Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is unpredictable with its storytelling. The larger JoJo's narrative has been ongoing for decades, with the story getting divided into sagas that look at different generations of the Joestar lineage.
The eighth story, JoJolion, recently wrapped up its ten-year manga run and fans are already anxious to see what happens next in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's ninth installment. Until part nine begins, audiences are left to consider JoJolion's conclusion, both in terms of what it does right and how it's a disappointment.
10 Fell Short: The Villain's Motivations Are Lacking
The success of a good story often comes down to the effectiveness of its villain. JoJo's best installments tend to have the most developed antagonists, but JoJolion really drops the ball in this department. Tooru, while compelling, still feels like an enigma by the time JoJolion concludes. His Stand, Wonder of U, is disappointingly more compelling than Tooru. Additionally, JoJolion's final chapter introduces a new enemy Stand, Radio Gaga, who's an even weaker threat.
9 Was Perfect: It Introduces This Universe's Joseph Joestar
Fans of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure were excited to learn in Steel Ball Run that the events of Stone Ocean's conclusion truly did trigger a new timeline within the series. JoJolion continues the new Steel Ball Run timeline, but its protagonist appears unrelated to Steel Ball Run's Johnny Joestar. JoJolion's final chapter marks the debut of this timeline's Joseph Joestar, who's revealed to be the grandson of Johnny Joestar and Rina Higashikata. This effectively fills in some of the details on the events that take place following Steel Ball Run.
8 Fell Short: It Makes New Characters The Focus Of The Final Chapter
Araki loves to play with the audience's expectations, so it was surprising that JoJolion's final chapter is largely contained to a flashback with completely new characters.
The story that plays out with Lucy Steel and Joseph Joestar is imperative to JoJolion's greater narrative, but its placement frustrates audiences. This story would have had greater weight earlier on in JoJolion rather than right at the end. Placing Lucy and Joseph's story here also leaves Josuke, Yasuho, and the Higashikata family mostly sidelined, too.
7 Was Perfect: It Brings Back The Spin
JoJolion's style and characters are so different from Steel Ball Run that some were unsure if they were still part of the same timeline. Steel Ball Run introduces some bold ideas that have yet to return in other JoJo's installments, so it was very exciting when Josuke Higashikata manages to make use of "The Spin" to strengthen his Stand’s attacks. The Spin becomes Johnny Joestar's trademark in Steel Ball Run, and its return here solidifies the connection between these worlds.
6 Fell Short: There Are Dangling Plot Threads Left Unresolved
The stories in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure are long and involve so many characters and intricate moving pieces that it's only natural for some elements to be occasionally forgotten. This feeling is overwhelming in JoJolion, perhaps due to the fact that it's the longest story in the series with ten years of content behind it. JoJolion is satisfying when it comes to wrapping up Josuke's story and giving him a new family, but details like the flash-forward go ignored.
5 Was Perfect: It's Sudden And Comes As A Surprise
JoJolion is the longest saga in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure with a decade-long run. The endings in JoJo's can be pretty predictable and it's obvious when the story has entered its climax. The pacing and trajectory of JoJolion were much more ambiguous, which left readers unsure the entire time. The announcement of JoJolion's final chapter came as a shock to many based on the story's previous pacing, but it generated genuine excitement. JoJolion's ending strikes when the iron is hot instead of building to a laborious conclusion.
4 Fell Short: The Death Of Beloved Characters
Death is inevitable in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and some of its most beloved characters make sacrifices for the greater good. JoJolion exhibits a unique relationship with death, thanks to the complicated restorative properties of the Rokakaka fruit.
Jobin Higashikata enters JoJolion as a threatening presence but his death is unexpected and disappointing. Other losses, like Rai Mamezuku and Kei Nijimura, also feel reckless and unnecessary. They're certainly powerful moments, but they also come across as manipulative.
3 Was Perfect: It Introduces A Stand Version Of Hermit Purple
One of the more curious developments in the evolution of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is its shift from Hamon energy to Stands as the series' primary means of combat. Joseph Joestar is a unique character in the sense that he enters during the Hamon years but eventually develops his own Stand. JoJolion's final chapter portrays its timeline's Hermit Purple more like conventional Stands. It's a satisfying detail for longtime fans.
2 Fell Short: The Final Fight Is Anticlimactic
Some of the final beats in JoJolion come across as rushed. There's a tremendous amount of buildup that goes into Tooru, specifically with Wonder of U, but the actual fight feels quite messy in contrast to other final battles in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The Radio Gaga battle in the final chapter is even less effective and the idea of a non-sentient guardrail having a Stand only raises more questions.
1 Was Perfect: Its Story May Continue In Part 9
Audiences were unclear if JoJolion would be the final chapter in JoJo's, but Araki quickly announced a ninth part, tentatively titled JOJOLANDS, right as JoJolion wrapped up. Sometimes a new JoJo's story carries over from the previous one rather than completely starting anew. JoJolion ends with Holy still in a coma and Josuke aware of more Rokakaka fruit out in the world. Josuke's hunt for Rokakaka fruit or an extended look at this timeline's Joseph Joestar could easily be the focus in part nine.