is the third story arc of the
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
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 ...
. The arc was serialized for a little over 3 years. It was serialized in
Shueisha
(lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...
's ''
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 ...
'' from April 3, 1989, to April 27, 1992, for 152 chapters, which were later collected into 16 ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' volumes. In its original publication, it was known as . The arc was preceded by ''
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 ...
'' and followed by ''
Diamond Is Unbreakable''.
In 2012, ''Stardust Crusaders'' was digitally colored and released as digital downloads for
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
s and
tablet computer
A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being comput ...
s. A ten-volume hardcover re-release under the title ''JoJonium'' was published in 2014 and 2015.
Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
initially released the sixteen-volume format of the arc in North America between 2005 and 2010. They released the hardcover format from 2016 to 2019.
It is one of the most popular parts of the ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' series as it introduced the audience to the concept of Stands, which differentiated it from its predecessors.
This popularity later spawned video games, a three volume
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 ...
series, two novels and two
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
series of this arc alone. An
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television adaptation by
David Production
is a Japanese animation studio founded in September 2007 and is based in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo. Notable works from the studio include ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', ''Cells at Work!'', and '' Fire Force''.
Establishment
The company was founded b ...
, ''
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders'', aired in Japan between April 2014 and June 2015.
Stardust Crusaders also stands out as the only arc of the series to gain any notable Western exposure prior to the release of the anime series by David Production in 2012, due to the
1993 OVA series,
1999 video game and the English releases of the manga in 2005–2010.
Plot
In Japan, 1987,
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 ...
, grandson of
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 ...
, has been arrested, and refuses to leave his cell, believing he is possessed by an evil spirit. After being called by Holly, Joseph's daughter and Jotaro's mother, Joseph arrives with an associate, Mohammed Avdol. They explain that Jotaro's "evil spirit" is actually a manifestation of his fighting spirit, called a Stand, and reveal that they possess Stands as well. Joseph explains that the sudden appearance of their Stands is caused by the nemesis of his grandfather,
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 ...
:
Dio Brando
is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Japanese manga series ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. He is featured primarily as the main antagonist of the series' first part, ''Phantom Blood'', a ...
, now referred to simply as DIO. Dio has survived his battle with Jonathan by decapitating his nemesis's corpse and attaching his own head to it. Now preparing for global conquest, Dio has awoken his own Stand (which awakens the Stands of the rest of the Joestar bloodline due to his use of Jonathan's body) and recruited Stand-using assassins to kill Jonathan's remaining descendants. Soon after, Jotaro uses his Stand, which is later named Star Platinum, to defeat the first of these assassins, a transfer student named Noriaki Kakyoin, before freeing Kakyoin from Dio's control by removing a parasitic flesh bud from him. Holly soon becomes gravely ill due to a Stand manifesting in her, which is slowly killing her due to her reserved personality. With little hesitation, Jotaro, Joseph, Avdol, and Kakyoin begin a journey to
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
to kill Dio and save Holly's life. On the way, they defeat another brainwashed assassin named Jean Pierre Polnareff who later joins the quest to kill Dio and avenge the death of his sister, whose murderer is among Dio's forces.
Forced to travel on foot after Dio's assassins manage to foil their travel by plane and ship, the group encounter Hol Horse and the murderer of Polnareff's sister, J. Geil, in
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
, with Avdol seemingly killed during the confrontation. Polnareff kills J. Geil with Kakyoin's help, and the remaining group travels further into
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. After defeating Geil's mother, a Dio loyalist named Enya, the group reach the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
, where Polnareff learns Avdol faked his death to acquire a submarine that allows them to reach Egypt.
Upon arriving in
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising two massive rock-cut temples in the village of Abu Simbel ( ar, أبو سمبل), Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan. It is situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about sou ...
