Highlights

  • JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has gained immense popularity, rivaling other prominent anime series like Naruto and Dragon Ball Z.
  • Each arc of the series follows a new protagonist from the Joestar lineage, making the story unique and exciting.
  • The series has a diverse range of memorable characters and their own distinct powers, making them stand out in the Joestar family tree.

Derived from the manga series of the same title, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has become one of the most popular shonen series in recent memory. Its popularity rivals that of other prominent anime series such as Naruto and Dragon Ball Z. Its story arcs, over-the-top characters, and overall ridiculousness provide entertainment for manga readers and viewers alike. Even other forms of media such as video games and TV shows have referenced JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, proving how popular the series has become.

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One aspect that makes JoJo's Bizarre Adventure so unique is how each arc follows a brand new protagonist in the Joestar lineage. So far the anime has aired five arcs, giving viewers five protagonists. However, the manga is currently on part 8, meaning there is a total of eight protagonists in the series. While every protagonist is great, a few stand out in the Joestar family tree.

Updated on July 28, 2023, by Suzail Ahmad: Hirohiko Araki has begun writing the ninth and, quite possibly, the final part of his famous manga series. The latest part is called JOJOLands, and so far, a total of six chapters have been released. But fans can already sense that it is going to be another incredible installment. Another part means a brand-new protagonist, bringing the total number of heroes to nine. The hero of JOJOLands is expected to rank high on list of the best protagonists in JoJo once it wraps up. It is not a secret that Araki tries to make each protagonist as distinguishable as he can. Aside from their distinct personalities, each JoJo protagonist has a unique set of skills. So, the list has been updated to include the newest Joestar and the most notable ability of each Joestar.

9 Josuke "Gappy" Higashikita: Quirky Fisherman With Amnesia

Josuke "Gappy" Jojolion Protagonist

The current JoJo's Bizarre Adventure protagonist and star of Jojolion, Josuke, or "Gappy" is a unique character. Gappy suffers from a long-standing and somehow still semi-prominent story cliché: amnesia. Gappy's most interesting personality trait is that he has no real idea who he is. After learning of his past identity as a fusion of both Josefumi Kujo and Yoshikage Kira, he sets himself on a new path to healing the alternate universe version of Holy Kujo, Holy Joestar-Kira.

What he's lacking in previous memories, Gappy does make up for it with the knowledge he possesses. He also shows a strong sense of loyalty to the people he cares about, but not remembering why makes him the weakest of the JoJo protag's personality-wise. His stand is also named "Soft and Wet," which makes his placement here entirely justified.

Biggest Achievement: For the majority of Part 8, Gappy was struggling with his identity and to find more about himself. He toiled a lot in order to find out the truth behind the truth about his identity and his memories.

Best Power: Josuke's Stand is called Soft and Wet, and it allows him to create bubbles. In addition to this ability, Soft and Wet is capable of beating up an adult within an inch of their life. Toward the end of the JoJolion, Gappy gained the power to make his bubbles exist outside the world that he lives in.

8 Johnny Joestar: Kind Of Like Jonathan, But He's A Cowboy

JJBA: Johnny Joestar In Steel Ball Run

Many regard Part 7: Steel Ball Run as one of the best parts of the series. Johnny Joestar, the alternate universe version of Jonathan Joestar from Phantom Blood, is a big reason for that. His relationship with Gyro alone makes Steel Ball Run a must-read for any manga fan, and anime-only fans have a big storm coming.

Similar to Jonathan, Johnny is kind and well-mannered, but he is far from the gentleman that Jonathan is. Johnny is ruthless in combat, taking down foes with seemingly no remorse. His more selfish and impulsive side makes him a stand out character.

Biggest Achievement: At the beginning of Steel Ball Run, Johnny was a paraplegic who had not matured mentally. But, after interacting with Gyro, Johnny became a better person, and he became selfless to the point where he gave away all the parts of the Saint's Corpse just to protect Gyro. So, his development as a human was Johnny's biggest accomplishment.

Best Power: Johnny Joestar may have been a paraplegic for the majority of Part 7. However, he was still among the most dangerous characters in the series. When Johnny awakened the final act of Tusk, he was able to overwhelm Funny Valentine. The villain had no other option but to seek the help of another person.

