Jonathan Joestar

"I’m willing to see our transaction through, are you sir? I’m fighting to protect my family from those that wish it harm, I doubt very much that your resolve is equal to mine."

- Jonathan Joestar to Tattoo, Chapter 8.

Jonathan Joestar (ジョナサン・ジョースター) is the protagonist of part 1 and the first JoJo of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series.

The son of George Joestar I, Jonathan is an honest, kind and positive man whose life is fraught with tragedy after meeting his adopted older brother, Dio Brando. In his battle against Dio, Jonathan becomes a Ripple user under the tutelage of the master Will Anthonio Zeppeli.

Adult Years
As an adult, Jonathan is a tall (195 cm/6'5"), extremely muscular individual with a gentlemen's poise. His typical attire tends to reflect his noble background, characterized by stylized tunics over long sleeve shirts. Reoccurring articles of clothing include a, bowtie, thick boots and a vest.
 * At home, Jonathan wears semi-formal attire consisting of a collared shirt, tie, and jacket with rolled up sleeves.
 * During University Rugby matches, he wears a standard striped rugby shirt and pants with long socks.
 * When he sets out to Ogre Street to find a cure for his father's illness, Jonathan dons an entirely new outfit made up of a padded jacket and pants, complete with a cap and a long cloak.
 * During his training with Zeppeli, he strips down to a stylized tank top with wristbands, and at some point a circlet.
 * On his quest to Windknight's Lot, Jonathan dons a double layered tunic with a bowtie and cap.
 * After his fight with Tarkus, he wears a close-fitted tank top with capped sleeves for the rest of the journey. In the anime, these sleeves are converted into shoulder pads.
 * During his honeymoon and final encounter with Dio, he wears an ornate suit with a long tail over a collared shirt with straps on the shoulders, and a cravat.

Personality
"He's not just looks and clothes, but a real honest-to-god gentleman... I like it!"

- Speedwagon During his childhood, Jonathan was proud and mischievous, yet gentle. Despite already aspiring to be a "true gentleman", Jonathan lacked manners and mostly behaved like a normal child. His mother having died before he could remember her, and his fellow boys ostracizing him because of his status left Jonathan somewhat lonely. While at first, Jonathan didn't have his future strength of will, Dio unwittingly became the catalyst of his growth by pushing him to the edge and humiliating his then girlfriend Erina Pendleton. However, he did have the kindness and courage to immediately jump to Erina's rescue against two bullies bigger than him despite not knowing her. First and foremost, Jonathan strives to become his definition of a "true gentleman" as he carries his Joestar name with pride, never betraying the code of conduct he has set for himself and will treat any fellow human with respect unless they prove evil. Jonathan also possesses a fierce inner strength and the drive to face and overcome conflict, which Dio calls an "explosive power". That drive, fueled by his affection to his friends and loved ones, enabled him to overcome the direst situations, notably managing to save his wife Erina when their boat was overcome with zombies and he was fatally hit in the throat. Jonathan fights for what he believes in, and once he is committed to something, he won't back down until the deed is done. During his journey to find a cure for his father's illness, he was ambushed by a band of misfit hoodlums. He did not so much as flinch as he grasped an assailant's knife within his hand, saying he had much more riding on the fight than merely four fingers. As a gentleman, Jonathan is also kind and positive. Jonathan has a mindset where he tries to imagine the consequences his actions would have on other people, even if they appear to be enemies. He is gentle and sympathetic, feeling pain even as he vanquishes a zombified copper. Despite his skill in fighting, he will never seriously harm a person without a valid reason. Even after everything Dio has done, Jonathan still considers him his brother, and sheds tears for him. His courteous nature as well as his mental fortitude and ability to withstand fear and pain, is the main reason Speedwagon decides to aid him on his journey. During his life, Jonathan has always had an impulse to save others, beginning with Erina, and ending with his thought of a nearby baby just as he was agonizing from Dio's attack.

Yet Jonathan can feel righteous fury at the evilness of his foes, and will conduct justice by vanquishing them. He admitted that his reason for fighting Dio wasn't out of duty for saving the world, but to avenge his loved ones that Dio had killed. Moreover, he has no pity for truly despicable individuals he is not familiar with such as Doobie.

With his courage and spirit, Jonathan sets a legacy as the first JoJo of the series.

Fascinated with the Stone Mask, Jonathan tried to study it and even took on the path of Archaeology. However, not having thought of putting in on anyone, Jonathan didn't discover its true purpose himself.

Athleticism
Jonathan had lived a rough past as the son of an aristocrat, and was known in his childhood to have been at least a competent boxer. In his college life, he played Rugby alongside Dio Brando, and was revered as one of the two stars of Hugh Hudson Academy.

Even prior to learning the Ripple, Jonathan was able to hold his own against three thugs, Speedwagon among them, with sheer might and willpower. He was capable of wielding various weaponry held by the suits of armor in the Joestar Mansion. He had also performed incredible feats of strength, such as jumping from the hilt of a sword and hoisting himself up to the second floor while doing a flip over the guardrails, despite his arm being inhibited by a spear pierced into his pectorals. Perhaps his greatest display of strength was after being revitalized and empowered by Zeppeli's Ultimate Deep Pass Overdrive, where he ripped through 3 steel bars clutching his neck, a feat that even the mighty zombie Tarkus outright admitted he was incapable of.

Intelligence
Jonathan is shown to be an intelligent person and a very competent thinker during battles, constantly coming up with new strategies mid-combat to defeat foes such as Bruford and Dio.

