Joshu Higashikata

Joshu Higashikata (東方 常秀) is a major character in Part VIII: JoJolion.

Joshu is the third of Norisuke Higashikata IV's four children, a new Stand user, and a consistent rival to Josuke.

Appearance
Joshu is an 18-year-old male of average to above-average height and medium build. His distinctive hairstyle consists of straight, almost eyebrow-level bangs, with equal length at the back; totally shaved underneath and at his sides.

He wears a distinctive cap-sleeved top, with a kind of band collar and a bow tie. A front section is lined horizontally, and he has two upward-pointing arrow shapes on his shoulders. He wears dark pants of a moderate fit with slashes in them, and thick wristbands.

Personality
Joshu is an 18 year old college student and the third of Norisuke Higashikata IV's four children. Of a generally jealous and volatile disposition, he is persistently possessive towards Yasuho and antagonistic to Josuke.

Joshu behaves something like a spoiled child. He complains that the center spot in the family photograph is taken from him by Josuke, and is exasperated when his room is also given to him, only to be pacified when his father bribes him with money. He is shown to be insensitive, being the only one among his family not shocked or taken aback when his elder sister Hato reveals her unattractive boyfriend, Tamaki Damo to her family (aside from Daiya, who is near-blind), and is instead slightly humored at the sudden revelation, later completely bursting into laughter after learning of the sexual nature of their relationship.

Joshu asserts that he has a sort of romantic relationship with Yasuho Hirose, calling her "[his] Yasuho"; rather deaf to her point of view which regards him as a childhood friend or acquaintance. He interprets Yasuho's gesture of giving him twice as many mochi as Josuke as a sign of her loving him "twice as much". Yasuho notes that he has poor social skills.

Joshu constantly discriminates against Josuke, deeply resentful of his interference with Yasuho and his territory in the family. Joshu curses and denigrates him, and demonstrates a lack of conscience when he prepares to harm him with a knife in response to a minor infraction.

Joshu has stated a disbelief in God, that the prospect of riding in an airplane frightens him, and a reluctance to drink or eat pancakes made with milk a day older than its printed expiration date, comparing it to crossing a rickety bridge.

Joshu has a roughly playful relationship with Hato, though blatantly disrespects her boyfriend.

In working to expose the mystery of Shakedown Road, Joshu records Josuke there, demonstrating some capacity for problem solving, and demonstrates some level of cunning when, after recording evidence that Josuke had, in fact, broken the fish tank housing the turtle, deletes it and pretends to have been careless.

Abilities
Joshu's Stand, Nut King Call, allows him to easily disassemble objects by planting nuts and bolts in them, which are quickly removed. If reassembled incorrectly or abruptly, this ability can cause permanent deformities in the joints of whatever it separates.

Synopsis
When Yasuho rescues a naked man in a sailor cap from under the rubble at the Wall Eyes, Joshu immediately misunderstands the situation and tries to attack the man with a rock out of jealousy. He is quickly taken out by the man, who uses a Stand ability to vanish Joshu's eyes. Joshu is later seen at the hospital, having received the same bite marks on his leg that the sailor had.

From the point he leaves the hospital forward, Joshu is mostly seen getting into arguments with the protagonist that are often broken up by his own father, though he never actually learns from his father's chastisement of his antagonism. However, when Joshu is told to take Josuke to school, he tests Josuke's intelligence first before leading him to Robbing Road, where he hopes to enlist Josuke's help in exposing the swindling nature of the road. He, along with Josuke, are harassed with residents as they keep stepping on the leaves. While they separate the two, Joshu discovers his Stand for the first time and incapacitates one of them. He runs off with the thought that Josuke would be arrested. he looks into his bag and sees the ginkgo leaves that were on the road, unbeknownst to him, the contents of the bag was swapped by Josuke.

Later, Joshu is seen in town looking for Josuke who stole his phone. He finds Josuke, who is oblivious to him because of Tsurugi's Stand Paper Moon King. After getting his phone back, he runs into Yasuho who thinks he's Josuke due to her also being under the effects of Paper Moon. Joshu misunderstands her cries for help as a plead to have sex with her, he then brings her to a bathroom where he tries to have sex with Yasuho. Yasuho is refusing as Joshu's advances turns into a date-rape, with Joshu using Nut King Call to strip her down. Yasuho finally realizes that he is not Josuke, distracts him and manages to knock him out with a toilet lid.

Joshu is later seen reminding Josuke of his older brother Jobin's return, simultaneously trying to show off with the gift he brought him while in Southeast Asia. He is both surprised and jealous to discover that Jobin had given Josuke a live beetle and accompanies him to Jobin's room with the belief that Jobin will turn Josuke away. Jobin agrees, and much to Joshu's annoyance even agrees to have a beetle fight with Josuke when the latter proclaims his beetle superior to one in Jobin's collection. Surprised when Jobin loses the first match he threatens Josuke as usual, angered by what he perceives to be an insult to his brother while Jobin shaves his own eyebrow as promised. Although reluctant, Jobin's insistence in the name of good form coerces Joshu to unenthusiastically cheer for Josuke when a second match is proposed.

After Jobin loses the second match and Josuke uses his stand to send away the keys to Jobin's car, it is Joshu who suggests to Jobin that the car was Josuke's goal all along, and intuitively guesses (correctly) that the true motive was to acquire the event record data stored in the key, although he can think of no reason as to why Josuke would want it.

All Star Battle
Joshu appears as a stage hazard and Situation Finish in the Wall Eyes stage. If one of the fighters is knocked down on the "hazard" indication area, Yasuho Hirose backs away in fright, causing Joshu to appear and run through the stage punching anyone who gets in his way until he reaches her. Afterwards, he can be heard going "RERO RERO" in the background.

As a situation finish, the losing side is knocked out near Yasuho, causing Joshu to become angry and finish the character off with a large stone (similar to how he attacks Josuke during their first encounter).

Trivia

 * Joshu applied to study Sociology at college, noted by Yasuho as ironic given his lack of social skills.
 * He makes the same "RERO RERO" sound as Kakyoin and Yellow Temperance while taunting Josuke.
 * Joshu's relationship with Josuke may be compared to that of Jonathan and Dio in their youth. Joshu produces a knife while arguing with Josuke, like Dio after their second fight. They are both interrupted by their fathers, George Joestar and Norisuke Higashikata.
 * His voice actor in All-Star Battle, Miroaki Miura, previously voiced Pannacotta Fugo in Golden Whirlwind (PS2).