Families
Families, usually represented by central characters descended of a specific few, are a significant element of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Hirohiko Araki has emphasized the importance of family to his characters,[1] as have several characters within the text of the manga.
Contents
Families
The Joestar Family (ジョースター家 Jōsutā Ke) is an extensive clan of characters featured prominently in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, of which each of the protagonists of the series is a member. Dating back to English aristocracy, the Joestar Family would become involved in the supernatural, resulting in a rippling impact affecting generations to come.
Summary
The Joestar family has had a rich history and each of its members have had wildly different lives from each others. One of their key features are a star-shaped birthmark above their left shoulder blade, a feature that was hijacked by Dio Brando when he stole Jonathan's body.
They began as a noble and well-off family of British society, residing in a luxurious mansion in England, thanks to George I's trading business. However, his son, Jonathan, burned down the mansion in an effort to slay the vampirised Dio Brando, and the family has lived elsewhere since then, their homes occupying different countries depending on the generation. The family has also abandoned its roots in nobility notwithstanding most of the descendants having prominent occupations.
The Joestar line has English and even Scottish roots, however, its members became more diversified with time, starting with Joseph marrying and having children with Italian and Japanese women. This trend has continued with his descendants, such as Joseph marrying Suzi Q and moving to America, Holy marrying a Japanese man and then living in Japan, as well as Jotaro marrying an Italian-American woman and going to live in the United States. Thus the Joestar Family are also connected to Italy, Japan, and the United States.
The family's archenemy is Dio Brando, his evilness, immortality, and worldwide influence leading to the Joestars battling the vampire and his followers for the majority of their recent history. Due to the exceptional circumstances of Dio Brando stealing Jonathan's body, the Brando Family is deeply connected to the Joestars, and several members can be considered to be both children of Jonathan and Dio in a way (as well as other women).
The Joestar family is considerably connected to the supernatural, several of its members meeting with supernatural creatures and combating fantastical threats with varying degrees of willingness. The family's earlier members can count among them a high number of Ripple users, but Joseph was their final representative. Afterwards, each of the Joestars became a Stand user, all blessed with potent Stand abilities.
Although the family's members are largely referred to as the Joestars, the family name itself died out early in the series with Joseph, his children having taken different names such as "Kujo" and "Cujoh". The high number of bastards in the family also results in names such as "Higashikata" or "Giovanna". The most prominent members of the family throughout the generations have had a tendency to have alliterative names, earning them the shared moniker of "JoJo".
Second Continuity
In the second continuity introduced in Steel Ball Run, the Joestar Family's root in British nobility are represented, with an emphasis on a horseriding tradition, the Joestars counting several famous and gifted jockeys among them during the 19th century. Their connection to the United States is also reinforced by making Johnny Joestar living in the country for a long period of time. However, the tradition also died out with Johnny marrying Rina Higashikata, tying the Higashikata Family distantly to the Joestar family.
With Johnny going to live in Japan, the family name also eventually died out and its members became primarily Japanese. Holy Joestar married into the Kira family, and due to other exceptional circumstances, the latest Joestar, Josuke, is part Kira, part Kujo and is adopted within the Higashikata Family.
The history of the Joestar Family in the second continuity is much less detailed, the story skipping from 1890 to 2011 without exploring whatever happened to the members living in-between.
The Joestars retain their link with the supernatural, with Johnny becoming a Spin and a Stand User, and his descendants being Stand Users as well.