Academically, Jonathan graduated from university after having written a celebrated thesis in archaeology. He has meticulously studied the Stone Mask, going as far as identifying the spots in the brain it would pierce, but didn't discover its true purpose himself.

In a fight, Jonathan is adept at thinking of moves on the spot and using the environment to his advantage. On several occasions, Jonathan was quick to formulate plans even in a moment of crisis. Still recovering from the loss of his father, Jonathan had to fight a vampirized Dio, and quickly thought about burning down the Joestar Mansion in order to bring Dio down. Likewise, agonizing from a wound in the throat (which also led to a loss of oxygen going to his brain), Jonathan managed to use his last Ripple on Wang Chan to dispose of a horde of zombies and Dio at the same time by controlling Wang Chan's body to make the boat explode. Jonathan even notably used his belt as a supplementary whip before ever acquiring the Ripple, as well exploited the fact that Windknight's Lot was a coal mining town to deduce that a lake would have air pockets at its bottom to surprise Bruford with an unexpected production of Ripple.

Ripple
Jonathan has an arsenal of ancient martial art techniques, most inherited from Will A. Zeppeli and involving Ripple, at his disposal. Some are his original creation, each ending with "Overdrive".

Attacks

 * Zoom Punch (ズームパンチ): Jonathan launches his fist forward and strikes his opponent. First used by Zeppeli, the attack involves a Ripple breathing technique that dislocates and stretches the joints to extend the arm and give it greater reach while also using the same Ripple to dull the pain caused by the move. Due to the increased length, the strike immediately reaches the opponent's face first, which from that perspective seems "zoomed in."


 * Sendo Ripple Overdrive (仙道波紋): Jonathan charges a Ripple wave through his arm and releases it into a solid object, such as a wall or partition. The Ripple can travel through and reach anything on the other side, and anything hit by the Ripple is sent flying in a spiral. If the enemy is an Undead, the Ripple will enter their bloodstream and destroy them from the inside.


 * Scarlet Overdrive: Charging the Ripple into one hand, Jonathan can create a Ripple of flame. He is able to transfer over this flame to another part of his body, and anything that touches that body part has a chance of catching fire.


 * Underwater Turquoise Blue Overdrive (水中のための): Appropriately the strongest place to use the Ripple, Jonathan can release high powered tempests while underwater with enough force to blast enemies away. In most cases, a good portion of the water is propelled outward as well, draining something like a lake to waist-high depth.


 * Overdrive Barrage (連打): When Jonathan jabs fast enough consecutively, he can release multiple Overdrives at once.


 * Metal Silver Overdrive: Essentially the same as a Sendo Ripple Overdrive, but with the ability of transferring through metal.
 * Life Magnetism Overdrive (生命磁気への): With the aid of Zeppeli, Jonathan can draw all the leaves in the immediate area and magnetize them together to form one giant leaf, which was used as an impromptu-hang glider. This move can be applied to most plants, and has the ability to revive them passively as well - as when Jonathan touched a dead tree branch with his newly Ripple-healed arm and restored its wilted flowers.
 * Sunlight Yellow Overdrive (！！): His final and most memorable attack, first marked by Jonathan's words: "My heart resonates! The heat's enough to burn! The beat of my blood is razor-sharp!!" (ふるえるぞハート！燃えつきるほどヒート！！刻むぞ血液のビート！). It is a devastating and extremely rapid flurry of Ripple-infused punches with power comparable to the sun itself and has the ability to completely obliterate the Undead.

Alongside the attacks, the Ripple has various other uses in combat. A skilled Ripple user such as Jonathan has the ability to walk on water, strengthen objects and increase their potency, increase jumping height, and much more.

Healing
One of the main conveniences of the Ripple is the ability to heal the body to an extent. During his battle with Doobie, Jonathan was able to eject poison out of his bloodstream via Ripple transfusion. During his battle with Tarkus, he was also able to heal his broken neck after receiving the Supreme Pass Overdrive from Zeppeli.

Weapons

 * Luck and Pluck (と): After his defeat, Bruford gave Jonathan his sword, which played a major role in the final battle against Dio, where Jonathan was able to counter Dio's freezing ability by infusing the sword with Ripple, in order to avoid direct contact with Dio's body.

Stand
Manga Debut : Chapter 122, The Thing on the Plane

Along with the The World, it was stated that DIO's semi-precognitive abilities that seemed to have resulted from a Hermit Purple-like Stand were due to a Stand power that awoke in Jonathan's body. Similar to Hermit Purple, it can produce a psychic photograph by smashing a camera, which DIO used to track the Joestars and their friends's current location to send Stand Users after them.


 * According to the JoJo novel, JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE OVER HEAVEN, this Stand shares the same name with Hermit Purple and is called "Hermit Purple #2". In the subsequent novel JORGE JOESTAR, this Stand is instead named "The Passion". The canonicity of either novel is questionable.

Illustrations
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Phantom Blood
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Games
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Early Life (1868-1881)
"Give him a bloody nose, and he'll come back twice as fierce!"

- Dio assessing Jonathan's determination As an infant, Jonathan was involved in a carriage accident, resulting in the death of his mother,. That same accident indirectly brought Dio Brando into his life because his father, George Joestar I, assumed Dio's thieving father saved his life and vowed to repay that debt. Twelve years later, Jonathan comes to the aid of a young girl named Erina Pendleton being bullied by 🇺🇳, despite lacking the strength to defend her honor properly. He reveals his intentions of becoming a bonafide gentlemen having opted to help her only to pursue that goal. After meeting Dio, Jonathan's life spirals into hell as Dio attempts to break Jonathan's spirit through dominance and isolation.

