Yare Yare Daze
Jonathan Joestar laid the foundation, Joseph Joestar imbued it with a sense of lightheartedness, and Jotaro Kujo made it awesome beyond all belief!
As the third entry in the peculiarly badass franchise, Stardust Crusaders was faced with the monumental task of carrying on Battle Tendency’s legacy, which was something of a tall order given how much of the fun was due to Joseph’s endless reserves of charisma. As it happens, not only did it honor both of its predecessors by centring the narrative around the return of Phantom Blood villain Dio Brando, but it also introduced a concept that would forever change the course of the series; the beings known as Stands.
With a new protagonist in tow, whose personality could not be more different from the JoJos of the past, Jotaro’s journey to defeat Dio was action-packed to the point of absurdity, mainly thanks to him being able to project a psychic entity to pummel in the faces of his foes.
In order to celebrate its impact on the series as well as anime in general, we’ll be counting down our personal picks for Stardust Crusader’s top five moments. As you might expect, be on the lookout for MAJOR SPOILERS AHEADS!
#5: Even A Bastard Like Me Can Spot True Evil
Jotaro’s first meeting with Kakyoin wasn’t exactly pleasant, given how the latter was possessed and forced to do Dio’s bidding. Still, it did give us a chance to get a bit more insight into Jotaro’s character. He may be a bastard through and through, but when he sees unspeakable acts of evil (such as Kakyoin using his Stand to wound a school nurse) he can’t sit idly by and do nothing. This of course leads to the first of many great Ora Ora Oras.
#4: Pulling Teeth
This series never failed to remind us of just how awesome Star Platinum was. Trapped inside the mouth of a giant Stand, it appears at first that Jotaro has been crushed to death by its teeth. That is until he lets loose his own Stand, who then proceeds to punch through every single tooth until its smashed to pieces, giving the others a chance to make a break for it.
#3: OH MY GOD!
While he may not have his youth anymore, there’s certainly one thing that old man Joseph Joestar brought to the table; a hilarious catchphrase. Whenever he’s faced with a dangerous situation, he never fails to bust out that glorious Engrish. Honestly, it becomes so endearing that by the end of the series you wish he had said it more often!
#2: Jotaro vs. Dio
The climactic battle between the Joestar descendent and his family’s vampire nemesis certainly did not disappoint. Armed with a Stand that can stop time, Dio slaughters his way through Jotaro’s companions before engaging him in a brutal brawl, in which he puts the young Kujo through the wringer. However, no amount of space-time manipulation can prevent Jotaro’s unbridled fury from desolating Dio with one final Ora.
#1: Steely Dan Gets Obliterated
He only had a few episodes to shine, but boy oh boy did this guy take every chance to make himself come cross the slimiest henchman possible. Surprise, surprise, it worked. Holding Joseph hostage, Dan forced Jotaro to work as his underling, humiliating and getting him beaten up at every turn. He even went as far as to threaten a child just to save his own backside. Eventually his luck run out, resulting in him being on the receiving end of a thirty second Ora Ora Ora beatdown, and we loved every moment of it.
Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite moment from Stardust Crusaders? With new top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo!
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