As far as anime adaptations go, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the most colorful and wonderfully bizarre (it’s in the name, yes) series out there. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is adapted from an ongoing manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. The series follows the lineage of the Joestar family across centuries and, eventually, new timelines. And naturally, the family, as well as their allies, deal with more than a few adversaries. Currently, only parts 1-6 have been adapted.
In a series like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, the antagonists are just as interesting as the protagonists. When nearly everyone has an ability (in the series, they are called “Stands”), and some are more powerful than others, that’s to be expected. But instead of diving into the Joestars, I will rank the main villains by their motivations. As strongest to weakest has been done quite a bit.
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The Pillar Men
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency is a pre-Stand season, and the primary antagonists are humanoid beings called the Pillar Men; despite how the Pillar Men are incredibly powerful humanoid beings in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency, they aren’t necessarily the most intriguing aspect of part 2. Their primary objective is obtaining the Red Stone of Aja (a stone that absorbs light and refracts it), thus becoming impervious to the sun’s rays. Even though their motivations sound interesting, it’s lower on the tier because we’ve seen plenty of superhuman beings in the media who want to become invincible.
Dio Brando
No other villains appear in most seasons of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure than Dio Brando (Patrick Seitz). Dio’s presence lingers throughout the entire series in various ways. He’s the primary antagonist for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, and he plays a crucial role in flashbacks throughout JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean.
Dio’s motivations stem directly from his horrible childhood, including growing up in poverty in the 19th century. After he’s turned into a vampire during Phantom Blood, he becomes drunk with power and bloodlust. That leads to attempts to create the perfect world in both the 19th century and later in the ’80s using lackeys and his mighty Stand, “The World.” His motivations do fall into the category of world domination, though. So even if he’s fashionable, deliberately queer-coded, and a vampire, he lands slightly lower.
Yoshikage Kira
Slice of life with a serial killer roaming around is always great, isn’t it? JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is an entertaining series season with many unsettling moments contrasting with the atmosphere. Instead of giving us an all-powerful villain who wants to take over the world, Yoshikage Kira (D.C. Douglas) aims to live a peaceful life. All the while, he kills women and collects their hands until he discards them using his Stand, “Killer Queen.” The simplicity of a serial killer like that makes their motivations unique. Kira doesn’t care about world domination, eliminating everyone around him, etc. He cares for his enemies or those who get in the way of his peaceful life.
Diavolo
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind focuses on the Italian mafioso, and Diavolo (Kellen Goff) is the Boss (the head of the mafia), but there’s more to him than that. Vinegar Doppio (Griffin Burns), who handles his business dealings, is the same person. It’s confirmed in the show that it’s a case of D.I.D. (obviously with fantastical elements of being able to change forms because it’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), and his overall motivations are to remain on top and avoid failing at that. His motivation to stay in power by using his Stand, “King Crimson,” and control his fate is part of his downfall. And that lands him at the top of this list because antagonists who slip up in very human ways are intriguing.
Father Pucci
Religious fanatics are one thing, but wanting to achieve an ideal world by wiping the slate clean and recreating the world where people know their destinies is another. Father Pucci’s (Yong Yea) motivations can be slightly confusing. But to sum it up, his plan was originally Dio’s, and they formed an intense relationship when Pucci was young. When Dio was killed by Jotaro Joestar (Matthew Mercer) in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Pucci vowed to carry out Dio’s plans. As far as antagonist motivations go in JoJo‘s universe, Pucci’s is the most terrifying because of his Stand’s capabilities and his self-righteousness as a priest. White Snake’s ability to create dreamlike illusions and extract people’s memories and Stands and place them into DISCs is unnerving.
You can watch all dubbed or subbed seasons of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure on Netflix.