At that time, Jonathan crosses paths with Erina; the two become close and eventfully fall in love. Dio learns of this and decides to deny Jonathan any chance of romance by forcibly taking Erina's first kiss, instilling deep shame in the girl. After learning of Dio's deed, Jonathan confronts him at the Joestar Mansion where his resolve for Erina's honor and his dignity gives him the strength to overpower Dio. Jonathan briefly notices a Stone Mask on their wall reacting to Dio's blood, but is distracted by his father who attempts to stop the fight before it escalated any further. Despite standing up to Dio, Jonathan was unable to find Erina afterwards, while learning that his beloved dog, Danny, had died after being "accidentally" placed in the incinerator. Jonathan suspected Danny's death to be Dio's doing, but Dio had noted the kind of person Jonathan was and decided to feign peace between them for the time being.

Phantom Blood (1888)
Seven years later, Jonathan attends Hugh Hudson Academy where he intends to graduate as an archaeologist. During that seven-year span, Jonathan was still wary towards Dio despite his facade. When George fell ill, Jonathan found a letter from Dio's father, Dario, and realized that Dio was poisoning his father to steal the Joestar family fortune. Though he had no physical proof other than Dio's clear animosity towards his biological father, Jonathan left his own in the care of physicians while attempting to find an antidote. Jonathan's search takes him to Ogre Street, where he manages to win over the friendship of a local thug named Robert E. O. Speedwagon, who had attempted to mug him before realizing the kind of person he was. With Speedwagon's help, Jonathan finds Dio's poison supplier, Wang Chan, and obtains the antidote for his father.

Birth of a Vampire
Dio arrives at the estate and sees Jonathan, Speedwagon and George waiting for him along with constables to take him away for attempted murder. Dio, having learned the power of the Stone Mask, attempts to kill Jonathan and use his blood to transcend humanity and become an immortal Vampire. George takes the stab wound meant for Jonathan, prompting the constables to open fire on Dio, supposedly killing him. As Jonathan laments, Dio is revealed to be alive and uses his new vampiric state to incapacitate Speedwagon and slaughter the constables. Noting Dio's newly gained regeneration, Jonathan is forced to set fire to his home in hopes that the amassed heat would kill him. After a long struggle, Jonathan plummets Dio into the inferno and impales him on a statue of the goddess Venus, effectively trapping him in the flaming building. As Dio curses him, Jonathan is blasted outside the manor by an explosion and remains alive despite many burns and injuries. Speedwagon manages to take Jonathan to a hospital, where the protagonist ends up seeing Erina for the first time in seven years. Despite Dio's actions in the past, it did not change Erina's feelings for Jonathan as she nursed him back to health.

Ripple Training
After being discharged from the hospital a few days later, Jonathan meets Will Anthonio Zeppeli, an Italian martial artist trained in the art of Sendō. After completely healing Jonathan's body, Zeppeli reveals that Dio survived the estate burning and offers to teach Jonathan to utilize a respiratory-based solar energy called Ripple in order to defeat Dio and destroy the Stone Mask. During his time of training, Jonathan defeats a zombified Wang Chan with his new Zoom Punch technique. Jonathan later learns from Speedwagon that Dio had apparently set up base at Windknight's Lot, resulting in the disappearance of several of its citizens. Drawing near to the village, the group is attacked by a newly zombified Jack the Ripper sent by Dio. Zeppeli offers the zombie's defeat as a final test for Jonathan, giving him a glass of wine and ordering him to defeat Jack without spilling a drop. Jonathan eventually realizes he can use the glass to detect Jack before defeating him by transmitting Ripple through the wall. Once at Windknight's Lot, Jonathan and his group are unknowingly led by a hypnotized boy named Poco to a graveyard where Dio's large number of minions ambush them the moment night falls.

Luck and Pluck
Dio reveals himself at that time, having learned of the Ripple fighting style and uses his flash-freeze ability to render bare-handed attacks with Ripple useless. Dio then reveals his strongest zombie warriors, the knights Bruford and Tarkus. Bruford senses Jonathan's fighting nobility, requesting Dio to let him fight the human in a duel. Taking their battle underwater, Jonathan is at a disadvantage as he is unable to maintain proper breathing and thus is unable to use Ripple. Recalling a lesson from his late father, Jonathan dives deeper into the water where he finds air bubbles trapped underneath rocks; using these to breathe, Jonathan is able to generate enough Ripple to force Bruford out of the water. Bruford tries to finish off Jonathan, but Jonathan channels Ripple through the zombie's sword to literally disarm him before unleashing a flurry of 'Sunlight Yellow Overdrive' punches. As Bruford breaks down, he regains his human soul and in respect for Jonathan leaves him his sword.

Succeeding his master
After experiencing Tarkus' power, Jonathan and company decide to retreat into a canyon on a leaf-based hang-glider that Jonathan and Zeppeli magnetize with Ripple. Landing within an ancient knight's battleground, Tarkus ambushes the group and manages to trap Jonathan in the "Lair of the Two-Headed Dragon", forcing him into a Chain Neck Deathmatch. Jonathan is nearly killed by the more experienced combatant, but is briefly saved by Zeppeli who ends up sacrificing himself. It is only after the dying Zeppeli infuses Jonathan with his remaining ripple that the youth revives with the strength necessary to defeat Tarkus. Afterwards, Jonathan cremated Zeppeli's body before resuming the search for Dio.

