What mental illness did Arthur Fleck have in the Joker movies?

Joker: Folie à Deux delves deeper into the mental state of Arthur Fleck, leaving many wondering what mental illness – if any – the character has. At the time of Joker: Folie à Deux‘s shocking ending, Arthur Fleck’s character is much more than in the first film. While Joker 2The DC Easter eggs are prevalent, the film continues the trick established by its predecessor by making Joker a more grounded character who is versed in reality.

The primary way this is done is through the exploration of Arthur Fleck’s mental illness, done admirably by Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie à Deuxs figure. The first movie also explored Fleck’s mental state, with Joker 2s court-based storyline goes even further in this. As Arthur’s defendants try to avoid the death penalty that would put an end to Joker 3s potential history, many conversations about Arthur’s mental illness have arisen, begging the question of what he has.

Arthur Fleck has a neurological disorder caused by a brain injury

Speculation has attributed a specific disorder to Joker’s Arthur Fleck

Interestingly, neither Joker Or Joker 2 Clearly state what disorder or mental illness Arthur has. He is often shown, more so in the first movie, to suffer from laughing fits regardless of the situation. Arthur even has a card to explain this to those in public, although it is never seen what illness the card states to explain Arthur’s condition.

As such, a lot of speculation about this topic has come from outside of the film’s history. As written on the US National Library of Medicine website, It is widely speculated that Arthur has a neurological disorder called pseudobulbar affective disorder Joker And Joker 2 That results from a brain injury and causes laughing fits. It is worth noting that neurological disorders come from trauma to the brain and are thus different from mental illness, which stem from thoughts, feelings and environmental factors.

Arthur Fleck’s exact mental illness or illnesses have never been confirmed

Joker 2 delves deeper into other interpretations of Arthur’s mental state

But, as said, this is all speculation. in Joker And Joker 2It is never confirmed what exactly Arthur’s illnesses, mental or otherwise, are. That said, Joker: Folie à Deux Includes some interesting exploration of this. The film centers primarily around Arthur’s trial for the murders he committed in his predecessor. Naturally, he has a defense attorney. The lawyer, Maryanne, and Arthur’s doctor are trying to convince the jury that Arthur has dissociative identity disorder (DID) and that Joker is a completely different personality. Sharing Arthur’s body.

On the other side of Arthur’s trial is Harvey Dent, the prosecution. Dent calls another doctor to the stand who insists that Arthur does not have DID, and that his actions as the Joker are a result of severe anxiety, loneliness and PTSD from his childhood abuse, but that Arthur is consciously acting like another personality. generally, Joker: Folie à Deux Keeps the mental health aspect established in the first movie, despite not moving any closer to a concrete confirmation about Arthur’s state.