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Dio Brando
Dio Brando
Dio Brando
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Dio Brando
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure character
Dio next to his Stand, The World, as they appear in the third story arc, Stardust Crusaders.
First appearanceJoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood #1, "Dio the Invader" (January 1, 1987)
Last appearanceJoJo's Bizarre Adventure chapter 264: "DIO's World, Part 18" (April 20, 1992)
Created byHirohiko Araki
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesVampire (formerly human)
GenderMale
Family
  • Dario Brando (father)
  • Unnamed mother
  • George Joestar I (adoptive father)
  • Jonathan Joestar (adoptive brother/last owner of body)
Children
NationalityEnglish
StandThe World
Date of birth1868
Date of deathJanuary 16, 1989 (aged 121)
Cause of deathHead split in two due to Stand's destruction by Jotaro Kujo; body later reduced to ashes by exposure to sunlight

Dio Brando (Japanese: ディオ・ブランドー, Hepburn: Dio Burandō), later known mononymously as DIO (ＤＩＯ（ディオ）), is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Japanese manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. He is featured initially as the main antagonist of the series' first part, Phantom Blood, and later returns as the main antagonist of the series' third part, Stardust Crusaders, now solely referred to as DIO. In the alternate universe of the series' seventh part, Steel Ball Run, a character named Diego Brando (ディエゴ・ブランドー, Diego Burandō) bears resemblance to Dio and appears as a secondary antagonist.

The poor son of Dario Brando, an abusive alcoholic who worked Dio's mother to death, Dio first appears as a young misanthrope who, via the power of an ancient stone mask, becomes an immortal vampire. A century after the events of the first part, he resurfaces as the user of the time-stopping Stand named The World. As the series' most prolific villain, his defining trait is his staunch ambition, which develops into a "might makes right" philosophy and a drive for absolute control through absolute power.

Creation and design

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When beginning the series, Dio was the character that Araki looked forward to drawing the most. He also revealed that he had not thought up a weakness for the character and that it was difficult to come up with a way for Dio to be defeated. In regard to Dio's characterization, Araki said that he was inspired by FBI profiling of Serial killers, admitting that in a way he thinks they must be incredibly strong to be able to commit the heinous crimes that they do. How serial killers control their victims through psychological manipulation interested Araki as well, a trait similar to how Dio uses his charisma to ensure his followers to do his bidding.[1] Araki intended to characterize Dio as unapologetically baleful in his pursuit of power, with his literal abandonment of his humanity reflecting his figurative and emotional one.[2] Araki wanted his name to sound cool next to JoJo's, so he chose Dio, the Italian word for God.[1]

Araki said that he wanted Dio to embody the "attractiveness of evil" and created him to be a "beautiful, pretty boy".[3] In classic villain style, his eyes are slightly slanted and he shows dimples and fangs when smiling. His hair is blond to contrast with Jonathan's black hair.[3] Dio's appearance was inspired by western idols,[3] and in a separate interview Araki specifically mentioned the short hairstyle and muscles of Rutger Hauer's character Roy Batty from the 1982 film Blade Runner influencing Dio's design.[4][5] The author brought in the vampire element in order to depict a dark world that had rarely been seen in Weekly Shōnen Jump up to that point.[3] Although the character is popular with women in the story, Araki said Dio is more interested in dominating than loving.[3] In regards to his sexuality, Araki stated in a 2007 interview that "[Dio's] sort of a composed character that could go either way. [He] could go with a man or a woman."[6]

Some of Dio's mannerisms and phrases, such as his frequent cries of "Muda" (無駄; "useless") and "WRYYYYY" (ウリイイイイ, Uriiiii) or the quote "Kono Dio da!" (このディオだ!; "It was me, Dio!"), have yielded several Internet memes and other popular culture references.[7][8][9][10]

Appearances and influences

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Phantom Blood

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In Phantom Blood, the child of an abusive drunkard named Dario Brando, Dio Brando becomes the adopted brother of Jonathan Joestar by using a promise that George Joestar made to Dario years ago. Upon entering the Joestar estate after his father died, Dio tried to take everything from Jonathan and killed Jonathan's dog, Danny. However, Dio underestimated Jonathan and his retaliation for forcefully kissing Erina Pendleton causes Dio to spend the next seven years feigning to be Jonathan's friend. He then poisons George with the same poison that he used to kill Dario in order to steal the Joestar fortune. Jonathan investigates it, causing Dio to plan to murder Jonathan with an ancient Aztec stone mask.

However, Dio learns that it transforms the wearer into a vampire when exposed to blood, and uses it on himself when his plan is exposed. After the resulting fight, Jonathan impales him on a stone statue and leaves him in the burning Joestar mansion. However, Dio survives and uses zombies to take over the small village of Windknight's Lot. Jonathan is sought out by Will A. Zeppeli, a master of an ancient martial art called Hamon, which can kill vampires and zombies. He teaches Jonathan how to use it as Dio sends zombies to kill him so he can take over the world. Jonathan seemingly defeats him again, but Dio survives by decapitating himself. He and a surviving zombie, Wang Chan, attack Jonathan on a steamship during his honeymoon with Erina in an attempt to claim his enemy's body for his own. While Dio fatally punctures his throat, Jonathan overloads the ship's engines by using his Hamon. Dio is seemingly killed by the resulting explosion. Erina, pregnant with Jonathan's son, escapes unharmed along with an orphaned girl.

Battle Tendency

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As he is dormant in the sunken ship, Dio Brando does not appear in Battle Tendency, but the aftermath of his apparent death at the hands of Jonathan Joestar affects the plot. It is ultimately revealed that Jonathan and Erina's son George Joestar II, a famed pilot of the Royal Air Force in World War I, was murdered by one of Dio's zombies who survived the battle at Windknight's Lot and had infiltrated the RAF. George II's wife, the orphaned girl Elizabeth, hunted down this zombie and used Hamon to kill him. However, as no-one else knew that he was a zombie, she became a wanted murderer and was forced into hiding under the name Lisa Lisa. This was done with the help of the Speedwagon Foundation that was founded by Robert E. O. Speedwagon. Lisa Lisa later reunites with her son Joseph Joestar, teaches him Hamon so he can defeat the Pillar Men. Their leader, Kars, created the Stone masks and was indirectly responsible for Dio's transformation into a vampire.

Stardust Crusaders

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It is revealed in Stardust Crusaders that Dio survived the ship's explosion by decapitating Jonathan's corpse and attaching his own head to it as the ship sank and remained inside of a casket at the bottom of the ocean for a century until he was unintentionally retrieved by a shipwreck salvage operation in 1983. Dio escaped the coffin through a secret layer of the coffin. Now known mononymously as "DIO", he soon meets the mystic Enya Geil who awakens his Stand, The World (世界（ザ・ワールド）, Za Wārudo), which is named after the tarot card and allows him to temporarily stop the passage of time. He also acquires a Hermit Purple-like Stand that is possessed by Jonathan's body. As his head is attached to Jonathan's body, Dio's acquisition of The World also awakens Stand abilities in all of Jonathan's living descendants. While Joseph Joestar and his grandson Jotaro Kujo have the resolve to control their Stands, Joseph's daughter and Jotaro's mother Holly has her very life sapped away by her own Stand because of her gentle disposition. This spurs Jotaro and Joseph to track down Dio along with their friends Mohammed Avdol, Noriaki Kakyoin, Jean-Pierre Polnareff, and Iggy the Boston Terrier to kill him once and for all, freeing Holly from the curse the Stand has trapped her under.