The 'Final' Battle
Soon after meeting the Ripple masters Tonpetty, Straizo, and Dire, Jonathan saves Poco's sister from before confronting Dio. After Dire is killed by Dio's freezing powers, Jonathan gets the idea to counter Dio's freezing by channeling his Ripple through Bruford's sword. Dio, livid over Dire's last attack, summons his zombies to take care of the others while he deals with Jonathan one-on-one. Jonathan lands a couple of sword attacks on Dio but he survives them with his inhuman powers. Jonathan is able to land a Sunlight Yellow Overdrive on Dio but he quickly puts himself together. Dio grabs hold of Jonathan's carotid artery but Jonathan is able to escape and the two clash one last time. Jonathan set his fists on fire to remove Dio's advantage and lands a Ripple-infused punch into Dio's stomach while sending him plummeting off the edge of the balcony. Believing Dio dead along with most of his minions, Jonathan's group destroys the Stone Mask.

Marriage and Conclusion
Two weeks after the Windknight's Lot incident, Jonathan marries Erina and the two board a ship heading to America for a honeymoon. During the trip, Jonathan is led to the ship's hull by Wang Chan, where he encounters a bodiless Dio. Dio reached an epiphany that their fates were deeply woven together, motivating him to take the Joestar's body as his own. Dio then shoots beams of pressurized eye fluid at Jonathan's throat in an attempt to instantly kill him, but the attack only fatally wounds Jonathan with his stopped breathing preventing him from using his Ripple. Regardless, Dio orders Wang Chan to rip off Jonathan's head while warning him to be both respectful and wary of his new body. Using the last of his Ripple, Jonathan destroys Wang Chan's head and manipulates his body to obstruct a piece of the cruise ship's mechanism. Jonathan intended this to cause an explosion that would sink the ship and hopefully put an end to Dio for good.

While Erina was content to die with him in his final moments, Jonathan beseeches her to escape with an infant whose mother died protecting her from the zombies that Wang Chan sired. Dio makes a last-ditch attempt to take Jonathan's body at that time, only to be stabbed and restrained by Jonathan who felt at peace in his final moments. Dio attempts to convince Jonathan to let him go with promises of immortality, only to learn that he had already died before the two were consumed in the inferno caused by the ship's explosion. With his death, the Joestar Family survived through Erina and their unborn son.

Legacy
Jonathan's story was known only to a few, namely his son George Joestar II and later his grandson Joseph Joestar and his descendants. Despite Jonathan's last act, Dio manages to take the headless body of his rival for his own and resurfaces from the ocean depths a century later. Once freed, the renamed DIO uses Jonathan's body to impregnate a few women: resulting in the births of Giorno Giovanna, Donatello Versus, Ungalo, and Rikiel. DIO then pierces his new body with the Bow and Arrow, awakening the ability to use a Stand. DIO also gave Enrico Pucci one of Jonathan's bones to enact his dream of 'ascending to Heaven'.

During the events of Stardust Crusaders, DIO decides to completely integrate Jonathan's body to perfect his Stand by using Joseph's blood as a catalyst, but ends up being utterly defeated by Jonathan's great-great-grandson, Jotaro Kujo. After DIO's death by Jotaro's hand, he and Joseph expose what remained of Jonathan's body to the sun as an apparent end to their feud with DIO, allowing Jonathan to rest in peace.

Steel Ball Run
Jonathan's counterpart in Steel Ball Run is Johnny Joestar, formally named "Jonathan". Johnny's family also bears noble lineage, but makes its residence in America instead. However, Johnny's appearance and personality are very different from Jonathan's.

Major Battles

 * Jonathan vs Dio Brando (At Joestar Mansion; child)
 * Jonathan vs Dio (when Dio becomes a vampire)
 * Jonathan vs Jack the Ripper
 * Jonathan & Zeppeli vs Dio
 * Jonathan vs Bruford
 * Jonathan vs Tarkus
 * Jonathan vs Dio Brando (final battle)

Family

 * George Joestar I: In his youth, Jonathan's father was very strict on him, correcting his lack of table manners and berating his studies, while ignoring the harm that Dio was bringing on his son. This was perhaps made worse by the fact that Jonathan's mother had died some years ago, hardening George and causing him to be harsher on his son. Regardless, Jonathan still loves his father greatly, angrily beating up Dio, whom he had been friends with for the past seven years, for poisoning his father. When Dio throws a knife at Jonathan, George sacrifices himself to block the knife and comments that "it's not so bad to die in your son's arms".
 * Mary Joestar: Though Jonathan's interactions with his mother are never seen as she is killed while he was still an infant, he is shown to love her greatly, looking at her picture wistfully and crying right after Dio ruins his life with his arrival.
 * Danny: Jonathan and Danny have forged a strong bond since Danny saved Jonathan from drowning in the river. Jonathan is shown to be very angry when Danny was kicked by Dio and had sobbed uncontrollably when the household had buried Danny. Danny still shows up in his master's memories, when Jonathan remembers having fought with Danny over a bone.
 * Erina Pendleton: Jonathan's love interest and eventually his wife first hands him a handkerchief shortly after he is beaten down by bullies. Jonathan professes his love for her afterwards, which she is shown to accept at least in part, until Dio enters and steals her first kiss in order to upset the two. Erina does return after the Joestar mansion burns down, however, and nurses Jonathan back to health, igniting the relationship between the two once more. The two are married after Jonathan manages to defeat Dio with his Ripple, and their relationship continues well into Erina's old age, where her memories of Jonathan prevent her from entering into a relationship with Robert Speedwagon.
 * Giorno Giovanna: Many years after Jonathan's death, DIO uses Jonathan's body to get around in the world now, during which he sires 4 children, one of which is Giorno. Of all the children, Giorno is born first and carries the birthmark thanks to Jonathan's DNA present in his body. While a slightly darker side of Giorno exists, resembling DIO's ruthlessness (albeit towards evil people), he retains a noble heart and desire to help innocents, closer to Jonathan's ideals.

