With JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R's roster jam-packed with fan-favorite characters, JoJo fans have no shortage of characters to play as. There's someone on the roster for everyone, regardless if they're a JoJo fan looking to see the series' signature style recreated or a fighting game expert looking to master the game's unique playstyles. Both of those circles, however, will likely turn to one of the most recognizable characters on the roster for their first few matches, that being the protagonist of Stardust Crusaders, Jotaro Kujo.
With his stand Star Platinum, Jotaro fights best up-close and personal, using a flurry of hard-hitting punches to beat down his opponent. He also serves as a pretty solid starter character in All-Star Battle R, though that doesn't mean he's simple. There's a surprising level of depth to Jotaro's playstyle that, if learned, quickly takes the character from a simple big body-styled brawler to one with a surprising amount of range to his attacks. He may not rank high on too many tier lists, but Jotaro can still be a menace in battle.
Jotaro's Moveset
Jotaro utilizes the Stand style in-game, which means he can summon Star Platinum and access a new set of skills and specials. Star Platinum also modifies Jotaro's neutral attacks by giving them increased ranges and an extra barrage of hits. That being said, some of Jotaro's best combat options are available both in and out of Stand mode. For example, his "ORA, ORA!" skill sees Star Platinum unleash a barrage of hits, the range of which can be modified by imputing different attack buttons.
Another good option while out of Stand Mode is the Back Off special, which sees Jotaro deliver a quick forward kick that can be used to interrupt enemy attacks or create space. Jotaro's default standing string is considered to be fairly versatile as well, especially when followed up by him crouching heavy into the "My Stand Will be the Judge" command grab. That combo string can be done out of Stand mode, giving Jotaro some serious firepower even when Star Platinum is not out on the field.
With Star Platinum active, Jotaro gains access to some of his best tools. "Star Finger" covers an impressive amount of distance and can be used to interrupt air attacks. It also serves as a great way to put pressure on a downed opponent. The aforementioned "ORAAA!" special is also a fantastic anti-air move. Another option for putting pressure on an opponent is the skill "Beat in a single breath!," which sees Star Platinum inhale in order to drag the opponent within Jotaro's range.
Of course, one of Jotaro's most unique specials is the ability to stop time. "I Stopped Time..." can be used both in and out of Stand Mode, providing the player with a few crucial seconds where their opponent is left defenseless. This is a difficult special to get off, mainly due to the amount of start-up time that it requires. Jotaro's Time Stop is best used either after an opponent whiffs a move or after creating some distance between Jotaro and his opponent. "I Stopped Time" will drain Jotaro's HH bar when active, as the ability will only last as long as the player has HH bar available.
Strategies for Playing as Jotaro
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Jotaro's playstyle boils down to bullying the opponent and keeping constant pressure on them. He's got a lot of tools to do this, both in and out of Stand Mode. Despite his Stand canonically having a fairly short range, Jotaro tends to work best when attacking from mid to long range, though he's better off up close if his Stand isn't active. Generally, it's best to learn when to have Star Platinum out, since there are plenty of tools at Jotaro's disposal that he can't use in Stand Mode.
His default combo string works as a great set-up for combos, and his command grab serves as a solid ender. Skills like "Star Finger" and "Beat in a single breath!" are great moves to use on approach, though the latter doesn't prevent the opponent from attacking and likely requires a follow-up on approach. "Star Finger" is really one of Jotaro's strongest tools, especially since it's unblockable. Many players tend to use it as a way to set up combos.
Something to keep in mind when playing Jotaro is that Star Platinum fills a ton of space, giving the opponent less room to move than normal. Since Jotaro excels at keeping the pressure on his opponents, simply having Star Platinum out can be a huge benefit. That size is also one of Jotaro's biggest weaknesses, however, since it makes him a fairly easy target for his opponent. Projectile-heavy characters are going to be able to exploit this, so it's important to know what tools Jotaro has to close distance.
It's important to also keep a close eye on Jotaro's HH meter. While he does have plenty of options that don't use his HH meter, many of his strongest tools do. Since his HH attack can be used to create space, being without it can leave Jotaro fairly exposed to zoners or projectile-focused characters. He's certainly got some obvious weaknesses, but there's no denying that Star Platinum's sheer strength and the multiple ways Jotaro can close the distance make him a brutally efficient fighter in All-Star Battle R.