Mark Hamill Has An Overlooked Villain Role That May Be Better Than DC's Joker

Mark Hamill's overlooked role in Criminal Minds may be better than his iconic performance as DC's Joker. The beloved veteran actor has a long career of fantastic performances, with most of the attention directed at his performances in Star Wars and the DCuniverse. However, his smaller but similarly brilliant performances in shows like Criminal Minds also deserve recognition, as they might even be better than the roles he is best known for.

As a crime drama, Criminal Minds had some of the most disturbing unsubs and serial killers during its long, almost two-decade run. While Criminal Minds: Evolution is continuing the show's commitment to creepy and satisfying stories, it does not come close to some ofCriminal Minds' best episodes. Among some of these stories are the few moments in season 8 when Hamill's appearances cemented him as one of the scariest Criminal Minds villains. His appearances may have been brief but they remain intensely memorable.

Mark Hamill Played The Replicator In Criminal Minds Season 8

The Replicator Was A Serial Killer

Mark Hamill as The Replicator in Criminal Minds with Chief Strauss as his victim — Mark Hamill as The Replicator in Criminal Minds.

The Replicator was a nickname given to John Curtis, a man who received his name by imitating the killing style of other murderers. The Replicator appeared for the first time in the season 8 premiere of Criminal Minds after already killing a victim. The episode also shows off The Replicator's creepy obsession with the team. He was particularly disturbing because he would recreate certain murders of unsubs who had already been caught by the Criminal Minds team. Copy-cat killers are always terrifying, but Hamill's performance gave each scene a creepier edge.

The Replicator continued to taunt the Criminal Minds team with victims killed in the style of other killers throughout season 8. However, he does not have an episode dedicated solely to him until later that year. Instead, his murders and taunts happen in the background of the cases. The Replicator's presence was so significant to the team that the killer even received a notable mention in season 10 by Criminal Minds' Spencer Reid. While most villains are forgotten shortly after they are defeated, The Replicator stayed on everyone's minds long after his last episode on the show.

Why The Replicator Is A Better Hamill Villain Than The Joker

The Replicator Is Associated With Hamill

The Joker is iconic but Hamill's performance as the infamous villain is limited to voice acting. He has played the Joker an impressive number of times during his career, but he has only ever voiced the character, mostly in animated movies and series. He has never played him on-screen. The closest he came to doing so was in the live-action Birds Of Prey when the Joker appeared in one scene, but while Hamill voiced the character, Roger Stoneburner played the character on-screen.

Mark Hamill as Joker in Birds of Prey 2002, and Joker from Batman The Animated Series

1 Major Realization I Had Watching The Only Time Mark Hamill Played The Joker In Live-Action

Mark Hamill has been playing the Joker since 1991, but in all that time, he only played the Joker in live-action one time, and it was heavily flawed.

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In comparison, The Replicator has only ever been played by Hamill. Not only that, but The Replicator was an original character that appeared in Criminal Minds season 8. Admittedly, he did not have a rich history behind him like the Joker does. While Mark Hamill's performance as the Joker was brilliant, Hamill is just one of several actors who have played him. In contrast, The Replicator is associated with Hamill and no one else. By this alone, The Replicator is a better Hamill villain than the Joker.

What Happened To Hamill's The Replicator In Criminal Minds

The Replicator Was Finally Stopped

Mark Hamill as The Replicator in Criminal Minds

After a difficult season, The Replicator's spree of crimes was finally stopped in the Criminal Minds season 8 finale but not before committing one of the worst crimes he could, killing a member of the BAU. The penultimate episode of season 8 ended with The Replicator standing creepily over Erin Strauss as she slept. The following episode started with her murder. Once again, The Replicator imitated the method of another serial killer to kill his victim. Strauss' death was meant to be the most personal of all his murders.

Hamill's appearances in Criminal Minds may have ended, but his legacy as a terrifying villain lives on in a more grounded setting than the Joker.

While Criminal Minds season 8's finale was the last episode to feature The Replicator, it was not without a struggle. In a complex series of steps, The Replicator attempted to frame members of the team and have them kill each other in a poison-induced haze. When that did not work, he later tried to kill the team via explosion. He ended up dying in the explosion he set up to take out the FBI profilers. Hamill's appearances in Criminal Minds may have ended, but his legacy as a terrifying villain lives on in a more grounded setting than the Joker.

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