Joker: Folie à Deux ending explained: who dies, what happens to Joker, Harley, and more

Joker: Folie à Deux is finally here, and it's certainly a dramatic sequel to the 2019 original. Joaquin Phoenix returns as Arthur Fleck, AKA the Joker, while Lady Gaga steps up as Harley "Lee" Quinzel. 

A lot happens in the film, so if you're left scratching your head over any of the key details, we've got you covered with our guide below. In it, we dive deep into the events of the film's third act, so you'll have all your key questions answered – including on what happens to Joker, Harley, and more. 

Of course, it goes without saying, but the following contains major spoilers for Joker: Folie à Deux. Turn back now if you're not up to date! For everyone else, put on a happy face and get reading.  

Joker: Folie à Deux ending explained 

Towards the end of the movie, Arthur Fleck has an epiphany in Arkham, and he decides to try and turn towards redemption. In court, he declares that the Joker isn't really a separate personality and that he was living in a fantasy world. His intention to give up being the Joker devastates his supporters – including Lee, who gets up and leaves the court in disgust. 

During the closing statement, though, the courthouse suddenly explodes, leaving Arthur rattled but uninjured. He gets outside and a copycat Joker grabs him and puts him in a car. They drive away with him, though Arthur eventually escapes them and runs away. He flees to those famous stairs, where he finds Lee, now with a new haircut and in full Harley Quinn dress. 

Arthur tells Lee they can be together now, but Lee doesn't want Arthur if he's not the Joker. When Arthur protests that Lee is pregnant, she says nothing – but, judging by the look on her face, this was another of her lies. Lee then begins to sing 'That's Entertainment,' as Arthur says he doesn't want to sing anymore. Lee walks away and leaves him alone as the police arrive to arrest Arthur. 

Back in Arkham, Arthur is taken to see a visitor when an inmate appears behind him to tell him a joke. Arthur stops to listen, and the inmate stabs him to death, disappointed that Arthur turned his back on being the Joker. The inmate then carves a smile into his own face, suggesting the spirit of the Joker lives on. The movie ends with Arthur dying in Arkham, once again hallucinating Lee shooting him. 

Is the Joker dead? Who kills him?

Yes, Arthur Fleck is dead. He's killed by a fellow inmate in Arkham, who is disappointed that Arthur disowned the Joker – the inmate feels let down. He's not named or identified, but, out of focus in the background, he can be seen carving a smile into his face. That suggests he's going to carry the spirit of the Joker in himself after Arthur's death. 

Who blows up the courthouse?

It's not totally clear who is behind the explosion. We hear in a radio news report that a car bomb was detonated, but, while the Joker copycats are very excited about what happened, they also can be heard saying "someone" set off a bomb. They do say they talked about doing something similar, though, so we can guess that another Joker fan is responsible. It seems unlikely it was Lee, considering she was waiting for Arthur on the stairs. 

What happens to Harvey Dent? Does he become Two Face? 

Harvey Dent is the DA in the trial and seems pretty smug about his chances of winning. Of course, Harvey Dent in DC Comics becomes the villain Two Face, who has half his face burned away. So, you might be expecting Harvey to get his life-changing injuries when the court house explodes. However, though he looks injured and shaken, Harvey's face is untouched after the blast, and we don't see any more from him. 

What happens to Harley Quinn?

Lee is disgusted by Arthur's decision to disown the Joker and leaves the courthouse. The next time we see her, she's in full Harley Quinn dress, with a new, shorter haircut. She doesn't want any future with Joker and sings 'That's Entertainment,' despite his protests that he doesn't want to sing anymore. She walks away and leaves him to get arrested – and her future beyond this moment is unclear, though it seems like she's just getting started. 

Is Harley really pregnant? 

Lee is revealed as a liar over several key details in the film. She tells Arthur that she was forcibly committed by her mother, that she was responsible for arson, and that she was poor and lived near his old apartment – however, it turns out she voluntarily committed herself just to meet Arthur, she went to grad school for psychiatry, and she lives with her wealthy parents. 

When Arthur confronts her for her lies, she spontaneously reveals that she's pregnant, and, when he brings it up again later, she responds with silence and a knowing look. It would seem this is another of her many mistruths, though it's left ambiguous. 

What's real and what's fake in the movie? 

In the first Joker film, Arthur hallucinated an entire relationship with his neighbour Sophie. Well, in Joker: Folie à Deux, the dream sequences are much easier to identify. Anytime Harley and Joker break out into full on, choreographed song and dance, with Arthur in full Joker makeup, that's a dream. They do sing and dance in reality too, though, but these scenes are easier to spot, since they don't change their clothes or makeup. 

Are Arthur and Joker really separate personalities? 

Arthur's legal defence (at least at first) rests on Joker being a split personality. Again, it's left ambiguous just what is going on in Arthur's head, but, by the end of the film, it certainly seems that he's disowning the theory that he has a separate personality. 

Will there be a Joker 3?

Director Todd Phillips has been very clear that he doesn't plan on returning for more Joker movies. "It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we've said what we wanted to say in this world," he told Variety. Still, the door does seem open for another film focused on Harley, though we'll have to wait and see if that ever happens. 

For more on the movie, check out our Joker: Folie à Deux review for our verdict, or settle in for a marathon with our guide on watching the DC movies in order. You can also see all the Joker: Folie à Deux Easter eggs, whether there'll be a Joker 3, and if there is a Joker: Folie à Deux post-credits scene.