Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure started serializing in 1987, and even after several decades, it has managed to remain relevant. The series has withstood the test of time, and it is fair to say that with every part, Araki has managed to improve his writing. This is one of the many reasons why the fanbase for the series continues to grow. The eighth part of the series ended in 2021, and not long after, it was confirmed that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure will get another part, which is titled— JoJolands.
There is no information about the new part, but it will unquestionably be filled with quality writing and artwork. With the story being so far ahead, it is easy to forget how the truly magnificent world of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure came into being, and for that, we have to go back to Phantom Blood.
Where It All Began
The first part of the series is Phantom Blood. While it is not exactly Araki's best work, it is arguably his most important one. It was in Phantom Blood that the rivalry between the Joestar Family and DIO started. Initially, DIO's plan was to take over all the riches of George Joestar by killing him, however, it wasn't easy for the villain as Jonathan kept a close eye on him.
DIO and Jonathan weren't on the best of terms, and they developed a dislike for each other after just a couple of interactions. DIO did everything in his power to make Jonathan's life miserable, but Jonathan did not budge. So, DIO decided to change his strategy, and he halted his malicious activities and started playing the nice guy.
When the two boys reached adulthood, DIO returned to his wicked ways and tried to poison George Joestar. Jonathan, who was still wary of the threat that his adopted brother posed, felt that there was a reason behind their father's failing health. So, he decided to set out and find proof that DIO had actually tried to kill their father. Jonathan's journey was arduous yet fruitful as he found the person, who had sold DIO the poison. With his secret out in the open, DIO used the stone mask on himself and turned into a vampire.
To mark the beginning of his new life, DIO killed George Joestar, and wounded Jonathan. While DIO ran away, Jonathan mourned the loss of their father. No amount of words could ease the pain in Jonathan's heart, but it all changed when he met Will Zeppeli. The mysterious man made it clear that the only way to save the world was by stopping DIO. It was at this moment that Jonathan decided that he would stop his brother. Under Will Zeppeli's guidance, Jonathan learned how to use Hamon, and after the completion of his training, he set out to take down DIO.
A Fight For The Ages
The fight that took place between DIO and Jonathan was filled with emotion. While DIO did not care about what happened to Jonathan, the latter still had good memories from the time when they were kids. Fortunately, Jonathan managed to defeat DIO, thus putting an end to the latter's reign of terror. However, unbeknownst to Jonathan and his allies, DIO managed to survive and hatched a plot to make them pay. DIO waited until Jonathan and Erina's wedding to launch an attack. When the two newlyweds were on the ship, DIO attacked Jonathan and mortally wounded him.
Jonathan still had an opportunity to kill DIO, but instead, he caught his brother's head and embraced it. DIO was visibly confused by Jonathan's behavior as he did not understand why Jonathan did not kill him. When DIO finally realized that the Joestar still had some kindness toward him, DIO was moved. DIO tried to make a deal with the dying Jonathan by offering him a chance at eternity, but Jonathan believed that the two of them would finally rest at ease at the bottom of the ocean. DIO desperately tried to change Jonathan's mind, but it was too late. The first and arguably the noblest Joestar had passed on.
The Impact of Jonathan's Death On DIO
Jonathan and DIO's relationship is an extremely complicated one. At one point, they hated each other, but with time, it changed to them being best friends. This relationship of ups and downs continued until Jonathan's death. In the beginning, DIO only hated Jonathan, and he had absolutely no respect for him, but with time it began to change. They spent years as brothers, and they experienced both good and bad things together. Throughout their time together, Jonathan demonstrated his strength over and over again, yet DIO chose to ignore him. However, after fighting each other several times, DIO finally acknowledged Jonathan. In fact, by the end of Phantom Blood, DIO respected him the most.
One of the biggest highlights in the story was DIO's reaction to Jonathan's death. When DIO realized that Jonathan was dead, the former was in disbelief. This was a huge moment in the story considering that DIO felt no sympathy towards any person. So, what was the possible reason behind DIO's reaction? The easiest explanation would be that Jonathan's kindness had managed to melt a tiny part of DIO's stone-cold heart. During their last confrontation on the ship, DIO even gave a speech about how he had grown to respect Jonathan, and why he wouldn't take any other person's body as he didn't consider them to be worthy enough. This was DIO's weird way of showing respect to Jonathan. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that with Jonathan's death, the last bit of humanity in DIO died as well.