Parallel World Diego

"This world's Johnny Joestar is my greatest test. And I will overcome that test when I kill him. (この世界のジョニィ・ジョースターはオレにとって『最大の試練』だ. 試練は『克服して必ず殺す』)"

- Parallel World Diego,

Parallel World Diego (並行世界から来たディエゴ), commonly shortened to The World Diego (世界ディエゴ) or simply Dio, is a secondary antagonist featured in the seventh part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Steel Ball Run.

He is a version of Diego Brando brought over from a parallel world by Funny Valentine after the death of the original Diego in the base world. Entrusted with the task of stealing the Saint's Corpse by the president, he confronts Johnny Joestar in the final stage of the Steel Ball Run race.

Like the original Diego, Parallel World Diego is a Stand User. Instead of Scary Monsters, however, he wields the time-stopping Stand THE WORLD.

Appearance
Parallel World Diego is virtually identical in appearance to the base world's Diego Brando. He is a young man of below-average height and slim to medium build. He has light hair, dark eyebrows, and light, bold eyes. He commonly wears an with the letters "D", "I" and "O" mounted on bending pins emerging from a small ribbon tied at its front, a turtleneck jumper patterned with a diagonal grid, light, mid-forearm-length gloves, light, wide-legged, and tall, dark.

Personality
This incarnation of Diego Brando shares several personality traits with his base world counterpart: like the original Diego, he is misanthropic and ambitious above all, sharing his counterpart's desire for power and dominion over society. However, the methods by which he achieves his goals demonstrate far more overt cruelty and violent tendencies than the original Diego.

Parallel World Diego is self-centered and has no apparent capacity for empathy. When he first meets Valentine, he takes the president's pleas lightly and in a joking manner until he is entrusted with the claim to the Saint's Corpse. Furthermore, he is absolutely ruthless, prepared to kill anyone in his way by inventively violent methods, including throwing knives, setting up wire traps, and even using gasoline and matches to burn others alive. He is capable of sacrificing innocent people without a second thought, going so far as to taunt Johnny for accidentally killing the adoring fans he uses to shield himself.

Due to his Stand's invincible power to stop time, Diego displays unshakable self-confidence and openly shows contempt for others. He only becomes distressed when he loses the upper hand or is shaken by an unexpected development, such as Tusk's ability to move within stopped time. When he is cornered by Lucy, he finally loses control of his emotions, screaming with rage and disgust his disbelief that the girl would dare to defy him.

Parallel World Diego also shows a tactical acumen, quickly noticing the danger of Tusk's infinite rotation and formulating a plan to do away with it while keeping his distance. Throughout his mission, he outsmarts Johnny time and time again, ultimately succeeding in inflicting the infinite rotation upon its own user.

He is also significantly more predatory and lascivious than the original Diego Brando. Even while bleeding profusely from a dire injury, he forces himself on Lucy, choking and molesting the teenage girl while describing how he intends to thoroughly degrade her.

Stand
Parallel World Diego's Stand, THE WORLD, is a powerful humanoid Stand capable of stopping time for up to five seconds.

Horseback Riding
The original Diego Brando is one the most talented of his generation, and his alternate counterpart demonstrates the same level of expertise in riding and handling horses.

Background
Parallel World Diego's history prior to his encounter with Valentine is unknown. It can be inferred that, like the original Diego, he chose to participate in the Steel Ball Run race for the prize and prestige. Unlike his base world counterpart, however, Parallel World Diego chooses not to pursue Valentine onto a moving train, a decision that cost the original Diego his life when he was split in two by its wheels.

Late in the eighth stage of the race, Parallel World Diego is suddenly confronted by the president of the United States, Funny Valentine. After being afflicted with the infinite Spin by Tusk ACT4, Valentine turns to Diego and his ambition as a final backup plan, in case his attempt to win Johnny Joestar to his side fails. Having finally found a version of Diego from the hole he is consigned to, Valentine explains the situation to Parallel World Diego, outlining a basic plan to eliminate Johnny and promising him the right to the Saint's Corpse should he succeed. Diego thus hides himself and his horse beneath the ground as Valentine transports them and himself to the base world via Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.