37th Universe
.In the light novel JORGE JOESTAR, the 37th universe also has a Joestar family which has a few similarities to the original universe but with divergences. The Joestar family is English, but England does not exist in this universe. A group of Anglo-Saxons living in Maine in the 19th century had declared independence, calling themselves the Kingdom of England. Despite fighting in a war, the American government never officially recognized them.[2]
The Joestars lived on a large farmland while they were in America. They were titled aristocrats, wealthy even by the standards of English citizens.[3]
The group of citizens living in the Kingdom of England eventually collapsed from within, leading to several English families having to scatter across the world due to losing their country. The Joestar family ends up moving to Japan. Including the Joestar family, these English families had to adopt in order to keep thriving, leading to Jonda Joestar adopting Jorge Joestar.[2]
Joestar Family Tree
Original
 George Joestar I (???-1888)  |  Mary Joestar (???-1868) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DIO's Bone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jonathan Joestar (1868-1889) |  Erina Joestar (Pendleton) (~1869-1950) |  DIO (Adopted) (~1867-1989) |  Unnamed Woman  ( ) | Three Unnamed Women |  Green Baby (2012)  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DIO with Jonathan's Body | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Danny (~1873-1880) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 George Joestar II (1889-1921) |  Elizabeth Joestar (1888) |  Giorno Giovanna (1985) () |  Donatello Versus (1986-2012) |  Rikiel (1988) |  Ungalo (1988) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Tomoko Higashikata (1962) |  Joseph Joestar (1920) () |  Suzi Q Joestar (Suzi Q) () | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Josuke Higashikata (1983) | Sadao Kujo |  Holy Kujo (Holy Joestar) (1942) |  Shizuka Joestar (Adopted) (~1998) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jotaro Kujo (1970-2012) |  Unnamed Woman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jolyne Cujoh (~1992-2012) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Dashed lines indicate adopted children, couples who have divorced, extramarital affairs/unmarried couples, or illegitimate children.
- Blue boxes indicate direct descendants of the Joestar lineage.
- Red boxes indicate family members through marriage.
- Yellow boxes indicate adopted members of the family.
- Green boxes indicate extramarital affairs and unmarried couples with children.
- Pink boxes indicate characters who were reborn.
- Gray boxes indicate pets that are part of the family.
Second
 George Joestar |  Anne Joestar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Nicholas Joestar (1867-1881) |  Johnny Joestar (1872-1901) |  Rina Joestar (Rina Higashikata) (1874) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daughter |  George Joestar II (1898) | Elizabeth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daughter | Son | Daughter | Joseph Joestar (1924) | Suzi Q | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Holy Joestar (1959) |  Yoshiteru Kira (1945-1991) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Josefumi Kujo (1991-2011) |  Locacaca Fusion |  Yoshikage Kira (1982-2011) |  Kyo Nijimura (1989) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Josuke Higashikata (2011) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Blue boxes indicate direct descendants of the Joestar lineage.
- Red boxes indicate family members through marriage.
- Pink boxes indicate characters who were reborn.
37th Universe
.
 George Joestar I | ??? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jonathan Joestar | ??? |  Dio Brando (Adopted) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jodoh Joestar | Maria Urias Zeppeli | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Joseph Joestar (???-2010) | ??? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ??? | ??? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jonda Joestar |  Penelope de la Rosa ( ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Jorge Joestar (Adopted) (1996) |  Joeko Joestar (2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Dashed lines indicate adopted children.
- Blue boxes indicate direct descendants of the Joestar lineage.
- Red boxes indicate family members through marriage.
- Yellow boxes indicate adopted members of the family.
Gallery
Speedwagon recalling the short lives of the men of the Joestar family
The Joestar Family up to Battle Tendency
The Joestar Family up to Stardust Crusaders
The Joestar Family Tree up to Diamond is Unbreakeable (JoJo6251)
Giorno carrying the will of the Joestar bloodline
The Joestar Family Tree up to Stone Ocean
The Joestar Family in Steel Ball Run
Trivia
- Many members of the Joestar family, starting with Mary, had lived tragically short lives due to fatal encounters with supernatural foes.
References
- ↑ Hirohiko Araki Lecture Part 3 (8): "Lineage"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 2: Nishi Akatsuki
- ↑ JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 12: Rhinoceros Beetle
The Brando (ブランドー Burandō) Family is a dynasty of characters mainly featured in the first seven parts of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series that are connected to the supernatural and the Joestar Family.
Summary
The Brando Family has very few known members, mostly due to one generation being frozen for a century when Dio Brando was trapped at the bottom of the ocean.
Their known history begins in the 19th Century as a family of poor Londoners living in squalor. The father, Dario Brando, was a thief who abused his family, eventually driving his wife to death and contributing to making his son Dio Brando worse than himself. One day, Dario was mistaken for trying to save George Joestar I after a carriage accident despite Dario actually trying to steal from him. George felt indebted and eventually adopted Dio in his family after Dario's passing.
