is a fictional character and the main
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
of the Japanese manga series ''
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1987 to 2004, and was transferred to the monthly ''seinen'' manga ...
'' written and illustrated by
Hirohiko Araki
is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his long-running series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', which began publication in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' in 1987 and has over 120 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling ...
. He is featured primarily as the main antagonist of the series' first part, ''
Phantom Blood
is a 1987 manga series created by Hirohiko Araki, and the first part of the larger ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' series. The manga was originally serialized by Shueisha in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' under the title and was collected in five ...
'', appearing in the debut chapter , published in ''
Weekly Shōnen Jump
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of the series that run ...
'' in 1987. He later returns as the main antagonist of the series' third part, ''
Stardust Crusaders''. Now solely known as , he is a powerful
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
and user of the time-stopping Stand named The World.
The poor son of Dario Brando, an abusive
alcoholic
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...
who worked Dio's mother to death, Dio holds an inordinate amount of enmity toward others. As the series' most prolific villain, his defining trait is his staunch ambition, which manifests in a peerless desire for power, no matter the cost. In the alternate universe of the series' seventh part, ''
Steel Ball Run
is the seventh story arc of the Japanese manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Set in the United States in 1890, it stars Johnny Joestar, a paraplegic former jockey who desires to regain the us ...
'', a character named bears resemblance to Dio and appears as a major antagonist.
Creation and design
When beginning the series, Dio was the character that Araki looked forward to drawing the most. He also revealed that he had not thought up a weakness for the character and that it was difficult to come up with a way for Dio to be defeated. In regard to Dio's characterization, Araki said that he was inspired by
FBI profiling of serial killers, admitting that in a way he thinks they must be incredibly strong to be able to commit the heinous crimes that they do. How serial killers control their victims through
psychological manipulation
Manipulation in psychology is a behavior designed to exploit, control, or otherwise influence others to one’s advantage. Definitions for the term vary in which behavior is specifically included, influenced by both culture and whether referring t ...
interested Araki as well, a trait similar to how Dio uses his charisma to ensure his followers to do his bidding.
Araki intended to characterize Dio as unapologetically baleful in his pursuit of power, with his literal abandonment of his humanity reflecting his figurative and emotional one.
Araki wanted his name to sound cool next to JoJo's, so he chose Dio, the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
word for
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
.
According to Araki, Dio's physical appearance is inspired by
Rutger Hauer
Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century.
Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...
's character
Roy Batty
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 American neo-noir science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, which stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. Written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, the film is an adaptation of ...
from the 1982 film ''
Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
''.
Some of Dio's mannerisms, such as his frequent
cries of and , have yielded several
Internet meme
An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
s and other popular culture references.
Dio is canonically
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
. Araki stated in a 2007 interview that "
io'ssort of a composed character that could go either way.
ecould go with a man or a woman."
Appearances
''Phantom Blood''
In ''
Phantom Blood
is a 1987 manga series created by Hirohiko Araki, and the first part of the larger ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' series. The manga was originally serialized by Shueisha in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' under the title and was collected in five ...
'', the child of an abusive drunkard named Dario Brando, Dio Brando becomes the adopted brother of
Jonathan Joestar
is a fictional character in the Japanese manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Jonathan is the main protagonist of the series' first story arc, ''Phantom Blood''. In late 19th-century England, the y ...
by using the promise that George Joestar made to Dario years ago. Upon entering the Joestar estate after his father died, Dio wasted no time unequivocally making young Jonathan's life a living hell to take everything from him including abusing and later killing Jonathan's dog, Danny. Dio underestimated Jonathan's retaliation for forcefully kissing his beloved Erina Pendleton, spending the next seven years feigning to be Jonathan's friend before enacting his plan to steal the Joestar fortune by poisoning George with the same poison he used to kill Dario. When Jonathan investigates the matter for proof, Dio plots to use an ancient
Aztec
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
stone mask to murder Jonathan.
However, Dio learns the mask transforms the wearer into a vampire when exposed to blood, and uses it on himself when his scheme is exposed. Although seemingly killed when Jonathan impales him on a stone statue and leaves him in the burning Joestar mansion, Dio survives, and proceeds to start his subjugation of England in the small village of Windknight's Lot, amassing sired followers to his cause. Jonathan is sought out by Will A. Zeppeli, a master of an ancient martial art called Hamon, which can kill Vampires. He teaches Jonathan how to use this ability as Dio sends other vampires and zombies in his pursuit to kill him so he can take over the world.
