JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a series that is one of the most popular manga series in the world. With the series being divided into different parts, there is a lot of diversity. Every part of the series features a different protagonist, and each of them has distinct character traits which make them interesting. The seventh part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is Steel Ball Run. It is the second-highest rated series on MyAnimeList, which not only indicates the part's popularity but also its impeccable story.
The part took place after the controversial Stone Ocean, which got a lot of mixed reviews. So, there was quite some pressure on Araki while writing Steel Ball Run, and thankfully he managed to ace it and produced a huge hit. Steel Ball Run is special in various ways- the new universe, giving the new characters the names of characters from other parts, the introduction of Spin, etcetera. One of the biggest attractions of Steel Ball Run is the characters and while all of them were brilliant in their own ways, some of them managed to stand out more than the others, and one such character was Johnny Joestar.
A Gripping Backstory
In comparison to the other Joestars, Johnny had a more compelling backstory. His father, George Joestar, was an extremely wealthy man, but he did not seem to care about Johnny. George adored Nicholas, who was Johnny's older brother. Johnny and Nicholas got along fine, and the latter was always kind to him.
The relationship between the two brothers was incredible, and Nicholas even helped Johnny part ways with Danny, by releasing the mouse into the woods. Sadly, this decision came back to haunt Johnny as Danny ended up startling Nicholas' horse, causing Nicholas to lose balance and fall to his death. So, Johnny had to live with the fact that his pet mouse had caused his brother's death.
The death of his brother caused a further rift between Johnny and his father. Years later, Johnny became a successful jockey, and he was extremely popular. People of power paid him visits and gave him money. Despite having almost everything in the world, Johnny could not bring his father to respect him. One fateful day, things got heated between the two, and it led to George kicking his son out. This marked a period of decline for Johnny and not long afterward, he was shot by a random man.
The bullet damaged his spine and turned him into a paraplegic. As he could not ride a horse anymore, Johnny was shunned by everyone, and he remained alone in a hospital for almost two years. Needless to say, Johnny's toxic relationship with his father affected him a lot mentally and the guilt about his brother's death only made things worse. This would have been enough for any normal person to give up hope, but Johnny was different. He clung on to life, waiting for a miracle, which finally happened when he met Gyro Zeppeli. When Johnny came in contact with one of Gyro's steel balls, the Joestar was able to walk momentarily, and this incident made him more determined than ever.
The Rebirth
Gyro Zeppeli played a crucial role in developing Johnny as a character. Before meeting Gyro, Johnny was not in the best of places, and he was quite hopeless. However, Gyro offered Johnny a new ray of hope, and this effectively started an incredible friendship between the two. Interacting with Gyro improved Johnny's determination even further, and it reached a point where he wasn't reluctant to kill another human.
Gyro taught Johnny the value of friendship, which helped the latter to keep his destructive emotions in check. Gyro helped Johnny regain his lost confidence. Johnny also gained a more positive outlook on life, and he managed to find hope in the darkest of times. As the story progressed, Johnny became a better person overall, and at one point, he even traded all the parts of the Saint's Corpse to save Gyro, which was extremely unexpected. Needless to say, without Gyro's help, Johnny would not have accomplished his dreams, a fact that he acknowledged several times.
The Invincible Stand
Johnny Joestar's Stand, Tusk, is one of the most powerful Stands in the entire series. It is among the few Stands that have different forms. It started with Tusk Act I, and eventually, it evolved into Act IV. Act IV uses the Golden Spin to bolster its attacks, which gives them infinite energy.
So, a person hit by the attack will keep on spinning until Johnny cancels out the attack by launching another attack with the opposite spin. When Funny Valentine was hit by Act IV's attack, he couldn't escape even after switching bodies several times. Aside from making Johnny almost invincible, the Stand also offers a representation of Johnny's growth throughout the series.
Comparison To The Other JoJos
There have been a total of eight different JoJos so far, but it is fair to say none of them are as well-rounded as Johnny. His character development triumphs that of the others. Jolyne and Josuke (Part 8) come close with their great character development, but their backstories are not nearly as riveting as Johnny's.
In terms of power, Jotaro and Giorno can give Johnny a run for his money, but in their respective parts, both Jotaro and Giorno were overshadowed by other characters, who were a lot more interesting. While all the JoJos are unique in their own ways, nobody is as complete as Johnny Joestar and that is why he is the best JoJo.