JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a multi-decade series with a huge cast of characters. It's been a popular manga since the 1980s and found its place as a popular anime by the 2010s. Although there are several storylines to the JoJo franchise, they all share one thing in common: epic, high-stakes battles with increasingly bizarre combat styles and abilities.
With so much raw power fueling the franchise, it's a no-brainer that some characters are going to meet their makers along the way. Interestingly, Hirohiko Araki isn't afraid of killing off his characters and has even killed off his protagonists on more than one occasion. There are numerous deaths in JoJo's, but some have a more emotional impact than others.
Updated on May 30, 2023 by Ajay Aravind: Most series would have run out of ideas after hundreds of chapters, but JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is still going strong — a testament to this iconic animanga's enduring popularity. Many characters perish over the course of the story, many of whom unfortunately didn't have any plot armor protecting them. As such, we've updated this list of the most heartbreaking deaths in the series.
Spoilers ahead for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean & Steel Ball Run by Hirohiko Araki.
20 Johnny Joestar (Steel Ball Run)
Johnny was the protagonist of Steel Ball Run. He was a prodigy at horse racing who was permanently injured after receiving a gunshot wound to the spine. Despite being unable to use his legs, he still joined the Steel Ball Run race with the hopes of finding a way to heal his legs.
Unfortunately, Johnny died after being crushed by a giant boulder. Johnny's son got cursed, so he used a corpse to shoot his son with his Stand, Tusk. Johnny then shot himself in the head, but ultimately a giant boulder landed on his head and killed him instantly.
19 Anasui (Stone Ocean)
In the later arcs of Stone Ocean, Enrico Pucci proved his ruthlessness with the evolution of his Stand, Made In Heaven. Unfortunately for Anasui, he was the first one to feel this overpowered Stand's renewed wrath.
Pucci used Made In Heaven to take control of Jolyne's Stone Free. Unfortunately, Jotaro didn't arrive on the scene in time, nor could he stop time quickly enough to prevent the aftermath. Anasui subsequently died after being stabbed in the chest by Stone Free, albeit only after it fell under Pucci's control.
18 Gyro Zeppeli (Steel Ball Run)
No matter the timeline, one thing that will always remain constant in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is that the Zeppelis will always take the fall for the Joestars. They enter their lives as mentors and usually die right after teaching the Joestars one final lesson.
Gyro Zeppeli certainly continued this tradition. Shortly before dying at Valentine's hands, he made sure to teach Johnny the last, and most crucial lesson, about the Spin technique. Gyro was one of Steel Ball Run's most beloved characters, but everyone knew his death was inevitable.
17 Jotaro Kujo (Stone Ocean)
Unfortunately, the flagship Joestar met his demise at the end of Stone Ocean. Jotaro Kujo's death marked the end of an era for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. As the series' most memorable protagonist, he appeared as a significant supporting character in several parts.
Jotaro's death was rather emotional, befitting his fan-favorite status. For most of Jolyne's life, she believed that her father hated her due to his absence. However, Jotaro died saving Jolyne from Pucci. When the villain threw several knives at Jolyne to kill her, her dad willingly jumped in and took the injuries.
16 Jolyne Kujo (Stone Ocean)
Just like how Jonathan died at the end of Phantom Blood, Jolyne died at the end of Stone Ocean. The original timeline began with the death of a Joestar, and it also ended with one. Ironically, both deaths took place in water — Jonathan on a boat and Jolyne underwater.
During her final stand against Enrico Pucci, she struck him with a barrage of punches. Although she got Emporio to safety, she ultimately sacrificed herself in the process. Made In Heaven cut off both of Stone Free's arms when her guard was down, and Jolyne died from the profuse blood loss.
15 Wamuu (Battle Tendency)
Throughout Battle Tendency, Wamuu acts as Joseph Joestar's rival, provoking and fighting him whenever they meet. Despite his allegiance to the villainous Kars and Esidisi, Wamuu proves to be a noble warrior in the end.
Even though Joseph and Wamuu develop mutual respect for each other, there can be no friendship among foes during wartime, and Joseph and Wamuu inevitably engage in a fight to the death. Joseph cleverly defeats Wamuu, earning his admiration. As a symbol of respect, Wamuu uses the last of his strength to protect Joseph from a group of vampires before passing on.