Dio responds by sending other Stand users to assassinate the Joestars before they can find him in his mansion lair in Cairo, some of whom (namely Kakyoin and Polnareff) he had previously mind controlled and joined the Joestars on their journey after being saved by them. Along the way, Avdol and Iggy are killed by Dio's right-hand man Vanilla Ice, who in turn is killed by Polnareff. Dio kills Jotaro's friend Kakyoin in combat and then kills Joseph in front of Jotaro. During his battle with Jotaro, Dio is severely hurt and resorts to draining Joseph of his blood, not only healing himself but also finally completing his unification with Jonathan's body. Dio greatly strengthens his vampiric abilities and his Stand, but Jotaro's Stand, Star Platinum, proves to be The World's equally powered counterpart. After much effort, fuelled by the rage of his friends and grandfather's deaths as well as his mother's dwindling health, taking advantage of Dio's pride and desire to test his strengthened abilities, Jotaro awakens his own time-stopping powers and overpowers Dio with Star Platinum, successfully defeating him on the Qasr El Nil Bridge. Jotaro and the Speedwagon Foundation doctors revive Joseph via a blood transfusion from Dio/Jonathan's body. Then Joseph and Jotaro take their ancestors body out into the desert and expose it to sunlight, which disintegrates it vanquishing the vampire for good, ending the century long rivalry between the Joestars and Dio and finally allowing Jonathan Joestar to rest in peace after so many years.

Diamond Is Unbreakable and Golden Wind

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Dio is not present in either Diamond Is Unbreakable or Golden Wind, but his influence on the story is still present.

In Diamond Is Unbreakable, it is revealed that Dio acquired his Stand by means of an ancient artifact known as the "Bow and Arrow", which has reappeared in the fictional Japanese town of Morioh because the children of one of Dio's former lackeys, Mr. Nijimura, are seeking out someone who can possibly kill their father and put him out his misery due to the mutation that he has suffered as a result of Dio's death.

In Golden Wind, the protagonist Giorno Giovanna is Dio's son, but because Dio was in possession of Jonathan's body at the time of Giorno's conception, Giorno is biologically both Dio and Jonathan's son and thus a member of the Joestar family, and his own virtuous soul prevents him from becoming evil as Dio was, thanks to his encounter with a heroic gangster in his childhood life.

Stone Ocean

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Dio's influence on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure returns in Stone Ocean, where it is revealed that he met the story arc's main antagonist, Father Enrico Pucci, shortly before the events of Stardust Crusaders. He told Father Pucci of his desire to use his Stand, The World, in order to reach "Heaven", and befriended the young priest in order to help him achieve his goal. Pucci's reverence for Dio drives him to carry out his plan decades later. He manipulates events to frame Jotaro Kujo's daughter Jolyne Cujoh for murder in order to trap her in Green Dolphin Street Prison, where he serves as a chaplain. Pucci uses one of Dio's bones to evolve his Stand to reset reality in what he believes is Dio's vision of Heaven, a world where everyone knows their own destiny that would also be free of the Joestar bloodline. However, he was defeated by Jolyne's last surviving friend, Emporio. This reverts reality, but there are some changes, including the erasure of Pucci. Stone Ocean also introduces Dio's three other children: Ungalo, Rikiel, and Donatello Versus.

Steel Ball Run

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Dio Brando himself does not appear in Steel Ball Run, set in a new continuity. He is thematically succeeded by a similar character named Diego Brando (ディエゴ・ブランドー), nicknamed Dio. Like Dio of the original continuity, Diego is the child of an abusive household, and one who reveres his mother. She instilled in him a sense of pride that he took with him as he became a masterful jockey in his adulthood. He decides to take part in the Steel Ball Run horse race across the United States. He encounters the protagonists Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli and is controlled by Dr. Ferdinand's Stand Scary Monsters (スケアリーモンスターズ, Sukearī Monsutāzu), which transforms him into a dromaeosaurid dinosaur. After Dr. Ferdinand is defeated, he gains control of Scary Monsters. Diego is hired by President of the United States Funny Valentine in his quest to find the pieces of the Saint's Corpse scattered along the racecourse, but after fighting against Johnny and Gyro, he realizes that President Valentine's plans are more dangerous to the world as a whole and joins them in an attempt to stop him, but dies during his quest.

Valentine then uses his Stand's powers to summon a Diego Brando from an alternate universe. This Diego possesses the same Stand as the original Dio Brando. He manages to defeat Johnny Joestar in battle and wins the Steel Ball Run, in addition to obtaining all of the Saint's Corpse and hiding it in a secure location, even though President Valentine has already been killed by Johnny. However, Lucy Steel uses the head of her universe's Diego Brando to obliterate his head through the effects of Valentine's Stand.

The original Dio cameos in a volume-exclusive interlude detailing the mechanics and limitations of Stand abilities.

JoJolion

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Dio makes a brief cameo appearance with the Stone Mask during the events of "The Wonder of You" arc.

Abilities

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Above all else, Dio Brando is known for his cunning and careful consideration.[2] It is when Jonathan Joestar defies his expectations, defeating him in battle and thwarting his deliberate machinations, that Dio dons the Stone Mask that grants him the power of a vampire. He attains superhuman speed, regeneration fueled by sucking blood through his fingers, and strength insofar as he can lift a road roller with ease - a frequent source of references in popular culture.

As a vampire, he most frequently uses an exaggerated evaporated cooling form of freezing known simply as the Vaporative Freezing Technique (気化冷凍法, Kikareitōhō) that allows him to freeze his opponents while rendering direct attacks with Hamon useless. While powerful, it does not kill people instantly (seen at the end of Phantom Blood, a victim of the attack survives - although he died shortly after.) Another vampiric technique available to Dio is Space Ripper Stingy Eyes (空裂眼刺驚（スペースリパー・スティンギーアイズ）, Supēsu Ripā Sutingī Aizu) that allows him to shoot two pressurised fluid jets from his eyes. He can also graft body parts of different beings together, an ability he then used to take Jonathan Joestar's body as his own.

Once he returns 100 years later with Jonathan's body, Dio developed his signature Stand, The World, after being struck by the Bow and Arrow. As a psychic manifestation of Dio, it has all of his aforementioned superhuman abilities and facilitates melee attacks, though its signature ability is to stop time. This time-stopping ability only lasts for a limited amount of time, though this limit can be extended through practice or drinking Joseph Joestar's blood. In addition, Dio gained access to a second Stand through the use of Jonathan's body; this unnamed Stand bears a resemblance to Joseph Joestar's Hermit Purple, and has the ability of divination.

