The overall story of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is made up of several standalone story arcs, beginning with the Gothic-themed Phantom Blood story arc. The fifth arc is Golden Wind, taking place in Italy in the early 2000s, and this tale focuses on the Joestar hero Giorno Giovanna, a boy with a dream.
The Golden Wind story arc stands out for its sunny and classy Italian setting, exploring Venice, Rome and Florence, among other settings, and it has colorful Stands and characters to match. Still, Golden Wind has its fair share of shockingly dark and tragic scenes, many of which are flashbacks for the main characters. At what points did Golden Wind take a dark turn?
10 When Sorbet & Gelato Arrived In Pieces
At one point, the La Squadra group had a handful of members to its name, including two men named Sorbet and Gelato. These two fellows soon learned too much about the boss, so they were killed in spectacular fashion. Sorbet's body was eventually delivered to his friends in pieces, one by one.
Sorbet's gruesome death discouraged the rest of La Squadra from trying to pry into Diavolo's secrets, and it served as a clear example of how ruthless and paranoid the Passione boss can really be.
9 When Giorno Giovanna's Childhood Was Shown
Giorno Giovanna did not have a happy childhood. His mother cared nothing for him, and his ancestors DIO and Jonathan Joestar were certainly not available to raise him, either. So, Giorno was raised by his abusive stepfather, and internalized the idea that he was worthless and didn't belong anywhere.
Giorno trudged through his childhood in a miserable haze until at last, he had a chance to help someone. The man he saved turned out to be a member of the mafia, who looked out for Giorno from a distance from then on. Giorno respected this man, finally found his resolve, and decided to be a hero after all.
8 When Bruno Bucciarati's Childhood Was Shown
Most of the personal flashback scenes in Golden Wind are dark ones, and that includes that of Bruno Bucciarati, a "gangstar" with a good heart. Bruno had a happy childhood at first, until his parents divorced and he chose to remain with his fisherman father. Then, Bruno's father witnessed a drug deal and was badly injured.
During Mr. Bucciarati's recovery, the gangsters returned to finish him off, only for Bruno to ambush them and kill them with his bare hands that night in the hospital. Bruno turned to the mafia for protection from the law, but Mr. Bucciarati died a few years later anyway, and Bruno had to figure out his life on his own while he had already pledged loyalty to the organization that went against his every ideal.
7 When Leone Abbacchio's Police Career Was Shown
Yet another tragic flashback ranked among Golden Wind's darkest moments, this time based on the grouchy Stand user Leone Abbacchio. It wasn't his childhood being shown, but rather, his brief career as an Italian police officer. Leone was idealistic at the time, and he was shocked by the corruption and apathy within the police force.
Leone tried to play by the rules and refuse bribes, but eventually, his clumsy actions got his partner killed, and his career was over. Ever since, Leone deeply regretted the demise of his partner, and it has weighed heavily on him. Mingled grief and guilt define both his past and his Stand.
6 When Narancia Ghirga's Childhood Was Shown
Narancia Ghirga is a street punk with a mean attitude, but in his flashback, he was the victim, not the perpetrator. A younger Narancia looked up to his blond street punk friend, who saw fit to use Narancia like a tool. The friend convinced Narancia to dye his hair blond to act as an unwitting body double.
The friend committed a heinous crime, and Narancia was mistaken for the perpetrator. Narancia was shocked and hurt by this betrayal, and while being interrogated, he was beaten by an officer and developed the same eye infection that killed his mother. Once he was released from incarceration, no one wanted to be his friend or even speak to him. His life was hopeless until he finally met Pannacotta Fugo, who brought him to Bruno Bucciarati.
5 When Narancia Ghirga Was Killed
During the final battle against Diavolo, most of the main characters experienced a body swap, and Narancia and Giorno awoke in each other's bodies. The fight resumed, and soon enough, King Crimson struck. Narancia, in Giorno's body, was fatally impaled.
Everyone else did their best to revive him, but it was no good, and Narancia's soul had already moved on. It was a heartbreaking and bloody affair, but at least Giorno was free to return to his original body.
4 When Leone Abbacchio Was Killed
Most of the deaths in Golden Wind were heartbreaking and dark scenes to watch, with Bruno's death being something of an exception, since he willingly died as a hero and moved on in peace. Narancia's and Leone's death scenes were definitely darker than Bruno's.
Leone Abbacchio died alone on the Sardinian beach, working hard to figure out Diavolo's face with the power of his Stand, Moody Blues. Diavolo struck, and Leone was left to bleed out. His friends deeply mourned his death when they found his body.
3 When Polpo Accidentally Shot Himself
Early in the series, Giorno met a high-ranking member of Passione, a large and strange man named Polpo, who actually liked being incarcerated. He controlled the Stand called Black Sabbath, and remotely fought Giorno with it, killing an innocent old man in the process. He was soon satisfied that Giorno had passed the test to join Passione.
Giorno had a trick up his sleeve, and turned one of the revolvers Polpo kept into a banana. Polpo tried to eat that banana, only for it to revert back to revolver form and fire. In cold blood, Giorno had Polpo shot, and he didn't regret a thing. This made a strong impression of what Giorno does to thugs who do wrong without remorse.
2 When Cioccolata's Backstory Was Shown
The cruel villain Cioccolata has an incredibly dark flashback, but this flashback is grim because of what Cioccolata did, not something that happened to him. He was once a doctor who was in charge of elderly patients, but he did anything but care for them. He was a remorseless sadist.
While his friend Secco recorded it all, Cioccolata verbally abused his patients and drove them to take their own lives in grim fashion, and he would also operate painfully on patients just to torture them. It's little wonder Giorno delivered such a lengthy beating to this cruel villain.
1 When Diavolo Suffered Infinite Deaths
The boss of Passione, Diavolo, was seemingly unbeatable with the time-manipulation power and punches of his King Crimson Stand, but then the Stand arrow transformed Gold Experience into Gold Experience Requiem, and the tables were soon turned. Giorno finished Diavolo with one last strike, and for Giorno's squad, it was all over at last.
For Diavolo, though, the fun was just beginning. He found himself elsewhere, and he was soon stabbed to death. Then, he was dissected to death, then hit by a car, coming back to life repeatedly just so he can die again. He was trapped in an infinite loop of grisly deaths, one of the darkest fates any anime character has ever met.