Worst Heroes Ever: Ranking The Suicide Squad Characters

It was always going to be tough for Suicide Squad to balance its pretty sizeable ensemble cast – after all, it had to introduce us to these mostly unfamiliar characters and then make sure we actually liked this bunch of criminals and murderers. Naturally, while it definitely does succeed on some accounts, it would be fair to say that the film doesn’t juggle all its characters that well. While some steal the show, others are basically glorified extras. The most brazen example of this is Slipknot. Without one of those funky introductions that the other characters received, he's unceremoniously blown up just to clarify a plot point. Here, then, is our ranking of every major character to feature in Suicide Squad. Disagree with our choices? As always, let us know your thoughts in the usual place. 10) Katana A plot device he might be, but at least Slipknot actually fulfilled a purpose. The same can’t be said for Katana, who on reflection really should have been removed from the film at the scripting stage. A martial arts expert with a sword that can suck out your soul, Katana is an undeniably cool character. With her tragic backstory about her husband’s spirit being trapped in that sword, she could easily have been one of the most interesting characters in Suicide Squad. Instead, she hardly gets anything to do as Flag’s mostly silent handler. Karen Fukuhara does her best with what she’s got, but you could easily forget that she’s actually in the movie. If a sequel is greenlit, exploring Katana should be at the top of the to-do list for the filmmakers. 9) Enchantress One character we don’t want to see in the sequel, however, is Enchantress. Though the marketing plugged Cara Delevingne’s magical character as part of Task Force X, it became quickly apparent in the film that she was nothing of the sort and was actually the big bad of the piece. Sadly, she was a completely underwhelming villain. A Dark Phoenix knock-off who seemed to be a big fan of Gozer from Ghostbusters, the character was a laughably poor central threat for the team - something that wasn’t helped by the dodgy CGI that was employed to bring her goons and magic to life. Enchantress only isn't at the bottom of this list because there was at least some attempt (even a botched one) at emotional resonance, with her doomed romance with Rick Flag. 8) Rick Flag It’s difficult being the straight man in the team of wacky scene-stealing villains. As such, Rick Flag (as played by Joel Kinnaman) was not the most compelling character that Suicide Squad had to offer. At least he had something of a character arc, though, which is more than many of the film’s cast can say. Just as manipulated by Amanda Waller as the criminals he is tasked with keeping tabs on, Flag has the tough task of leading a group of unruly yet gifted people to take on the woman he loves - who is currently being possessed by an all-powerful witch. Again, it’s rather like the plot of X-Men: The Last Stand but, while Flag is no Wolverine, he does get to show some depth - particular in the bar scene where he bonds with the squad. 7) Killer Croc Poor Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje is used to playing monstrous non-entities in superhero films by now, after previously portraying Malekith’s lackey Kurse in Thor: The Dark World. His Killer Croc isn’t as forgettable as Kurse, though, even if he is rather underused. For one, the character surely only gets three or four lines in the whole film (and when he does speak his voice is more muffled than Bane’s). He very sparingly comments on his aptitude with sewers, predilection for eating people and his belief in his own beauty. He’s not quite as formidable as she could have been (think the version from the Batman: Arkham games), but Croc fills his basic role as the big beastie of the team just fine. Like Katana, some exploring of his backstory next time around wouldn’t go amiss. 6) Captain Boomerang From the moment we saw him inappropriately drinking a beer in the middle of an action scene in the Suicide Squad trailer, it was commonly thought that Jai Courtney might finally have found a role that was made for him – after flopping in the likes of A Good Day to Die Hard and Terminator: Genisys. So, did that turn out to be the case? Well, not to the extent that we thought. His Captain Boomerang is suitably skanky, with his weird Deadpool-like fetish for pink unicorns and attempts to hit on Katana, but a lot more could have been done with him. Particularly, in terms of character dynamics – apparently scenes that amounted to a "brother and sister" rivalry with Harley were left on the cutting room floor. 5) The Joker Ever since that image was released of Jared Leto covered in tattoos and with grills on his teeth, Suicide Squad’s take on the Joker was destined to divide fans. As it turns out, he's hardly in the film at all – but still appears just enough to split opinion down the middle. Whether you like Leto’s deliberately OTT performance or not, it can’t be denied that this is a more simplistic incarnation than previous cinematic Clown Princes. This Joker is basically just a gangster with green hair, and doesn’t even have his signature facial disfigurement. He's given some depth through his relationship with Harley, where he's shown to be possessive and domineering rather than abusive. Overall, though, he is merely an adjunct to Harley’s story and can’t be ranked any higher on our list. 4) El Diablo It might seem odd to rank such a low grade villain as El Diablo over a pop culture icon like the Joker but, within the confines of the film, the pyromaniac is actually the more compelling character. El Diablo stands apart from his Task Force X teammates because he actually repents his previous crimes - which involved accidentally murdering his wife and daughters with his uncontrollable fire powers – and tries to stay out of combat situations. In a Hulk-esque way, Diablo is a man who struggles with anger management issues rather than an outright monster. Kudos to Jay Hernandez for giving such a committed, moving performance while being in a movie as wacky and uneven as this one. It results in Diablo being one of the film's best characters - only beaten by Suicide Squad’s core three. 3) Deadshot Though Suicide Squad is an ensemble piece, the real main character is (surprise surprise) Will Smith as sharpshooting assassin Deadshot. This is clear from the off when the movie decides to open with him, rather than the bit where Waller introduces the whole team. Deadshot gets the most character work out of everyone to ensure that we like him and understand that he's a criminal with a code - in particular, his relationship with his daughter (you'll end up hating Batman for breaking them apart). He also shares the best double act of the movie with his firm friendship with Harley that refreshingly doesn’t go into romantic territory. It’s not a revolutionary performance from Smith, but it does give him a chance to play a more downbeat take on his usual roguish, cocky act. 2) Amanda Waller Suicide Squad’s mixed reception means that people don’t seem to be able to agree on pretty much anything about the movie. Anything, that is, except Amanda Waller. Viola Davis' brilliantly steely performance is so good she's managed to win over the film's most ardent critics. In a cast stuffed with crazed murderers, it’s not easy to be the most intimidating character in the film. And yet Waller certainly is, with her state-sanctioned brand of cruelty and master manipulation. In a movie that has been accused of being dumb, Waller is pleasantly complex and intelligently portrayed. The post-credits scene where Waller meets with Bruce Wayne and suggests she knows his secret is a fabulous hint that she might have a bigger role in the DCEU in future. Based on the character’s presentation here, let’s hope so. 1) Harley Quinn We can only crown one person the best Suicide Squad character, and that’s ‘Daddy’s Little Monster’ herself, Harley Quinn. Hardcore fans of the character were up in arms at the trailers’ sexualization of Harley and sadly, this is carried over into the film, which often leers and lusts over her. In spite of this, though, Margot Robbie gives a pitch-perfect performance. She might not wear the classic jester outfit (well, most of the time) or quite have the right accent, but she's absolutely Harley Quinn - from her gleeful craziness to her undying devotion to her puddin', the actress steals the show here. Robbie’s stellar performance is perhaps the biggest saving grace of the sadly muddled Suicide Squad, and we can’t wait until our next appointment with Dr. Quinzel.