Hump Day Husbandos: Jonathan Joestar (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Few series are as rich in husbando material as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The manga and anime follow the struggles of the Joestar line through history as they defend the world from supernatural threats. Each part focuses on a different Joestar, but it all started with Jonathan Joestar. As the first JoJo in the series, he set the tone both for the over-the-top drama that would follow and the almost violent shifts in tone that became a hallmark of the series.
This week’s Hump Day Husbando is none other than Jonathan Joestar, who was the first of his line to face off against the diabolical Dio.
Who is Jonathan Joestar?
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure starts remarkably plain, considering its title. Jonathan Joestar, the only son of the wealthy George Joestar, has his world thrown into disarray when Dio Brando moves into his family home. Dio, for reasons that are exactly as petty as you’d expect from a Victorian soap opera, sets out to make Jonathan’s life miserable in his quest to usurp his place as the heir to the Joestar fortune.
This all comes to a head when Dio’s attempts to poison George are uncovered by Jonathan. When confronted by JoJo and a collection of police, Dio makes the wise decision of putting on the mysterious mask that has hung on the Joestar wall since the first episode. This transforms him into a powerful vampire and forces Jonathan Joestar into a fight that nearly kills them both and burns down the Joestar mansion.
Why we love him
This would probably be enough plot for an entire series in most shows, but all this happens in the first handful of episodes of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures. From here it starts to get proper weird. Jonathan Joestar discovers that Dio is still alive and is taught the ways of Hamon energy, which, when combined with JoJo’s natural stubbornness and tenacity, gives him the power to track down Dio for one final confrontation.
Throughout this arc, while he is locked in brutal combat against Dio and his minions, Jonathan Joestar laments that they seem fated to such a violent reunion. The pair were raised as brothers and could have been great friends were it not for Dio’s evil nature. While this thought never occurs to Dio, it is always at the forefront of Jonathan’s mind. Even as JoJo finally overcomes Dio thanks to the power of Hamon, there is a sense of tragedy to the story. This isn’t the ending that JoJo truly wanted, no matter how much he hated Dio.
Why you’ll love him
Jonathan Joestar receives one of the most spectacular glow-ups in anime history. In the first few episodes, he is a fit, though average, young man. However, a few years away at university sees him get what I like to call the JoJo Framework. The boy is gigantic and ripped despite being in his early 20s. Yet, despite this size, JoJo is surprisingly kind and gentle throughout the show. He genuinely believes that he shouldn’t hurt anyone if he can help it, which makes his violent confrontation with Dio all the more tragic.
This generation of JoJo probably isn’t the all-time best the series has given us, but the story overall laid the groundwork for what would follow. The dramatic over-explanation from both the narrator and the characters in the show, the overall design of the main characters, and the sheer extraness that everyone carries themselves with would be the greatest legacy that Jonathon Joestar passed down to subsequent generations.
Still not seen JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure? You should, if only to find out where all the memes come from. You can stream most parts on Netflix right now.
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