Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is well known for its powerful and terrifying villains, such as the legendary Dio himself. The anime managed to show the true power and danger of these villains in a unique and interesting way, and the way they did so also suggests that Jojo the hero is really on their level.
For the most part, Jojo’s Bizarre AdventureManoel’s villains wield the same type of power as his heroes: the spiritual ability known as Stand, a manifestation of the soul with special powers that can range from very fast punches to poisoning large areas and completely interrupting the passage of time. Stand abilities can vary greatly in their power levels, but the greatest villains, unsurprisingly, possess surprisingly powerful Stands that often have the ability to alter the very fabric of time and space. However, it can be difficult to truly convey this level of power, so the anime’s creators had a brilliant idea of ​​how best to do this.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure villains break the fourth wall
The anime takes villains’ power with a metafictional punch
Starting with the final episodes of Stardust Crusadersthe opening credits sequence is modified as the final battle between Jotaro and Dio begins. In this altered version, Dio interrupts the opening sequence by stopping time with The World, and walks around a frozen Jotaro until he gets behind him and begins unleashing an attack.k. The screen breaks, the music stops, and the added sequence takes exactly 9 seconds – the length of time Dio is able to use the World’s time-stopping ability. It can be quite surprising for fans who have become accustomed to the common opening.
The same applies to episode 36 of Diamond is unbreakablewhere Kira is shown rewinding time at several points in the opening sequence, causing some segments to repeat while skipping others completely. It also shows the heroes, who previously had their backs to Kira, now facing him, ready for the final battle. To Golden Windanother modified version plays, this time showing Doppio transforming into Diavolo, with evidence of King Crimson’s erasure of time throughout the credits and an ominous monologue in Italian. Until Stone Ocean has a similar effect in the final episode, with Pucci interrupting Jotaro’s time stop, with time passing faster and faster.
By having the villains interrupt the opening credits sequence like this, when they are at the height of their power, it really makes it clear how strong the enemy is and how difficult Jojo’s fight will be.. The implication of having the villain balance the books in the title sequence makes them feel even more powerful, as if they are transcending their fictional nature, and that not even the viewer is safe from the threat they pose. Fans began to look forward to these modified credit sequences when it became apparent that this was a pattern, and they managed to make the villain menacing (and really cool).
Only One Hero Broke the Credits Sequence
Only one Jojo had the power to break the Fourth Wall
However, it wasn’t just villains who demonstrated this power. In episodes 38 and 39 of Golden Windyet another modified version of the credits sequence plays. It starts off like Diavolo’s version, but as Diavolo tries to use his time erase, Giorno’s stand, Golden Wind Requiem, becomes active, interrupting the sequence.. The screen repeatedly zooms in on Diavolo’s eyes before showing him in an endless line of other Diavolos, foreshadowing his ultimate fate. The sequel cleverly uses the same scenes from the opening in a different order, showing a new chain of events that will lead to Diavolo’s loss.
The fact that Giorno is the only Jojo Protagonist breaking the fourth wall in this way emphasizes two facts about the character. One is that Giorno is ultimately Dio’s son, and he even strikes a pose like his estranged father in the credits sequence to help make that fact clear. The other, however, is to show that Giorno’s power after being pierced by the Stand Arrow is on a whole new level – Giorno now unquestionably has the power to stop Diavolo, if only he can use it correctly. Golden Wind Requiem is apparently as unstoppable as the villains’ Stands.
Majority Jojo fans would probably agree that among the main Jojo protagonists, Giorno’s final Stand is his strongest, so it makes sense that if anyone was capable of breaking reality in a meta way, it would be him. After all, Giorno doesn’t just break the credits sequence, he interrupts Diavolo’s attempt to break the credits sequence, showing that his power now surpasses Diavolo’s. If Giorno’s actions in the series themselves didn’t prove his power, then this kidnapping in the opening certainly does.
Jojo’s Fourth Wall-Shattering Openings Are Brilliant
Modified credits sequences are highly effective
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is not the only anime to have variants of its opening sequence to emphasize some aspect of the story. It’s not uncommon for opening credits sequences to change as new characters are introduced–Jojo does this too, especially in Diamond is unbreakable as new characters appear and unlock their Stand abilities. Jojo is, however, one of the only (non-comedic) anime to utilize a fourth wall breaking element in its title sequence, and this makes it all the more effective, as fans are not expecting such an interruption..
The surprising element of an opening credits sequence, which the viewer has been exposed to repeatedly, changing suddenly, easily catches the eye. The fourth wall being destroyed by the villain’s (or in one case, the hero’s) power emphasizes the extreme strength they possess, suggesting that they pose a threat even to bystanders. Combining these two ideas was a stroke of genius on the part of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure creators of the anime, and makes its villains even more terrifying than they already are with just a little additional effort on their part, proving how dedicated the studio was to making Jojo the best it could be.