Steel Ball Run

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Dio's Part 7 counterpart, Diego Brando, first encounters Scary Monsters when he comes into conflict with its original user, Dr. Ferdinand. Ferdinand "infects" Diego, as well as an entire village, transforming them into dinosaurs. After gaining the Left Eye Corpse Part, Diego gains his own version of Scary Monsters that allows him to transform himself or others into dinosaur versions of themselves, partially or entirely. Scary Monsters grants Diego increased strength, speed, healing, and "dynamic vision". Dynamic vision provides Diego with excellent eyesight; however, he can only see objects that are moving, similar to that of the Tyrannosaurus Rex in Jurassic Park.

After Diego's death by the hands of Funny Valentine, Valentine summons a Diego from an alternate universe. This Diego possesses The World like Part 3's Dio, and can also stop time. The design of Diego's The World is very similar to that of Part 3, apart from its skinnier profile and the replacement of the hearts on The World's knees for capital D's.

Voice actors

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Dio has had many different voice actors in different types of media. He was first voiced by Norio Wakamoto in the 1993 drama CDs, followed by Nobuo Tanaka in the OVAs and Isshin Chiba in the 1998 video game. He is voiced by both Kenji Nojima and Hikaru Midorikawa in the Phantom Blood video game and 2007 animated film as the younger and older incarnations, respectively.[11] In the 2012 television anime and in various subsequent media, he and his Steel Ball Run counterpart Diego are voiced by Takehito Koyasu. In the 2026 Steel Ball Run anime, Diego is set to be voiced by Kaito Ishikawa.[12]

Dio has had two English voice actors; he was voiced by Kid Beyond in the OVAs,[13] and by Patrick Seitz in the TV anime.[14]

In other media

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Dio Brando has appeared in many video games related to the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise, usually as a player character or a boss. Some games include multiple versions of the character; in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven for example, both Dio Brando from Phantom Blood and DIO from Stardust Crusaders are playable characters, along with Diego Brando and Parallel World Diego from Steel Ball Run. Furthermore, he has appeared as a playable character in several crossover video games, such as Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars, and Jump Force.

Dio, Gone to Heaven (天国に到達したＤＩＯ, Tengoku ni Tōtatsu-shita Dio) is the main antagonist in the story mode of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven, being a version of Dio from an alternate universe where he killed the Joestar Group in the 1980s and executed his vision of "obtaining heaven" by sacrificing 36 evil souls and subjugating his world with the reality-writing power of his evolved Stand "The World Over Heaven" (ザ・ワールド・オーバーヘブン, Za Wārudo Ōbā Hebun). Dio learns of alternate realities from Funny Valentine, seeking to control all universes through the Saint's Corpse, and uses his more advanced powers over time to revive fallen heroes and villains to either serve him in preventing Jotaro Kujo and the other Joestars from obtaining the complete Saint's Corpse or use them to gather the parts so he can steal them and achieve ultimate power.

Reception

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Dio has generally received praise from various reviewers of manga, anime, and other media; most praised his frightening and enjoyably evil personality making an appealing antagonist, as well as his influence on the rest of the series. Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network notes that his far-reaching influence throughout the entire series works especially well as a stark contrast to his humble origins.[15] Her colleague Jacob Chapman called him "one of the greatest supervillains ever invented in any medium."[16] Can Hoang Tran of The News Hub cites the anticipation of Dio's appearance in the 2014 reanimation of Stardust Crusaders to be a driving force of the series' success, later calling him the most rewarding character to play as in the series' video games.[17][18] Joel Loynds of The Linc wrote "Dio's actions so powerfully and immediately establish his evil... that you will be invested in seeing his evolution even more than you [will be for JoJo]".[19] Dallas Marshall of Green Tea Graffiti writes that Araki's straightforward intention of making the reader hate Dio worked simply and flawlessly, citing Dio's defining character moment as burning the protagonist's dog alive.[20] Jun Yamamoto for Billboard said he "could almost feel the passion and ambition that Jonathan Joestar had in his fight against Dio" when listening to the first opening of the TV series.[21]

Readers of Anime News Network voted Dio number one in a poll of which anime villains would make the best friends in real life for his "cool composure" and "awesome lines".[22]

In February 2013, a life-size statue of Dio was displayed at Wonder Festival to promote the event.[23][24] Starting in June 2014, Dio began appearing on cans of Japanese java Georgia coffee, as part of a promotion of their Emerald Mountain Black flavor.[25][26] An attraction in Cinema 4-D based on the fight between Dio and Jotaro Kujo had been created by Universal Studios Japan.[27][28]

Dio inspired several characters in Japanese anime, manga, and video games draw inspiration. One such example is Sakuya Izayoi from the Touhou Project.[29]

References

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Further reading

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Dio Brando

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Dio Brando, later known simply as DIO, is the main antagonist of Part 1 () and Part 3 () of the and anime series , created by and serialized in from 1987 to 2003. A cunning and ambitious young man from a impoverished background, Dio is adopted into the wealthy Joestar family in late 19th-century after his abusive father, Dario Brando, saves the life of George Joestar in a carriage accident. Despite earning admiration for his intelligence and athleticism, Dio harbors a deep-seated psychopathic hatred for , his adoptive brother, and schemes to usurp the family inheritance through manipulation and deceit. Dio's pursuit of power culminates in his discovery of the ancient Stone Mask, an Aztec artifact that, when activated, pierces the brain to grant vampiric immortality, , and regeneration, transforming him into an monster vulnerable only to or the Ripple energy technique (Hamon). This leads to an epic confrontation with Jonathan, who masters Hamon to battle Dio's forces, culminating in Dio's apparent death aboard a ship in 1889, though his severed head survives by attaching to Jonathan's body. Over a century later, around 1983, Dio resurrects fully by draining Jonathan's body, adopting the moniker DIO and awakening a manifestation known as a Stand, which amplifies his already formidable abilities. As the central villain of Stardust Crusaders, DIO unleashes a global threat by awakening the Stands of the Joestar bloodline, including Jotaro Kujo, a descendant of Jonathan, forcing Jotaro and allies to journey from Japan to Egypt to confront him. DIO's ruthless charisma, strategic brilliance, and unquenchable thirst for dominance make him a recurring shadow over the Joestar lineage, influencing subsequent story arcs through his biological children and lingering legacy.