7 Josuke Higashikita: "What Did You Say About My Hair?"

Josuke Higashita in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Josuke Higashikita is the focal character in Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable, arguably the most wildly controversial part in the series. He is unfortunately heavily overshadowed in his own part, while other new additions to the series such as Koichi Hirose and Rohan Kishibe prosper.

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Another issue with Josuke is his backward morals. Multiple times throughout the arc, Josuke claims he wants to be like someone he looked up to as a kid, and shows a strong sense of justice. Yet one episode shows Josuke solely focused on getting rich, despite having already inherited the majority of his billionaire father's wealth. Then, of course, there's his hair. Whether a character is a good person, a bad person, or just simply asking him about his haircut, get ready for a world of hurt if one mentions his hair.

Biggest Achievement: Much like his great-grandfather Jonathan, Josuke was an extremely kind person. Throughout Part 4, Josuke met and fought against some of the evilest criminals such as Angelo, Kira, etc., but despite all of his encounters with such people, Josuke remained true to himself. Even when he defeated Kira, Josuke did not finish him off and stuck to his principles, which is undoubtedly his biggest achievement.

Best Power: Josuke Higashikata may only have been a teenager, but his fighting potential rivaled that of Jotaro and the big names. Josuke possesses Crazy Diamond, a close-range Stand that can alter the chemistry of any object, both living and non-living. His stand is also agile in close quarters and proved to be a match for Star Platinum.

6 Jolyne Cujoh: Trapped In A Spiders Web

Jolyne Cujoh in Stone Ocean

Fans love the protagonist of Part 6: Stone Ocean for a reason. The only female protagonist in the series, Jolyne is snappy, hasty, and even a little sassy at times. Much like her father Jotaro Kujo, fans first met Jolyne while she was in prison.

As her father was mostly absent during her younger years, Jolyne has been angry at him for not being there, and would do anything for his approval and attention. Soon after she awakened her stand Stone Free, Jotaro gave her some much-needed affection. It was at this time that she matured and became more confident. Despite her father being a less than ideal role model, she still goes out of her way to save him during her arc.

Biggest Achievement: Jolyne's determination is an outstanding quality. After Whitesnake took both of Jotaro's discs, Jolyne took it upon herself to retrieve them. She had to fight hordes of enemies sent by Pucci, but eventually she succeeded in getting the discs back.

Best Power: Jolyne could use her Stone Free in a variety of ways. She could maintain its humanoid shape and pummel enemies to death, or she could unravel the Stand's thread to nullify the threats from afar.

5 Jotaro Kujo: Good Grief

JJBA Stardust Crusaders Jotaro In Jail

The most well-known and arguably fan-favorite JoJo, Jotaro Kujo, is the protagonist of Part 3: Stardust Crusaders. In terms of overall strength and power, Jotaro takes the cake. With the help of his stand Star Platinum, Jotaro is by far one of the strongest characters in all of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

At first, Jotaro comes across as incredibly rude, angry, and carefree. Yet it becomes clear to his fans (and his mother Holy Kujo) that Jotaro has a heart of gold, and would do anything for the ones he cares about. Even though he might not have been the best son, father, and friend at times, Jotaro doesn't act without thinking. He puts others' lives before his own on many occasions throughout his story.

Biggest Achievement: Jotaro's involvement in the different parts of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure makes it extremely difficult to pinpoint one achievement, but it has to be when he took down DIO. With DIO gone, the Joestars could finally breathe a sigh of relief. DIO had used Jonathan's body, and he had killed Joseph Joestar as well. So, putting an end to DIO was a feather in Jotaro's cap.

Best Power: Jotaro has always been part of the power scaling debates due to his ridiculous Stand. His Star Platinum is almost the perfect Stand, with no glaring weaknesses. Star Platinum's physical strength allows it to overwhelm any opponent in its range.

4 Giorno Giovanna: The Gold Standard Mafioso

JJBA Giorno In Part 5 Golden Wind

He may be a member of the Italian Mob; however, Part 5: Vento Aureo (otherwise known as Golden Wind) protagonist Giorno Giovanna might have the strongest sense of pride and justice of any protagonist in the series. The son of DIO attached to Jonathan Joestar's body may not have the most personality when compared to other focal characters in the series. Yet, he makes up for it with his calm demeanor and his extraordinary intelligence.