, the heroes are joined by Iggy, a
Boston Terrier
The Boston Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United States of America. This "American Gentleman" was accepted in 1893 by the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed. Color and markings are important when distinguishing this breed f ...
with a Stand of his own, while facing the first of nine Stands named after Egyptian deities (rather than the tarot theme of before). Kakyoin is wounded in the fight, and is taken to a hospital to recuperate. After the group defeats several more Stand users while reaching
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 ...
, Iggy discovers and leads them to Dio's mansion, with Kakyoin rejoining them. At the mansion's entrance, the party is split up- Jotaro, Joseph, and Kakyoin fight the last of the nine Egyptian god Stands, while Polnareff, Avdol, and Iggy make their way through the mansion. However, one of Dio's servants, Vanilla Ice, kills Avdol and Iggy, both of whom separately sacrifice themselves to save Polnareff. An enraged Polnareff battles Vanilla Ice and discovers that Vanilla Ice has been transformed into a vampire like Dio, a fact that Vanilla Ice himself was unaware of. Polnareff floods the room with light, disintegrating Vanilla Ice and avenging his friends.
Jotaro, Joseph, Kakyoin, and Polnareff ultimately encounter Dio, and escape his mansion. A chase across Cairo follows, leading to Kakyoin confronting Dio and his Stand, The World, whose power Dio has taken great lengths to keep secret (having previously assassinated Enya to keep her from telling the heroes). Though fatally wounded by The World, Kakyoin manages to deduce the Stand's ability to stop time for five seconds and covertly relays it to Joseph in his final moments. Joseph is able to pass it on to Jotaro, but is swiftly killed by Dio, who uses his blood to increase the duration of his ability to nine seconds. With most of his allies dead and Polnareff unconscious, Jotaro is left to fight Dio alone. During the fight, both sides discover that their respective Stands are similar in both range, power, and ability, meaning that Jotaro is able to use The World's time-stopping powers as well. Jotaro first uses this ability to briefly move around while Dio has stopped time, but he learns how to stop time directly when Dio tries to crush him with 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 ...
. Dio attempts to kill Jotaro with one final kick, but a counterattack from Jotaro splits The World in two, killing it and Dio. Jotaro transfuses Dio's blood back into Joseph and uses Star Platinum to restart his stopped heart (an ability he'd previously used on himself while playing dead during the fight with Dio), reviving him. The two Joestars then expose Dio's corpse to the sun, destroying the vampire for good. Jotaro and Joseph bid Polnareff farewell before returning to Japan, as Holly has made a full recovery.
Characters
* is the
delinquent
Delinquent or delinquents may refer to:
* A person who commits a felony
* A juvenile delinquent, often shortened as delinquent is a young person (under 18) who fails to do that which is required by law; see juvenile delinquency
* A person who fai ...
protagonist. He uses the Stand
Star
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
Platinum, whose power is incredible strength, speed, and precision. It is later revealed that Star Platinum also has the power to stop time, which helps him during the final battle with Dio.
* is Jotaro's grandfather, and the protagonist of the previous part of the series, ''
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 ...
''. He uses the Stand
Hermit
A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions.
Description
In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...
Purple, which allows him to produce thorny purple vines that can perform predictions through electronic equipment such as
Polaroid camera
Polaroid may refer to:
* Polaroid Corporation, an American company known for its instant film and cameras
* Polaroid camera, a brand of instant camera formerly produced by Polaroid Corporation
* Polaroid film, instant film, and photographs
* Polaro ...
s or televisions (although at the cost of destroying said equipment); he can also use them to attach to buildings and swing through the air. He also still has access to the vampire-killing martial art known as Hamon, which was his primary ability in ''Battle Tendency'', and can use Hermit Purple as wires to channel Hamon energy, which he uses in the fight with Dio to prevent the vampire from directly attacking him.
* is a fortune teller from Cairo, and an ally of Joseph and Jotaro. He uses the Stand
Magician's Red, which allows him to manipulate fire.
