Patton Oswalt's Joker Theory Will Change How You Watch 'The Dark Knight'

Patton Oswalt is not just a devoted nerd, he’s an incredibly intelligent and thoughtful nerd. In 2012, he appeared on “Parks and Recreation” and ranted for eight minutes straight, outlining his brilliantly detailed plot for a Star Wars-Marvel crossover film.

On Saturday, Oswalt knocked around a theory about “The Dark Knight” ― specifically about the origin of Heath Ledger’s Joker. The 2008 film explains almost nothing about where the character came from, but some fans have theorized that because of his fighting style and familiarity with weapons, the Joker is a war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Oswalt takes that idea further and asks, “What if he’s not only ex-military, but ex-military intelligence?”

This theory makes a lot of sense and adds clarity to some of the Joker’s lines throughout the film. For example, he says of one character, “I know the squealers when I see them.” Or the scene in the police interrogation room where Batman slams the Joker’s head on the table, and the villain says, “Never start with the head. The victim gets all fuzzy.”

“The Dark Knight,” for which Ledger posthumously won an Oscar, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Cleary, the award was well-deserved given that people are still finding new ways to look at the performance a decade later.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.