Jonathan Joestar

"There's no need to share my prideful name with a zombie!"

- Jonathan Joestar

Jonathan Joestar (ジョナサン・ジョースター, Jonasan Jōsutā) is the protagonist and hero of part one of the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He is the son of the wealthy George Joestar. He is an honest, kind and positive young man whose life is fraught with tragedy.

Origins
As an infant, his mother died in a carriage accident. That same accident indirectly brought Dio Brando into his life, because Dario, Dio's father, unwittingly saved Jonathan's father while he was preparing to steal from the wrecked carriage. Twelve years later, Dario apparently died of illness and Dio went to the Joestars. Dio, despite Jonathan trying to be friends with him, would become his nemesis both as a childhood rival and as an undead enemy. At the young age of 12, when Dio came into his life, he meets and falls in love with Erina Pendleton, but Dio shatters this relationship for a considerable time through his evil ways, by kissing Erina and boasting about it.

Stone Mask
Nonetheless, Jonathan is able to maintain his sanity and his studies in archaeology. Among his interests is research on a Mesoamerican stone mask that is part of the estate. Curiously, the mask sprouts spikes that pierce the wearer's skull if human blood touches it. Finally after eight years, Jonathan takes a stand against Dio when he discovers that Dio poisoned his own father with a substance that imitated illness, and his plot to poison George in the same way and take over the family fortune. So JoJo travels to ogre street in order to find an antidote which he finds thanks to the help of his new comrade Robert Edward O Speedwagon. In their fateful encounter, Dio stabs George while wearing the mask--Dio has learned that the mask is not a killing device, but a means to let the wearer transcend humanity and mortality (and anything resembling moral restraint) to become a mighty vampires.

Abilities/Techniques
As its the case with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenshiro Jonathan has arsenal of ancient martial art techniques at his disposal some are his original creation, each starting with Yellow Overdrive. His most memorable is his final attack called "Furueru zo haato! Moetsukiru hodo hiito!" or Shivering heart! Burning heat! SUNLIGHT YELLOW OVERDRIVE!

Stand
It is never directly said or implied that Jonathan Joestar had a Stand, It is a reasonable possibility that "The World" is in fact Jonathan's Stand. Due to the fact that Jonathan would have died of natural causes before the concept of Stands is introduced, he would've never developed one at all. However, because Dio attatched his head to Jonathan's body, therefore keeping it "alive" (Technically, since Dio is a vampire, Jonathan's body would be 'undead'.) It is a possibility that Dio merely helped develop Jonathan's Stand, however this is incredibly unlikely.

Another possible explaination is that "The World" is a fusion of what would be Dio's and Jonathan's individual Stands (Which would explain why The World is so powerful), however, this is just as likely as the theory above. We will probably truely never know if either theory is true, but in technical terms Dio was The World's Stand-user.

Battle with Dio
"We may have been two people making one, i even feel a bizarre friendship... And now our destinies have become one..."

- Jonathan Joestar to Dio before the ship's explosion

In the first confrontation with this new monster, Jonathan holds his own, but in his desperation to destroy Dio, Jonathan sets fire to the manor. in the battle, Jonathan, torn by the losses caused, grabs Dio and pulls him down many floors, ultimately impaling him on a goddess statue. However, Jonathan suffers horrible burns and is taken to hospital, whereas Dio is able to escape unseen. Robert E.O Speedwagon watches Jonathan being looked after and finds out that the nurse taking care of him is Erina, who had gone to India after Dio disgraced her and Jonathan's relationship--but not, after all, extinguished it. Shortly after being discharged from the hospital. Jonathan is taken in by Will Zeppeli, who teaches him hamon in order to defeat Dio. He travels with Zeppeli and Speedwagon to the town of Windknights to confront Dio. On his quest he faces many enemies such as Jack the Ripper and Bruford and Tarkus. And once again manages to seemingly defeat the vampire.

Marriage
Shortly after the Windknights battle, Jonathan and Erina marry, and soon set sail for America for a honeymoon. Their trip is cut short by an attack by Dio, now only a severed head, and Jonathan makes the supreme sacrifice, staying aboard the sinking ship in an attempt to take Dio down with him. Erina, pregnant with Jonathan's child, escapes the shipwreck. But 100 years later Dio returns using Jonathan's body. With this body Dio conceives a child, Giorno Giovanna.

Steel Ball Run
Johnny Joestar one of the main protagonist in Steel Ball Run is Jonathan's counter part in this universe. However his appearance and personality are very different.