* is a former enemy turned ally of Jotaro. Kakyoin believed himself a social outcast due to his Stand, which continued up until he met Jotaro. He uses the Stand
Hierophant
A hierophant ( grc, ἱεροφάντης) is a person who brings religious congregants into the presence of that which is deemed ''holy''. As such, a hierophant is an interpreter of sacred mysteries and wikt:arcane, arcane principles.
The word ...
Green, which he can unravel into threads to enter people and control them from the inside, or perform a long-ranged attack using blasts of green energy known as Emerald Splash.
* is another former enemy turned ally of Jotaro. Polnareff joins the crew to avenge his younger sister, who was murdered by a man with two right hands. Polnareff uses the Stand Silver
Chariot
A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
, which takes the form of an armored knight wielding a
rapier
A rapier () or is a type of sword with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Impor ...
, excelling in fast swordsmanship and close-range fighting; his Stand can shed its armor to increase its agility and speed exponentially. He can also shoot his sword but only once in the battle.
* is a
Boston Terrier
The Boston Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United States of America. This "American Gentleman" was accepted in 1893 by the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed. Color and markings are important when distinguishing this breed f ...
who uses the Stand,
The Fool, which manipulates sand and dust.
* is the daughter of Joseph and the mother of Jotaro. Although most Stands are used for fighting, her unnamed Stand works against her gentle, non-violent soul, slowly making her increasingly sick. It takes on the form of vines with roses and berries.
* , the main antagonist, is a vampire who previously appeared 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 ...
''. After being presumed dead for 100 years, he has returned from his slumber and attached his disembodied head to the decapitated corpse of his longtime foe, Jonathan Joestar. He uses the Stand
The World
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
, a high-power, short-range Stand similar to Star Platinum, which is capable of stopping time for brief intervals.
* is an old woman, who is the
confidant
The confidant ( or ; feminine: confidante, same pronunciation) is a character in a story whom a protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing ...
of Dio. She uses the Stand
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
, which takes the form of a mist that takes control over anyone with an open wound, allowing Enya to control them as she would a
marionette
A marionette (; french: marionnette, ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or reveale ...
.
* is a recurring minor antagonist who nearly killed Mohammad Avdol (with the assistance of J. Geil) using his Stand
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
, a long range Stand resembling a gun that can shoot and steer its bullets.
* is the son of Enya the Hag, and the man who murdered Polnareff's sister, prompting Polnareff to avenge her. J. Geil wields the Stand
Hanged Man, a Stand that attacks others in reflections such as mirrors. Hanged Man can also jump from reflection to reflection in a ray of light.
*Steely Dan is a servant of DIO who was sent to assassinate Enya to prevent her from revealing the secret of DIO's stand. he wields the stand
Lovers, which is microscopic, and transfers damage done to its user to a selected target by infiltrating their brain.
*Vanilla Ice is one of DIO's most loyal servants, going as far as cutting his head off to heal DIO's neck wound. He is revived as a vampire, and fights Polnareff, Iggy, and Avdol in DIO's mansion. He wields the stand Cream, which can swallow itself and turn into a spherical void of nothingness that destroys anything in its path.
*Daniel J. D'Arby is a proficient gambler who wields
Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
, a stand that allows him to put people's souls in poker chips after they lose.
*Telence T. D'Arby is Daniel J. D'Arby's younger brother, and a professional gamer who once even beat a person who was born with an IQ of 190. He wields the stand
Atum
Atum (, Egyptian: ''jtm(w)'' or ''tm(w)'', ''reconstructed'' ; Coptic ''Atoum''), sometimes rendered as Atem or Tem, is an important deity in Egyptian mythology.
Name
Atum's name is thought to be derived from the verb ''tm'' which means 'to com ...
, which allows him to read people's minds and place their souls into dolls if they lose.