Jonathan seemingly kills him once more, but Dio's head survives. With the help of his servant, Wang Chan, Dio attacks Jonathan on a steam liner during his honeymoon with Erina in an attempt to claim his enemy's body for his own. Despite having his throat fatally punctured by Dio, Jonathan is able to use Hamon one last time to overload the ship's engines, with Dio apparently destroyed in the resulting explosion. Erina, escaping unharmed with an orphaned girl, survives with their unborn son.
''Battle Tendency''
As he is dormant in the sunken ship, Dio Brando does not appear in ''
Battle Tendency
is the second story arc of the manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was serialized for around years in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from November 2, 1987, to March 27, 1989, for 69 c ...
'', but the aftermath of his apparent death at the hands of Jonathan Joestar affects the plot. It is ultimately revealed that Jonathan and Erina's son George Joestar II, a famed pilot of the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, was murdered by one of Dio's zombie henchmen who survived the battle of Windknight's Lot and had infiltrated the RAF. George II's wife, the orphaned girl Elizabeth, hunted down this zombie and killed him with her Hamon. However, as none else recognized the zombie's true identity, she became a wanted murderer and was forced into hiding as Lisa Lisa with the help of the Speedwagon Foundation that was founded by
Robert E. O. Speedwagon. Lisa Lisa would later encounter her son
Joseph Joestar
is a fictional character in the Japanese manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Joseph is the main protagonist of the series' second story arc, ''Battle Tendency'', and the grandson of the first arc ...
, teaching him Hamon so he can defeat the Pillar Man, Kars, whose creation of the Stone masks made him indirectly responsible for Dio's transformation.
''Stardust Crusaders''
It is revealed in ''
Stardust Crusaders'' that Dio survived the ship's explosion and attached his head is to Jonathan's body as the ship sank, confining himself in a casket at the bottom of the ocean for a century until a shipwreck salvage operation unintentionally retrieved him in 1983. Now known mononymously as "DIO", he soon meets the mystic Enya Geil who awakens both of his Stands, , allowing him to stop the passage of time around him, and a Hermit Purple-like stand (technically Jonathan's Stand; one person could only have one Stand. Since Dio is using Jonathan's body, he could use Jonathan's Stand). As his head is attached to Jonathan's body, Dio's acquisition of The World also awakens Stand abilities in all of Jonathan's living descendants. While
Joseph Joestar
is a fictional character in the Japanese manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Joseph is the main protagonist of the series' second story arc, ''Battle Tendency'', and the grandson of the first arc ...
and his grandson
Jotaro Kujo
is a fictional character in the Japanese manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. The main protagonist of the series' third story arc, '' Stardust Crusaders'', Jotaro is depicted as a rough delinque ...
have the resolve to control their Stands, Joseph's daughter and Jotaro's mother Holly has her very life sapped away from her own Stand because of her kind disposition. This spurs Jotaro and Joseph to track down Dio along with their friends Mohammed Avdol, Noriaki Kakyoin, Jean-Pierre Polnareff, and Iggy the Boston Terrier to kill him once and for all, freeing Holly from the curse the Stand has trapped her under.
Dio responds by preemptively trying to assassinate the Joestars before they can find him in his lair in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, sending other evil Stand users, some of whom (namely Kakyoin and Polnareff) he controlled mentally before they joined the Joestars on their journey. Along the way, Avdol and Iggy are killed by Dio's right-hand man Vanilla Ice, who in turn is killed by Polnareff. Dio kills Jotaro's friend Kakyoin in combat and temporarily kills Joseph after draining him of his blood, but Jotaro's own Stand Star Platinum proves to be The World's equally powered counterpart, and Jotaro's own rage at Dio being the cause of his friends' deaths and his mother's dwindling health leads him to kill Dio with Star Platinum. After the Speedwagon Foundation revives Joseph via blood transfusion from Jonathan's corpse, he and Jotaro take their ancestor's corpse out into the desert and expose it to sunlight, vanquishing Dio once and for all.
''Diamond Is Unbreakable'' and ''Golden Wind''
Dio is not present in either ''
Diamond Is Unbreakable'' or ''
Golden Wind'', but his influence on the story is still present. In ''Diamond Is Unbreakable'', it is revealed that Dio acquired his Stand by means of an ancient artifact known as the "Bow and Arrow", which has reappeared in the fictional Japanese town of Morioh because the children of one of Dio's former lackeys, Mr. Nijimura, are seeking out someone who can possibly kill their father and put him out his misery due to the strange mutation he has suffered as a result of Dio's death. In ''Golden Wind'', the protagonist
Giorno Giovanna
The ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' manga series features a large cast of characters created by Hirohiko Araki. Spanning several generations, the series is split into eight parts, each following a different descendant of the Joestar family. Parts 7 ...
is Dio's son, but because Dio was in possession of Jonathan's body at the time of Giorno's conception, Giorno is biologically Jonathan's son and thus a member of the Joestar family, and his own virtuous soul prevents him from becoming evil as Dio was, thanks to his encounter with a heroic gangster in his childhood life.