Diego hides underground until Valentine is finally killed by Johnny Joestar. While Johnny, Lucy Steel, and Steven Steel are distracted, Diego emerges and steals the Saint's Corpse, hiding himself among the other top competitors of the Steel Ball Run race. Johnny eventually tracks down Diego, but Diego reveals his Stand, THE WORLD, and stops time. Remembering Valentine's advice, Diego is careful to avoid Johnny's nail bullet as he throws a handful of knives at the jockey. Diego races off as time resumes. Though the holes created by Johnny's nails pursue him, he easily escapes by stopping time once more. Johnny quickly figures out Diego's ability thanks to his experience with Ringo Roadagain, but is undeterred in his pursuit of the Corpse.

Diego arrives at the eighth stage's goal in second place, and quickly boards a boat to New York. Johnny boards a subsequent boat and pursues Diego into the alleys of Manhattan, where the latter stops time again to prepare a wire trap for Johnny. Caught off guard by the wires, Johnny shoots the wall to both shield himself with the debris and attack Diego from the resulting hole. As the hole catches up to him, Diego stops time as Tusk ACT4 shows itself and prepares to slice off its arm. However, Diego sees that Tusk can slightly move even within stopped time, and decides it would be best not to touch Tusk ACT4 at all. Later, in the streets, Diego splashes Johnny with gasoline and stops time again, using a handful of matches to light his adversary on fire. Johnny is forced to open a gap in the pavement and drop into the sewers, where he aims for Diego from below. Diego, predicting Johnny's actions, pulls over to meet a group of adoring fans, using them as human shields to divert Tusk's attack.

Johnny exits the sewers and rejoins the other competitors as they approach Brooklyn Bridge, preparing to shoot Diego from the very edge of his range. Diego stops time once more to create a pincer move: as he fires a gun at Johnny from in front of him, THE WORLD moves to attack him from behind. As time resumes, Johnny turns to face THE WORLD, causing Diego's bullet to pierce him in the neck and topple him from his horse. Johnny's nail bullet seemingly misses completely as it hits one of the bridge's steel beams. However, Diego predicts that Johnny's infinite Spin energy will approach him from behind, and climbs atop THE WORLD's back. As Tusk ACT4 reaches THE WORLD's leg, Diego makes the bold decision to sever the leg, sending it flying at Johnny. Johnny is struck directly by Diego's leg and cursed by his own infinite rotation. Diego then remounts his horse and leaves Johnny to his fate, soon becoming the first to cross the race's finish line and the overall victor of the Steel Ball Run race.

Heeding Valentine's advice, Diego rides directly to Trinity Church, placing the Corpse in the vault beneath the church. As Diego prepares to seal the vault, Lucy Steel appears behind him. Diego uses THE WORLD to pin Lucy against the wall. After confirming that no one has followed her, Diego interrogates Lucy as to her plans. Scoffing at Lucy's answer, that she crossed the continent in search of happiness, Diego reveals his intention to kill Steven Steel for knowing too much about the Corpse; beginning to grope the girl, he also expresses his desire to thoroughly violate Lucy before killing her as well. However, before he can proceed with any of his evil plans, Diego is distracted by the "present" that Lucy is carrying for him. Diego peers inside of the bundle, realizing too late that it contains the severed head of his base world counterpart. Diego immediately stops time and attempts to flee, realizing the danger of coming into contact with his alternate self, but finds himself unable to move quickly due to his missing leg. Diego furiously curses Lucy and moves to cave her head in, but the original Diego's severed head makes contact with him first. Parallel World Diego lets out one final scream before his head explodes and is annihilated along with its counterpart. Only the jockey's body remains, its blood trickling across the floor as the fans outside the church celebrate his apparent victory.

JORGE JOESTAR


In the light novel JORGE JOESTAR, the headless corpse of Diego Brando is by the feet of Lucy Steel when Jorge Joestar and the others arrive at Trinity Church. Jorge wonders how he ended up that way. The original universe Dio Brando, who is now just a head after his battle with Kars, goes on top of Diego's back. He sees the Saint's Corpse on a table lying behind Lucy and prepares to make the body his own.

His plan is foiled when Jorge places Jonathan's head on top of the Saint's Corpse instead. Frustrated about constantly losing to the Joestars, Dio attaches himself to the headless body of Diego. Dissatisfied, Dio declares he does not want to associate with the Joestars anymore and vanishes into the darkness of the stairs behind him.

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