Creation and design

Conception and development

Hirohiko Araki conceived Dio Brando as the central antagonist for Phantom Blood, the inaugural arc of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, during the manga's planning phase in 1987. Araki drew inspiration for Dio's aristocratic villainy from Bram Stoker's Dracula, incorporating elements of gothic horror to craft a character embodying ruthless ambition and a quest for immortality. This influence extended to the introduction of the Stone Mask, an ancient artifact that transforms Dio into a vampire, serving as a key plot device to explore themes of power and eternal life. Araki positioned Dio as Jonathan Joestar's ultimate foil, symbolizing evil to Jonathan's good and embodying unchecked ambition to contrast the protagonist's nobility. Araki drew inspiration for Dio's psychopathic nature from FBI criminal profiling of serial killers. In reflections on character creation, Araki expressed a particular fascination with Dio, stating, "How far can a man's ambition drive him? I wanted to draw a character with that sort of ambition." The character's backstory evolved from a poverty-stricken street urchin, born to an abusive father Dario Brando and an unnamed mother who died early in his childhood, to a scheming individual adopted into the Joestar family. No reliable canon sources from the manga or Araki's statements indicate that Dio's mother was involved in prostitution; the non-canon light novel Over Heaven describes her as noble and proud. This narrative arc emphasized themes of social ascent, resentment, and the corrupting pursuit of , with the Stone Mask representing Dio's pivotal turn toward supernatural power. In a November 2007 interview with Eureka magazine, Araki described Dio as possessing a captivating "nobility of his soul" despite his impoverished origins and abusive father, a quality that draws followers such as Enrico Pucci to him. This was discussed in the context of Dio's personality and his relationship with Pucci, including a scene where they converse while lying on the same bed; however, Araki clarified that the scene was intended as casual male camaraderie rather than anything intimate. Araki outlined Dio's role to extend beyond Phantom Blood, foreshadowing his resurrection as DIO in later arcs to create a recurring threat. The decision to bring Dio back stemmed from Araki's desire to evoke terror through "evil from the past" resurfacing to haunt the present generation, a concept he deemed particularly frightening. This long-term planning allowed Dio's character to evolve from a human rival to an immortal vampire lord, influencing subsequent parts like . Additionally, Araki drew from Rutger Hauer's portrayal of Roy Batty in for DIO's physicality and superhuman intensity, noting the actor's short blond hair and muscular build as key influences.

Visual design and naming

Dio Brando's original visual design in portrays him as a tall, muscular young man 185 cm in height, with sharp, angular facial features, piercing eyes, and flowing blonde hair that emphasizes his handsome, ethereal appearance. Araki drew inspiration from the protagonist for this look, inverting the traits to create a character who physically rivals him while embodying moral opposition, complete with Victorian-era attire such as high-collared shirts and coats suited to the arc's 1880s English setting. As DIO in , his design evolves to reflect his vampiric resurrection and heightened arrogance, featuring a more revealing and ostentatious yellow outfit with prominent heart-shaped motifs on the shoulders and chest, symbolizing his self-proclaimed godlike status. This includes exposed with parasitic flesh buds protruding from his , underscoring his manipulative control over others, while retaining the blonde and muscular physique for continuity. DIO stands at 195 cm in Jonathan's body. In the alternate universe of , Diego Brando serves as a parallel counterpart, depicted with a slender, athletic build optimized for , blonde hair slicked back, and a sharp, cunning expression that echoes the original Dio's intensity. His standard attire is a form-fitting racing uniform with boots and gloves, later augmented by a facial scar from a dinosaur-related incident, highlighting his resilience and transformation in this American setting. The name "Dio" derives from the Italian word for "," selected by Araki to phonetically contrast with "" and convey divine ambition, rather than the heavy metal musician as commonly speculated. "Brando" references American actor , aligning with Araki's pattern of drawing from Western pop culture icons for character to infuse them with charismatic allure. Brando's maintains the "Brando" surname for universe-spanning parallels, with "" as a Spanish variant evoking similar and intensity.

Appearances

Phantom Blood

Dio Brando was born circa 1867–1868 in the impoverished slums of northeastern to Brando, a destitute, alcoholic thief who physically and emotionally abused his son, forcing him to steal and beg from a young age to support their meager existence. Upon 's death from (administered by Dio) in late 1880, the dying man—resenting a perceived debt—compelled Dio to seek out George Joestar I, a wealthy landowner whom claimed to have rescued from a carriage accident years earlier, in hopes of exploiting the Joestar family's fortune. George, feeling obligated by the fabricated tale, adopted the 12-year-old Dio into his family at the Joestar Mansion in , where Dio immediately began scheming to usurp the inheritance, developing an intense rivalry with George's biological son, , whom he bullied mercilessly through physical assaults, sabotage of Jonathan's possessions, and psychological manipulation to assert dominance. As Dio and Jonathan matured into young adults in 1888, Dio escalated his ambitions by poisoning George Joestar with a rare toxin acquired during a , aiming to weaken the family patriarch and position himself as heir; however, Jonathan uncovered the plot and obtained an from Ogawa, saving his father's life and further fueling their antagonism. Dio then attempted to seduce Jonathan's fiancée, Erina Pendleton, by drugging her drink during a public outing, but Jonathan intervened, leading to Dio's exposure as a fraud and bully before university authorities and society. Cornered and facing ruin, Dio retreated to the Joestar Mansion and discovered an ancient Aztec artifact known as the Stone Mask, mounted as a family heirloom; after experimenting on a homeless man—turning him into a mindless —he stabbed the recovering George to obtain fresh blood, activating the mask on himself and undergoing a horrific transformation into a , granting him regenerative powers, , and the ability to create servants. Empowered as a , Dio revived the Stone Mask's vampiric properties to animate corpses as loyal , including historical figures like the knights Bruford and , whom he dispatched to eliminate Jonathan and seize control of the region around Windknight's Lot. Jonathan, trained in the ancient Hamon breathing technique by the mentor Will A. Zeppeli to counter vampiric energies, allied with the reformed thug Robert E. O. Speedwagon to dismantle Dio's growing army through a series of brutal confrontations, destroying like , Page, , and the enhanced duo of Bruford and in underground arenas and ruins. Dio personally clashed with Jonathan multiple times, employing his vampiric flesh manipulation—such as freezing breath and blood-sucking tendrils—to overpower foes, culminating in a decisive battle at the where Jonathan used Hamon to stop Dio's heart and destroy his body, leaving Dio's head to survive and escape. In the arc's climax, two months later on February 3, 1889, as Jonathan, Erina, and Speedwagon sailed for New York on their aboard a , Dio—now reduced to a head hidden in a booby-trapped —unleashed his remaining to sabotage the vessel. Renewing their confrontation, Dio mortally wounded Jonathan by tearing his throat; unable to use Hamon effectively, Jonathan channeled his remaining energy to set the ship to explode, holding Dio's head as it sank into the Atlantic. Desperate to survive, Dio later grafted his head onto Jonathan's body, hijacking his rival's form to endure the ship's destruction.

Battle Tendency

In Battle Tendency, Dio Brando exerts an indirect posthumous influence through the vampiric legacy he established in Phantom Blood, particularly via the Stone Mask and the undead creatures it enabled. The Stone Mask, an ancient Aztec artifact created by the Pillar Men to achieve ultimate evolution, was the tool Dio used to become a , granting him superhuman abilities at the expense of vulnerability to sunlight and Ripple energy. This same mask resurfaces as a pivotal element in the story, with the awakened Pillar Men—, Esidisi, and Wamuu—seeking to perfect it using the Red Stone of Aja to conquer their weaknesses, unknowingly building on the destructive path Dio pioneered decades earlier. Dio's transformation highlighted the mask's dual nature as a source of immense power and corruption, setting the stage for the supernatural threats faces in 1938. Straizo, the veteran Ripple master who once combated Dio's zombie army alongside , succumbs to this corrupting influence by using a Stone Mask to become a himself. Having witnessed the allure of in Dio's minions during the events of 1888–1889, Straizo reveals that prolonged exposure to such immortality tempted him beyond resistance, leading him to activate the mask in a bid for undying vitality. This transformation results in a brief but intense clash with in New York, where Straizo deploys space-reducing steel balls infused with his vampiric strength, echoing the ruthless ambition Dio embodied. Straizo's fall directly links Dio's earlier to the part's conflicts, as his vampirism amplifies the ongoing war against undead horrors. Dio's severed head, which survived the sinking of the ship by detaching from his body and entering a state of in the ocean, remains dormant and unrecovered during Battle Tendency's timeline, preserving his vampiric essence without active intervention. This survival, sustained by minimal blood absorption from marine life, underscores Dio's unnatural resilience but does not intersect with the part's events until its later revelation. Meanwhile, the weaker vampires spawned from Dio's operations in contribute to the broader lore, as Ripple users like refine techniques originally devised to destroy them, countering the Pillar Men's superior physiology. Dio's artifacts and creations thus permeate the narrative, fueling the exploration of immortality's perils and tying the Joestar family's battles across generations.