14 Shigekiyo Yangu (Diamond Is Unbreakable)
Shigekiyo Yangu from Diamond Is Unbreakable is introduced as a simple-minded kid, using his Stand to try and cheat Josuke and Okuyasu out of their fair share of a winning lottery ticket they all found. But as viewers get to know Shigekiyo, they learn he's an outcast without a single friend to lean on.
Fans eventually see a better side to Shigekiyo's character, but just when it seems like he's maturing, he runs into Yoshikage Kira — a serial killer desperately trying to avoid the law. To cover his tracks, Kira disintegrates Shigekiyo, who was merely 14 years old at the time.
13 Risotto Nero (Golden Wind)
In his quest to unmask Diavolo's true identity, Risotto began tracking Bucciarati's group with the intention to kidnap Trish and use her as leverage against the Passione Boss. Risotto pursues Bucciarati to Sardinia where he unexpectedly runs into Doppio, Diavolo's other personality.
Before Risotto can finish Doppio off, Narancia shoots him with Aerosmith. As a final gambit, Risotto takes hold of Diavolo and temporarily takes control of Aerosmith to kill him. However, Diavolo shrewdly uses King Crimson to avoid getting shot, resulting in Risotto's death.
12 Noriaki Kakyoin (Stardust Crusaders)
Noriaki Kakyoin doesn't start Stardust Crusaders off on the right foot either. Early on, Kakyoin tries to kill Jotaro Kujo while under DIO's thrall. But with the help of Star Platinum, Jotaro's able to bring Kakyoin back to his senses. Once back to his normal self, Kakyoin decides to join Jotaro to put a stop to DIO's evil.
Eventually, Kakyoin has a confrontation with DIO himself. Hopelessly outmatched, Kakyoin nevertheless fights DIO to the bitter end and even manages to warn Joseph about DIO's time control. Joseph then passes on the information to Jotaro, ultimately helping defeat DIO for good.
11 Reimi Sugimoto (Diamond Is Unbreakable)
At about 16 years old, Reimi had the misfortune of arousing Yoshikage Kira's hand fetish and becoming his first victim. Reimi spent 15 years haunting Morioh's hidden alley after her passing, trying to find a way to expose Kira and move on to the next life. Eventually, Rohan Kishibe helped Josuke and company track down and end Kira's killing spree.
In the end, Reimi meets Kira in the ghost world and sends him off to the place where all deranged serial killers hopefully go. With Morioh safe, Reimi and her dog Arnold shuffle off their mortal coils and head on over to the afterlife.
10 Jean Pierre Polnareff (Golden Wind)
Polnareff makes a surprising reappearance in Golden Wind, playing a supporting role. He's crucial in helping Giorno and the team realize who their true enemy is, and Polnareff makes a huge sacrifice while delivering that information.
Diavolo finds Polnareff before Giorno and the rest can meet up with him at the Colosseum in Rome, and technically sends Polnareff to an early grave. On the bright side, Polnareff is able to switch his soul with Coco Jumbo, the turtle Giorno's crew had been traveling with. His soul remains alive within Coco, but Polnareff's life as a human is officially over.
9 Esidisi (Battle Tendency)
After Joseph's initial fight with Esidisi, viewers are led to believe that he successfully sent Esidisi to the grave. However, it becomes clear Esidisi was still alive once Joseph notices Suzy Q somewhere she shouldn't have been.
Sensing something off, Joseph confronts Suzy Q and Esidisi reveals that he'd been controlling her body in order to get the coveted Red Stone of Aga to Kars. After Caesar and Joseph manage to defeat Esidisi for good, Joseph commends Esidisi's admirable dedication to his comrade's goals.
8 Iggy (Stardust Crusaders)
Iggy was a stray dog who joined Jotaro's crew once the Speedwagon Foundation realized the canine was a Stand user. Iggy is living proof of the claim "it's not the size of the dog in a fight." This courageous canine fought against vampires and psychic monsters even after he lost a paw to the evil falcon Pet Shop.
Iggy is another one of Vanilla Ice's casualties, and he dies soon after Vanilla Ice takes Avdol's life. Using his ungodly Stand, Cream, Vanilla Ice bisected Iggy from the waist down and proceeded to brutally kick him until the poor dog died from blood loss.
