JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a popular and long-running shonen action series following the Joestar family from the days of Victorian England to the present day, and it all started with the short but exciting Phantom Blood story arc. The fifth story arc is known as Golden Wind, and it takes place in early 21st century Italy.
Not all is well in sunny Italy. The streets are running rampant with crime and drugs, and dangerous Stand users are everywhere. It's up to Giorno Giovanna to realize his dream and bring justice to the streets, and his bizarre adventure is truly an unforgettable one. Nearly every Golden Wind episode is packed with great stories and action, but these ten episodes in particular are heavy on plot and character development. They're not to be missed.
10 "Gold Experience" Launches The Story
In any anime story arc, it's vital to watch the very first episode to get a handle on the plot. After all, the first episode sets up the main characters, setting, theme and more, and Golden Wind is no different. This arc's first episode, "Gold Experience," ushers in the new Joestar hero, Giorno Giovanna.
This episode also introduces Giorno's Stand, Gold Experience, and its abilities. This remarkable short-range Stand can turn objects into living animals and plants, and Giorno uses that ability both for good and for bad in this episode. Clearly, Giorno isn't a Boy Scout like Jonathan Joestar was.
9 "Bucciarati Appears" Sets Up More Plot & Characters
The second episode is also rather heavy on plot and character, since it explores Giorno Giovanna's backstory so viewers know exactly whom they are dealing with. Giorno had a rough childhood of abuse and neglect, and he nearly lost hope.
True to its name, the episode "Bucciarati Appears" introduces the character Bruno Bucciarati, who is hostile to Giorno at first, and they do battle. Bruno's own Stand is called Sticky Fingers, and it can make zippers on anything, living or otherwise.
8 "Joining The Gang" Sets Up The Passione Crime Family & Giorno's Place In It
The fourth episode continues the challenge that began in the third, with Giorno striving to keep a special lighter lit for 24 hours so he can join the Passione gang. In this episode, the lighter challenge reaches its climax, and Giorno battles Polpo's fearsome shadow-based Stand, Black Sabbath.
This battle is an exciting one, and once it wraps up, Giorno is welcomed into the Passione gang at the expense of Polpo's life, a serious development in the story. Also, this episode makes it clear that Koichi Hirose won't tell Jotaro Kujo about Giorno, so Giorno is on his own for this adventure. There won't be a Joestar team-up this time.
7 "The First Mission From The Boss" Launches The Next Adventure
Bruno's small team arrived on the island of Capri to find Polpo's treasure, and they had to fight a few Stand users en route to the island and on the island itself. Once those Stand battles were won, Bruno moved on to the treasure itself, but the real development was a person, not a collection of jewels.
A Passione capo disguised as a janitor gave Bruno his first mission from the mysterious boss, hence the episode's title. Bruno's task: to protect and escort the boss's adolescent daughter, Trish Una, and protect her from the wrath of La Squadra, a gang of traitorous assassins.
6 "Express Train To Florence" Introduces Coco Jumbo & Its Protective Stand
This episode introduces one of the few non-human Stand users, a tortoise named Coco Jumbo. Notably, Coco Jumbo's Stand, Mr. President, is shaped like a key and can be placed into a key-shaped depression in its shell. At first, Bruno was rather confused when Mr. President didn't fit into any nearby locks.
This particular Stand is a major development since Bruno's gang soon started using Mr. President as their main hideout from this point on. It's important to know how Mr. President works, after all. In this same episode, two assassins arrive, Pesci and Prosciutto.
5 "The Final Mission From The Boss" Is A Turning Point
True to its title, the 20th episode involves Bruno's final assignment for the mysterious Passione boss, and the instructions are clear. Bruno escorts Trish into a church's bell tower to hand her over to her father, but the whole thing is a trap. Diavolo the supervillain appears at last, and he's out for blood.
Bruno thinks back to when he joined Passione, and he realizes that Diavolo intends to kill his daughter to protect his identity. However, there's not much Bruno can do. Diavolo uses his deadly Stand, King Crimson, to punch a fist cleanly through Bruno's chest.
4 "The Mystery Of King Crimson" Continues Where Episode 20 Left Off
Episodes 20 and 21 are major turning points in the story. Episode 21, "The Mystery of King Crimson," continues the desperate battle against Diavolo, and Giorno narrowly rescues Bruno and Trish from the boss's wrath. Diavolo withdraws to avoid exposing himself, and Bruno's team regroups outside.
Bruno makes an important decision in this episode. He declares intention to break away from the gang and go rogue and anyone who wishes to join him may do so. Abbacchio and the others hesitate, then all but Fugo take Bruno's side for the difficult journey ahead. Now Team Bucciarati is truly on its own.
3 "A Little Story From The Past ~My Name Is Doppio~" Focuses On The Boss
This episode starts with some flashbacks, exploring the birth and upbringing of a pink-haired boy named Doppio who was born under unusual circumstances back in 1965. Doppio is a gentle and generous person, but he has a secret—his alter ego is Diavolo, making him a variation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
In the present day, Doppio journeys to Sardinia to intercept Bruno's gang and kill them, to take care of business. This puts him on a collision course with Bruno's squad, but first, Doppio must fight the La Squadra member Risotto Nero, wielding a Stand named Metallica.
2 "His Name Is Diavolo" Launches The Final Battle
This exciting episode sets up the final fight against Diavolo, and a familiar face returns, the French Stand user Polnrareff. As Giorno learns, Polnareff has been busy since the late 1980s, and he helped Jotaro find Stand arrows across the globe. Now Polnareff is here to help.
This development about the Stand arrows is a big one, and then the action starts. Diavolo arrives and attacks Polnareff with King Crimson, and it's all Polnareff can do to survive. Not even Bruno's team might make it out of this alive.
1 "Gold Experience Requiem" Finishes The Fight
The final episode of the main plot focuses on Giorno's desperate battle against Diavolo, and by now, Silver Chariot has been outed as a Requiem version of itself. The Stand arrow can turn Stands into an enhanced version of themselves, and Diavolo urgently wants the arrow for himself. But Giorno won't allow it.
Gold Experience becomes Gold Experience Requiem, and with that incredible power, Giorno finishes off Diavolo and traps that villain in an endless cycle of deaths. The battle is over, and Giorno soon becomes the new crime boss, dressed in black. His story is now complete.