Thus began a generation spanning feud between Dio and the Joestar family. Dio became an evil vampire surrounded by Zombies and then one hundred years later, gathered malevolent Stand Users while Jonathan Joestar and his descendants went on fighting Dio and trying to erase his evil legacy. With the exception of Giorno Giovanna, all Brandos have been antagonists to the Joestars.
As Dio grafted his head into Jonathan's body, the Brando family is deeply connected to the Joestars, and his bastard sons can be said to be both descendants of Dio and Jonathan, all bearing the Joestar Birthmark. As Dio died, his children have found themselves in many different situations and social standings. Giorno becomes very successful in achieving his goals while his known half brothers have had worse lives.
Second Continuity
In this continuity, the few known Brandos regain their origin as a poor and destitute family with a tragic streak.
Left for dead, Diego Brando and his mother lived as farm workers who were abused. Diego eventually becomes a renowned jockey with a foot on British nobility by virtue of marrying a noble woman. This family has far fewer ties to the Joestars, as Diego only temporarily worked in the Joestar's stables, and was a mere rival to Johnny among others during the Steel Ball Run.
The family line effectively ended when Diego was killed while battling Funny Valentine.
Brando Family Tree
 Dario Brando (1827-1880) | Unnamed Woman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dio Brando (~1867-1989) | Dio steals Jonathan's body (1889) | Jonathan Joestar (1868-1889) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unnamed Woman () |  DIO (~1867-1989) | Three Unnamed Women | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Giorno Giovanna (1985) () | Donatello Versus (1986-2012) | Rikiel (1988) | Ungalo (1988) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Dashed lines indicate adopted children, couples who have divorced, extramarital affairs/unmarried couples, or illegitimate children.
- Blue boxes indicate direct descendants of the Brando lineage.
- Red boxes indicate family members through marriage.
- Yellow boxes indicate adopted members of the family.
- Green boxes indicate extramarital affairs and unmarried couples with children.
- Pink boxes indicate characters who were reborn.
- Gray boxes indicate pets that are part of the family.
 Dario |  Unnamed Woman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Diego Brando (1870-1891) |  Unnamed Woman (temporary) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alternate Universe
 Diego Brando (Parallel World) (1870-1891) | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Dashed lines indicate adopted children, couples who have divorced, extramarital affairs/unmarried couples, or illegitimate children.
- Blue boxes indicate direct descendants of the Brando lineage.
- Red boxes indicate family members through marriage.
- Yellow boxes indicate adopted members of the family.
- Green boxes indicate extramarital affairs and unmarried couples with children.
- Pink boxes indicate characters who were reborn.
- Gray boxes indicate pets that are part of the family.
The Zeppeli Family (ツェペリ家 Tseperi Ke) is a recurring family of native Italians, whose members are featured in Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency, and Steel Ball Run. Allied to the Joestar Family and fighting for the side of good, the Zeppeli are tied to the Ripple and the Spin.
Summary
The Zeppeli family is introduced in Phantom Blood with their history being deeply connected to the Stone Mask. A young Will Anthonio Zeppeli unearths the Stone Mask while he is among his father's archaeological research group in Mexico. Will suffers from the Stone Mask's potential of carnage firsthand when his father activates the mask and kills his entire crew aside from his son, before dying in the sunlight. The same Stone Mask then goes on to be used by Dio Brando.
Chasing after the Stone Mask and wishing to destroy the monsters it creates, Will learns the Ripple in Tibet under the tutelage of Tonpetty. Hearing that the Stone Mask was in the Joestar Mansion, Will then allies with Jonathan Joestar, becoming his mentor in the ways of the Ripple. Will makes a great contribution to the fight against the Stone Mask's monsters. His legacy is continued by two of his descendants, his son Mario Zeppeli and then grandson Caesar Zeppeli. Mario collaborates with Ripple masters such as Straizo and Lisa Lisa. Caesar himself becomes a Ripple user after Lisa Lisa's training and befriends Jonathan's grandson, Joseph Joestar.