7 Narancia Ghirga (Golden Wind)
During the battle at the Colosseum, Giorno and the rest get body-swapped as a result of Chariot Requiem's ability. There was a brief moment of confusion and chaos after the gang realized they'd been swapped, but they quickly caught up and resumed their hunt for Diavolo. Narancia, in Giorno's body, manages to locate Diavolo with his Stand's ability.
Before he can act, Diavolo uses King Crimson to effectively impale Giorno's body on some iron bars. Giorno (in Narancia's body) is able to heal the wounds, but Narancia's soul had already passed to the other side. Giorno switches back into his own body and spawns a wreath of living flowers on Narancia's corpse.
6 Leone Abbacchio (Golden Wind)
Giorno and the gang manage to pinpoint Sardinia as the original home of Passione's mysterious Boss. The crew head to the island right away, hoping to use Abbacchio's Moody Blues to go back in time and capture an image of the Boss's true face. Diavolo catches on and pursues them to prevent his identity from being revealed.
Right as Abbacchio manages to find the correct point in time with Moody Blues, Diavolo uses King Crimson to punch a hole through his torso. Fortunately, Abbacchio uses his final moments to leave behind a rather brilliant clue for his friends and comrades.
5 Jonathan Joestar (Phantom Blood)
Jonathan's epic rivalry with DIO seemingly comes to an end after Jonathan defeats DIO at his castle, but Wang Chan eventually finds the villain's severed head in the rubble. DIO is unsatisfied leaving Jonathan to live a peaceful life and vows to take Jonathan's body as his own for the ultimate revenge.
Wang Chan helps DIO board the same ship that Jonathan and his young family are on, as they set out for a brand-new life in America. DIO attempts to enact his plan in the dead of night, but Jonathan uses his remaining Hamon to sabotage the ship's engine and take DIO down to the ocean's depths with him.
4 Muhammad Avdol (Stardust Crusaders)
A fortune-teller by trade and the master of Magician's Red, Muhammad Avdol fought side-by-side with Jotaro and Joseph from day one. Since Avdol manifested Magician's Red on the day he was born, he has an entire lifetime of Stand experience under his belt and grew into quite the skilled warrior.
But Avdol's fighting days were cut short after a fateful encounter with Vanilla Ice and Cream. He's unceremoniously blindsided by Cream's ability to consume anything and send it to an unknown void. Luckily, Avdol was able to spare Polnareff from the same fate, albeit just barely.
3 Will Anthonio Zeppeli (Phantom Blood)
Jonathan Joestar spends the majority of Phantom Blood enduring Dio Brando's torment and staving off vampires. During his darkest hour, Jonathan meets Will A. Zeppeli — a Hamon master who takes Jonathan as his disciple. In many ways, Zeppeli becomes the father Jonathan lost not too long ago.
Unfortunately, DIO takes another father figure from Jonathan near the end of the series. DIO's zombie knight Tarkus attacks Jonathan and Zeppeli, nearly killing both of them. Zeppeli is prepared for this fateful encounter, however, and sacrifices his life — allowing Jonathan to fulfill his mission to destroy the Stone Mask.
2 Bruno Bucciarati (Golden Wind)
At the beginning of Golden Wind, Giorno comes to blows with the gangster Bruno Bucciarati. Like previous JoJos before him, Giorno Giovanna battles his adversary before successfully transforming Bucciarati into a comrade. Unfortunately, Bruno's travels are jeopardized when he encounters Diavolo and his Stand, King Crimson.
Diavolo brutally attacks Bucciarati to protect his identity, mortally wounding the young mobster. Giorno uses his Stand's powers to try and resurrect Bucciarati, but he's only able to give Bucciarati borrowed time. Near the end of Golden Wind, Bucciarati's time runs out, allowing him to ascend to heaven.
1 Caesar Zeppeli (Battle Tendency)
Caesar is Will A. Zeppeli's grandson, and (from his perspective) Jonathan Joestar was the reason for his grandfather's death. This understandably made him antagonistic toward Joseph. Over time, however, Joseph and Caesar bury their hatchets and develop a brotherly bond. But that doesn't mean the two ever stopped arguing.
In an unfortunate case of surrogate sibling rivalry, Caesar disregards Joseph's advice and splits up from their team. Because of his haughtiness, Caesar has to fight Wamuu alone. He nearly wins, but carelessly gives Wamuu an opening that seals his fate. Caesar's death takes a toll on both his friends and the JoJo fandom.