* is a minor antagonist. He is a blind assassin hired by Dio and the first of the Egypt 9 Glory Gods the Joestar Group encounters upon entering Egypt, attacking them in the middle of the Sahara. N'Doul wields the Stand
Geb
Geb was the Egyptian god of the earth and a mythological member of the Ennead of Heliopolis. He could also be considered a father of snakes. It was believed in ancient Egypt that Geb's laughter created earthquakes and that he allowed crops to ...
, a long-ranged Stand made of water that N'Doul can remotely control and shape into anything to attack his foes from afar, notably as a sharp water stream able to slice flesh.
Production
Having originally planned the series as a trilogy, Araki thought to have the final confrontation set in present-day Japan. But he did not want it to be a tournament affair, which was popular 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 ...
'' at the time, and therefore decided to make it a "
road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the theme of alienatio ...
" inspired by ''
Around the World in Eighty Days
''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...
''. He modeled Jotaro after American actor
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
, including his poses and catchphrases. Although the author said the character might seem "rough" compared to other ''Jump'' protagonists, Jotaro fits his own image of a hero perfectly as a "loner" who does not do the right thing for attention. Araki said the character wearing his school uniform in the desert has its roots in
Mitsuteru Yokoyama
was a Japanese manga artist born in Suma Ward of Kobe City in Hyōgo Prefecture. His personal name was originally spelled , with the same pronunciation. His works include ''Tetsujin 28-go'', ''Giant Robo'', '' Akakage'', ''Babel II'', '' Sal ...
's ''
Babel II
is a Japanese 1971 manga series by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It was translated into an animated format in 1973 as a television series, in 1992 as an original video animation series and in 2001 as a thirteen-episode television series. Yokoyama' ...
'', and that if he were to draw the part over again, he would base the Stands on ''
Tetsujin 28-go
, known as simply ''Tetsujin 28'' in international releases, is a 1956 manga written and illustrated by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, who also created ''Giant Robo''. The series centers on the adventures of a young boy named Shotaro Kaneda, who c ...
''. Araki originally thought of Stands as something inorganic powered by life force. When creating them he often takes inspiration from artifacts such as clothing, masks, and dolls by indigenous peoples, which when fused with something biological or mechanical, makes for a very unique design.
Araki said he had a lot of readers asking him to bring older characters back. Although he is not a fan of bringing them back simply for nostalgia, he did not hesitate having Joseph return from ''
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 ...
'' to save his daughter because it is completely true to the character. The author thought of having Joseph drop out partway through due to his age, but ended up "playing it by ear" as serialization continued. He gave him the role of "navigator", introducing the readers to the Joestar family, Dio, Hamon and Stands, and his own Stand being a support ability rather than offensive. Stands being a succession of the Hamon and Hamon being life energy that spreads across the body through breathing, Araki thought Joseph's Hermit Purple vines wrapping around his body were a visual representation of that.
Avdol was given the role of "subleader" who acts as navigator, and, with steadfast determination and an unyielding sense of duty, he is the one in the group that everyone can rely on. Araki said he gave him an "ethnic" design to have some sort of connection to Egypt and that at the time of serialization, he and most of the readers had a strong interest in the "birthplaces of civilization," making Avdol's design a "product of the times." Not wanting readers to get complacent, the author took Avdol out of action under the guise of death. Although he intended to bring him back, he did not have specific plans and just wrote what came natural. In hindsight, Araki felt he probably should have given Avdol a section where he played a more primary role, but also believes that he would not have ranked well in a character popularity poll, as the readers only wanted more fights featuring Jotaro. Araki also said that Avdol's Stand was difficult to draw as controlling fire is a common thing in manga and film, and if you "play it too loose" it can break the power balance. As such, fire and poison are two abilities he is okay with barring from future use.
Araki stated that he had Kakyoin act as a
foil
Foil may refer to:
Materials
* Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine
* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal
* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food
* Tin foil, metal foil ...
to Jotaro. Although they both wear school uniforms, Kakyoin's well-tailored one gives him the feel of an honor student, while Jotaro's loose-fitting one and accessories convey that he is a delinquent. He made him Jotaro's first real Stand opponent to visually convey the concepts between short-range and long-range Stand abilities. The author revealed that he always read the
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
for Kakyoin's given name as "Tenmei," but his editor approved the reading Noriaki for the ''tankōbon'' much to his surprise.
