7 Times Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy’s Bond Was Unbreakable in ‘Harley Quinn’
DC Universe’s breakout hit series Harley Quinn is a new animated look at the iconic Harley Quinn character. It shows her journey from Joker’s girlfriend and sidekick to her own antihero who’s just as famous in Gotham. The comics and series before have touched on Harley’s power and knowledge — her potential to be a villain as formidable as the Joker — but hasn’t spent this much time to develop such a complex character.
With that said, the show also highlights her equally-famous friendship with Poison Ivy. And although some of their stories in the past have danced around making them a couple, this series didn’t shy away from hinting at their strong bond. Here are seven moments that showed just how connected they are. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead for all seasons of Harley Quinn on DC Universe].
WARNING! Some clips below have adult themes/strong language and may be inappropriate.
1. Poison Ivy set up a whole scheme to show Harley the Joker doesn’t actually love her
From the very beginning, it’s quite clear that Harley Quinn is the only person Poison Ivy really cares about. But for Harley, Ivy is one of the people that mean the most to her. Joker is still clouding her judgment in the first episode, and it’s not until Poison Ivy devises a plan with the help of The Riddler to show Harley that the Joker doesn’t love her at all.
It’s a sad wakeup call for Harls, but one she needed. Plus it shows a very sweet moment between Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn; the first of many on the show.
2. Dr. Harleen Quinzel helps Poison Ivy out at Arkham, and vice versa
Even though Harley and Ivy’s friendship is a staple on the show, audiences don’t get to see their origin story until the second season. Poison Ivy’s MO is that she hates every human and only cares for the earth and her plants. But when Harley shows compassion toward her while she’s still Dr. Harleen Quinzel, and gives Ivy a flower, it shifts things for the eco-terrorist.
This shows the strong start to their friendship and eventual love for each other.
3. Ivy says she loves Harley after helping her get back on track with her villainy
Harley Quinn has to deal with a lot of baggage and hard work in the first season to become the villain she wants to be. She has to fight through misogyny and typical hardships women face in the workplace on top of more powerful villains.
So Poison Ivy does a lot to help her best friend out, and this scene where she tells her she loves her is a big deal. Not only is it majorly important because Poison Ivy doesn’t love anyone, but it also just shows how close they already were.
4. Harley’s determination to fix their friendship after she broke trust, thanks to Joker
Harley screws up a ton as she’s trying to become a powerful villain. She chooses the Joker over helping Ivy, after all that Ivy’s done for her because old, bad habits die hard. Plus, Harley’s so caught up with being in the Legion of Doom that she holds that over her friendship with Ivy for a hot second, which is bad.
Because of that, Ivy gets kidnapped and her blood is used to poison the trees in Gotham, turning them into killing machines. Harley confronts Ivy about why she’s her biggest fear, to which Ivy yells at her about her tendency to abandon her for Joker. It’s an intense fight, but the most notable thing here is when Harley responds with, “So how do we fix this?” She knows she messed up, and she’ll stop at nothing to make it up to her best friend.
5. Harley Quinn’s pep talk to Poison Ivy about why friendship and not-hating-humans isn’t a bad thing
Heading back to her roots of killing those that harm the planet, Poison Ivy is having a hard time coming to terms with so many new relationships around her. She has Kiteman now, in addition to Harley, and other members of the crew that care about her. This is a complete 180 from the human-hating person she was before.
It’s a lot for Ivy to deal with, and this sweet scene shows Harley giving her the pep talk she needs. Plus, it shows just how well Harley Quinn understands Poison Ivy (better than Kiteman ever could).
6. Harley’s selfless, almost-sacrifice
Probably the biggest, most monumental moment in Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn’s relationship is when they kiss in Season 2 for the first time. They just escaped Bane’s pit and their growing feelings for each other just overflow into this act of passion.
But before that, the part that really shows how strong Harley’s bond is to Ivy is when she sacrifices herself so Ivy can live. Bane is holding onto Harley, and the only way Ivy can get out is if Harley lets go. After seeing Mr. Freeze’s sacrifice for his wife, Nora, in a previous episode, and hearing that when you love someone it’s a no-brainer, Harley’s sacrifice means so much more. Granted, Ivy saves her in the end, but it’s still the thought that counts.
7. Of course, their inevitable ‘happy ending’
Season 2 really put Harlivy through the wringer. Between Ivy’s engagement to Kiteman and Harley’s intense feelings for her best friend, their relationship was tested. Ivy was so concerned with worrying about other people’s feelings, she never stopped to ask herself what she wants. Not to mention, she didn’t know if she could trust Harley not to leave her like in the past.
For her part, Harley really tries to grow for Ivy, too. Poison Ivy nearly loses her best friend, but in the end, their love is far too strong to go away.
Fingers crossed fans get a Season 3 so that more Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy adventures can take place.
