The Final Ripple! (Episode)

The Final Ripple! (最後の波紋!) is the ninth episode of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime. It is also the ninth and final episode of Phantom Blood. It covers parts of Chapter 41 through Chapter 44 of the manga.

Summary
As Dio falls following his battle with Jonathan, he decapitates himself before the Ripple reaches his head, which is recovered by his zombie servant Wang Chan. Meanwhile, with the Stone Mask destroyed, Jonathan marries Erina and they head off on a honeymoon to America on a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean. As Jonathan and Erina enjoy their cruise, Jonathan discovers that Wang Chan has sneaked aboard and deduces that Dio is still alive. In the haul of the ship, Jonathan confronts Dio, who wants his body to replace his own. Erina arrives on the scene just as Jonathan receives a near-fatal attack to his neck. Meanwhile, the ship starts to run amok with zombies after Wang Chan spreads the infection. Using the last Ripple energy he has, Jonathan manages to decapitate Wang Chan, forcing his body to obstruct a piece of the cruise ship's mechanism, setting the ship on a path to explosion. As Erina resolves to die by Jonathan's side, Jonathan tells her to live on so she can protect a baby whose mother was killed. As the ship starts to explode, Dio makes a last ditch attempt to take Jonathan's body, but Jonathan stops him, passing away with Dio's head in his arms whilst Erina and the baby hide in Dio's bomb-proof to protect them from the explosion. Erina is eventually rescued near the Canary Islands a day later, and vows to pass on the truth of what happened on that night, starting with the child she conceived with Jonathan before his untimely death.

The scene then changes to an ancient ruin in the jungles of Mexico, where a humanoid figure encased in stone is shown to be lightly breathing.

Manga/Anime Differences

 * Father Styx's flashback to him being given orders to a missionary trip in Mexico are cut; instead, his superiors give him the orders in person before boarding the ship.
 * A few scenes depicting the vampiric infection onboard the ship are added.
 * An extra scene showing the mother protecting her baby before dying is added.
 * A scene foreshadowing Part II was added, of a man encased in stone somewhere in a Mexican jungle.

Commentary
"The series' director Kenichi Suzuki was in charge of the storyboard in this episode. It was simply flawless, I really have nothing to say about it. If I must absolutely say something, I'll just say "It was very interesting." (laughs). The 2D animation is really perfected for this finale.

Erina is one of JoJo's rare female characters. Her face is always somewhat different from one episode to another, but she's always ravishing (laughs).

I will note the last scene where Erina holds Lisa Lisa in her arms. It's the perfect link between the violent struggle that just ended, and a vision focused on the future. The farewell between Erina and Jonathan are especially moving. Kazuyuki Okitsu, Jonathan's voice actor, even shed a tear during the recording. It's even more poignant since a few scenes earlier, they were peacefully sailing as a couple."

- Naokatsu Tsuda, Blu-Ray limited edition commentaries

Trivia

 * This is the first time a future part adaptation was hinted at during the current part's conclusion.