''Stone Ocean''
Dio's influence on ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' returns in ''
Stone Ocean'', where it is revealed that he met the story arc's main antagonist, Father Enrico Pucci, shortly before the events of ''Stardust Crusaders''. He told Father Pucci of his desire to use his Stand, The World in order to reach "Heaven", and saw in the young priest a friendship that would help him achieve his goals. Father Pucci's reverence for Dio drives him to carry out his plans decades later, manipulating events to frame Jotaro Kujo's daughter
Jolyne Cujoh
The ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' manga series features a large cast of characters created by Hirohiko Araki. Spanning several generations, the series is split into eight parts, each following a different descendant of the Joestar family. Parts 7 ...
for murder in order to trap her in the prison where he serves as a chaplain, using the final physical remains of Dio to evolve his Stand to reset reality in what he believes is Dio's vision of Heaven, a world where everyone knows their own destiny, and more importantly a world free of the Joestar bloodline. However, his hubris leads to his defeat at the hands of Jolyne's last surviving friend Emporio, who manages to reset reality back to what it once was, but not quite exactly the way it was before, as, in this new version of the world, Pucci is missing instead of the Joestars. ''Stone Ocean'' also introduces Dio's three other children: Ungalo, Rikiel, and Donatello Versus.
''Steel Ball Run''
Dio Brando himself does not appear in ''
Steel Ball Run
is the seventh story arc of the Japanese manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Set in the United States in 1890, it stars Johnny Joestar, a paraplegic former jockey who desires to regain the us ...
'', set in an
alternate universe in 1890, and is replaced by Diego Brando. Like Dio, Diego is the child of an abusive household, and one who reveres his mother. She instilled in him a sense of pride that he took with him as he became a masterful jockey in his adulthood. When he decides to take part in the Steel Ball Run horse race across the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, he winds up under the thrall of the Stand
Scary Monsters , transforming him into a
dromaeosaurid
Dromaeosauridae () is a family of feathered theropod dinosaurs. They were generally small to medium-sized feathered carnivores that flourished in the Cretaceous Period. The name Dromaeosauridae means 'running lizards', from Greek ('), meaning ...
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
. As a result of this encounter, however, he gains his own Stand Scary Monsters, which grants him the same abilities that he now has under his control.
Diego is hired by United States
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Funny Valentine in his quest to seek out the pieces of the Saint's Corpse scattered along the racecourse, but after some time fighting against the heroes Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli, he realizes that President Valentine's plans are more dangerous to the world as a whole and joins the heroes in an attempt to stop him, only to die during his quest as well.
Valentine then uses his Stand's powers to summon a Diego Brando from an alternate universe. This Diego possesses the same stand powers as the original Dio Brando, due to having his own version of The World as a Stand. He manages to defeat Johnny Joestar in battle and wins the Steel Ball Run, in addition to obtaining all of the Saint's Corpse and hiding it in a secure location, even though President Valentine has already been killed by Johnny in a fight. However, in this alternate universe Diego meets his demise at the hands of Lucy Steel, who uses the skull of this universe's Diego Brando to obliterate his own head as a result of the effects of Valentine's Stand.
''JoJolion''
Dio makes a brief cameo appearance during the events of "The Wonder of You (The Miracle of Your Love)" arc, along with the Stone Mask.
Abilities
Above all else, Dio Brando is known for his cunning and careful consideration.
It is when Jonathan Joestar defies his expectations, defeating him in battle and thwarting his deliberate machinations, that Dio dons the Stone Mask that grants him the power of a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
. He attains superhuman speed, regeneration fueled by sucking blood through his fingers, and strength insofar as he can lift a
road roller
A road roller (sometimes called a roller-compactor, or just roller) is a compactor-type engineering vehicle used to compact soil, gravel, concrete, or asphalt in the construction of roads and foundations. Similar rollers are used also at land ...
with ease - a frequent source of references in popular culture.
