Josuke Higashikata is the eccentric main character of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's fourth part, Diamond is Unbreakable, which takes its name from Josuke's Stand, Shining Diamond. At first glance, Josuke looks to be a high school delinquent with abnormal clothing and unmissable hair.
However, underestimating this character is a grave mistake, as his Stand can disassemble and reassemble anything, including people, on top of packing a punch. Though Josuke may have many things in common with other shonen protagonists, it is no secret that he stands out in a crowd. Here are eight ways Josuke Higashikata is a unique and interesting shonen protagonist.
8 He Has A Ridiculous Obsession With His Hair
Josuke started wearing his signature hairstyle when he was saved by someone with the same hairstyle as a child. However, this hairstyle makes him the target of ridicule regularly. Unfortunately for the bullies, doing that is a fatal mistake.
Josuke only goes all out when people make fun of his hair, and when he does, he is an incredibly powerful fighter. While there are plenty of shonen protagonists who are inspired by certain triggers, Josuke's trigger is a unique and eccentric one.
7 His Stand Can Heal And Fight
Unlike many shonen protagonists who focus on hitting hard and fast, Josuke's Stand can do all that and more. Its particularly unique ability is to disassemble and reassemble things, which also allows it to have healing properties. Unfortunately, this healing ability does not extend to Josuke himself.
This power is so unique for both its destructive and constructive potential. It can bring a character back from the brink, as it did with Koichi Hirose following his injuries at the hands of the Nijimura brothers. It can also sentence some to a fate worse than death, as was seen with the serial killer, Angelo, when Josuke merged him with a rock.
6 He Has A Complicated Family
While a lot of shonen protagonists lose their parents and/or families as a motivating factor, Josuke is in the unique position of getting to meet his family. He is the son Tomoko Higashikata had out of wedlock with Joseph Joestar, and as the show progresses, Josuke gets to meet his now elderly father.
On top of that, Josuke gets to meet his nephew, Jotaro Kujo, who is much older than Josuke. Jotaro was the main character of the previous season, Stardust Crusaders, where he traveled with Joseph Joestar on a mission to destroy DIO.
5 He Is Rough Sometimes But Docile Other Times
Except for when others ridicule his hair, Josuke is a pretty easygoing character. When others bullied him at the start of the series, he let it go (until they made fun of his hair, of course). In fights such as the one with mangaka and Stand user Rohan Kishibe, Josuke was in a precarious position until Rohan made a passing comment about his hairstyle.
With those moments aside, Josuke is not as confrontational. Not only does he let Jotaro talk down to him, he also lets people like those bullies at the beginning of the series say what they want.
4 He Is Terrified Of Reptiles
Josuke also has an odd fear, and that is a fear of reptiles. In one of the first scenes of the series, he is frightened by a turtle that lives in the water fountain in the middle of town. Of course, the bullies from this scene hurt that turtle, and Josuke is forced to leave his comfort zone to help the turtle.
Of all the fears a character can have, a fear of reptiles is certainly unique. In juxtaposition with incredibly dark characters such as Angelo and Yoshikage Kira, this fear seems a bit ridiculous.
3 He Is Not Afraid To Stand Out
Josuke does not care if he is perceived as dressing or acting ridiculously by other characters. He knows his worth and the worth of his interests and preferences. With all the people making fun of his hairstyle, fans would think Josuke would know just how eccentric it is.
However, Josuke never cares about that, and he is adamant that the hairstyle is cool because he says it is. Plenty of other anime characters dress a certain way to impress others, fit in, or send a message.
2 He Has An Odd Friend Group
Josuke has a really interesting friend group. Not only is Josuke friends with other delinquent characters and a small, nerdy character, Josuke is also friends with a presumed alien. Mikitaka Hazekura is not only a shapeshifting Stand user, he is also responsible for literal crop circles.
Being friends with aliens is not completely out of the ordinary for shonen anime. Goku, himself, is part of an alien lineage. However, for the type of anime JoJo is, it is not the norm, and in the context of the anime this friendship is from, it is unique.
1 He Fought Not One, But Two Serial Killers
Fans thought Angelo was a terrifying and disgusting character, and though he only appeared in the show for a short time comprising the first arc of Diamond is Unbreakable, he was not the last serial killer Josuke and his friends would face.
The main antagonist of the series was a serial killer named Yoshikage Kira who would kill and dismember women, later carrying around their hands and treating them like they were his girlfriend. That is a lot of creepy characters to have in one series.