In order to not have him overlap with Jotaro and Joseph, Polnareff was given a distinctive look and personality, which in turn made him shine on his own, with his lines standing out "for better or for worse." Because he is a versatile character who could say goofy lines or serious ones, he "needed" to make more appearances. More appearances means more fights, and because he made it through so many life-or-death situations, Araki feels that Polnareff grew the most in the story. The author used foreign models as reference for his hair, and also drew it like Rudol von Stroheim's from ''Battle Tendency''. The character's name was inspired by those of Araki's three favorite French people, actors
Alain Delon
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; born 8 November 1935) is a French actor and filmmaker. He was one of Europe's most prominent actors and screen sex symbols in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. In 1985, he won the César Award for Best Actor for h ...
and
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor and producer. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward. His best known credits ...
, and musician
Michel Polnareff
Michel Polnareff (born 3 July 1944, Nérac, Lot-et-Garonne, France) is a French singer-songwriter, who was popular in France from the mid-1960s until the early 1990s with his penultimate original album, ''Kāma-Sūtra''. He is still critically ...
.
With the series meant to be long-running, Araki took great care in deciding which unique Stand user to put the main cast against and when, in order to keep readers interested. He designed Strength, Ebony Devil, and Yellow Temperance so that their appearances and abilities did not overlap. But as these were all one-on-one battles, he then decided to introduce Hol Horse and J. Geil as a team. He had always planned on having Kakyoin and Polnareff switch allegiances to the good guys, but not Hol Horse. Although he drew a color illustration with Hol Horse alongside the Joestar group and had the character return several times through the story, he suspects he did not go through with it because his personality overlaps with Polnareff's. He also said that because he did not put many limitations on his Stand, it kind of got out of control, plus it overlaps with Kakyoin's Emerald Splash. He did enjoy Hol Horse's "why be number one when you can be number two" philosophy, which the author carried over to Yoshikage Kira in ''
Diamond Is Unbreakable'', and his outlaw appearance is similar to that of Gyro Zeppeli from ''
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 ...
'' and might have been inspired by
Buichi Terasawa
is a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works include ''Goku Midnight Eye'' and '' Cobra''.
Career
Terasawa was born in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. In the early days of his career, while still unknown, his contributed comics to a magazine that ...
's ''
Cobra''.
Not having any limitations on what he can put in ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', Araki has animals appear and even had one join the Joestar party. Wanting to add an animal as a pet, he chose a dog which to him symbolizes loyalty and friendship. Contradicting what he said in an earlier volume, Araki revealed that just like with Kakyoin and Polnareff, he did not originally plan for Iggy to join the group. Although he feels that The Fool is a perfect fit for Iggy, it just happened to be the last tarot card for him to assign aside from The World. Additionally, he thought of assigning The Fool to an enemy instead, but things just "ended up working out the way they did." Being the first time he made an animal a major character and the first time he showed one in battle, Araki used
Yoshihiro Takahashi
is a Japanese manga artist. He writes under a pen name in which his first name ''Yoshihiro'' is spelled out in hiragana (よしひろ).
Takahashi was born September 18, 1953, in Higashinaruse, Akita. He was very interested in drawing coming of ...
's ''
Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin'' as a reference. He described The Fool as representing his ideal design for a Stand; starting with a dog, then adding a Native American mask, and then the tires of a car. The third aspect was added because ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' was sponsoring a
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
car at the time.
