And to think that all of this started because of a little sibling rivalry. After finishing work on his earlier manga series Baoh, Hirohiko Araki wrote the first chapter of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure in 1987. Initially, Araki planned to focus on the oddities Johnathan Joestar encountered while feuding with his adoptive brother Dio Brando.
But halfway through Phantom Blood, Araki caught wind of Fist of The North Star - heavily inspiring the mangaka to take Jojo's Bizarre Adventure down a very different path. From that point on, Araki decided to make Jojo as genuinely bizarre as he could - starting with the main characters of each story arc. Even if you're a die-hard fan, we're sure there are at least a few hidden details you've missed surrounding the Joestar clan and their allies. That's where this article comes in.
Kenshiro Heavily Inspired Johnathan Joestar
We briefly mentioned Fist of the North Star but words fail to do it justice. Fist of the North Star (aka Hokuto no Ken) follows Kenshiro - a roided out fusion of Bruce Lee and Mad Max who explodes things with his bare fists! Kenshiro pioneered many staples of battle anime culture, including "Rapid Punch Attacks" and those "You are already dead" memes.
Consequently, Ken inspired Johnathan Joestar's design and special moves near the end of Phantom Blood. Kenshiro also indirectly influencing the stand cries from later arcs, further entwining Fist of the North Star and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure!
Joseph Joestar Is The Only Character To Use A Stand & Ripple
Following the tragic conclusion of Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency kicked into high gear. At its center is Joseph Joestar, the grandson of Johnathan. Unlike his predecessor, Joseph was an irreverent goofball whose carelessness constantly questioned his status as a warrior.
But by the end, Joseph matured into a bonafide hero - mastering the Ripple and defeating Kars at the cost of his left hand. By the time Part 3 rolls in, Joseph is older, wiser, and in possession of a Stand - making him the only character to wield a Stand and use Ripple in the entire series!
"Yare Yare Daze" Has No Direct Translation
Perhaps as a form of karma for the way he treated Lisa Lisa, Joseph had trouble with his pupil Jotaro Kujo. Despite his gigantic stature and dour demeanor, Jotaro was only 17 years old during Stardust Crusaders! Jotaro was still maturing, much to the chagrin of his allies.
You see, Jotaro hardly wanted to do anything short of stand around and brood. And whenever he took action, he'd usually exclaim "Yare yare daze" in frustration. Turns out there isn't a direct translation of this phrase. The closest English approximation is "Give me a break" or "What a pain."
Josuke Higashikata (From Part 4) Is Araki's Favorite Character
Jotaro Kujo is undoubtedly the most popular member of the Joestar clan. But just because fans fawn over a character doesn't mean that Araki feels the same way. In fact, Araki's favorite member of the Joestar Clan is Josuke Higashikata: the unbreakable high schooler with a mean pompadour!
Allegedly, Araki isn't that crazy about Jotaro, finding his devil-may-care attitude annoying. Rumors aside, Araki admires Josuke's kind and compassionate personality, feeling that the world would be better if more people had a similar mindset. Also, you just can't beat a hairdo that stylish - it's a fact!
Giorno Is Araki's 5th Favorite Character
Giorno Giovanna is one of the biggest departures from the Joestar clan - he's the son of DIO (it's all caps now) Brando while the latter possessed Johnathan Joestar's body! Giorno's also one of the youngest protagonists ever, embarking on his bizarre adventures in Part 5 at 15 years old.
Fittingly, the protagonist of Part 5 is Hirohiko Araki's 5th favorite character. Much like Josuke, Giorno possesses a caring personality and healing powers to boot. However, Giorno's inherited a few of DIO's traits as well - such as Brando's "Muda Muda" Stand Cry and his penchant for brutally dispatching enemies.
Jolyne Wasn't Initially Fond Of The Jojo Nickname
Araki ensures that what goes around comes around. Just as Jotaro gave Joseph hell in his youth, so too did his daughter Jolyne! As the first female lead of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Jolyne made it a point to prove that she was just as tough as any of her predecessors.
However, Jolyne also proved that she was equally stubborn, rushing headfirst and challenging others with too much gusto. Jolyne even refused to let anyone other than her mother call her Jojo - especially not Jotaro! By the end of Stone Ocean, however, Jolyne warms up to the nickname and her father.
Weather Report Might Be A Walking Jamiroquai Reference
Weather Report is a weird character, who only becomes more perplexing as Part 6 advanced. Though he lacks direct ties to the Joestar family, Weather Report miraculously gets a Joestar birthmark! The guy has a truly bizarre fashion sense - namely, that gigantic hat of his.
But there's a method to Araki's madness - well, most of the time. Jojo fans think Weather Report is based on the Buffalo Man, the mascot for the English funk band Jamiroquai! Considering how many music references are in Jojo, this makes sense. We also don't want to invalidate the Virtual Insanity Weather Report tributes online.
Gyro Zeppeli Could See Stands Before He Gained One Himself
Traditionally, Jojo characters see Stands after they manifest one themselves. However, Gyro Zeppeli broke this trend in Steel Ball Run, where he displays the ability to monitor Stands without possessing one of his own (at the time, anyhow.)
Gyro's an all around trailblazer in Part 7, acting as the main protagonist of Steel Ball Run until Johnny comes into his own. According to Araki, Gyro and Johnny's relationship was meant as a callback to Will and Johnathan's from Part 1. Gyro is Johnny's mentor, so it makes sense that the former would be an expert on the subject of Stands.
Johnny Has A Bug Bite Fetish
Do you know what Formicophilia is? In a nutshell, it's a fetish that means someone has an attraction to bug bites. Hey, we're not here to knock anyone's kinks - especially since Johnny Joestar is a Formicophile.
In a conversation that took place in Steel Ball Run, Johnny reveals that bug bites get him hot and bothered. That's the thing about the later Jojo story arcs: the characters became increasingly bizarre, not just through the narratives or villains they contended. But hey, that's what makes the manga all the more readable and the anime all the more watchable.
Josuke Higashikata (From JoJolion) Has Four Testicles
To rest our previously mentioned case, we present Josuke from JoJolion - a charming lad with a severe case of memory loss, two sets of irises, two tongues, and four testicles! Anime is more comfortable with nudity and explicit content than Western animation, but we hope we never see Josuke's junk!
We get that authors try to double the stakes with every new story they create, but this is still out there. Like, okay, the circumstances surrounding Josuke are strange, but this makes Johnny's bug bite fetish seem tame in comparison!