Friends

 * Robert E. O. Speedwagon: Jonathan's most loyal friend. An enemy at first, he later joined Jonathan on his quest after seeing the protagonist's dedication and courteous nature. In his later years, he founded The Speedwagon Foundation, which has become the Joestar Family's most useful asset in battling Stand users and supernatural research.
 * Will Anthonio Zeppeli: Jonathan, upon meeting Zeppeli, was initially perplexed by his appearance and strange abilities. After Zeppeli explains his actions and the significance of the Ripple, Jonathan grows to trust Zeppeli completely and looks up to him as a mentor. Zeppeli eventually sacrifices himself to save Jonathan and transfers his energy and life force to him, moments before dying. Jonathan tearfully avenges Zeppeli by killing Tarkus.JonathanFriends.png
 * Poco: As with the rest of his party, Jonathan felt it necessary to look after Poco during his battle against Dio and his undead army. He takes it upon himself to save Poco's sister during their infiltration of Dio's castle.
 * Tonpetty: Given the short time-sharing, their relationship was nothing more than a cordial respect and empathy with them over the death of Zeppeli.
 * Dire: Dire died too fast to exchange more than a few words with him. However, it is Jonathan who takes revenge on his hands against Dio.
 * Straizo: Given the short time-sharing, their relationship was nothing more than a cordial respect and empathy with them over the death of Zeppeli. However after Jonathan's death, it is Straizo who adopts the child that Jonathan's saves and gives to Erina and eventually teaches the child in the ways of the Ripple. Since Straizo's adoptive daughter married his son that would essentially make them brothers-in-law.

Enemies

 * Dio Brando: In their childhood, Dio and Jonathan do not get along well due to Dio's antagonism towards Jonathan and his ability to both outshine him and ruin his relationships greatly. Years later at Hugh Hudson Academy, Jonathan is shown to have become friendly with Dio, though Jonathan still suspects that something is suspicious about Dio's behavior, while Dio had been plotting to take over the Joestar household. Their antagonism reaches a peak when Dio poisons, and later kills, Jonathan's father and transforms into a vampire. Regardless, both maintain some degree of respect towards one another, as shown when Jonathan suicidally attempts to pin Dio on a pointed statue as the Joestar mansion burned down & destroyed his body in their final battle, and Dio acknowledges Jonathan shortly before attempting to take over Jonathan's body. In the end, Jonathan failed to stop Dio and his body is possessed by him. Their relationship sparks a legacy that continues well into the future parts of the series.
 * Wang Chan: As the man who gave Dio the poison that was used to try and kill his father, Jonathan despised Wang Chan. Unlike Dio, Wang Chan had no respect for Jonathan and constantly insulted him. During his final battle with Dio, Jonathan used the last of his Ripple to kill Wang Chan and use his body to blow up the ship and Dio with it.
 * Tarkus: Jonathan was originally awestruck at Tarkus having learned of him in history books, but after he destroyed the remains of his comrade Bruford, Jonathan lost all respect for him. The two would later battle in a castle chained together and said battle would lead to Zeppeli's death, in anger and sadness Jonathan destroyed Tarkus.
 * Bruford: Like Tarkus, Jonathan highly respected Bruford due to his reputation as a great fighter and knight. After their battle, Bruford also grew to respect Jonathan and gave him his sword before his death.
 * Jack the Ripper: Because he was one of Dio's minions and an infamous serial killer, Jonathan knew Jack was a threat and had to be stopped. In the end, Jonathan destroyed Jack with his Ripple.

Relationships in Eyes of Heaven
(The information below derives from a Video Game not written by Araki. As such, it may not be considered canon.)
 * Giorno Giovanna: When the two are the same team, Giorno will ask Jonathan everything he knows about DIO. If victorious, Giorno will mention that DIO is his father, surprising Jonathan.
 * Jotaro Kujo: At first it was upsetting that Jotaro referred to Jonathan as his ancestor. Later Jonathan felt in his heart that he was succeeding his own lineage, to the point of asking Jotaro to finish Heaven Ascension DIO in his place during the main story's final battle. Also, if Jotaro is Part 4 version, he mentioned to Jonathan's grandson and Jotaro's grandfather Joseph Joestar.
 * Joseph Joestar: Jonathan is impressed by Joseph's tactics and Ripple. He states that Old Joseph reminds him of his father.
 * Kars: Upon encountering him, Jonathan will recognize Kars as the one who created the Stone Masks and seeks to kill him and destroy the Stone Masks. Kars seeks to kill Jonathan simply because he is a Hamon user and later attempts to recruit him to his side, considering his death to be a waste.

GioGio's Bizarre Adventure (PS2)
Jonathan appears in the game's intro, along with Jotaro, Josuke and Joseph (Part 3) as part of an image of previous Joestars representing how Giorno inherited their "golden soul." Jonathan originally did not appear in this scene in the manga.

This small appearance marks Jonathan's first appearance in video games media.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood (PS2 Game)
Jonathan is the main playable character in this game. Throughout the game the player will control many different versions of him with wildly differing movesets.