Having previously done a gambling battle in his manga ''Cool Shock B.T.'', Araki wanted to do another as a Stand battle, leading to the creation of D'Arby the Elder. His Stand ability came from the author's own belief that the money and chips you gamble with in real life are a representation of your soul. Having greatly enjoyed the fight, Araki later introduced his younger brother. Looking back, he believes that the D'Arby brothers and the Oingo Boingo brothers separated ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' from other manga because it allowed him to add much more variation to its battles. He also said that this led to the dice battle in ''Diamond Is Unbreakable'' and the beetle battle in ''
JoJolion
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki, and is the eighth part of the larger ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' series. Set in Japan in 2011, it follows Josuke Higashikata, a young man afflicted by retrograde amnesia, i ...
''.
Enya the Hag was modeled after the scary old women from
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
s and created to answer how Dio learned about Stands. Her Stand was also inspired by horror films, where an unknown virus comes from space. Her son's Stand being similar to a mummy and mermaid, again references horror movies. Enya again utilizes what Araki learned from Lisa Lisa in ''Battle Tendency''; the supernatural basis of Stands and Hamon evens the battlefield for women and children to match up against strong men.
Araki recalled how his editor suddenly ended up in the hospital during the serialization of Jotaro and Dio's final fight. Without his valuable advice, the author said it was difficult and he started panicking as the end was approaching.
English adaptation
Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
began publishing an English adaptation of ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' in 2005, which begins the series with the ''Stardust Crusaders'' arc, starting with the last chapter of Japanese volume 12 (moved to the beginning of volume 13). The English edition is edited by
Jason Thompson, author of ''
Manga: The Complete Guide''. By December 2010, all sixteen volumes (originally Volumes 13–28) have been published.
Minor edits were made to artwork where certain scenes of animal violence were redrawn by Hirohiko Araki for the English release.
Volume 3 of the English edition features a single panel of a dog being decapitated which was redrawn from an alternate angle, and Japanese volume 18 (volume 6) has several redrawn panels where a mutilated dog was changed into a large rat. Volume 19 (English volume 7) features redrawn artwork in the final chapter of the "Death 13" story arc in order to remove scenes of human feces. Any instances of real-life brand names and logos (such as drinks and automotive brands) were erased. Some names were altered for the English release, presumably for copyright reasons. The character named Devo was changed entirely, along with that of Steely Dan. Oingo and Boingo were changed to Zenyatta and Mondatta after
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...
album, ''
Zenyatta Mondatta
''Zenyatta Mondatta'' (stylised as ''Zenyattà Mondatta'' on the album cover artwork) is the third studio album by English rock band the Police, released on 3 October 1980 by A&M Records. It was co-produced by the band and Nigel Gray.
''Zenyatta ...
''. The first volume included a recap of Parts 1 and 2 in order to clarify story points for Western readers, while mosques in volume 15 (Japanese volume 27) were redrawn after international controversy (see below), though the latter of the two was also in recent Japanese prints.
From 2016 through 2019, as part of their ongoing publication of the series in the same hardcover format as the Japanese ''JoJonium'' edition, Viz Media released a re-edition of ''Stardust Crusaders'' with all changes to the original art reverted (excluding the aforementioned mosques).
Chapters
In the original volumization, chapter 114 is collected in volume 12, listed on the ''
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 ...
'' page.
Original volumization
2002 release
2013 release
2014 release / International release
Related media
From 1992 to 1993, ''Stardust Crusaders'' was adapted into the three-volume
audio drama
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 t ...
''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', subtitled ''Meet Jotaro Kujo'', ''The Death of Avdol'', and ''Dio's World''. Two
light novel
A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...
s illustrated by Araki have been released. The first is titled ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', released on November 4, 1993 and written by Mayori Sekijima and Hiroshi Yamaguchi.
Nisio Isin
, stylized as NISIOISIN to emphasize the palindrome, is a pseudonymous Japanese novelist, manga author, and screenplay writer.
Nisio debuted in 2002 with the novel ''The Beheading Cycle'' (the first in his ''Zaregoto'' series), which earned him ...
was one of the authors commissioned to write novels in celebration of the series' 25th anniversary. It was released on December 16, 2011 and titled ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Over Heaven''.
