I get that, but Heath took it to another level. He re-defined the character… Made it iconic, without that performance is the Joker so well known? I doubt it.
I still haven’t voted in the Moriarty v Joker one and I can see how close it is. The thing about Moriarty is that so much of his character spent without him actually being present. His malign influence, machiavellian scheming, manifests itself without him physically being there. The Joker is much more front and centre. He wants the attention. Needs it. Moriarty likes the game - the battle of wits, outsmarting his victims and pursuer. His malevolence is more sinister by virtue of its subtlety. But his character? It feels a bit more one-dimensional than that of the Joker. The Joker’s messed up, conflicted, tortured, angry at the world, craving for attention and affection but at the same time rejecting the latter. This is tough.