I have been a fan of Jojo for a long time, and I have seen all the parts. I know that everyone has their own opinions on which part is the best, but I wanted to share my ranking of the parts and why I think they are the best.
I will be ranking the parts from my least favorite to my favorite, so let’s get started.
7. Phantom Blood
Now, Phantom Blood is not a bad part by any means, And I mean it. There is a lot to love about Jonathan’s part and I’m part of the people that think introductory parts don’t have to be entertaining as long as they bring important input to the lore which is exactly what Phantom Blood does. I mean heck, I love Clannad, even with the infamously hard to get into first season, because you are rewarded for it with After Story.
This is the same situation: I love the Dio of Phantom Blood, Hamon is a cool mechanic that will be the key of Battle Tendency, and without this part, the logic behind fate in Jojo wouldn’t be understood.
6. Battle Tendency
Oooh, Battle Tendency’s a tough one. Hated by some, loved by others, to me Battle Tendency is where Araki truly started understanding what he wanted to do with Jojo.
Hamon is an interesting technique, it puts into play the idea of the importance of the environnement during battles,
Joseph is an amazing protagonist too, hotheaded, always getting away with whatever he wants, the Animes adaptation truly did justice to these early parts, and the music ? I don’t have to say anything except:
5. Golden Wind
Golden Wind is a part that I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, I love the characters and the setting, but on the other hand, I feel like the story is a bit lacking compared to the other parts. I think that the main villain, Diavolo, is lacking in comparison to other villains like Dio and Kira, thankfully his alter ego Doppio is a great character that makes up for it — I mean the guy talks to Diavolo through a make-shift phone, how cool is that ?
The main cast, and this arc’s jobros are the best for sure. Mista, Abbacchio and Narancia are all great characters though they aren’t as incredibly memorable as Bucciarati ! Fugo… kinda just exists, but he’s cool too. I mean, Bucciarati has Sticky Fingers, and he’s the one that made me realize that stands can be more than just a power, they can be a part of the character’s personality — probably my favorite character in all jojo too.
It’s hard to talk about Golden Wind without talking about the character designs, which are some of the best in the series. From Giorno’s hair, to the outfits of the main cast, everything is so well designed and memorable.
The real issue with Golden Wind is both the ending (and its pacing), Giorno’s lack of development, and the fact that the main villain is just not as interesting as the other villains in the series. He’s obviously, like other Jojos, someone with a lot of heart and determination, but he’s not as interesting as the other Jojos in the series.
4. Stardust Crusaders
Stardust Crusaders is probably the part most people think of when they think of Jojo, and for good reason, since it both introduced stands and Jotaro. Need I say what I think of Jotaro ? He’s probably the most iconic of all Jojos, beyond the obvious badassery, he has a lot of depth, and his relationship with his grandfather is one of the best in the series. This part also has some of the best fights in the series, with memorable stand users like D’Arby, Vanilla Ice, and of course, Dio.
The main issue with Stardust Crusaders is that it’s a bit too long, and some of the fights can feel a bit repetitive, it introduced the “stand of the week” formula that would be used in later parts, but it’s not as well executed as in Diamond is Unbreakable. Lore-wise however, it is an essential part of the series, and it’s a must-watch for any Jojo fan.
That being said, I wouldn’t watch the Animes adaptation, in fact that’s not how I watched it myself. Here’s what I did instead:
First, I read the manga until the end of the D’Arby fight, then I watched the OVA, and then I watched the Animes adaptation. I think that’s the best way to experience Stardust Crusaders, since the OVA has a different tone than the Animes adaptation, and it’s a nice change of pace. Plus, the OVA has some great animation, and it’s a nice way to see the characters in a different light, you guys have to see Abdul’s charadesign in the OVA.
3. Steel Ball Run
I can already hear the fans screaming at me for putting Steel Ball Run so low on the list, but hear me out.
First of all, the pacing is a bit slow, and it takes a while for the story to get going especially the first 10 chapters, but once it does, it’s amazing. It was very tough for me not to be bored to death during the horse back riding sections, but the characters and the story are so well written that it’s worth it. That’s why it so high in fact, because if it wasn’t for the ending and the great characters that happened after the reset, I wouldn’t have even taken the time to finish it.
I’d rather not spoil much of Steel Ball Run because many people are Animes-onlys, but I will say that the ending is one of the best in the series, and it’s worth the wait.
2. Diamond is Unbreakable
Diamond is Unbreakable is probably the most unique part of Jojo, and that’s why I love it so much. The best way I would describe it is : A slice of life with stands ; what an incredible forumula, right ?
I mean, the “Adventure” part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is just different enough to make it stand out from the other parts, and it’s a nice change of pace from the more serious parts like Stardust Crusaders and Golden Wind. It’s just plain old fun, and Josuke is one my favorite Jojos, he’s just so cool and laid back, and his relationship with his friends is one of the best in the series. You can tell that Araki had a lot of fun writing this part, and it really shows in the characters and the story.