RELATED: Jojo: Scenes That Were Cut From The AnimeGiorno and his fellow mafioso stand out because of their resolve and their will to win. Even after all the pain and struggle he's had to deal with, Giorno pushes ahead and looks deep within himself to find what it takes to be successful.

Biggest Achievement: Towards the end of Golden Wind, Giorno becomes arguably the strongest character in the entire JoJo series. This was possible only because of Gold Experience Requiem. The Stand's ability to return any harmful action to zero enabled Giorno to take down Diavolo and crown himself the new boss of Passione.

Best Power: Giorno's Gold Experience is almost unparalleled. With the stand's power, Giorno can avoid being damaged by any kind of attack. The Stand's physical abilities are also nothing to scoff at, making Giorno a formidable opponent.

3 Jodio Joestar: Teenager With The Midas Touch

Jodio Joestar

Jodio Joestar is the main protagonist of JOJOLands. He is the grandson of Joseph Joestar. He lives with his mother and sibling in Honolulu, Hawaii. Jodio is very protective of his family, and he is willing to cross any and all boundaries to protect them from harm. In his limited screen time, Jodio looks like a mixture of Giorno and Joseph.

He is extremely determined, like Giorno, and he will see to it that the job gets done. His Joseph traits include being humorous even in troubling situations. Jodio displayed his talent in the fight with Kishibe Rohan, where he outfoxed the mangaka and immobilized him.

Biggest Achievement: Jodio will undoubtedly achieve many great things in his journey, but none of them will surpass the exorbitant amount of wealth that he amasses. The lava rock has a key role to play in this feat.

Best Power: Jodio's November Rain is a long-range Stand that can create rain, which works in a number of different ways. It can crush the body parts of individuals, but after some time, they return to their original state. The Stand can also seep through the ground and weaken the surface, thus creating the perfect trap.

2 Joseph Joestar: Super Secret Joestar Family Technique

JJBA Joseph Joestar Preparing To Use His Secret Technique

Part 2: Battle Tendency shows that stepping out of one's comfort zone is far from a bad thing. The protagonist of this part, young Joseph Joestar, is by far the most over-the-top and flamboyant character in the series. His goofy attitude and lovable charm make him a strong candidate for the top spot, but that isn't the only reason he's here.

Joseph Joestar is a part of the main cast of characters in Stardust Crusaders as well. Since his time predicting his opponent's next line and utilizing the Joestar family technique, Joseph has become a natural-born leader. Some of his goofiness may be gone, but Joseph makes up for it by showing what he's willing to sacrifice for the sake of his daughter.

Biggest Achievement: Joseph Joestar's life peaked towards the end of Battle Tendency, where he fought against the "perfect lifeform" in Kars. With no other way to take down the villain, Joseph had to risk his own life to take down Kars; eventually, Joseph managed to achieve it, although he had to sacrifice his left hand.

Best Power: Joseph Joestar had the weakest Stand out of all Joestars. It had little to no use in combat. Joseph's Hamon control was excellent, and when he combined it with his intelligence, he became unstoppable.

1 Jonathan Joestar: The Forefather Of The Family Tree

JJBA Jonathan Joestar In Phantom Blood

While Jonathan Joestar isn't the first member in the Joestar family tree, he does serve as the series' first protagonist. Jonathan is a gentle character, despite his mother's death at a young age. Raised by his father alongside his adopted brother, Dio Brando, Jonathan became the ultimate gentleman. The original JoJo carries the Joestar family name with pride, as shown by how he treated Robert E.O. Speedwagon in their very first encounter.

Jonathan might not be the most charismatic of the Joestars. He is honest and kind, but since the Phantom Blood part is so short, it's hard to rank Jonathan anywhere higher than this, since fans spent such little time with the character.

Biggest Achievement: The adventures of the Joestar family began with Jonathan Joestar. A nobleman by birth, Jonathan could never bring himself to harm another individual. When he faced Dio's head on the ship, Jonathan could not bring himself to kill him as he did not possess the ability to hate his "brother." To be able to uphold such noble principles, Jonathan was truly one of a kind.

Best Ability: Jonathan is the original JoJo and the only one without a Stand. However, he had an innate talent for learning Hamon, and Will Anthonio Zeppeli taught him how to utilize it to the fullest. Jonathan's Hamon control enabled him to defeat his nemesis, Dio Brando, and many other malevolent figures.

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