As a vampire, he most frequently uses an exaggerated
evaporated cooling form of
freezing
Freezing is a phase transition where a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. In accordance with the internationally established definition, freezing means the solidification phase change of a liquid o ...
known simply as the that allows him to freeze his opponents while rendering direct attacks with Hamon useless. While powerful, it does not kill people instantly (seen at the end of Phantom Blood, a victim of the attack survives - although he died shortly after.) Another vampiric technique available to Dio is that allows him to shoot two pressurised fluid jets from his eyes. He can also
graft
Graft or grafting may refer to:
*Graft (politics), a form of political corruption
* Graft, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Graft-De Rijp
Science and technology
*Graft (surgery), a surgical procedure
*Grafting, the joining of plant t ...
body parts of different beings together, an ability he used to take Jonathan Joestar's body as his own.
Once he returns 100 years later with Jonathan's body, Dio developed his signature Stand, The World, after being struck by the Bow and Arrow. As a psychic manifestation of Dio, it has all of his aforementioned superhuman abilities and facilitates melee attacks, though its signature ability is to stop time. This time-stopping ability only lasts for a limited amount of time (which in the anime adaptation of Stardust Crusaders is heavily exaggerated), though this limit can be extended through practice or through other means of increasing the user's strength (such as when Dio was able to increase his limit by several seconds after drinking Joseph Joestar's blood). In addition, Dio gained access to a second stand through the use of Jonathan's body; this unnamed stand bears a resemblance to Joseph's Hermit Purple, and has the ability of divination.
''Steel Ball Run''
Dio's Part 7 counterpart, Diego Brando, first encounters Scary Monsters when he comes into conflict with its original user Dr. Ferdinand, Ferdinand "infects" Diego, as well as an entire village, transforming them into
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
s. After gaining the Left Eye Corpse Part, Diego gains his own version of Scary Monsters that allows him to transform himself or others (including his horse Silver Bullet) into dinosaur versions of themselves, partially or entirely. Scary Monsters grants Diego increased strength, speed, healing, and "dynamic vision". Dynamic vision provides Diego with excellent eyesight however he can only see objects which are moving, similar to that of the Tyrannosaurus Rex in Jurassic Park.
After Diego's death by the hands of Funny Valentine, Valentine summons a Diego from an alternate universe. This Diego possesses The World like Part 3's Dio, and can also stop time. The design of Diego's The World is very similar to that of Part 3, apart from its skinnier profile and the replacement of the hearts on The World's knees for capital Ds.
Voice actors
Dio has had many different voice actors in different types of media. He was first voiced by
Norio Wakamoto
is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with the Sigma Seven talent agency. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University.
On adult works, like OVAs or dating sims, ...
in the 1992
drama CD
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
s, followed by Nobuo Tanaka in
the OVAs and
Isshin Chiba
is a Japanese voice actor who appeared in 35 films since he first started acting in 1990 and is best known for doing the voice of Jin Kazama from the ''Tekken'' series.
Biography
Isshin Chiba was born in Kesennuma, Miyagi, Japan. He graduated f ...
in the
1998 video game. He is voiced by both
Kenji Nojima
is a Japanese voice actor and singer affiliated with the voice talent agency Aoni Production. His first major role in voice-over was Spark in the '' Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight'' series. He voiced Hikaru Ichijyo in a nu ...
and
Hikaru Midorikawa
is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actor from Otawara, Tochigi who is represented by Aoni Production. He is best known for the roles of Softon in ''Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo'', Tamahome in ''Fushigi Yûgi'', Seiran Shi in ''Saiunkoku Monogatari'' ...
in the ''Phantom Blood'' video game and
2007 animated film as the younger and older incarnations, respectively. In the
2012 television anime and in all subsequent media, he is voiced by
Takehito Koyasu
is a Japanese voice actor from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.Doi, Hitoshi"Koyasu Takehito" ''Seiyuu Database''. January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011. He is affiliated with and representative of T's Factory, a voice acting agency he founded ...
.
Dio has only ever had two English voice actors; he was voiced by
Kid Beyond
Andrew Chaikin, better known by his stage name Kid Beyond, is an American singer, beatboxer, live looper and voice actor, based in the San Francisco area.
Early career
Chaikin attended Brown University and was a leader in the co-ed fraternity Z ...
in the OVAs,
and by
Patrick Seitz
David Patrick Seitz (born March 17, 1978) is an American voice actor
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists ...
in the TV anime.
In other media
Dio Brando has appeared in many video games related to the ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' franchise, usually as a
player character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
or a
boss
Boss may refer to:
Occupations
* Supervisor, often referred to as boss
* Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier
* Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization
* Fire boss, a ...