A 13-episode
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
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 ...
'', was produced by Studio APPP. The first six episodes were released on
VHS and
Laserdisc
The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as DiscoVision, MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diam ...
by
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...
from 1993 to 1994, covering the latter part of this arc. When the series was released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
by Klock Worx from 2000 to 2002, an additional set of seven episodes were produced by the same cast and crew, serving as a
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
to the earlier episodes (which were subsequently re-released with new chronological numbering). Super Techno Arts produced a North American English dub version of all 13 episodes in chronological order as a six-volume DVD series.
An
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television adaptation of the series, titled ''
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders'', was produced by
David Production
is a Japanese animation studio founded in September 2007 and is based in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo. Notable works from the studio include ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', ''Cells at Work!'', and '' Fire Force''.
Establishment
The company was founded b ...
and aired in Japan between April 2014 and June 2015. The series was simulcast by
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
, with several names rewritten to avoid copyright infringement. In addition to the second season of the anime, a mobile app game titled ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Shooters'' was also released.
The arc has been adapted into several video games. The first was a
role-playing video game
A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
released in 1993 for the
Super Famicom
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
under the title ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure,''. A
fighting game
A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
for
arcades by
Capcom
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
, also simply titled ''
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 ...
'', was released in 1998. It was released internationally as ''JoJo's Venture'', and followed by an upgraded version titled ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future''. The international version this time retained the manga's actual full title of ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', dropping the ''Heritage for the Future'' subtitle. The upgraded version was then ported to the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
and
Dreamcast
The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...
in 1999, and a high-definition version was released for
PlayStation Network
PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
and
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent ...
in August 2012 before being delisted in 2014. Several characters from ''Stardust Crusaders'' later appear in the crossover games ''
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle'' and ''
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven'', both published by
Bandai Namco Entertainment
is a Japanese multinational video game video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in ...
and developed by
CyberConnect2
is a Japanese video game development studio mostly known for its work on the ''.hack'' series, along with a series of fighting games based on the ''Naruto'' franchise. They are also known for creating the ''Little Tail Bronx'' series (e.g. ''T ...
. Jotaro and DIO in particular also appear in several crossover games with other ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' characters, such as in ''
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 most recently ''
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 ...
''.
Controversy
In May 2008, both Shueisha and Studio APPP halted manga/OVA shipments of ''JoJo'' after a complaint had been launched against them by a group of online
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
protestors after a scene from one of the OVA's episodes features Dio reading a book depicting pages from the
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
.
This recall affected the English-language releases as well, causing Viz Media and Shueisha to cease publication for a year. Even though the manga did not feature that specific scene, Shueisha had Araki redraw scenes that depicted characters fighting on-top, and destroying,
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s.
Viz resumed publication a year later, with the eleventh volume being published on April 7, 2009, and thus their publication was continued.
Reception
In a 2018 survey of 17,000 ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' fans, ''Stardust Crusaders'' was chosen as the third favorite story arc with 17.3% of the vote. Its battle between Jotaro and Dio was chosen as the favorite fight of the series.
Reviewing ''Stardust Crusaders'' for
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 ...
, Rebecca Silverman enjoyed seeing Part 2's Joseph team up with new protagonist Jotaro and was impressed that Araki was able to keep Dio out of Part 2 completely, only to bring him back for Part 3.
She initially called the replacement of Hamon with Stands both understandable and a bit of a disappointment, since the "insane physical abilities and contortions" caused by the former were a large source of the fun in the first two parts.
However, Silverman would go on to describe later Stand battles as exciting and creative in subsequent reviews.
Notes
References
{{Weekly Shōnen Jump - 1980–1989
Anime and manga controversies
Adventure anime and manga
Comics set in Egypt
Fantasy anime and manga
Fiction set in 1987
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Religious controversies in comics
Shōnen manga
Shueisha manga
Supernatural anime and manga
Tarot in fiction
Viz Media manga