The player starts off Story mode as Young Jonathan, defending Erina Pendleton from bullies harassing her. Here, his moveset only consists of punches and kicks. While in the manga Jonathan lost this fight, the game includes an alternate scene should the player defeat the bullies, where he helps Erina back up on her feet only for him to be struck back down when the bullies realize who he is. The second chapter features "Boxing Gear" Jonathan in a match with Dio, also without special moves. Much like the previous level, the player can change how the fight went from the manga by having Jonathan beat Dio, although the resultant scene has Dio turn everyone against Jonathan anyway by claiming Jonathan hit him with a rock. The last level played as young Jonathan is against young Dio, when Jonathan attacks Dio in a fury over what he did to Erina. The player moves on to the "adult" Jonathan chapters, and it is around the Ogre Street level that the player earns his "strong kick" special move. When the player fights a newly-made vampire Dio, Jonathan starts off with a spear, though he loses it afterward.

The boss battle with Wang Chan allows players to use Jonathan's Ripple ability for the first time, allowing him to destroy zombie-type enemies. The player also earns the "Turquoise Blue Overdrive" special move to use against Bruford in the first underwater boss battle, and in the second phase of the battle, the player earns his Sunlight Yellow Overdrive super move. The player then moves on to playing as a shirtless Jonathan against Tarkus, with the added bonus of having a constantly regenerating Ripple meter thanks to Will A. Zeppeli passing on his Ripple ability to Jonathan. The closing stages of the game has Jonathan wielding the sword of LUCK & PLUCK as well as granting him the Scarlet Overdrive special as well. The very last level has the player use a fatally wounded and dying Jonathan, with very little health left and only enough energy for one last Ripple attack, in an attempt to recreate the final scene of Part 1.

During EXTRA BATTLE and 77 RINGS KNIGHT MODE, Jonathan is playable with both "Luck & Pluck" and without it. His Tuxedo version is also playable, but it must be unlocked by beating the STORY MODE once.

Jump Ultimate Stars (Nintendo DS)
Jonathan appears as a support and help character in the game. His 2 Koma support summons him, after which he headbutts his target and performs a combo on them. His 3 Koma support involves him tossing Ripple roses at the enemy, striking them with LUCK & PLUCK and performing a Scarlet Overdrive on them. His help koma gives the character 1 SP bar more after being defeated.

He serves as an ally boost with DIO, mocking his classic line "it's useless!" and Mutou Kazuki (from Busou Renkin), by saying he feels the sun's power in Kazuki (since they need the sun's light in some of their attacks, Jonathan's Ripple and Kazuki's lance).

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle (PS3)
Jonathan returns as a playable character in the PS3 game. He was confirmed along with Will Anthonio Zeppeli and Johnny Joestar. As a Ripple-user character (along with William, Joseph [Both Parts 2 and 3], Caesar, and Lisa Lisa), Jonathan can recharge his Heart Heat Gauge through "Ripple Breath" by holding down the Style button, performing a famous JoJo pose, as well as deliver enhanced versions of skills if Style is inputted in place of normal attack buttons.

Jonathan's moveset mostly comprises of the Ripple-based moves he had used in the original manga.
 * Tackle: Jonathan lunges forward shoulder-first. If not blocked, the opponent is sent into the stage wall. Every single one of Jonathan's skills can be performed instantly following this move, though Scarlet Overdrive has the best chance of landing.


 * Zoom Punch: Jonathan extends his arm and punches at medium range, stunning the opponent and leaving them vulnerable. Every single one of Jonathan's skills can be performed instantly following this move. (Comboable)
 * Sendo Ripple Overdrive: Jonathan shoots a wave of Ripple energy along the ground in a low attack. This skill deals more damage can knock the opponent into the air if Ripple-enhanced. (Ripple-enhanced Comboable)
 * Overdrive Barrage: Jonathan slides forward and rapidly punches, finishing with a small uppercut. This move deals more damage and knocks the opponent into the air on the final hit if Ripple-enhanced (Ripple-enhanced Comboable). This move is able to initiate a Rush Mode struggle with Power-Type Stand users, making Jonathan the only non-Stand-Style character to be able to do so.
 * Scarlet Overdrive: Jonathan delivers an instant short punch immediately followed by a flaming rising uppercut with the other hand in a classic "Shoryuken"-style move, doubling as an anti-air. This move cannot be Puttsun Cancelled once Jonathan leaves the ground. The opponent will fly higher and take more damage if Ripple-enhanced. (Comboable)
 * The Sword of Luck & Pluck: Jonathan leaps forward, sword in both hands, and unleashes three wide swings, with the final, downward swing grounding the opponent. This first hit is a middle attack that cannot be blocked if the opponent is crouching (Comboable through Puttsun Cancel). If the move is Ripple-enhanced, its damage is increased Jonathan can only be interrupted by Throws and HHA/GHA.
 * Throw - I will protect my father!: Jonathan picks the opponent up by one hand, holds them over his head, and throws them to the ground.
 * Special - "This is my final Ripple!": Jonathan can spend a stock of his Heart Heat Gauge to perform this move, which allows him to rise again after his health hits zero, with increased attack power and defense as well as all of his skills permanently changing to their Ripple-enhanced variants, although his Heart Heat gauge is disabled entirely. If he's struck by "Kosaku Kawajiri's" GHA, Bites The Dust when this skill is activated, Jonathan will lose its effects but regain his HHG in turn, assuming he has enough health to survive.
 * Heart Heat Attack - "Who'll be the last one standing?!": Jonathan's HHA is the variant of Scarlet Overdrive he used to defeat Dio in the closing stages of Part 1. Jonathan spins as his hands are engulfed in flames, before diving forward, both fists extended. If the opponent is hit, the two-handed strike will hit them in the abdomen. Jonathan then punches through his opponent with a fiery Ripple-charged fist to send them flying.
 * Great Heat Attack - Sunlight Yellow Overdrive: Jonathan executes the very move that he used to defeat Bruford beginning with a very fast kick. If the kick lands, the opponent is hit in the abdomen, before Jonathan proceeds to pummel them at different angles and knocking them into the air, all while reciting his signature lines. After charging an immense amount of Ripple energy, Jonathan unleashes a rapid flurry of punches into the opponent as they fall towards him, ending with them spiraling away after a two-handed crossing punch.