. Some games include multiple versions of the character; in ''
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven'' for example, both Dio Brando from Part 1 and DIO from Part 3 are playable characters, along with Diego Brando and Parallel World Diego from Part 7. Furthermore, he has appeared as a playable character in several crossover video games, such as ''
Jump Super Stars
''Jump Super Stars'' is a 2D crossover fighting game for the Nintendo DS, based on ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' characters. It was developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo. The game was released on August 8, 2005, in Japan and accompanied th ...
'', ''
Jump Ultimate Stars
Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory.
Jump or Jumping also may refer to:
Places
* Jump, Kentucky or Jump S ...
'', and ''
Jump Force
''Jump Force'' is a Japanese crossover fighting game developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment featuring characters from various manga series featured in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' anthology in celebration o ...
''.
Dio is the main antagonist in the story mode of ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven''. Although the video game begins with the final scenes of ''Stardust Crusaders'', the antagonist is a version of Dio from another universe who managed to beat the Joestar family. He seeks to control all universes by means of the
Saint's Corpse, and uses his more advanced powers over time to bring all of the fallen heroes and villains back to life to serve him in preventing
Jotaro Kujo
is a fictional character in the Japanese manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. The main protagonist of the series' third story arc, '' Stardust Crusaders'', Jotaro is depicted as a rough delinque ...
and the other Joestars from obtaining all of the Saint's Corpse, or at least using them to gather the parts so he can steal them from them and achieve his ultimate power. This version of Dio is called and his Stand is called .
Reception
Dio has generally received praise from various reviewers of manga, anime, and other media; most praised his frightening and enjoyably evil personality making an appealing antagonist, as well as his influence on the rest of the series. Rebecca Silverman of
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
notes that his far-reaching influence throughout the entire series works especially well as a stark contrast to his humble origins. Her colleague Jacob Chapman called him "one of the greatest supervillains ever invented in any medium." Can Hoang Tran of
The News Hub cites the anticipation of Dio's appearance in the 2014 reanimation of ''Stardust Crusaders'' to be a driving force of the series' success, later calling him the most rewarding character to play as in the series' video games. Joel Loynds of The Linc wrote "Dio's actions so powerfully and immediately establish his evil... that you will be invested in seeing his evolution even more than you
ill be for JoJo ILL may refer to:
* ''I Love Lucy'', a landmark American television sitcom
* Illorsuit Heliport (location identifier: ILL), a heliport in Illorsuit, Greenland
* Institut Laue–Langevin, an internationally financed scientific facility
* Interlibrar ...
. Dallas Marshall of Green Tea Graffiti writes that Araki's straightforward intention of making the reader hate Dio worked simply and flawlessly, citing Dio's defining character moment as burning the protagonist's dog alive. Jun Yamamoto for ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' said he "could almost feel the passion and ambition that Jonathan Joestar had in his fight against Dio" when listening to the first opening of the TV series.
Readers of Anime News Network voted Dio number one in a poll of which anime villains would make the best friends in real life for his "cool composure" and "awesome lines".
In February 2013, a life-size statue of Dio was displayed at
Wonder Festival
The , or , is a semiannual (February and August) event held in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is sponsored by the Kaiyodo manufacturing company. The main focus is to display and sell "garage kits", which are sculptures that usually repr ...
to promote the event. Starting in June 2014, Dio began appearing on cans of Japanese best-selling
java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
coffee, as part of a special promotion of their Emerald Mountain Black flavor. An attraction in Cinema 4-D based on the fight between Dio and Jotaro Kujo had been created by
Universal Studios Japan
is a theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of six Universal Parks & Resorts, Universal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside the United States. The park is owned and operated by a whol ...
.
Several characters in Japanese anime, manga, and video games draw inspiration from Dio. One such example is
Sakuya Izayoi from the ''
Touhou Project
The , also known simply as , is a bullet hell shoot 'em up video game series created by one-man independent Japanese ''doujin'' soft developer Team Shanghai Alice. Since 1995, the team's member, Jun'ya "ZUN" Ōta, has independently developed ...
''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brando, Dio
Adoptee characters in anime and manga
Anime and manga characters who can move at superhuman speeds
Anime and manga characters with accelerated healing
Anime and manga characters with superhuman strength
Anime and manga supervillains
Comics characters introduced in 1987
Fictional bisexual males
Fictional British people
Fictional characters who can manipulate time
Fictional characters with immortality
Fictional characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability
Fictional characters with superhuman senses
Fictional hypnotists and indoctrinators
Fictional mass murderers
Fictional murdered people
Fictional patricides
Fictional vampires
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
LGBT characters in anime and manga
Male characters in anime and manga
Narcissism in fiction