Not much is known about the Zeppeli family. During Will's generation, the Zeppeli were scholars but after Caesar and his siblings were abused by relatives, they fell on hard times. Caesar is known to have been raised in Rome.
After the menace of the Stone Mask and the Pillar Men are neutralized, the remaining members of the Zeppeli family do not join the subsequent adventures of the Joestars.
Second Continuity
In Steel Ball Run, the Zeppeli are reintroduced as a well-off and respected family of Neapolitan doctors and executioners connected to Naples' court. Moreover, the Zeppeli now have a tradition of practicing the mystical art of the Spin for generations, which combined with their study of human anatomy, has elevated their practice of medicine and execution to a high level.
Against the wishes of his father Gregorio Zeppeli, Julius Caesar "Gyro" Zeppeli participates in the Steel Ball Run race to acquire glory and acquit a young boy. On the way, Gyro befriends Jonathan "Johnny" Joestar and teaches him the Spin.
After Naples transitions into a republic and overthrows the king, the Zeppeli family are said to have moved to an unknown country, and their whereabouts are unknown.
Zeppeli Family
 Unnamed Man | Unnamed Woman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Will Anthonio Zeppeli (1838-1888) | Unnamed Woman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Mario Zeppeli (???-1935) | Unnamed Woman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli (1918-1939) |  Son |  Son |  Daughter |  Daughter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Dashed lines indicate adopted children, couples who have divorced, extramarital affairs/unmarried couples, or illegitimate children.
- Blue boxes indicate direct descendants of the Zeppeli lineage.
- Red boxes indicate family members through marriage.
- Yellow boxes indicate adopted members of the family.
- Green boxes indicate extramarital affairs and unmarried couples with children.
- Pink boxes indicate characters who were reborn.
- Gray boxes indicate pets that are part of the family.
 Gregorio Zeppeli |  Unnamed Woman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Gyro Zeppeli (Julius Caesar Zeppeli) (1866-1891) |  Son |  Son |  Son |  Son | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Dashed lines indicate adopted children, couples who have divorced, extramarital affairs/unmarried couples, or illegitimate children.
- Blue boxes indicate direct descendants of the Zeppeli lineage.
- Red boxes indicate family members through marriage.
- Yellow boxes indicate adopted members of the family.
- Green boxes indicate extramarital affairs and unmarried couples with children.
- Pink boxes indicate characters who were reborn.
- Gray boxes indicate pets that are part of the family.
Gallery
Will A. Zeppeli, the first Zeppeli introduced in the series
The Zeppeli family tree in the original universe (manga)
The Zeppeli family tree in the original universe (anime)
The Zeppeli patriarchs shown again, shortly before Caesar, the second Zeppeli's death
Gyro Zeppeli, the first Zeppeli introduced in Steel Ball Run
Trivia
- The Zeppeli Family is named after Led Zeppelin, an English rock band.
- The Zeppeli Family practices supernatural martial arts and crafts separated from Stand power, unlike the Joestar Family. In the original universe, they are proficient in the art of the Ripple, and in the Steel Ball Run universe, they practice the art of the Spin.
- It is a recurring theme that a Zeppeli will sacrifice themselves to further their cause, usually while directly assisting a Joestar by giving them their power and knowledge.
The Higashikata Family (東方家 Higashikata Ke) is one of the main families of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, with its members appearing in the fourth part Diamond is Unbreakable and the eighth part JoJolion.
Connected to the Joestar Family, its members are usually on the side of good. Unlike the Joestars, the Higashikata family exclusively resides in the town of Morioh.
Diamond is Unbreakable
The Higashikata (東方) family is first seen in Diamond is Unbreakable and consists of three family members. They reside in the suburb of Morioh in a detached house and seem to be middle-class. Josuke, being the son of Joseph Joestar, is the only member having a Stand, Tomoko and Ryohei being ordinary humans who are left out of the former's adventures.
JoJolion
In the new continuity of Steel Ball Run and JoJolion, a new more peculiar Higashikata family comes to the forefront. Unlike the first iteration, they are more deeply connected to the supernatural and have more quirks.
