There are countless anime series that have become phenomena, but JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is an especially unique example. Hirohiko Araki’s shonen series has been running for over 30 years, and it’s one of the more impressive examples of how a property can grow and change over time.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure tells one larger narrative of the Joestar family, but it’s divided into different arcs that explore unique characters and can stand on their own. Phantom Blood is the introductory arc to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and because of this, there are some very lofty expectations surrounding it. Phantom Blood is full of promise, but it’s also far from a flawless start to the iconic series.
10 It Introduces The Joestar Family
There’s no denying that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has grown into a much bigger show that operates on a more intricate and confident level. It’s fulfilling to see the series evolve in this fashion, but there’s still an undeniable charm around the Phantom Blood arc that kicks off the entire story. At the time, it’s not clear that the series will dig so deep into the entire Joestar lineage, but there’s still a sense of gravitas that surrounds the introduction of these characters. It’s a strong experience to get taken into Araki’s world for the first time.
9 It Explores The Central Hero And Villain While They're Still Children
One detail that makes Phantom Blood stand out among the other arcs in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is that it starts at what’s truly the beginning of the story and looks at both Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando during their childhood before they ultimately mature. This approach allows for Phantom Blood to show off the growth in both of these characters, and their actions mean more since there’s a connection to them when they were innocent children.
8 It Actually Creates Pathos For Dio
A crucial detail that makes Phantom Blood an unusual JoJo entry is that it plays with the audience’s expectations of who they should root for when it begins. Dio isn’t always presented as a hardened villain. Phantom Blood depicts how Dio’s jealousy over Jonathan and his family’s love for him begins to fuel his rage and the need to cut Jonathan out systematically.
Before Dio is pushed to this place, it’s actually sad to watch him strike out in certain ways. It’s easy to feel bad for Dio since the audience doesn’t yet know what kind of monster he’ll become.
7 It Focuses On Hamon
The characters in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure all have very distinct looks and styles, but most of them are also exceptional combatants that find themselves locked in battle. The special power blessed to Jonathan Joestar and other characters in Phantom Blood is referred to as Hamon or the Ripple. It’s an interesting source of light-based combat that’s ideal for the prevalent vampire threats present in the arc. Hamon's energy allows the fight to be more up close and personal than what’s allowed with Stands and their fighting style.
6 It Streamlines Its Supporting Villains
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure typically turns out fantastic central antagonists. Still, as each new story gets progressively longer, there’s a tendency to spread out details with the gluttony of low-tier villains. There are dozens of these characters, and they can cause fatigue or slow down the momentum of a larger storyline. Phantom Blood is admittedly a short arc, but it streamlines this issue and doesn’t create too many minor foes to steal focus from Dio. There are a few agent obstacles like WAng Chan, Doobie, Bruford, and Jack the Ripper, but it’s a fraction of what other arcs get lost in.
5 The Exploits Of Jonathan Joestar
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure does an excellent job to make sure that each arc’s respective JoJo is a top-quality protagonist and everyone has a different opinion on who qualifies as the very best. Audiences get to spend the least amount of time with Jonathan Joestar, but he still solidifies his status as one of the top Jojos.
The character experiences fascinating development as Dio Brando enters his life and systematically forces the meek boy to learn how to grow up and defend himself. Jonathan Joestar sets the standard for what’s followed with every other JoJo protagonist.
4 It Turns DIO Into A Villain And Ignites His Joestar Rivalry
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has gone to many diverse places and grown far beyond its initial premise. Still, Phantom Blood is really what sets every other event into motion as a result of the bitter feud that forms between Dio Brando and Jonathan Joestar. DIO becomes the series’ largest protagonist, and Phantom Blood chronicles his descent into darkness as he forces a wedge between Jonathan and his family. At the same time, he also acquires immense power through mysterious and illicit means. The audience gets to watch DIO transform from an entitled and jealous brat into a tyrannical vampire.
3 It Gives Jonathan A Strong Mentor Figure
The subsequent arcs in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure typically saddle the new JoJo with a group of powerful fighters that they can lean on for support. This formula isn’t yet established in Phantom Blood, and Jonathan largely tackles his journey alone. However, the exception is that Will Anthonio Zeppeli is at Jonathan’s side to help him learn about the ways of Hamon and how to be a better fighter. This student and mentor dynamic between them works really well, and it’s surprisingly a type of relationship that hasn’t really been explored again in the series’ future.
2 It Has A Dark Ending
The heroes in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure often face a moment of hopelessness, but the arcs typically end with the protagonist beating the villain. Phantom Blood immediately breaks expectations and establishes JoJo’s more unconventional storytelling formula. Phantom Blood concludes with what appears to be Jonathan’s elimination of DIO, but the final moments depict his diabolical and unexpected revenge. DIO succeeds in Jonathan’s death and even acquires his body. The Joestar legacy lives on through Joseph, but this surprising turn makes Phantom Blood end with a memorable bang.
1 It Allows Its JoJo To Fall In Love
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is an anime that caters to many sensibilities and often feels like a series where literally anything and everything happens. That being said, romance is often absent in a major capacity, especially for any of the central characters or something that largely plays out offscreen. There’s not a ton of time for Jonathan’s romance with Erina Pendleton to grow due to the short length of Phantom Blood, but it still becomes a tender dynamic that fuels the final episode and helps bridge the series to the next arc, Battle Tendency.
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