Jonathan has many alternate costumes, all taken from each of the 5 volume covers in which he appears. Besides the Part 1 characters, Jonathan has a special intro with DIO's Part 3 incarnation, where Jonathan expresses horror at Dio seemingly being alive again while DIO remarks on "JoJo"'s appearance before him possibly being "a challenge from the past."

J-Stars Victory Vs (PS3/PS3/PSV)
Jonathan is a playable character along with Joseph Joestar (Part 2), both representing the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise in the game.

Jonathan's moveset consists of most of his attacks featured in Part 1. His main gameplay-style involves regular combos ending with his Sunlight Yellow Overdrive (it can be extended for more damage up to 49 hits), his Zoom Punch as a long range attack, a ranged variation of his Scarlet Overdrive wave on the floor and his Luck & Pluck sword return as a 3 Hit-Combo that can be used to inflict large amounts of damage. Aside from similar attacks from his All Star Battle's moveset, Jonathan's new moves include him using a Spear (the same one he used in the Joestar Mansion to fight Dio) and a charged dash attack that continues until he hits his target with his shoulder.

His special move unleashes a stronger version of the Sunlight Yellow Overdrive, following with a Scarlet Overdrive that launches the opponent away. Some of his famous JOJO poses appears as taunts and intro/victory poses.

Jonathan's role during the Story Mode is limited to quick appearances. During Toriko's team arc, the player takes control of the duo Gintoki Sakata (from the GINTAMA franchise) and Boa Hancock (from the ONE PIECE franchise), as they both claim to have seen a person walking across the water towards their direction. The person is revealed to be Jonathan, who challenges the player's team, claiming that he's training to defeat Dio (likely a reference to Zeppeli's Ripple training, when they followed Poco by running over the water). After the battle, Jonathan appears surprised he lost the match and says he still needs more training, then introduces himself by saying "My name is Jonathan....Jonathan Joestar."

Jonathan's color scheme is the same one from the TV Anime series. Both Jonathan and Seiya (from the SAINT SEIYA franchise) share the same battle theme, called "Brave Soldiers".

He also makes brief appearances in the game's opening sequence, as he can be seen alongside other Jump heroes, and at some point watches Gintoki race against Ryotsu (from KOCHI-KAME franchise).

Despite not having any specific conversation or interaction with Joseph, they both appear as rivals in one of the promotional videos for the western version of the game, J-Stars Victory Vs +, with their battle titled "WHEN GRANDSON MEETS HIS GRANDFATHER!". Oddly enough, the trailer begs the question "IS THE FLAME OF YOUTH STRONGER THAN THE WISDOM OF AGE?", which erroneously implies that Jonathan, as Joseph's grandfather, is much older than him, as well as alive by the time Joseph is 18 years old, rather than the game's incarnation of him being only two years older than his grandson as the two are from completely different time periods.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Shooters (Android/iOS)
Jonathan is one of the first 3 available characters the player must choose to be his first team leader (alongside Joseph and Jotaro). Several of Jonathan's appearances appear as Medal Strikers.

Jonathan's FINISH move consists of an animation wherein he strikes his enemy with several punches in a second while his Special Level 3 Leader ability has him use Scarlet Overdrive on all enemies on the field.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven (PS3/PS4)
Jonathan was confirmed for the game alongside Zeppeli and Speedwagon.

Most of his moveset and character model remains the same from All Star Battle. New additions to Jonathan's attacks includes him using the spear he attacked Dio with shortly after his transformation as a Powerful Attack. Several of his new combos and sidesteps are now based on his boxing skills (displayed during his childhood in Part 1).

As a Ripple User, Jonathan has a Ripple Gauge that determines the strength of his attacks. Filling up the gauge will automatically empower his Normal and Powerful Attacks, and enhance/alter the properties of all his skills. It will also shorten the cooldown time on said skills. Using skills will drain a portion of the Ripple Gauge until there's an insufficient amount to use.


