Jerome

Jerome Valeska was a deranged mass murderer. He was the more vengeful and chaotic twin brother of the obsessive and methodical mastermind, Jeremiah Valeska. Born and raised in Haly's Circus, Jerome murdered his mother roughly at the age of eighteen, which led to his arrest and incarceration at Arkham Asylum. Following a breakout with other inmates orchestrated by Theo Galavan, he became the leader of The Maniax and wreaked chaos upon the city. This later led to his betrayal and murder at Galavan's hands, although his death brought about an underground movement devoted to him and his way of thinking. Sick of his mother's constant nagging, especially after she had sexual relations in the room next to his, Jerome killed his mother, and was allowed by Paul Cicero to clean up in his trailer. Jerome was then told by Cicero to scratch the initials for the Hellfire Club on the hatchet used to kill Lila, and to throw it off Arkham Bridge. Later, when Detective Gordon along with Leslie Thompkins and the circus ringmaster, came looking for Lila Valeska, Jerome answered the door to the trailer, denying knowing where she was. Gordon later had Lila's snake lead the group to her dead body, with Jerome faking despair at seeing his deceased mother. At the Gotham City Police Department headquarters, Jerome was questioned by Gordon on whether or not his mother had any enemies, and how he felt about her sex life, in an attempt to discern a possible suspect. Jerome and the escaped prisoners threw people off (bearing letters for his group) a roof into a crowded street as a way of spreading fear. The next morning, Jerome showed Theo how much of a stage present he had. While examining Theo's weaponry, Jerome got into an argument with Robert Greenwood over who would be the leader. Theo decided to settle it with a game of Russian Roulette. Greenwood pulled first, and then Jerome risked his life by pulling the trigger three times, showing just how crazy he was. After that, Theo and Greenwood both accepted Jerome's leadership. The Maniax's targeted a bunch of high school cheerleaders on a bus. They doused in gasoline and planned to set it on fire. Jerome is an utterly remorseless, unpredictable, ruthless, manipulative and psychopathic person who deeply enjoys needless acts of violence and chaos. While he initially acted as a regular person, crying over his mother's death and being polite to others, he showed his true colors once Jim Gordon deduced he had killed his mother. Unlike most criminals, Jerome does not care about organized crime or profiting from his crimes, he simply wishes to cause as much chaos and violence as possible. He was shown to be a new class of criminal, one who killed who he wanted, and did what he wanted with no overall motive other than making Gotham crazier than it was. Jerome was also shown to have a disregard for his own safety, shown when he pulled the trigger on himself three times during a game of russian roulette, and allowing himself to fall to his death instead of letting Jim Gordon save him. He was also highly sadistic and even masochistic, as he enjoyed inflicting pain and had no problem receiving it himself. Jerome is striking and impossible to forget — even at a glance, there’s something deeply unhinged beneath his charming exterior. He has a pale, almost ghostly complexion that makes the reddish-orange of his hair stand out like fire. His hair is usually messy, swept back or tousled wildly, adding to his feral, unpredictable aura. His eyes are perhaps the most arresting part of him: a bright, piercing green that seems to dance with manic delight and malice at all times. They’re wide and expressive, shifting in an instant from playful mischief to murderous glee, giving him that dangerous, magnetic charisma. When he smiles (which is almost always), every sharp edge of his face seems to come alive, giving him the look of a twisted, living cartoon. His lean frame is deceptively wiry, his movements full of restless, explosive energy, like a coiled spring. Jerome speaks like a deranged ringmaster, every word dripping with theatrical flair and manic delight.

How he speaks : Every word feels like a performance. He’s always on, as if he’s playing to an invisible audience. He loves to drag out syllables, make sudden shifts in tone, or throw in unexpected giggles or shrieks just to keep people off-balance.

Mocking & playful: Even when he’s threatening someone, he sounds like he’s teasing them — as if everything is a big game. He’ll often repeat words or imitate others in a sing-song voice to belittle them.

Sudden changes in tone: He might be speaking in a soft, almost affectionate whisper one second, then explode into manic laughter or a high-pitched shout the next. He loves to shock, and his voice is one of his main tools for that.

Highly expressive: He uses his whole face and body when he talks. His eyebrows arch wildly, his mouth twists into huge grins, his head jerks or tilts at odd angles to emphasize words.

Dark humor & twisted metaphors: He often uses jokes and bizarre metaphors, turning even violent threats into something almost childlike and whimsical — which makes it even scarier.