After dedicating two entire story arcs to the concept of Hamon and how humans tie into the natural food chain, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure decides to shove both of these ideas into the background in order to focus on perhaps the smartest idea Hirohiko Araki ever had while working on the series: Stands.
Through Stands, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is able to gain a much deeper layer of depth, one that allows for characters to realistically go beyond their physical limitations. Hamon is incredibly cool, but it’s restrictive, and without a Stand, someone like Lisa Lisa can fall behind. It perhaps goes without saying, then, that the introduction of Stands saw Stardust Crusaders packing some of the best fights in the franchise. Even back to back by the end of Part 3.
10 Emperor And Hanged Man
Stardust Crusaders pre-Egypt isn’t bad by any means, but it’s certainly not as good as what comes later. Araki is still figuring Stands and the characters out, but that doesn’t mean this first chunk of the Part is devoid of good content. There are plenty of great fights, with Emperor and Hanged Man being a standout.
Ready to confront J. Geil over the death of his sister, Polnaraff finds himself on the receiving end of a fight he can’t win. J. Geil’s mirror based Stand allows him to attack via reflections, and Hol Horse even seemingly kills Abdul. It’s a charged battle that takes a main character out of the picture, forcing Polnareff and Kakyoin to work together, not just to avenge the former’s sister, but their friend.
9 Silver Chariot
Speaking of Polnareff and Abdul, it’s fitting that Araki chooses the former to be the one to avenge the latter. Also, that Polnaraff is ultimately the character with the closest bond to Abdul outside of Joseph (if not the closest by the end of the Part.) Before they start paling around, however, the two partake in a fun little duel to the death.
This is the first time that both Magician’s Red and Silver Chariot really get to show their stuff, with the latter actually being introduced here. Magician’s Red is always a visual delight in the manga, but Silver Chariot is one of the most practical Stands in the franchise and naturally lends itself to incredible fight choreography. The Banter between Polnareff and Abdul only makes the fight better.
8 The Gatekeeper Of Hell, Pet Shop
Iggy doesn't do all too much after his introduction, but he’s a fun presence to have around and is generally pretty funny. “The Gatekeeper of Hell, Pet Shop” is the only arc in Stardust Crusaders to shine in the spotlight, and it stands out as one of the most violent and creepy story arcs in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
The guardian of DIO’s mansion, Pet Shop hunts Iggy through the streets of Cairo after killing two dogs and threatening a boy’s life. Iggy is outmatched at just about every corner and Pet Shop’s ice based powers pose an insanely high level threat. Iggy is forced to lunge at Pet Shop while it’s charging an attack just to finish it off. It’s a brutal fight and the perfect tone setter for DIO’s mansion.
7 The Fool Iggy And Geb N’Doul
Introduced alongside Egypt, Iggy and N’Doul contribute to this fight by showing just how different things will be in Egypt. N’Doul isn’t just hired by DIO, he’s completely loyal to him. Not just that, Geb is one of the most dangerous Stands seen up to that point, making very quick work of Kakyoin’s eyes.
Iggy’s Stand, The Fool, emphasizes not only the usefulness of non-combat oriented Stands, but how diverse the titular crusaders are. They come from all walks of life, but they come together with a common goal in mind: stop DIO. Geb is yet another reminder of the kind of man DIO is. He’s beyond evil. Better yet, it’s around here where Araki starts getting the hang of the “Stand of the week” concept, with enemy Stands contributing to the plot more meaningfully.
6 Lovers
Steely Dan is a “love to hate them” villain on a level that would make even DIO blush. The humiliation he puts everyone through by sending his Stand, Lovers, into Joseph, only makes his inevitable beatdown at the hands of Jotaro all the more satisfying. It helps that Kakyoin and Polnareff aren’t just sitting on their thumbs, actively trying to take Lovers out of Joseph.
With Lovers gone, Jotaro is free to pay Steely Dan back for everything he did to him. What follows is a barrage of Ora Ora Ora that wouldn’t be topped until Giornio’s legendary seven page Muda Muda Muda.
5 Anubis
A sword DIO presumably hired with sword currency, Anubis doesn’t really raise the stakes or move the plot along. It’s not too pressing thematically or narratively, but it doesn’t need to be. Anubis is pure action right in the heart of Egypt. The heroes aren’t far from DIO, but they aren’t as close as they need to be.
Anubis poses a deadly challenge, and continues the onslaught of enemy Stands the heroes have seen in Egypt. Able to possess its wielders, Anubis eventually gets his hands on Polnareff, leading to a frantic fight between Star Platinum and Silver Chariot. Araki’s fights for Star Platinum & Silver Chariot are always fantastic, so pitting them against each other only makes sense.
4 D’arby The Player
Who knew video games could be so fun? After Pet Shop, a fight like the one against Telence T. D’arby is very much welcome. The sheer brutality of that fight, coupled with the inherent drama of DIO right around the corner, really lets D’arby the Player shine. The stakes are insanely high, but Part 3 is arguably at its most entertaining.
Kakyoin, Jotaro, and Joseph give everything they can to beat Telence at his own game. Kakyoin’s race in F-Mega is genuinely gripping and Araki could make gold out of a F-Zero manga adaptation. Jotaro blatantly cheating and Telence completely stumped on how to figure him out brings the fight to a satisfying, charming end.
3 D’arby The Gambler
Before there was the Player, there was the Gambler. Daniel J. D’arby gives the Crusaders the poker game from Hell as he takes their souls one by one. Polnareff makes the mistake of taking a loose bet, and Joseph– while doing an admirable job at cheating– doesn’t account for D’abry pulling any tricks.
This leaves Jotaro playing poker seemingly for the first time, leaving everything on a bluff. Betting the souls of quite literally everyone he can, Jotaro turns a bogus hand into D’arby’s death-knell. It’s a psychological gambling match to the death, and an excellent way to introduce newcomers to the series.
2 The Mist Of Emptiness, Vanilla Ice
Stardust Crusaders’ penultimate fight takes place mere moments after the battle against Telence, but this one ends up seeing serious consequences. Abdul gives his life to save Polnareff yet again and Iggy, after spending all arc just wanting to live a peaceful life, ends up doing the same for Polnareff.
The Frenchman is left standing alone as he faces off against DIO’s last vampire. Vanilla Ice’s Stand is especially horrifying, consuming everything in its path, chasing Polnareff and Iggy across DIO’s manor. Phantom Blood has light horror themes, but the fight against Vanilla Ice leaves a chill that’s hard to shake.
1 DIO’s World
Easily the best final fight of any JoJo Part, DIO’s World has every living Crusader pull their weight. Kakyoin figures out the secret to The World before dying; Joseph keeps himself alive with Hamon & relays said info to Jotaro before being killed by DIO; Polnareff saves Jotaro’s life at a critical moment; and Jotaro kicks DIO’s ass.
It’s an endurance match that sees Kakyoin permanently dead and Joseph temporarily dead. Thankfully, the tides turn when Jotaro awakens his time stop ability. Strategically timing his one second freezes, he’s able to intercept DIO’s time stops, eventually overpowering the vampire and finishing him off once and for all.