 * Style Action - Ripple Breathing: Jonathan performs a pose and Ripple Breathes, filling up the Ripple Gauge. He cannot move and is vulnerable to attacks while doing so.
 * Zoom Punch!: Jonathan slides forward and extends his arm to punch at medium range, dealing medium damage to opponents. If Ripple-enhanced, the skill will execute quicker and allow Jonathan to combo from it (Ripple-enhanced Comboable).
 * Overdrive Barrage!: Jonathan slides forward and unleashes a short flurry of punches ending in an uppercut. The last hit will send opponents flying. If Ripple-enhanced, the skill will execute quicker, unleash more punches, and receive a damage boost. The skill can be used in mid-air, and its damage is dependent on the how much of the Ripple Gauge is filled.
 * Sendo Ripple Overdrive!: Jonathan punches the ground and sends his Ripple spreading out over a wide area, damaging and crumpling opponents caught. If Ripple-enhanced, the skill will execute quicker, have a larger area of effect, and receive a damage boost.
 * Who'll be the Last One Standing!: Jonathan spins as his hands are engulfed in flames, before diving forward, both fists extended. If the opponent is hit, the two-handed strike will hit them in the abdomen. Jonathan then pulls one fist back before punching them off, sending the opponent flying as he briefly turns down and looks down. If Ripple-enhanced, the skill make Jonathan invincible during its execution, receive a damage boost, and the speed and distance of the dive is increased. The skill's damage is dependent on how much of the Ripple Gauge is filled.
 * EX - Sendo Ripple Overdrive!: Jonathan will be invincible when first executing the skill. The Ripple will be unblockable, and Jonathan's recovery time from the skill is reduced as well, allowing him to combo from it. This is in addition to other benefits granted by the Ripple Gauge.
 * EX - Who'll be the Last One Standing!: The skill will execute even quicker than when Ripple-enhanced, will increase the speed and distance of the dive, make Jonathan invincible while he is diving, and receive a damage boost. This is in addition to the damage benefits granted by the Ripple Gauge.
 * Trait - My final Ripple...: When Jonathan health hits zero for the first time, if his partner is still alive, he will be granted a decent portion of continuously draining health to continue on it. All attacks and skills are unusable, leaving Jonathan with a special final attack in which he attacks with crossed fingers, dealing considerable damage. Once his health reaches zero once more, or if he successfully lands his final attack, Jonathan will then fall permanently.

JoJolities

 * One-in-a-Million Potential: Jonathan must completely fill his Ripple Gauge. (200 Points)
 * Father! Grant me your final power!: Jonathan must connect a Powerful Attack as the third step in a mid-air combo. (200 Points)
 * I want to become a true gentleman!: Jonathan must successfully execute 5 Combo Breakers. (300 Points)
 * I'll knock you until you cry like a little girl!: Jonathan must achieve a collective hit count of 200. (500 Points)
 * Own your fear!: Jonathan must Retire an enemy with a Dual Heal Attack. (800 Points)

Dual Heat Attacks

 * Solo - Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!: It works the same as the one from All Star Battle, however, most of the speech is removed in favor of several grunts.
 * With Zeppeli - "Here comes my Hamon!": The two of them attack the opponent's head, sequentially with a Ripple-charged Zoom Punch from Jonathan and a Sendo Wave Kick from Zeppeli, before they charge up and run up to the opponent and unleash a double Sendo Ripple Overdrive-enhanced Zoom Punch into them, the two reciting the phrase commonly associated with Overdrives.

Unlike the previous game, Jonathan's main color scheme is now based on his anime appearance.

If fighting against Kars, Jonathan will realize he created the Stone Mask that caused his life so much misery and in his victory quote he states Kars will pay for what he has done. He might also be left in shock at Kars' status as neither zombie nor vampire. This applies to the rest of the Pillar Men.

Tournament
He is paired with DIO in the Eyes of Heaven Tournament, defeating Zeppeli and Koichi Hirose in the first round and Wamuu and N'Doul in the second. In the semifinals, they defeated Mariah and Esidisi in the first round, but were eliminated by Kars and Pet Shop in the second.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Records (Android/iOS)
Jonathan is a playable character in the game with many different unlockable statues that are Courage or Unity types.

Trivia

 * In Jump Comics Volume 1, there is a typographical error where Jonathan uses the line 何をするだァーッ (Nani o suru da) instead of 何をするんだァーッ (Nani o surun da). This error was not fixed for 15 years until the 66th printing and has since then been replicated in other works such as Phantom Blood (PS2 Game) and All Star Battle.
 * According to an interview with Araki, Jonathan's name was inspired by a family restaurant, "Jonathan's," at which he and his editor would frequently meet late at night to discuss ideas.
 * Jonathan is a name of Hebrew origin (Yonatan is the original version of the name) that means "God has given" in Hebrew. The name can be translitered in katakana as ジョナサン (Jonasan).
 * In Japanese language the katakana is used (among other functions) for transcription of foreign-language words (including proper names) into Japanese. A Japanese name that could be equivalent (same meaning) to the name Jonathan would be the name Shinzo, but only when written with the following kanji: 神贈 (the use of these kanji to spell the name Shinzo is very rare).
 * According to JOJO A-GO!GO!, the ability DIO uses during Stardust Crusaders, to create a vision on a crystal ball, is actually a Stand power which awoke in Jonathan's body.
 * Jonathan has a similar appearance and physique to Hokuto no Ken's Kenshiro.
 * Araki stated in JoJonium Vol. 1 that Jonathan was difficult for him to design. He wanted to create a "first Joestar" that could function as a symbol of purity and dignity rather than a unique, fresh character. However, there were limitations on how he could write the character due to being a "symbol of justice", so Araki found himself unsure where to take the character.
 * Jonathan is the only character to appear in every chapter of the respective part they were introduced in, as he is in every chapter of Phantom Blood.
 * Due to the concept of the Joestar Birthmark not being introduced until Stardust Crusaders, Jonathan is not shown to have it in the manga. Later adaptations do show Jonathan's birthmark, such as the 2000 OVA during the flashback showing Jonathan's death, or the 2012 anime when he defeats Tarkus.

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Jonathan Joestar