Two men tied together by fate– a destiny that curses their blood to flow intermixed through the annals of history– JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure wastes no time in building up the eternal feud between the Joestar family and DIO. Long before the latter held The World in his hands, DIO was Dio Brando, and the Joestar legacy was in the hands of Jonathan Joestar.
Part 1, Phantom Blood, chronicles the youth and brief adulthood of the first JoJo, Jonathan. While the anime does a fantastic job in bringing the story to life, the manga shows not only signs of its age, but Hirohiko Araki’s inexperience. This isn’t to say it’s bad (far from it, it’s one of the best plotted Parts in the series,) but JJBA hadn’t quite found its voice yet. All the same, Phantom Blood tries to get creative when it comes to its action, a trait it shares with its successor Parts.
10 Jonathan Joestar Versus Robert E.O. Speedwagon
It’s easy to forget, but Speedwagon is introduced as something of an antagonist. When Jonathan heads into London to find a cure for his father, George, he’s ambushed by Speedwagon and his band of ruffians. It’s a short fight, but an incredibly important one that shines light on Jonathan’s character.
While he fights back, and hard, he keeps everyone he attacks alive. Even in the face of death, Jonathan’s ideals do not waiver. It’s the first time audiences get a chance to see just how much Jonathan has matured since his childhood, and his resolve being enough to win Speedwagon’s complete & undying loyalty is a great note to end the fight on.
9 Will A. Zeppeli Versus Tarkus
This is another short fight, but it’s narratively loaded. In both the manga and the anime, audiences are given Zeppeli’s backstory before the fight with Tarkus. Who Zeppeli is and what his motivation are will be fresh in mind when he goes to confront Tarkus and save JoJo. Tragically, and shockingly, Zeppeli is severed in two before he can do much.
The heart of this fight comes in Zeppeli rushing in to save JoJo only to give his pupil all the Hamon he has left. It’s a bit of a shame Zeppeli doesn’t have one full fight under his belt, but he does showcase genuine talent against Tarkus (albeit briefly) and the raw emotion of Zeppeli passing on his Hamon to Jonathan is powerful.
8 Jonathan Joestar Versus Dio Brando (Round 1)
Jonathan and Dio go at it a few times over the course of Phantom Blood. Their first little scuffle happens very early on into Part 1 (specifically at the end of the first episode in the anime.) His dog burned alive, his girlfriend kissed, and his life in shambles, Jonathan rushes into the Joestar manor to give Dio the beating of a lifetime.
And he does! Watching Jonathan absolutely pummel Dio is incredibly satisfying. It’s here where JJBA’s flare for action rears its head for the first time. This fight also starts building up the Stone Mask, and its eventual inclusion into the plot. From here on out, Phantom Blood is full Victorian horror.
7 Jonathan Joestar Versus Tarkus
With all of Zeppeli’s Hamon flowing through him, Jonathan Joestar finds the strength to fight back against Tarkus. After all the torture Tarkus put them through, Jonathan is able to avenge Zeppeli with little to no effort. The catharsis of seeing Jonathan eviscerate Tarkus is good enough, but it’s here where Jonathan inherits Zeppeli’s legacy.
The idea of passing on one’s legacy is a concept that is ingrained in JoJo. Jonathan is fueled by the passing of both of his father figures: George Joestar and WIll A. Zeppeli. He’s not only defeating Tarkus in this fight, he’s signaling that he’s prepared to fight Dio once and for all.
6 Dio Brando Versus Drunks
This is quite possibly the most important fight in Phantom Blood, if only because the consequences of this little scuffle end up setting in motion the actual events of the rest of the series. Had Dio never brought the Stone Mask with him, he would have never vampirized a drunk and unlocked the secrets of Vampiric power.
Dio Brando finds the means to evolve during a fight that’s often overlooked as a fight. To be fair, this is more “Dio is attacked by drunks and kills them,” but there’s action involved and the drunkards serve as a nice means of Dio trying out the Stone Mask for the first time. The anime does an especially great job with this sequence.
5 Jonathan Joestar Versus Dio Brando (Round 4)
The final showdown. Everything in Phantom Blood builds up to this confrontation between Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando. Married and on his way to his honeymoon in America, Jonathan Joestar finds his life tragically cut short as Dio Brando is escorted onto the former’s honeymoon vessel courtesy of Wang Chung.
This isn’t so much a fight as it is a goodbye. Jonathan is gravely wounded almost immediately, but he’s able to take out Wang Chung quick enough for Erina to get out with Lisa Lisa. From there, all that’s left is for Jonathan to embrace his brother one last time as the two sink to the bottom of the sea...
4 Jonathan Joestar Versus Dio Brando (Round 3)
The actual showdown Phantom Blood builds up to. Jonathan’s death feels more like an epilogue, distinctly disconnected from how the rest of the plot flowed in order to lull audiences into a false sense of security. For all intents and purposes, Part 1 acts like it ends here. The penultimate episode of the anime doesn’t even hint at the idea that Dio is still alive.
The fight itself is on the short side (a habit of Phantom Blood’s), but it’s clever and builds off of Dire’s little showcase against Dio. Jonathan is forced to used Hamon creatively as Dio’s vampiric powers have only strengthened since they last met. Jonathan is triumphantly able to defeat Dio, but his fate was sealed the moment they met.
3 Jonathan Joestar Versus Jack The Ripper
Everyone’s favorite JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure character, actual serial killer Jack the Ripper! Jack’s a weird character and not particularly likable, but his fight against Jonathan is outstanding. After the fight against Dio, Jack the Ripper really helps sell just how overwhelmingly frightening vampires are.
He carves himself into horses, traps the main cast inside of a tunnel, and stalks Jonathan with the intent of tearing him apart. All the while, Jonathan is in the middle of his training and can’t let a single drop of wine spill from his glass. It’s a limitation that leads to an incredibly tense, and incredibly engaging, battle.
2 Jonathan Joestar Versus Bluford
With the power of hair on his side, Bluford ends up offering Jonathan Joestar one of the coolest fights in Phantom Blood, and a fight that really showcases just how useful Hamon is. Before Stands were all the rage, JoJos were expected to rely on the power of Ripple, and does it deliver.
Jonathan’s Sunlight Yellow Overdrive is still one of the best moments in the entire franchise, and Blurford gaining some depth through their fight ends up giving weight to the death of a villain who first appeared just one episode prior. Jonathan swimming deeper into a body of water to find an air pocket is top tier Araki.
1 Jonathan Joestar Versus Dio Brando (Round 2)
George Joestar is dead, the Joestar ancestral home is burning, and Dio Brando is a vampire. Things don’t look good for Jonathan by the end of his fight with Dio, but that he’s able to fight back, let alone win and survive, is downright incredible. He doesn’t have Hamon at this point and Dio very suddenly became a vampire. He’s at a grave disadvantage.
But he doesn’t falter and he doesn’t lose his cool. Jonathan uses the house to his advantage, fighting back against Dio with literally everything the Joestars have. As far as the Phantom Blood anime goes, this is the best adapted fight without a doubt. It’s a JoJo fighting back exclusively with his brains– JJBA at its best.