DIO was one of the strongest villains in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series and the main antagonist of Part one and three. An incredibly powerful Stand user, he was capable of stopping time for a full five seconds (and after imbibing the blood of Joseph Joestar, even longer).

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Though this makes him a menace to any who would challenge his supremacy, his strength is not without its limits. By matching DIO against an assortment of different anime characters, we can determine the few individuals powerful enough to bring the malicious, persevering vampire to his knees.

10 Could Beat – Daz Bonez (One Piece)

Mr One metal fingers from One Piece

Daz Bonez (most commonly referred to as Mr. One) is capable of turning his entire body into a blade that he can manipulate at will. This grants him a massive durability advantage and allows him to assail the vampire with an assortment of unpredictable attacks.

However, the Baroque Works agent is only as sturdy as the material he is made out of, and DIO is strong enough to lift a steamroller. Therefore, should he stop time, he would be able to crush his body with a large object (if not simply ripping through it directly with his Stand).

9 Would Lose To – Barragan (Bleach)

Barragan Louisenbairn raises his scythe-like zanpakuto

The second strongest Espada, Barragan is able to secrete a noxious fog of senescence wherever he goes. It would persevere even after time had stopped, similarly to how Joseph Joestar's Hamon remained a threat during his encounter against DIO.

Ordinarily, the vampire would circumvent this by throwing projectiles at the Espada. However, since Barragan's senescence also applies to inanimate objects, it would reduce them to dust just as easily. As a result, the Stand user has no real means of harming him – though it is not mutually applicable.

8 Could Beat – General Eugene (Sword Art Online)

General Eugene was one of the most capable players in Alfheim. He possessed the speed and strength necessary to keep up with Kirito, who in turn surpassed challenges that the designers had made to be impossible (and subsequently eclipses DIO in these attributes).

However, he does not have any means of protecting himself, should the vampire freeze time and destroy his head with a single decisive punch. Considering that his head is unarmored, it would not provide the protection the rest of his frame might afford.

7 Would Lose To – Neferpitou (Hunter X Hunter)

Neferpitou Hunter X Hunter

Neferpitou was one of Meruem's royal guards and debatably his deadliest. They were capable of healing through the power of Doctor Blythe, could move at amazing speed rivaled only by the king himself, and even managed to defeat Kite (one of the series' most legendary hunters who obliterated dozens of Chimera Ants in a single move).

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DIO's time stop and the bludgeoning that would ensue would not be powerful enough to defeat them, as proven through how they survived an adult Gon's direct punches (albeit briefly). After his ability had expired, the royal guard would vanquish him before he had another chance to refresh it.

6 Could Beat – Eraserhead (My Hero Academia)

Eraserhead using quirk

Eraserhead's quirk would effectively allow him to remove DIO's time stopping abilities and his access to his Stand. This would grant the pro hero a better opportunity to defeat him – at least, more than his peers.

However, the vampire is not exclusively reliant on his Stand in order to attain victory. He has enormous durability, regenerative properties, inhuman physical strength, and carries weapons with him wherever he goes. Considering these qualities, Aizawa could not hope to defeat him before he is forced to blink.

5 Would Lose To – Rohan Kishibe (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Rohan Kishibe strikes a pose from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

One facet of DIO's personality is that he noticeably arrogant. Since he would not have prior knowledge to Rohan's abilities, he'd deem him unthreatening enough not to use his Stand's power at the beginning of their fight.

The writer only needs to present his work to the vampire in order for his Stand to take effect, rendering his opponent powerless and unable to resist him further. DIO would only realize the critical mistake he had made after Kishibe had apprehended him and began to alter him beyond recognition.

4 Could Beat – Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)

Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop.

Spike Spiegel was one of the most tenacious and skilled bounty hunters in the galaxy. Using his wits & cunning, he stormed a syndicate compound and single handedly eradicated many of the criminals inside. This was a remarkable demonstration of his proficiency with any weapon.

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However, even if DIO decides not to use his Stand's ability, the World can catch bullets in the middle of flight (similarly to Star Platinum). It would negate any means of defeating the vampire that Spike could hope to use, especially given his opponent's astonishing brawn.

3 Would Lose To – Escanor (Seven Deadly Sins)

Escanor from The Seven Deadly Sins.

The pinnacle of humanity, Escanor's strength and durability dramatically surpass DIO's own. He was capable of dodging Ludociel's unmitigated attacks (faster than the eye could see) and even resisted Estarossa's full counter (reflecting and magnifying his own strength against him).

During his duel with Meliodas, he also withstood a direct attack from the demon captain, whose strength was so great that it cracked the ground he stepped on. It follows that DIO could not meaningfully damage him with the time he has to do so, resulting in a sound defeat.

2 Could Beat – Pride (Fullmetal Alchemist)

fullmetal alchemist pride

Pride and DIO both share the same weakness to light, entailing that they are on relatively even footing. However, the vampire's vulnerability is exclusive to sunlight specifically, whereas the homunculus wilts in an absence of darkness.

It would give the Stand user a number of avenues by which to defeat him, especially if he should use his time stopping abilities to either throw him into the light or to create a fire of his own. Further, Pride's regeneration is limited to the fuel of his Philosopher's Stone, whereas DIO's is indefinite. This provides another major advantage to him in their battle.

1 Would Lose To – Danzo Shimura (Naruto)

Danzo Revealing His Sharingan To Fight Sasuke

Danzo's Izanagi would provide a tremendous advantage since it could offset the power of the World. After DIO had used it to kill him, he could reset reality, surprising the vampire by stabbing him through the skull with a kunai.

Since Brando is particularly vulnerable to head attacks (since it would crush his brain), it follows that Shimura's trick would be ruthlessly effective. With DIO having been fooled by his foe playing dead before (demonstrated through his fight against Jotaro Kujo), the shinobi's ploy would be certain to work.

NEXT: Naruto: 5 Ways Danzo Could Have Become Hokage (& 5 Reasons Why He Never Had A Chance)