The first Higashikata featured is Norisuke Higashikata, a mature Japanese man who competes in the Steel Ball Run race. After the race, he started a successful fruit selling business in the Higashikata Fruit Company, eventually making the family a respected well-off part of Morioh's community. They also all reside within the Higashikata House in the middle of a large estate of garden and orchards, and whose soil presents the supernatural property of being able to mix buried bodies' characteristics.
However, one of the strangest things about them is that the family is cursed with the Rock Disease, which changes each generation's eldest child into rock, a curse which has afflicted the family for an undisclosed amount of time. Thus, the Higashikata follow several traditions to counter this curse. The eldest son most notably has to crossdress in an attempt to ward off the curse, and they previously had to make the second son or anyone marrying the eldest daughter the new head of the family. However, since Norisuke IV's time, the family has had an unofficial trend of having a parent sacrifice themselves for the child by performing a transfer of the curse, a tradition which Kaato Higashikata broke.
This Higashikata family follows a tradition wherein the eldest son of each generation changes his birth name to "Norisuke", likely when the previous Norisuke passes away, as seen in the case where Jobin Higashikata has not yet taken up the name "Norisuke V".
The family tree as revealed in JoJolion lists its members from right to left from eldest child to youngest child. Interestingly, the names of the siblings of each "Norisuke" in each generation are not revealed in the family tree. The tree also demonstrates a bloodline connection to the (SBR Universe) Joestar Family through Rina Higashikata, intertwining the two families.
Lastly, all of the currently living Higashikata are Stand Users, including those in the family by marriage, although the circumstances of each of their abilities' acquisition is undisclosed.
Higashikata Family Tree
 Ryohei Higashikata (1944-1999) | Unnamed Woman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tomoko Higashikata (1962) |  Joseph Joestar (1920) () | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Josuke Higashikata (1983) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Dashed lines indicate adopted children, couples who have divorced, extramarital affairs/unmarried couples, or illegitimate children.
- Blue boxes indicate direct descendants of the Higashikata lineage.
- Red boxes indicate family members through marriage.
- Yellow boxes indicate adopted members of the family.
- Green boxes indicate extramarital affairs and unmarried couples with children.
- Pink boxes indicate characters who were reborn.
- Gray boxes indicate pets that are part of the family.
 Norisuke Higashikata I (1846-1931) | Teru Higashikata | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daughter | Daughter | Norisuke Higashikata II (Johei) (1872) | Toyoko Higashikata | Rina Higashikata (1874) | Johnny Joestar (1872-1901) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daughter | Norisuke Higashikata III (Josho) (1908) |  Tomoko Higashikata | Daughter | Son | Daughter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daughter | Daughter |  Norisuke Higashikata IV (Josuke) (1952) |  Kaato Higashikata (1960) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Mitsuba Higashikata (1980) |  Jobin Higashikata (1979) |  Hato Higashikata (1987) |  Joshu Higashikata (1992) |  Daiya Higashikata (1995) |  Josuke Higashikata (Adopted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Tsurugi Higashikata (2002) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Iwasuke | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Dashed lines indicate adopted children, couples who have divorced, extramarital affairs/unmarried couples, or illegitimate children.
- Blue boxes indicate direct descendants of the Higashikata lineage.
- Red boxes indicate family members through marriage.
- Yellow boxes indicate adopted members of the family.
- Green boxes indicate extramarital affairs and unmarried couples with children.
- Pink boxes indicate characters who were reborn.
- Gray boxes indicate pets that are part of the family.
Gallery
The original Higashikata family
Another photograph of the Higashikata family with a noticeably happier Josuke
The Higashikata family featured in JoJolion
Trivia
- All Stand users from Steel Ball Run universe's Higashikata Family use a Stand whose name contains the word "King".
- All men in the family (excluding Tsurugi) also have their given name start with the kanji Jō (常).
References
- ↑ JJL Chapter 11: Family Tree pp.20,22
 Mr. Hirose |  Mrs. Hirose | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Ayana Hirose (~1981) |  Koichi Hirose (1984) |  Police | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Unnamed Man |  Suzuyo Hirose (1967) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Yasuho Hirose (1992) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In JoJolion, the Kira family is part of the Joestar family.
