cosplayers became a huge hit with his zany antics and practical jokes, and Harley Quinn I think has the same appeal in that you have tons of rooms for spontaneity, wackiness, and acting out. In a way, nothing is out of character for her.

When you add that Harley Quinn's costume is both distinctive and gives plenty of scope for variations it makes for a very nice combo for cosplayers.

To add what Ascended said about domestic abuse, Harley Quinn critically examines the meme that the power of love from a good woman can reform a bad man. I'm not saying that reform isn't possible (it very much is) but it always requires a lot more than simply love, and at times is outright impossible. Sometimes, you have to move away, even if it hurts.

(One could probably make a fruitful comparison regarding Harley Quinn and drug or alcohol addiction: she is addicted to the Joker rather than drugs.)