Echoes

"My Stand's ability is to paste sounds onto others!"

- Koichi about Echoes ACT1, Chapter 287

Echoes (エコーズ) is the Stand of Koichi Hirose, featured in the fourth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Diamond is Unbreakable , and briefly in the fifth part, Vento Aureo.

Echoes has the unusual ability to take on three distinct forms, ACT1, ACT2 and ACT3, which Koichi may call upon alternately. Each form allows the use of a different ability, such as generating sound effects or applying weight to a target.

Appearance
Echoes first appears as a large egg whose bottom is covered in swirling spots.

ACT1 takes the appearance of a three-section larvae-like creature. Its oversized first section serves as a head and two small shelled arms are attached to it. The head is covered with a shell on top of which a spike is visible, and the face is nearly entirely covered by metallic blinkers, only leaving a small beak visible. The second section is a shelled torso with a dark belly. The third section is equipped with a set of small wheels and a large serpentine tail with a dark belly and a clearer back covered in swirling spots and at whose end is a metallic rattle.

Echoes ACT2 is a developed form of Echoes ACT1, gained during the battle with Yukako. It takes on a more humanoid appearance but is much smaller than ACT1. It is fully clad in a shell-like armor decorated with metallic striped protrusions at the crotch and other places, the most prominent piece being a large high collar fused with shoulder weights with "S2" written on the back which covers the back of the head and the shoulders. ACT2's oversized head has a now revealed face, its metallic striped eyes, nose and small robotic mouth being revealed. It still has a long organic tail with a dark belly and bright back, and a detachable kunai-like stinger.

Echoes ACT3 takes on a completely humanoid form but still retains features from its previous ACTs, giving it an almost robot-like appearance. Its body is covered in multiple striped protrusions mimicking human muscles and several of them form a crest at the top of the head. ACT3 also has two X-shaped holes on the sides of the head. ACT3 now possesses a cloth wrapped around its waist similar to shorts with the number 3 printed on the front and keeps its boots. Its tail is now vestigial, a single long spike protruding from its behind.

Personality
"S-H-I-T"

- Echoes ACT3,

ACTs 1 through 2 don't possess a full-fledged personality. They obey its master's commands and sometimes let out a small growl.

Koichi develops Echoes ACT3 during his confrontation against Sheer Heart Attack when ACT2 proves too weak to battle the Stand.

ACT3 is now fully sentient and able to communicate with its master. ACT3 speaks politely when talking to Koichi, following his orders and referring to him as Master. However, he has a tendency to suddenly curse in English, in a manner seemingly inspired by rap music. In the original manga, its speech is often written in katakana to underline a mechanical tone.

Abilities
Koichi's Stand has the uncommon ability to undergo metamorphosis and evolve naturally, becoming stronger as its user grows as a person. It starts off weak (reflecting its user), but as Koichi's fighting spirit evolves, it evolves with him. While it is common for Stands' abilities to grow stronger as their users do, Echoes gains new forms entirely with distinct abilities and characteristics, usually during monumental events Koichi experiences. Each of these distinct forms is referred to as an ACT. Koichi can still call upon previous ACTs after a new one is unlocked, though is not shown to be able to use multiple at a time, and it likely has to transform first.

When the Stand evolves into a new form, it leaves behind a dried shell or exoskeleton, appearing as if it had died, before the new form of it emerges. Koichi is not aware of the evolution until he sees the Stand itself, and he does not know the ability of it until he works it out or it is explained.

Echoes makes its first appearance during the battle against Keicho, though as an egg, that is gradually hatching. It is immobile and cannot do anything, other than being summoned or withdrawn (though it has enough weight to it that Koichi considered using it as a weapon ). The egg eventually hatches, revealing ACT1, and then is never seen again - though it is unknown whether he could potentially summon it at will like the stand's ACTs.

In ACT1 form, Echoes is a long-range Stand. It is very weak, its punch failing to hurt Tamami, and also slow. However, it has the longest range of all ACTs and can go up to about 50 meters from its user, and it's suggested that either Koichi can see through ACT1's eyes, or it can report back to him, making it useful as a scouting ability.

Although ACT2 is still physically weak, it now possesses a stronger and more versatile power than its previous form, making it more suited to direct confrontation. Foreshadowing the speed of ACT3, ACT2 also gains a massive increase in speed - fast enough to give the impression of disappearing into the air. Since it also has a long range (and Koichi can likely see through its eyes), as well as newfound speed, ACT2 is also used as a scouting ability.

Unlike Echoes' first two forms, ACT3 has a much shorter effective range. It is extremely fast and noted to be stronger but is still no match in direct combat against even Stands like Killer Queen. Additionally, ACT3 is sentient, and is able to converse with Koichi.

ACT1: Sound Generation
Description= Echoes ACT1 can write anything on any surface or person. If it is an onomatopoeia, typically in Katakana, a sound related to the onomatopoeia in question is produced. If it is a sentence written in Kanji, the words will influence the target's state of mind. For instance, Koichi could convince his mother, who was on the verge of suicide, to stop and trust him by using the sentence "Believe in me!" on her. The sound and words are said to not really be heard but to be as if they came from inside the person. The sounds vary in volume, but will increase the longer the sound is active and reverberates to a person more strongly if the sound is written directly on them.

The effect can be broken with enough willpower, as Yukako dispels the writing that Koichi puts on her.
 * -|Examples=

ACT2: Sound Effects
"Because she touched the door with the 'whoosh' on it... the sound became a real entity! The 'whoosh' turned into a real sensation and blew her away!"

- Koichi about Echoes ACT2

Description= Echoes' second form increases its sound abilities beyond its first form's capabilities. Echoes can write a sound effect on any surface. However, unlike ACT1, it is only able to shoot sound effects from its tail, limiting it to only one sound effect at a time. When the sound effect is touched, an effect related to the sound is produced, either affecting the person who touched it or the object which the words are inscribed on.


 * Hyooo (ヒョオオ) - A strong wind is produced.
 * Doguon (ドグオン) - The toucher is knocked back a great distance.
 * Byoyon (ボョヨオン) - The object becomes elastic and bouncy.
 * Jū (ジュー) - The object radiates heat and will burn upon contact.
 * Dorarara (ドラララ) - An attack rush of Crazy Diamond-shaped fists attack the enemy (Eyes of Heaven only)
 * -|Examples=

ACT3: 3 Freeze
"THREE FREEZE. I rhymed "THREE" with "FREE"."

- ACT3 on its ability

Creation and Development
Araki designed Echoes' appearance with Koichi's growth in mind.


 * ACT1 has the appearance of alien larva.
 * ACT2 grows into a child, resembling a standing.
 * ACT3 is like a friend and is the image of Koichi made into a Stand.

Cult Jump (GB)
Echoes ACT1 appears without his Stand user, Koichi, as one of the ten characters from the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure franchise on the game.

Gallery
{{Tabber {{Tabber {{Tabber
 * Manga|
 * Story|
 * ACT-1|

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Trivia

 * Although Echoes ACT1 and ACT3 have received eyecatch illustrations displaying their Stand parameters in the anime, Echoes ACT2 has not. Other Stands that are missing an eyecatch illustration in the anime include Love Deluxe, Achtung Baby, Ratt, Boy II Man, and Marilyn Manson.