In The Dark Knight, what question does the Joker ask about seriousness?

In The Dark Knight, the Joker asks, “Why so serious?”

The line appears during one of the Joker's stories about his scars. He uses it to unsettle his victims and to present violence as a kind of cruel performance. Heath Ledger's delivery helped make the brief question central to the character's image.

Christopher Nolan directed and co-wrote the 2008 film, which follows Batman's conflict with the Joker in Gotham City. Ledger's performance received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor after his death.

The phrase is sometimes expanded in memory to “Why are you so serious?” That is not the film's familiar wording. The shorter version, “Why so serious?”, also appeared prominently in the movie's marketing and became linked with the Joker's distorted smile and theatrical menace.