Tim Burton is one of those directors with a panache that is so trenchant , his picture can be spy a nautical mile away . Whether it ’s a creepy-crawly stop - question repulsion film or an adaptation of a Roald Dahl al-Qur’an , Burton ’s personal legal tender is on it . His dash is characterized by dark , gloomy visuals , German expressionist influences , and gothic - inspired storytelling . Along with that style comes a very specific type of character .

Across his career , Burton has brought many quirky creation to the screen ( most of them make for by Johnny Depp ) . So , without further ado , here are the 10 most memorable Tim Burton characters , ranked .

Willy Wonka In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Gene Wilder gavea career - defining round as Willy Wonkain the original adaptation of Roald Dahl ’s classic baby ’s Holy Scripture , so Johnny Depp had his piece of work cut out for him when Tim Burton cast him in the remaking . Depp ’s Wonka is immensely different than Wilder ’s , but he ’s also arguably as iconic . It was a problematic sell , land Burton ’s gloomy , medieval optic style to a family movie about a turn of a chocolate factory , but it ’s fair to say that he succeeded admirably . The movie has an utterly unequalled quality , ground byits contribute character being beyond quirky – not to mention unforgettable .

The Penguin In Batman Returns

Lately , there ’s beentalk of the Penguin taking on Robert Pattinson ’s recently cast Batmanin his DCEU solo flick , and fans have beennaming their top choices for the function . But let ’s be honest , no one will ever be as perfect for the function as Danny DeVito . He has the smell , the maniac attitude , andthe act chops to depict Oswald Cobblepot as a condemnable mastermind as well as a flamboyant , monocle - wearing penguin enthusiast . The Penguin was the Batman villain that most suitedthe bleak , melancholy optic style of Burton ’s films , so the two went hand - in - hand to deport one of superhero movie theater ’s all - time expectant villains .

The Headless Horseman In Sleepy Hollow

Originally , Kevin Yagher was place to directSleepy Hollowas a abject - budget , running play - of - the - milling machinery slasher film . But when Tim Burton came aboard , it ballooned into a opulent $ 100 million mediaeval romance ( with all the horror leave intact ) . Washington Irving ’s shortsighted story “ The Legend of Sleepy Hollow , ” which the moving-picture show is based on , has long been considered the first truly bully work in the comedy - repugnance subgenre , butBurton ’s movie drop the comedy in favor of create a mother wit of straight - up terrorin the audience . Burton ’s Headless Horseman , played by both Christopher Walken and Ray Park , is as memorable a foe on the screen as he is on the page .

Sweeney Todd In Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

In this twenty-four hours and years , it ’s not easygoing to make musical flick employment – specially if they revolve around barbers who slice masses ’s pharynx and then broil their flesh into pies and process those pies to the populace – but if anyone could walkthat furrow between the impulsive and the sick , it ’s Tim Burton .

He faithfully adapted the Stephen Sondheim leg melodic while bringing his own cinematic flair to it . But of course , this would all be nonmeaningful if the championship character himself was poorly represented . Fortunately , Johnny Depp bring in a seldom - seen passion to the part of the cold - hearted , murderous Mr. Todd .

Miss Alma Peregrine In Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

With Johnny Depp ’s public image crumbling and the director ’s relationship with Helena Bonham Carter issue forth to an end , Tim Burton recently bump himself in need of a new muse . Fortunately , he receive that musein the form of Eva Green . Green has the mystique and dark charm to draw in off a Burton role , and she distinctly bask that chance as the lead inMiss Peregrine ’s Home for Peculiar Children , the motion-picture show that solidified their collaboration . While the film ’s narrative isa small weak and promises more than it hand over , Green ’s performance as Miss Peregrine more than get up for it . She ’s also bright drawn by Burton ’s direction and Jane Goldman ’s script .

Sparky In Frankenweenie

Tim Burton ’s feature - duration remaking of his flighty stop - move animated 1984 short of the same name was an unusual fiddling movie thatdidn’t make a huge splash at the box office , or get a stack of aid from sports fan , butit was a lot of playfulness . It wasa lighthearted take on theFrankensteinstory . Instead of a mad scientist repair various corpses mashed together , a male child who overleap his favourite dog Sparky brings him back to life . And while the son , Victor , is technically the lead character of the film , it ’s his reanimated canine that makes the expectant impression on the audience .

The Joker In Batman

While the classical screen version of the Joker will always be Heath Ledger ’s turn inThe Dark Knight , Jack Nicholson ’s iteration from Tim Burton ’s 1989Batmanmovie isa close second . This version of the Joker was given an origin story : he ’s a gangster who falls into a tub of chemicals that permanently stains his skin in the colour of clown physical composition .

In a shameful third - act turn , he ’s also give away to bethe hombre who murdered Bruce Wayne ’s parent . From waking up in a dark room and laugh at his show in the mirror to dancing with Vicki Vale in the pallid moonlight , Nicholson ’s Joker has a ton of iconic moments .

Edward Scissorhands In Edward Scissorhands

Inspired by a word-painting Tim Burton drew as a teenager growing up in a sunny suburban townspeople , Edward Scissorhandsmight be the managing director ’s quirkiest motion-picture show . But it ’s alsoone of his sweetest and most heartfelt works . The sight of a pallid - skinned man with messy hair and leaf blade for fingers would traditionally advise a monster , but Burton flipped that arithmetic mean on its drumhead and gave us a role that we could finger sorry for . It ’s not Edward ’s fracture that he ’s different , but at the same time , the fact that he has scissors mystify out his hand inherently presents a real risk , so there ’s a double - edged conflict ( no paronomasia mean ) to his very macrocosm .

Jack Skellington In The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tim Burton did n’t directThe Nightmare Before Christmas – that eminence goes to Henry Selick – but he did ferment on the story and act as manufacturer , so it ’s just to say that Jack Skellington is a Tim Burton character . He ’s also the ultimate antihero , as the crowned “ Pumpkin King ” of spooky Halloween Town who stumble into Christmas Town andfalls in love with the pageantry and festivitiesof Christmas , then tries to bring the two town together . This is a guy whose whole existence and occupation is built around instilling fear into multitude and a fascination with the macabre , and yet he just require to preface his friend to the admiration of Christmas . It ’s really pretty adorable .

Betelgeuse In Beetlejuice

It ’s not gentle to make a parasitic ghoul who takes glee in tormenting the recently deceased a likable character , buttrust Michael Keaton to do just that . Whereas someone like Robin Williams or Jim Carrey would go right smart over - the - top with their performance in a use like Betelgeuse , Keaton walk the o.k. line between nuanced and barmy to delivera character reference who is absurd without ever getting annoying . Plus , the work of the costume house decorator and makeup artist ca n’t be discredited , since they create a look for the character that audiences would never bury . Like all the best movie characters – Indiana Jones , Darth Vader , Freddy Krueger etc . – Betelgeuse is straight off recognizable .

NEXT : Every Tim Burton Movie Ranked , risky To Best

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Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice

Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

Warner Bros.

Danny DeVito as Penguin in Batman Returns looking offscreen

Warner Bros.

The Headless Horseman reattaching his skull in Sleepy Hollow

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in Sweeney Todd

Eva Green as Miss Peregrine in Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children

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Nicholson Joker Promotional Still

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Jack Skellington looking at a Snowflake from Nightmare Before Christmas

Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice sitting down in his suit.

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