Stardust Crusaders

In 1983, DIO's severed head—having survived submerged in the Atlantic Ocean for nearly a century after attaching itself to Jonathan Joestar's decapitated body during the sinking of the ship in 1889—was discovered by fishermen off the coast of . DIO then murdered the fishermen, commandeered their village, and grafted his head onto Jonathan's preserved corpse to fully revive himself, thereby inheriting enhanced vampiric abilities augmented by the Joestar lineage's vitality. From his mansion, the revived DIO implanted parasitic "flesh buds"—extensions of his own vampiric tissue—into the brains of select individuals to brainwash them into loyal servants and forcibly awaken their latent Stand abilities, turning them into unwitting assassins dispatched against the Joestar bloodline. Notable recruits included the elderly Stand user Enya Geil, whose Stand Justice manipulated gravity and illusions to aid DIO's schemes, and her son-in-law , whose Stand Cream created a devastating void for protection and attack. DIO's overarching plan was to eradicate the Joestars, whom he viewed as eternal obstacles to his supremacy, while positioning himself to dominate the world through his growing network of Stand-wielding followers. As and his allies—the ""—traveled from to over 50 grueling days, battling DIO's assassins en route, DIO orchestrated time-stopping assassinations using his Stand, The World, to test and eliminate threats remotely. The climactic confrontation unfolded in , where DIO engaged the group directly, employing his time-stop ability to unleash rapid, lethal strikes and taunting poses that underscored his overwhelming arrogance. Ultimately, DIO was defeated when Jotaro's Stand, Star Platinum—equally capable of stopping time—overpowered him in a brutal exchange, punching through DIO's skull and torso before dragging his remains into sunlight, where they disintegrated. Throughout , DIO embodied supreme arrogance and magnetic charisma as a leader, rallying followers with promises of power while issuing his signature guttural of "WRYYYY!" during combat, often accompanied by dramatic, theatrical poses that highlighted his vampiric grandeur and disdain for humanity.

Parts 4–6

In , DIO's posthumous influence manifests primarily through the , the ancient artifact he utilized to awaken his Stand, The World, during his time in . This same arrow, or one originating from the same source, arrives in the town of Morioh, where it is discovered by Keicho Nijimura, who uses it to create Stands in select individuals as part of a misguided quest to cure his father. The arrow's presence empowers the serial killer Yoshikage Kira with his explosive Stand, Killer Queen, escalating the threats faced by Josuke Higashikata and his allies, and prompting Jotaro Kujo's investigation to secure the item and avert further Stand proliferation. DIO's legacy takes a more personal turn in Golden Wind, where his son, —conceived during DIO's possession of Jonathan Joestar's body—serves as the protagonist. Born as Haruno Shiobana in and later adopting his , Giorno inherits a blend of DIO's ambition and ruthlessness alongside Jonathan's innate sense of justice, driving him to infiltrate the mafia organization Passione not for domination, but to reform it from corruption. While DIO himself appears only in brief flashbacks recounting Giorno's origins and the circumstances of his conception, his genetic imprint underscores Giorno's unyielding passion and strategic mindset, evident in battles like those against Polpo's , though Giorno explicitly rejects his father's villainous path in favor of heroic ideals. Stone Ocean amplifies DIO's enduring impact through his close associate, Pucci, who discovers fragments of DIO's diary outlining a philosophical plan to "achieve Heaven" by accelerating time and resetting the universe, thereby granting humanity predestined happiness. The diary, partially recovered after Jotaro Kujo's initial attempt to destroy it, details DIO's meditations on fate, the Joestar bloodline, and the use of the Stand-creating to evolve Stands toward this goal, inspiring Pucci to pursue the scheme within Green Dolphin Street Prison. DIO's influence extends further via his other illegitimate sons—Ungalo, Rikiel, and Donatello Versus—who, scattered across the world, are drawn into the conflict when pierced by the , awakening their Stands (, Sky High, and , respectively) and embodying DIO's chaotic legacy as unwitting pawns in Pucci's . Flashbacks depict DIO's mentorship of Pucci during his , revealing a bond rooted in shared ideology, while symbolic motifs like the Joestar on DIO's descendants highlight his perpetual shadow over the Joestar lineage. This culminates in Pucci's activation of using DIO's blueprint, triggering a universal reset that births an alternate timeline.

