The smash hit anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, based on the original manga by Hirohiko Araki, is a long-running series with a colorful cast of characters, Stands, and more. This is the tale of the Joestar family and their quest to fight evil, from the Victorian era to today.
The third arc of this anime, and arguably the most iconic, is Stardust Crusaders. In this arc, Jotaro Kujo and his allies embark on a quest to hunt down DIO in Egypt and kill him once and for all, and there will be plenty of Stand battles along the way. As is always the case, though, some episodes are better regarded by the fans than others. On IMDb, some of Stardust Crusaders' episodes fall a bit short. Which ones did the fans not like so much when they rated them?
10 Episode 4: "Tower of Gray" (7.7)
None of this is to say that these episodes were terrible, but then again, there may be reasons why the fans didn't rate them so high. We start with the fourth episode in Stardust Crusaders, in which the group's bad luck with vehicles begins.
An elderly Stand user wields Tower of Gray, a beetle Stand that can tear out the tongues of its victims while flying faster than a bullet. Our heroes defeat this little Stand, but the plane is about to crash, far short of Jotaro's Egypt destination. So much for the quick route!
9 Episode 40: "D'Arby the Player, Part 1" (7.7)
Now we get an episode that takes place late in the arc, and we meet the younger brother of the suave gambler D'Arby. This brother deals not with dice and coins, but with video games, of all things. He invites some of our heroes into an illusionary world, and shows them a collection of dolls made from his past victims.
Kakyoin is first to confront this insidious gamer, only to lose in a racing game. His soul is forfeit, and now it's up to Jotaro to handle things. It's a fun idea, but it's really just a repeat of the previous D'Arby Stand battle, and not as clever, either.
8 Episode 28: "Anubis, Part 1" (7.6)
Cursed swords are a popular trope in fantasy, and Stardust Crusaders takes its turn with the idea. Fans had a pretty lukewarm reception to it, though.
A traveling Egyptian named Chaka finds a sword that refuses to leave its sheath, until he becomes this Stand's master and follows its instructions to hunt our heroes! Chaka falls in battle, but the Stand operates independently and keeps on fighting, looking for a new master. By the episode's cliffhanger ending, Polnareff has become its primary target.
7 Episode 36: "Hol Horse and Boingo, Part 1" (7.5)
Hol Horse returns, and he's got a new ally: the boy named Boingo, who can predict the future with his Stand (Thoth). Hol Horse is desperate to please his lord DIO, but he and Oingo make for a wacky pair that can't quite get the job done.
This episode is more silly than anything, and it's both hilarious and a little frustrating to watch Hol Horse try to make good use of Thoth's predictions. Things get even weirder when Thoth compels Hol Horse to shove his fingers right up Polnareff's nose.
6 Episode 18: "The Sun" (7.5)
Next up is a pretty staple "monster of the week" episode, and not a particularly good one, either. The episode starts off like something from The Twilight Zone, where Jotaro's gang crosses a desert whose sun refuses to ever set.
The mystery deepens as 8:00 PM passes and the sun is still high in the sky, and getting even hotter. The good guys take shelter in a cave and suffer horribly from the heat until Jotaro spots a way to defeat the sun, which is, in reality, an enemy Stand.
5 Episode 7: "Strength" (7.4)
Many of the least popular episodes of Stardust Crusaders feature villains who are just a "monster of the week" without any lasting impact, and episode 7 ranks among them. This time around, the gang arrive at an abandoned freighter on the open ocean, only to realize that the ship itself is attacking them!
It's really one giant enemy Stand, controlled by, of all things, a caged orangutan. Jotaro duels this beast until he slays it, and everyone scrambles to escape the ship-Stand before it completely dissolves. By the episode's end, they have finally arrived in Singapore.
4 Episode 6: "Dark Blue Moon" (7.4)
Taking place right before "Strength," this episode also shows Jotaro's struggles on the high seas. His group is on a headed for Singapore, but on the way, they meet a stowaway, who (fortunately) is not an enemy Stand user. The captain is, though and he reveals himself as such.
He challenges Jotaro to a duel with his Stand, Dark Blue Moon, and after a tense battle in the water, Star Platinum prevails. Then, Jotaro's bad luck with vehicles strikes again and bombs blow the ship apart. Everyone evacuates onto lifeboats, and they come across the ship-stand that will be featured in "Strength."
3 Episode 37: "Hol Horse and Boingo, Part 2" (7.4)
We now continue the story of Hol Horse and Boingo's silly partnership. This episode picks up where the last one left off... with Hol Horse's fingers up Polnareff's nose. Hol Horse soon does battle, and he shows off his skills by guiding his bullets all over the place in a desperate bid to slaughter Jotaro's group.
Even with Thoth's predictions on his side, Hol Horse can't land the final blow... except on himself! A few bullets injure him and he's off to the hospital. One extra development here is Hol Horse's change of heart. Perhaps it is time to confront DIO...
2 Episode 33: Set's Alessi, Part 2" (7.3)
This episode concludes the battle against Alessi and his Stand, Set (the rest is covered in the last entry). Polnareff has gotten on Alessi's bad side, and has since been converted into a small child! This weakens Polnareff's combat power, and now Alessi is nearly able to kill him with his bare hands.
Growing younger by the minute, Polnareff retreats to a bedroom, where he uses tricks to hide from Alessi until he attacks. Alessi ends up on the street, where he meets Jotaro. In the end, not even Set's reverse-aging power stops our hero from delivering the final beatdown on this despicable villain!
1 Episode 32: "Set's Alessi, Part 1" (7.2)
Many works of fiction show characters experiencing reverse aging. The same is true in Stardust Crusaders, but fans didn't seem impressed. While Joseph and Avdol battle Mariah, Polnareff is confronted by Alessi, another DIO assassin.
Polnareff soon realizes that he has reverted to a young boy, and a local woman takes him in. Things get pretty awkward when the woman prepares Polnareff for a bath, though, and Alessi barges right in and uses his power on her too! Now it's a duel, and the episode ends on a cliffhanger right there in a spacious bathroom.