Dio Brando

"Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda!!"

- Dio Brando's battle cry

Dio Brando (ディオ・ブランドー), known as DIO ) from Part III onwards, is the main antagonist of both Part I: Phantom Blood and Part III: Stardust Crusaders.

Originally a man of low birth but peerless ambition, Dio is a villain of little conscience, vast cunning, and an insatiable hunger for power.

Dio is father of the protagonist of Part V, Giorno Giovanna as well as many other illegitimate offspring. As the dominant antagonist of the series, his legacy persists throughout the story, officially rounding off in Part VI; though a similar character, Diego Brando, also bears significant influence on Part VII. Like Jotaro Kujo, he's amongst the most well known characters in the series.

Childhood
When he first arrives at the Joestar Estate, Dio is seen wearing typical formal boy's attire from that era; a blue coat, white dress shirt, a tie, suspenders, breeches and a pair of striped socks. He has blond hair and a handsome face. He also appears to have 3 dots on the lobule of his left ear, which seems to be a birthmark.

Adulthood
Aside from replacing his coat with a vest, Dio's attire hasn't had much change. However, his overall physique and height have increased significantly. During the events where Jonathan sets out to find the antidote for his father's illness, Dio dons a top hat and new flamboyant looking cloak that has feathers jutting out of the shoulders.

Vampire
Dio's clothing has changed quite a bit after his first battle with Jonathan; most noticeable is the scarf around his neck. He wears an ornate shirt and breeches, a large pair of boots, vambraces, and two suspenders attached to a band around his waist.

Shadow
DIO does not have a visible face as an effect of the shadowy darkness of his mansion. He has shoulder length blond hair. He is topless, exposing Jonathan's muscular body (of which his head is sewn in place) and wears green pants with suspenders, gray clogs, black shiny cuffs on both wrists and heart-shaped knee guards. In the game, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future, his voice is also distorted (an effect created by the writers to add mystery). This form of DIO is also called "Ja'aku no Kenshin DIO." (DIO the Evil Incarnate)

Revealed
Just like the Shadow form, only his entire suit is now colored yellow. DIO's face is seen, his hair is blond, wearing a jacket with a tank-top underneath. He now also wears a heart-shaped circlet, and rings for his cuffs. This is his form during the beginning of the DIO's World story arc.

Empowered
DIO nears his physical peak after sucking Joseph Joestar's blood. The description is like his fuku form minus the jacket and the heart-shaped hairband (which had been destroyed during Star Platinum's attacks). He now sports a deranged and homicidal look and mannerisms, losing his cool touch, and his hair is now disheveled, mostly oriented upwards. This is his form during the latter half of the DIO's World story arc.