Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the longest stories ever told. Born in 1987 from the mind of Hirohiko Araki, this franchise has spawned countless memes, iconic moments, and an anime spanning almost 200 episodes. And with the new season, Steel Ball Run, on the way, you may feel like you can’t join the fun.
But don’t worry, I’ve watched all 6 parts, and I’ll be getting you up to speed before you can say “Jojo.” So grab a snack and get ready, because we’ll be covering multiple generations of the Joestar family.
Phantom Blood
We begin our journey in 19th-century England with the man who started it all: the honorable Jonathan Joestar, and his wicked adoptive brother, Dio Brando. After his father succumbs to an unknown illness, Dio is taken in by the wealthy Joestar Family. Here he lays his careful plan to take the Joestar Fortune for himself.
But if he wants to get his hands on it, he’ll have to go through Jonathan. What starts as family drama reaches its peak when Dio uses a stone mask to become a vampire with the new goal of world domination. After learning a mystical breathing technique called Hamon from his traveling teacher, Jonathan begins his quest to stop Dio’s madness once and for all.
Phantom Blood may be short, but it certainly sets the tone for all that’s left to come. It shows JoJo’s trademark absurdity and sprinkles in a bit of humor with a dash of heroism. But get the tissues ready because you might even find yourself shedding a few tears alongside our muscled hero with a heart of gold.
Battle Tendency
We now go from England to New York. Our story picks up with Jonathan’s grandson, a loud, sarcastic, clever young man named Joseph Joestar. Where Jonathan was a chivalrous hero, Joseph is a trickster who relies on pure wit to survive.
Joseph’s adventure begins when German forces make the mistake of awakening the ancient Pillar Men, superhumans with only one goal: to find the Red Stone of Aja to become the ultimate lifeforms. After extensive training with Hamon master Lisa Lisa, Joseph finally faces the Pillar Men. After taking down two out of the three Pillar Men, Joseph must face their leader, the ever-evolving Kars.
Like Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency is on the shorter side, but it makes up for it with greater emphasis on humor and battles with endless twists and turns. Certainly one of the more underrated parts, Battle Tendency is a great story that wraps up the origins of the Joestar family and sets up one of the most iconic seasons in anime.
Stardust Crusaders
Now let’s make our way to Japan for the next chapter in the Joestar family’s story. Years after the defeat of Kars, a mysterious coffin is salvaged from the sea. Inside dwells the wicked vampire himself, Dio Brando. Now possessing Jonathan’s body, Dio is back to end the Joestar bloodline. With Dio’s resurrection comes the rise of a new, greater power called Stands, a manifestation of their wielder’s fighting spirit.
Facing Dio this time are the stoic juvenile delinquent, Jotaro Kujo, and his Stand, Star Platinum. In a journey that takes them through countless parts of the world, Jotaro and company face off against Dio’s forces and their countless stands. Each fight is a battle of fists and wits as each Stand has its own bizarre rules and powers. Upon finally arriving at Dio’s doorstep, Jotaro faces off against The World, a Stand that can stop time.
Stardust Crusaders is one of the more iconic arcs in Jojo, thanks to its fantastic action and bloodpumping stand battles. From here, countless crazy moments were born. Stardust Crusaders. widely beloved and for good reason. It gives you plenty of time to fall in love with the story. But now, we must move on to the next adventure.
Diamond is Unbreakable
After the grand adventure of Stardust Crusaders, things have calmed down. That is, until a mysterious breakout of stand users and mysteries brings Jotaro to the sleepy town of Morioh. Here he meets Joseph Joestar’s secret love child, Josuke Higashikata, a punk with an honorable streak who vows to protect Morioh alongside his stand Crazy Diamond. Well, as long as you don’t diss his pompadour.
What starts as a much more down-to-earth story slowly escalates into a darker tale about what lies beneath. After encountering a mysterious ghost girl named Reimi, Josuke and his friends learn of a crazed serial killer, the seemingly mundane Yoshikage Kira.
Diamond is Unbreakable is certainly one of the slower Jojo parts. Rather than a never-ending slugfest, it’s a mixture of slice of life and horror. It’s a battle of cat and mouse between our heroes and Kira and his stand, Killer Queen. While it may not have the fights of Stardust Crusaders, it does still have that element of problem-solving with even crazier stand powers.
Golden Wind
From Japan, we make our way to Italy. It’s here where we meet the next member of the Joestar bloodline, Giorno Giovanna, the son of Dio. But not to worry, he may have Dio’s blood running through his veins, but he also has the Joestar family’s strong moral compass.
After saving a wounded mobster, Giorno was granted his protection. That day, Giorno vowed to be a gang-star and ensure that his town was rid of drugs. And with his Stand, Gold Experience, at his side, Giorno joins Passione, a gang of Stand users with the goal of challenging their mysterious leader, Diavolo.
Golden Wind is one of the flashiest Jojo parts, but under all that drama is a story that builds up the world of Jojo. It’s a story of betrayal, destiny, and what it means to be worthy of power. All wrapped up in a protagonist who skirts the lines of morality with an iron will. All too beg the hero his town needs.
Stone Ocean
The last stop on our journey takes us to Florida, where we meet Jolyne Cujoh, Jotaro’s estranged daughter. Jolyne is a hot-headed girl with endless sarcasm and an iron will. After being arrested for a crime she didn’t commit, Jolyne is sent to Green Dolphin Street Prison.
Inside the prison, Jolyne learns about a final lingering thread of Dio’s influence, Father Pucci, and the sons of Dio. Alongside her stand, Stone Free, Jolyne fights not just to escape but to finally end Dio’s reign. In an adventure that sees her make friends in unlikely places, Jolyne stands up to Dio’s followers and faces evil that goes beyond anything she ever dreamed.
Stone Ocean is a very chaotic and emotionally heavy Jojo part. With unlikely friends, ruthless enemies, and a story that gathers all the pieces of the story we’ve been following, Stone Ocean is unforgettable. It also harbors a rather strange ending, but wraps up the Joestar story neatly. You’ll find yourself looking back and smiling at all the great memories you’ve made alongside our numerous heroes.
What’s next?
But that’s just the story of one Jojo family. If you think that’s all there is to Jojo, then you’ve got another thing coming. Stone Ocean may have capped off one version of the Joestars’ story, but Steel Ball Run gives us a glimpse at another timeline where there’s a new threat on the rise, and disabled jockey Johnny Joestar is here to stop it in the cross-country race, the Steel Ball Run. And now that you know the whole story, you’re free to enjoy it with everyone else once Steel Ball Run hits Netflix.