The Boomboom Family (ブンブーン一家 Bunbūn Ikka) is a family of minor antagonists featured in Steel Ball Run. They were hired by a foreign country as assassins to kill Gyro Zeppeli and Johnny Joestar. All three members share the Stand Tomb of the Boom 1 2 3.
History
The Boomboom family acquired their collective Stand at a certain point in the past, killing one prospector by disemboweling him.
During the first stage of the Steel Ball Run race, they kill two other racers, attracting the attention of the local sheriff and bounty hunter Mountain Tim, who is also a participant in the race.
During the second stage, Andre approaches Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli claiming to have been bitten by a lizard and asks for some fire to cauterize the wounds. This turns out to be a plan to have them come in contact with Andre and become preys of his Stand.
Not too long after the encounter, the other two family members come in to intercept Gyro and Johnny with their magnetic Stands. Although both manage to flee, Benjamin maintains their Stand's power on the duo by shooting Andre, causing the blood from the flying bullet fall on Johnny. Moreover, Benjamin tricks Mountain Tim into chasing Johnny by attacking him while disguised, also having planted some blood on Tim. Andre faints from blood loss and is presumably left behind.
Benjamin and L.A. catch up to Johnny, Gyro and Tim and manage to trap and disable all three. However, Johnny awakens his Stand Tusk which takes the Boomboom Family by surprise. Benjamin is cut in half and dies while L.A. gets one foot cut, crippling him. Before Johnny, Gyro, and Tim leave, an enraged L.A. swears revenge on them and inadvertently indicates that other killers are on their trails, especially on Gyro, noting that there is a bounty for his head. However, Tim remarks that L.A. has no way to rejoin civilization, thus will die of thirst in the desert. This is the final time a member of the Boomboom Family is seen.
Trivia
- All three members of the family are named from different parts of André Lauren Benjamin's name.
Details
The manga primarily details the adventures of the Joestar family, who have a hereditary predisposition to unlikely, unfortunate circumstances and premature death.
- During Phantom Blood, Jonathan Joestar, the first JoJo, begins his rivalry with Dio Brando. Jonathan and Dio's legacy both directly and indirectly influence events in Stardust Crusaders, Diamond is Unbreakable, Vento Aureo, and Stone Ocean.
- Battle Tendency stars Joseph Joestar, the grandson of Jonathan. Joseph reappears in Stardust Crusaders and Diamond is Unbreakable along with his descendants.
- During Part 1 and Part 2, members of the Zeppeli family (Will Anthonio Zeppeli and Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli respectively) act as mentors and friends of the protagonists. Both suffer from a tragic end but assist the Joestars before dying.
- Stardust Crusaders tells the story of Jotaro Kujo, the first JoJo not to bear the Joestar name, but Kujo instead. He is the son of Holy Kujo and grandson of Joseph Joestar.
- In Diamond is Unbreakable, the Higashikata family makes an appearance, where another JoJo makes his debut: Josuke Higashikata, son of Joseph Joestar.
- Vento Aureo features Giorno Giovanna, the son of DIO (with Jonathan's body). As a result, Giorno bears the lineage of the Joestar family as well the classic personality and ambition of the Brando family.
- Stone Ocean continues the Kujo lineage with Jotaro's daughter, Jolyne. Three more of DIO's sons appear as antagonists: Donatello Versus, Rikiel, and Ungalo.
- During Steel Ball Run, the alternate universe of parts 1-6, these families reappear (excluding the Kujo family). Each family plays a role as well; Gyro Zeppeli is the mentor and partner of Johnny Joestar, Diego Brando is their rival, and Norisuke Higashikata is another competitor in the race, whose daughter ends up marrying Johnny.
- During JoJolion, the Higashikata family becomes more important. They have various members who play an important role and the Joestar family is united with theirs due to the marriage of Johnny and Rina Higashikata. Unlike the original universe, the Joestar family is also connected with the Kira family, due to Holy marrying Yoshiteru Kira. However, the Kujo family still plays an important role, as Josefumi Kujo fuses with Yoshikage Kira to form the protagonist.
Other minor families remain in the new universe, like Pendleton, Speedwagon, Hirose, and von Stroheim, but do not populate to a significant extent.