Steel Ball Run

In Steel Ball Run, the seventh installment of , Diego Brando emerges as a primary , representing an alternate-universe counterpart to the original Dio Brando and embodying a similar ruthless ambition for supremacy. Set against the backdrop of 1890s America, Diego is depicted as a prodigious British renowned for his cutthroat competitiveness in , entering the —a grueling cross-country race from to New York offering a $50 million prize—as one of the top favorites. His participation initially stems from a desire for glory and wealth, but it quickly intertwines with a covert quest for the Saint's Corpse, a fragmented holy relic believed to grant immense power and miracles. Diego's formative years are defined by abject poverty and trauma in late 19th-century , where he and his widowed mother toiled on a under the exploitative rule of a tyrannical landowner. The landowner's abuses, including denying them food and shelter, led to his mother's death from exhaustion and when Diego was a child, igniting a lifelong vendetta against the elite and a fierce drive to amass power and exact revenge on those who prey on the weak. This backstory propels him to excel in jockeying, where he adopts brutal tactics to dominate competitors, earning him the moniker "Dio" among peers. Early in the , President Funny Valentine recruits him as a secret agent, leveraging Diego's skills and motivations with promises of political influence and riches in exchange for collecting the Saint's Corpse parts hidden along the race route. A pivotal turning point occurs during the race's second stage in the desert, where encounters Dr. Ferdinand, a rogue agent wielding the Stand Scary Monsters, which infects humans and animals with a virus transforming them into obedient dinosaurs for reconnaissance and sabotage. After Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli defeat Ferdinand and claim the associated corpse part—the left eye— ambushes them to steal it, thereby awakening his own manifestation of Scary Monsters. This Stand ability enables him to propagate the dinosaur virus through scratches or bites, converting victims into prehistoric creatures that he commands telepathically, turning the ability into a versatile tool for , ambushes, and disrupting other racers during the competition. Diego's role intensifies across the race's stages, marked by strategic rivalries, opportunistic alliances, and calculated betrayals that advance his personal agenda. He repeatedly confronts and Gyro—in encounters ranging from high-speed chases in the badlands to tense standoffs in the —using his Stand to unleash dinosaur hordes that terrorize participants and secure corpse parts. His interactions with Valentine evolve from loyal service, including joint operations against mutual threats like the assassin Wekapipo, to growing suspicion of the president's ultimate goal: harnessing the full Saint's Corpse to perpetuate American indefinitely. This realization prompts Diego to double-cross Valentine, allying briefly with other antagonists like Hot Pants before prioritizing his own ascension to godlike authority. The narrative crescendos in the ninth and final stage near New York, within the anomalous Trinity Land—a fog-shrouded region where dimensional boundaries blur due to the Saint's Corpse's influence. Here, launches a ferocious assault on and the gravely injured Gyro to seize the corpse's heart, deploying waves of dinosaur minions and his Stand's full transformative might in a bid for total dominance. His defeat comes at Gyro's hands, who propels Steel Balls imbued with the infinite rotational energy of the Golden Spin technique; these projectiles bore through 's skull and torso, triggering an unstoppable cellular unraveling that reduces him to dust. A secondary "Dio" variant of Diego appears in the story's concluding arcs, summoned via Valentine's dimension-hopping Stand Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap from a parallel world where the infant Diego was slain by a Joestar family ally. Desperate for revenge and power, this alternate Diego claims a different corpse part—the left arm—manifesting the Stand The World, which halts time for several seconds, mirroring the original Dio's signature ability but amplified toward an "Over Heaven" potential in non-canon extensions. In the High Voltage pursuit arc, he stalks Johnny across electrified tracks and urban sprawl, employing time stops for lethal strikes, only to meet his end when Johnny's Tusk Act 4 unleashes infinite rotational nails that transcend dimensions and pulverize his cranium. While this variant underscores themes of inescapable fate, the core storyline emphasizes the canonical Diego's Scary Monsters-driven machinations and jockey-fueled vendetta.

JoJolion

In JoJolion, the eighth installment of , Dio Brando does not make any direct appearances, as the story unfolds in an alternate universe distinct from the original continuity. However, DIO's legacy indirectly shapes the narrative through the cosmic consequences of his "heaven plan," which Enrico Pucci executed in by using the Stand to accelerate time and reset the universe, resulting in the parallel world where JoJolion is set. This universal shift, stemming from DIO's theoretical notebook outlining a path to "" via and spiritual enlightenment, creates foundational anomalies that influence the Joestar bloodline across realities. The Rokakaka fruit, a rare plant central to the plot, enables "equivalent exchange" that allows for miraculous healing and body part replacement, symbolically echoing DIO's obsessive quests for immortality through vampiric powers and Stand abilities in prior parts. Similarly, the Wall Eyes—a mysterious crater formation in Morioh—serves as the origin point for Josuke Higashikata's amnesiac existence, tying into broader themes of identity fragmentation and bloodline curses affecting the Joestar descendants in this universe. These elements manifest as subtle allusions to DIO's enduring impact, particularly in how alternate universe dynamics exacerbate family lineage irregularities, such as the Higashikata household's generational misfortunes linked to Joestar heritage.

Powers and abilities

Vampire physiology

Dio Brando undergoes transformation into a vampire through the Stone Mask, an ancient Aztec artifact that activates upon contact with blood, extending tendrils to pierce the brain and unlock supernatural potential by removing human limitations. This process grants him immortality, provided he avoids specific weaknesses, and fundamentally alters his biology to prioritize predatory survival. As a , Dio requires the consumption of human blood to sustain his existence and regenerate, with deprivation leading to weakening over time. Vampiric physiology bestows Dio with , enabling him to demolish stone walls with bare fists, hurl adult humans with effortless force, and withstand impacts that would pulverize ordinary flesh. His speed surpasses human perception, allowing rapid strikes and evasion in combat, while his regenerative abilities permit instantaneous recovery from grievous wounds, such as severed limbs or impalement, by rapidly multiplying flesh cells. These traits stem from vampiric cells that exhibit heightened vitality and adaptability, far exceeding natural biological limits. However, this form introduces critical vulnerabilities: exposure to causes immediate combustion and disintegration into ash, compelling Dio to operate nocturnally or in shadowed environments. Additionally, the Hamon technique—a ripple energy mimicking sunlight's purifying effects—disrupts vampiric cellular cohesion, inflicting lethal damage that regeneration cannot fully counter. Dio develops distinctive vampiric techniques leveraging his physiology. His Space Ripper Stingy Eyes propel high-pressure jets of bodily fluid from his eye sockets, functioning as razor-sharp lasers capable of bisecting stone or flesh at close range. For subjugation, he produces flesh buds—fleshy, parasitic implants derived from his own cells—that burrow into a victim's brain upon implantation, overriding their will and turning them into loyal thralls while preserving basic motor functions. Dio further extends his influence by injecting his blood into humans or cadavers, converting them into zombies: obedient minions with partial vampiric traits like enhanced durability and obedience, though lacking full regenerative prowess. A pivotal limitation manifests during confrontation with Jonathan Joestar, where Dio's head is severed yet remains viable due to vampiric resilience, allowing it to orchestrate survival by latching onto Jonathan's body for nourishment and mobility. Following his revival in the 20th century, integration with Jonathan's physique augments Dio's durability, mitigating some regenerative strain and enabling the awakening of Stand abilities, though his foundational vampiric susceptibilities to sunlight and Hamon endure.

Stand: The World

The World is DIO's Stand, manifesting as a tall, muscular humanoid entity that closely resembles its user in build and stature. It is clad in a form-fitting yellow outfit accented with blue sleeves, gold trimmings, and heart-shaped motifs, topped by a metallic headpiece that conceals its face below the and incorporates clock-like gears and circular designs, evoking themes of temporal dominion and DIO's megalomaniacal worldview. The Stand's core ability is time cessation, enabling DIO to freeze time for durations initially limited to about 5 seconds but extending to a maximum of 9 seconds by the series' climax, during which only he and The World can act while the world remains suspended. Activated through DIO's signature cry of "ZA WARUDO! Toki wo tomare!" (The World! The time has come to stop!), this power renders all attacks invisible and inescapable to opponents, allowing for precise, lethal maneuvers in . Official databooks rate The World with A-rank destructive power, A-rank speed for its rapid punches and movements, C-rank range (effective within roughly 2-3 meters, with manifestation up to 10 meters), A-rank stamina, B-rank precision, and B-rank developmental potential. In practice, The World proved devastating during DIO's campaign against the Joestar Group, where he deployed for covert assassinations, such as shattering Kakyoin Noriaki's skull mid-air or incinerating Muhammad Avdol with a roadroller trap. Its pinnacle was the climactic atop a building against , where DIO unleashed extended to pummel Star Platinum relentlessly; however, Jotaro's Stand mirrored the ability at 2 seconds initially, eventually matching and surpassing it to deliver the fatal counterstrike.

