Right from its debut, Hirohiko Araki's JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has been a breakthrough series that strives for challenging, innovative storytelling. JoJo's begins in a unique place, but the series only grows more ambitious and it adopts its own approach to long-form serialized storytelling. An anime or manga's success is sometimes only as strong as its villain and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure always makes sure its antagonists aren't neglected.
Some dangerous enemies have threatened heroes in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, but Dio Brando stands out as the original villain that kicks off the entire JoJo's saga. DIO fulfills several antagonist stereotypes, but he's also a breath of fresh air as far as shonen villains are concerned.
9 Dio Brando Defeats The Hero
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is full of surprises, but one of its biggest twists occurs during its first saga, Phantom Blood: Dio Brando actually gets the upper hand against Phantom Blood's protagonist, Jonathan Joestar. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure begins in an intimate place as a tiny feud between Dio and Jonathan gets out of control, but no one suspects Dio to survive longer than his rival. A very grim series of events punctuate the ending of Phantom Blood, where Jonathan perishes and Dio is able to steal his body for his own nefarious wishes.
8 DIO Disappears During The Series' Second Story Arc
Major villains commonly stick around for extended periods of time in shonen series. At the very least, they fight until the bitter end and they pass the antagonistic baton over to someone new. DIO adopts a slightly different approach as he recedes into the background during the Battle Tendency story arc and the audience isn't sure what to expect from him. DIO boldly returns in Stardust Crusaders stronger than ever and his comeback has more impact after a lengthy absence and the introduction of new threats.
7 DIO's Offspring Becomes One Of The Series' Heroes
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure heads into some complex territory after DIO is able to live on with Jonathan Joestar's body. Having Jonathan's body leads to his child, Giorno Giovanna, technically having Joestar lineage while also being a product of DIO's malevolence.
Giorno only has a vague understanding of his father's past villainy, but it doesn't stop him from becoming Golden Wind's hero and helping reform Venice's criminal underworld. A villain's son entering the series as its newest protagonist so long after his villainous father's demise is quite unique.
6 DIO's Power Is Co-Opted By The Hero
The Joestar Team encounters many villains during Stardust Crusaders, but it all culminates with the final battle between DIO and the members of the Joestar family. Jotaro Kujo and Joseph Joestar launch an effective assault against DIO and his time-manipulating Stand, The World. Jotaro's Star Platinum boasts a comparable ability, but an unexpected turn of events after DIO's defeat allows Jotaro to claim DIO's Stand power. Jotaro's Stand progresses into Star Platinum: The World, which carries over DIO's talents.
5 An Alternate Reality Version Of Dio Brando Wreaks Havoc
The conclusion of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean features an unprecedented Stand, Made in Heaven, that effectively speeds up time to such a degree that the universe ends and restarts. This means that the next story, Steel Ball Run, is set in a new timeline that showcases an alternate version of Dio Brando. Steel Ball Run's Diego Brando is one of Johnny Joestar's biggest targets. Another alternate version of Diego Brando also enters the series due to the powers of Dio's Stand.
4 Most Of DIO's Powerful Moments Happen Off-Screen
Stardust Crusaders features a significantly more powerful version of DIO than the version in Phantom Blood. At this point, DIO has established a whole hierarchy of villains as he rules within a gigantic castle in Egypt.
The most fascinating aspects of DIO's development, such as the evolution of his Stand's powers, the building of his army, or his time spent with Pucci, all happen off-screen, which leaves the audience to fill in the details. This makes DIO somewhat more mysterious than other shonen villains since a deeper look into his growth as a villain would be the typical approach for this kind of antagonist.
3 DIO's Presence Lingers Long After His Death
DIO is a malevolent mastermind throughout Stardust Crusaders, but the narrative ends with his defeat. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure moves on and introduces more intimidating threats, but the evils of DIO continue to hang over the heads of the Joestar family. DIO's influence plays a major role in Stone Ocean when several of DIO's illegitimate children return as obstacles for Jolyne Cujoh. DIO is long dead during the events of Stone Ocean, but he's still a vital player in the story's arc. Stone Ocean's events wouldn't be possible without him.
2 The Hero Opens Up His Heart To Dio Brando
The initial circumstances that begin a rivalry between a hero and a villain are even more important than what happens afterward. Often, villains can seem justified in their rage, or they might come from tragic pasts that elicit sympathy. Dio Brando is an orphan, but Jonathan Joestar completely opens his heart up to him and earnestly welcomes him into his family. Dio becomes jealous and ungrateful over all of these luxuries, but Jonathan never victimizes him or makes him feel embarrassed over his past. Dio Brando could have lived peacefully with Jonathan if he didn't choose to rob him of his comfortable lifestyle.
1 DIO's Philosophies Reshape The Series
No shortage of cataclysmic events occur throughout JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The biggest by far occurs when the universe actually gets reset during the conclusion of Stone Ocean, only for a new, slightly different timeline to begin. It's ultimately Enrico Pucci who uses Made in Heaven to successfully trigger this change, but all of Pucci's actions are in service of DIO's larger mission to "attain heaven." DIO inspires Pucci in irrevocable ways and DIO's desire to reach heaven does technically come to fruition.