The artstyle is my favorite in the series, and those openings, my God not a single one misses, But of course, Great Days with that chorus is insane.
Not only that, but Kira is one of the best villains in the series, What makes him so interesting is how truly normal he is, just like the town of Morioh itelf, Kira is a calm and collected man, careful of every move he makes and he genuinely believes that all he wants is a quiet life. He’s a great contrast to the more over-the-top villains like Dio and Diavolo, and it’s refreshing to see a villain who is so different from the others in the series.
Having a villan that wants the exact opposite of taking over the world in some way is incredibly refreshing, and it makes Kira the de facto best villain for most people, me included. And how can I not talk about this part’s jobros ? Rohan, Okuyasu, Koichi, and Jotaro are all great characters, and they all have their own unique personalities and abilities that make them stand out from the other jobros in the series.
This part has the most powerfuls stands such as Killer Queen, Crazy Diamond, Heaven’s Door, and Star Platinum, and the fights are some of the best in the series. I guess where Diamond is Unbreakable really gets it is the ambiance, that’s something a lot of people forget about. Having a well-paced Animes is cool and all, but if the ambiance, the feeling of the part isn’t there, then it’s not a good adaptation.
Fun and Lighthearted, Addictive and Thrilling, Diamond is Unbreakable is a must-watch for any Jojo fan.
1. Stone Ocean
Stone Ocean is my favorite part of Jojo, Yes, you’ve read that right, Stone Ocean is my favorite part of Jojo.
First off, while prisons are a common setting in Jojo, they’re often used as tools to introduce the main characters to the story, and then they’re quickly abandoned. Stone Ocean is different, it’s set in a prison, and it’s a major part of the story, and it’s a great setting for the story to take place in.
Prisons provide an interesting environnement where violence is a part of everyday life, and it’s a great place for the characters to develop and grow, we saw that with Jolyne, who started off as a rebellious teenager, and then she grew into a strong and independent woman. That’s not to say she wasn’t introduced as such, in fact one of the more interesting scenes is when she’s first arrested, and talks about her probably being seen by the police officer doing… things.
I mean most series wouldn’t even dare get anywhere near such a subject, but Jolyne is written so incredibly well, that it’s not even a problem. I admit this is where I am very biased, having well written strong female characters is so rare in media that I can’t help but love Jolyne. Her stand is interesting too, while it’s definitely no where near my favorite, I like how creative you can get with it.
Now, I feel like most people disliked Stone Ocean because of the way Netflix partitioned the series, and I can’t blame them, it’s a terrible way to watch the series. I happen to have read it first, then watched the Animes all in one go, and honestly that way it’s a great experience. The pacing is perfect, the animation is great, and the voice acting is top-notch, and while I admit this part has the weakest Jobros, they’re still great characters, and they all have their own unique personalities and abilities that make them stand out from the other jobros in the series.
Where this part really gets the price for the best part however is with its villain. Pucci isn’t one of the, but THE best villain in the series, having someone with such a supposed holy role within the prison be the villain is interesting, pucci’s push for evolution, his belief in a concept as important in the series as fate make him an interesting character to study. In fact, I think that Pucci is the most interesting villain in the series, and his relationship with Jolyne is one of the best in the series: See, gravitation is often used in this part, it comes from a concept that was pushed even further in Diamond is Unbreakable where we learn that Stand users are drawn to each other, But in Stone Ocean, it’s pushed even further, and it’s a great way to show how the characters are connected to each other, and how they’re all part of the same story.
And the stands in this part are truly something else, From Stone Free, to Weather Report, to Made in Heaven, the stands in this part are some of the most creative ones in the series.
Weather Report controls the weather completely using subliminal messaging ? White Snake can steal memories and stands ? C-Moon can reverse gravity AROUND THE USER ?? Made in Heaven is a stand that can accelerate time to the point where the universe resets itself ???
Emporio’s relationship with Jolyne is one of the most endearing ones too, FF’s sacrifice is one of the most heartbreaking moments in the series, And the storyline about Pucci and Weather Report’s past is mindblowing.
Stone Ocean is a must-watch for any Jojo fan, and is so far for me the most well written. Many do the mistake of skipping it to get to Steel Ball Run, but I think there isn’t a bigger mistake that could be done.
Also, Stone Ocean’s last opening is the best in the series:
And so is its last ending, which honesly broke my heart, mostly because of how much I pity Emporio, While I was angry in the beginning seeing the universe getting reset, I understand it was a necessity, you probably can’t go any further than that, and series already got scary close to modern day too, they can’t place Jojo in the future without it being a mess. Rounding (heh) everything up with Roundabout was a great choice, nice callback to the first part, and a great way to end the series.