Diego Brando's variant abilities

Diego Brando's Stand, Scary Monsters, grants him the unique ability to transform himself and other living beings into , primarily raptors, enabling versatile applications in combat and infiltration. This power manifests as a virus-like that rewrites the target's biology, turning humans, animals, or even parts of the environment into obedient prehistoric creatures under Diego's control. The transformation process begins with Diego summoning small dinosaur skulls or fossils that propagate the change, allowing him to create an army of minions for coordinated attacks or to mimic natural wildlife for undetected scouting during the race. Diego acquires Scary Monsters by integrating the Left Eye of the Saint's Corpse, a pivotal from the race that enhances his own physiology with partial dinosaur traits, amplifying his speed, reflexes, and predatory instincts. In his hybrid form, gains razor-sharp claws, heightened senses for tracking scents over long distances, and explosive agility, making him a lethal close-range fighter capable of outmaneuvering opponents like Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli. This integration not only bestows the Stand but also ties the ability to the corpse parts' holy properties, distinguishing it from standard Stand manifestations and allowing to propagate the transformation through physical contact or proximity. An alternate Diego Brando from a parallel world possesses a variant of The World, a Stand that enables time manipulation by stopping time for up to five seconds, excluding the user, to execute unchallenged strikes or repositioning. This power emerges in the story's climax when Funny Valentine summons the alternate to pursue the Saint's Corpse after the original's defeat, providing a stark contrast to Scary Monsters by emphasizing raw temporal dominance over biological alteration. Unlike the original Diego's abilities, this variant focuses on overwhelming speed and precision during frozen moments, allowing the alternate to hurl knives or close distances instantaneously against fortified foes. The foundational dependency of Scary Monsters stems from the Stand arrow, whose power Diego commandeers indirectly through the corpse relic, limiting its initial spread until he masters the infection mechanism. While highly adaptive, the ability's reliance on physical propagation makes it susceptible to interruptions from rotational energies like the Steel Ball's Spin, though Diego counters this through strategic ambushes and hybrid mobility. In non-canon extensions, such as game adaptations, the alternate Diego's The World evolves further with armored enhancements and extended , underscoring its potential as an ultimate offensive tool in alternate scenarios.

Voice actors and portrayals

Japanese voice actors

In the 2012 television adaptation of , covering the Phantom Blood arc, Dio Brando—both in his youth and as an adult —is voiced by , whose performance captures the character's manipulative arrogance through a smooth yet sinister tone. Koyasu reprises the role in the subsequent arc (2014–2015), delivering DIO's iconic lines like "WRYYYY!" and "Muda Muda!" with a deep, resonant growl that emphasizes his overwhelming presence and vampiric menace, a style that has become synonymous with the character in modern adaptations. Earlier original video animations (OVAs) featured different actors for Dio. In the 2007 Phantom Blood animated film, young Dio is voiced by Kenji Nojima, portraying his scheming adolescence with a sharp, youthful edge, while adult Dio is voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa. The 1993–1994 Stardust Crusaders OVAs cast Nobuo Tanaka as DIO, whose gravelly delivery highlighted the villain's bombastic cruelty in battle scenes, with additional episodes from 2000–2002 featuring contributions from multiple performers for adult Dio in flashbacks. For the alternate universe character Diego Brando in the upcoming 2026 Steel Ball Run anime adaptation (announced in 2025), provides the voice, infusing the jockey's cunning ambition with a cool, calculated intensity distinct from Dio's overt flamboyance. In related media like CDs, voiced DIO in the 1993 audio , employing his signature booming to underscore the character's godlike delusions. Koyasu's portrayal across the primary anime series has established recurring vocal traits for Dio, including exaggerated poses accompanied by echoing laughs and the guttural "WRYYYY!" scream during The World Stand activations, elements faithfully recreated in video games like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R.

English and other dubs

In the English dubs of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime adaptations, Dio Brando is primarily voiced by Patrick Seitz, starting with the 2015 dub release of Phantom Blood and continuing through Stardust Crusaders (2016) by Viz Media. Seitz's portrayal emphasizes the character's bombastic villainy through a deep, commanding tone and modified screams to heighten dramatic intensity during battles. For the 1993–2002 Stardust Crusaders OVA English dub, produced by and released on DVD in 2006, Dio Brando was voiced by Andrew Chaikin, delivering a sinister edge suited to the character's vampiric form. Diego Brando, Dio's alternate-universe counterpart from , lacks a full adaptation as of 2025 and thus has no dedicated English dub portrayal; however, he appears in video games like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R (2022), where English localizations retain the original Japanese audio without redubbed voices for the character. In non-English dubs, adaptations often adjust Dio's dialogue for cultural nuance while preserving his arrogant demeanor. The French dub of the , available on platforms like and , features a performance that amplifies the villain's theatrical menace in lines like "WRYYYY!" through exaggerated intonation. In the Latin American Spanish dub, Marc Winslow voices Dio for and early episodes, shifting to Sergio Becerril for later arcs to maintain vocal consistency amid the character's evolution. These dubs frequently localize taunts and Stand commands to resonate with regional audiences, such as softening overt cruelty in youth-targeted broadcasts.

Other media appearances

Video games

Dio Brando debuted in video games as the final boss in the 1999 arcade fighting game : Heritage for the Future, developed and published by . Portrayed as DIO, the character serves as the ultimate in story mode, leveraging his speed, attacks like the Space Ripper Stingy Eyes, and Stand-enhanced supers, most notably the time-stop ability "Toki yo Tomare!" which freezes opponents for up to nine seconds to enable unblockable rushdown sequences. This implementation emphasizes DIO's overwhelming mobility and pressure tactics, making him a challenging endgame encounter that rewards precise timing from players. Dio Brando appears as two playable characters in : All-Star Battle (2013), a 3D arena fighter for developed by and published by : the Part 1 Dio Brando (unlocked by completing the final chapter of Part 1's story mode), who uses vampiric draining attacks, knife throws, and eye beams; and DIO (the Part 3 version, unlocked by clearing Part 3 in Normal Battle), who incorporates The World Stand summons for high-speed dashes, time stops, and combo strings that deplete the opponent's health and meter while replenishing his own. The 2022 remaster : All-Star Battle R, also by and , expands on this with multiple selectable forms—including the early phase and the evolved DIO—each offering distinct playstyles centered on aggressive rush combos and dramatic Heart Heat Attacks like the Road Roller da, where Dio crushes the foe with a in a nod to his canonical flair. These versions prioritize close-quarters dominance, with shared mechanics like enhanced jumps and guard-crushing overheads that mirror his supernatural agility without delving into narrative spoilers. The Steel Ball Run counterpart, Diego Brando, appears as a playable mounted fighter in the 2015 action game JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven for and , developed by and published by . Diego's gameplay revolves around switching between on-foot and horseback modes with his Stand Scary Monsters, enabling dinosaur-themed transformations that turn enemies into minions for support or allow rapid traversal across arenas. Notably, he forms tag-team duos with the alternate universe DIO, combining their abilities for synergistic assaults such as synchronized Stand rushes or transformative traps, which amplify combo potential and battlefield control in the game's dual-character system. This variant highlights Diego's tactical jockey style, blending precision strikes with environmental manipulation to reflect his alternate-history cunning. Dio Brando is a playable character in the 2025 mobile RPG : Ora Ora Overdrive, developed by gumi and released on September 25, 2025, for Android and . He features in multiple variants, including the UR unit "[Emperor of Evil] Dio Brando," with abilities drawing from his physiology and The World Stand, such as time manipulation and high-damage summons in gacha-based battles.

Stage and live adaptations

Dio Brando's character has been adapted to the stage in the musical production of : Phantom Blood, which premiered at Tokyo's from February 12 to 28, 2024, before additional performances through April 14. The role of Dio was portrayed by , a prominent Japanese voice actor and singer known for roles in anime such as and , who expressed his honor in embodying the "charismatic" antagonist. The production, directed and scripted by Kohei Hasegawa with by Takahiro Fujita, emphasized elaborate costumes faithful to Hirohiko Araki's designs, including Dio's signature yellow attire and dramatic poses to capture the series' flamboyant aesthetic. Fight scenes were brought to life through intricate that recreated key battles, such as Jonathan Joestar's confrontations with Dio, using physical staging and props to simulate the clashes without relying on digital effects. A promotional trailer highlighted how the team recreated the 's atmosphere on stage, incorporating musical numbers and ensemble performances to convey Dio's vampiric transformation and manipulative presence. Adapting Dio's vampire physiology and powers presented challenges in a live format, addressed through practical makeup for his monstrous form, lighting effects for his regeneration and strength displays, and scripted monologues to emphasize his dramatic villainy. The production's success led to a filmed version screened in theaters starting , 2024, allowing broader access to interpretation. Limited stage adaptations exist for Diego Brando's variant from , with no major musical or play productions confirmed as of 2025; however, conceptual explorations in fan and developmental works have focused on prop-based representations of his Scary Monsters Stand and horse-racing sequences.

Reception

Critical reception

Dio Brando has been widely praised by critics as an archetypal whose charisma and relentless ambition elevate him beyond typical antagonists in and . In a review of the manga's first volume, described Dio as "an excellent , the kind of despicable creep you could really come to enjoy hating," highlighting his manipulative cruelty toward and his transformation into a as key to establishing a compelling . similarly ranked Dio among the top 25 greatest anime characters, calling him a "delectably detestable " whose poverty-driven into the Joestar family fuels a century-spanning feud marked by cruelty and iconic bravado. This evolution from a scheming human rival in to a god-like overlord in has been noted for intensifying narrative tension, with commending creator for sustaining Dio's role as the Joestar family's arch-nemesis across generations, thereby escalating the stakes in a way that feels earned and epic. Thematically, Dio's character embodies critiques of class mobility and the myth of the Victorian gentleman, as explored in academic analysis of . A paper on the series' early parts argues that Dio, born into , represents an inversion of gentlemanly ideals by aggressively attempting to seize control of the Joestar estate through deceit and vampiric power, ultimately failing yet persisting as a symbol of unchecked ambition. His obsession with further underscores themes of transcendence over mortal limitations, positioning him as a cautionary figure whose pursuit of eternal dominance corrupts both himself and those around him, a motif that recurs in the Joestar lineage's battles. His bombast is often credited with amplifying the series' operatic tone and Dio's larger-than-life presence. Overall, Dio's defeat in Stardust Crusaders—a climactic time-stopping showdown—has been noted for its epic scale.

Popularity and cultural impact

Dio Brando commands a dedicated fanbase within the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure community, often topping rankings as the series' most iconic villain due to his charismatic villainy and enduring presence across multiple parts. In fan-voted lists, such as Ranker's compilation of the most popular characters, Dio consistently places among the highest, reflecting his appeal as a power-hungry antagonist who embodies dramatic flair and unyielding ambition. His popularity extends to cosplay at conventions, where elaborate recreations of his signature yellow outfit and poses are commonplace, with numerous high-fidelity examples highlighted in media coverage of events like Comic-Con. The character's cultural footprint is amplified through internet memes, particularly the exclamation "It was me, Dio!"—a line from his dramatic reveal in that has proliferated online since the mid-2010s. Documented as a viral catchphrase on platforms like and , it inspires videos, edits, and reaction content, cementing Dio's status as a icon in fandoms. This fame underscores his role in broader digital humor, where time-stop ability edits and pose recreations further propagate his image. Dio's legacy permeates music and fashion, with his name directly inspired by heavy metal vocalist , aligning with creator Hirohiko Araki's habit of drawing from Western rock influences to craft character identities. In fashion, elements like his heart-emblem motifs and bold, theatrical attire have influenced fan apparel and lines, contributing to JoJo's overall impact on global style trends. Merchandise featuring Dio, including figures and clothing, remains a staple in retail, driving sales through his recognizable silhouette and thematic accessories. As of 2025, Dio's influence persists amid discussions of the series' future, including fan theories linking his vampiric lineage to ongoing narratives in manga, despite no direct appearances; the anticipated anime adaptation has reignited speculation on his multiversal echoes.

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  43. https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/JoJos-Bizarre-Adventure-OVA/Dio-Brando/
  44. https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/JoJos-Bizarre-Adventure-All-Star-Battle-R/Diego-Brando/
  45. https://www.eventhubs.com/guides/2012/aug/20/dio-jojos-bizarre-adventure-moves-characters-combos-and-strategy-guides/
  46. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WL9rCHU05w
  47. https://jojowiki.com/All-Star_Battle/Dio_Brando
  48. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNilhY2DL48
  49. https://jojowiki.com/Ora_Ora_Overdrive/Dio_Brando
  50. https://jojowiki.com/Phantom_Blood_%28Musical%29
  51. https://www.siliconera.com/jojos-bizarre-adventure-phantom-blood-musical-cast-revealed/
  52. https://jojo-news.com/2023/08/28/jojos-bizarre-adventure-phantom-blood-stage-musical-cast-revealed/
  53. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-08-28/jojo-bizarre-adventure-stage-musical-reveals-cast-costume-visuals/.201724
  54. https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2024/3/21/jojos-bizarre-adventure-phantom-blood-musical-stage-movie-trailer
  55. https://jojowiki.com/Diego_Brando
  56. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/jojo-bizarre-adventure/part-1/gn-1/.83656
  57. https://www.ign.com/articles/best-anime-characters
  58. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/jojo-bizarre-adventure/part-3/gn-1/.109391
  59. https://www.academia.edu/117025253/JoJos_Bizarre_Adventure_and_the_Myth_of_the_Gentleman_Cues_from_the_Series_Phantom_Blood_and_Battle_Tendency
  60. https://www.ranker.com/list/most-popular-characters-in-jojos-bizarre-adventure/marcusjackson
  61. https://www.cbr.com/jojo-bizarre-adventure-dio-cosplay-look-like-anime-best-perfect/
  62. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/it-was-me-dio
  63. https://www.theflagshipeclipse.com/2025/05/22/jojos-bizarre-adventure-10-most-popular-fan-theories/
  64. https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/09/steel-ball-run-jojos-bizarre-adventure-coming-soon-to-netflix/
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