Ermes Costello

""Revenge" is for settling your score with your own destiny!"

- Ermes

Ermes Costello (エルメェス・コステロ), is a major ally featured in the sixth part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Stone Ocean. Ermes is a woman voluntarily imprisoned in Green Dolphin Street Prison in order to seek revenge for her sister Gloria Costello's killer, Sports Maxx, and soon allies herself with Jolyne Cujoh in the hostile environment that the jail is. Thanks to a certain pendant, Ermes acquires her own Stand, Kiss.

Appearance
Ermes is a woman of average to above-average height and a fit, medium build.

She wears her hair in braided locks and multiple barrettes and has long, triangular tattoos approaching her eyes and lips on her forehead and chin. Ermes' clothes consist of a sleeveless coat with pockets on each breast over a sleeveless turtle-neck and pants with a belt.

Ermes also surgically altered her breasts in order to be able to hide money from their sides.

Personality
Despite a tough exterior, Ermes is proud, loyal, and headstrong.

She does not shy away from a fight and is willing to do just about anything to put herself in a better situation whether it is taking a bet that could risk her organs to even splitting her own body parts with her Stand ability despite knowing that they eventually have to be fused back, wounding her severely.

Knowing the ins and outs of prison life, Ermes is preoccupied with acquiring and amassing money to acquire goods and bribe guards.

Ermes shows a severe sense of resilience, as she was still on her feet and moving around even after Marilyn Manson took her liver and survived the shared experiences of suicide attempts from Thunder McQueen. She has a good sense of justice but violently punishes anybody who crosses her way.

Ermes is a particularly rude woman. She speaks in a familiar tone, uses curse words frequently, and is quite violent, having a short temper leading to her frequently shouting in anger at people. Moreover, Ermes is also ready to commit violent acts, for instance wanting to kill Sports Maxx for killing her sister and being brutal when she fights others.

Abilities
Ermes' Stand is the humanoid Kiss, of good melee defense and attack, and the unique ability to duplicate objects on which she plants a removable sticker.

Background
Ermes is of at least partial Mexican descent through her immigrant father. She had lived her youth in the slums, her family managing a restaurant there. Though she had a father and a big sister named Gloria, 10 years older than her, there is no mention of her mother. Gloria would eventually inherit the restaurant at the age of 20 and would receive no assistance from her little sister. Gloria wanted Ermes to help at the restaurant but Ermes wanted a sports scholarship in cross-country and to go to college.

One night three years before the events of Stone Ocean, at the age of seventeen, Ermes left the familial restaurant to run off to the city instead of having another fight with her sister. In doing so, Ermes accidentally ran near a spot where the gangster Sports Maxx was about to commit murder. Sports Maxx was in turn caught red-handed by Gloria but Gloria saw Sports Maxx looking at Ermes, running in the distance. Gloria understood that Sports Maxx mistook Ermes for a witness and that he would try to kill her. In order to save Ermes, Gloria called the police but was killed for it several weeks later because of the police's negligence. Ermes lost her whole family and possessions. Due to lack of proof, Sports Maxx was sentenced for no more than five years of imprisonment.

This prompted Ermes to seek revenge. She began to repeatedly commit armed robbery, letting herself be arrested. By doing so, she was condemned to 8 years in Green Dolphin Street Prison, where Maxx was.

Meeting Jolyne Cujoh
Ermes first met Jolyne Cujoh when they were held in jail in adjacent cells. Annoyed by Jolyne constantly banging her head due to her humiliation earlier that day, Ermes yelled at her to pipe down. When Jolyne confessed to having been masturbating and being seen by a guard, Ermes' mood turned from anger to amusement and defended her against a co-prisoner. The two of them would then be brought out of their cells to be transported to Green Dolphin Street Prison. In the visit room, Ermes found a pendant and brought it with her.

On their way to the prison, Ermes and Jolyne sat near each other. Intrigued by Jolyne's ability to hear the guard through the door but not sensing any maliciousness, Ermes bonded with Jolyne. Ermes then warned Jolyne to quickly acquire money. Jolyne asked where Ermes was hiding her money and correctly guessed that Ermes was hiding it in her breasts. Embarrassed, Ermes did show her the holes in her breasts. However, when the bus arrived, the guards singled out Ermes and beat her up to take her money, having eavesdropped on the girl's conversation. Ermes begged the guards, but they kept beating her and decided to check her breasts. Struggling, Ermes hit a guard with her elbow, causing him to swing his baton. However, the guard surprisingly cut his own ear mid-swing and Ermes was left off the hook. Unbeknownst to Ermes, Jolyne helped her with her new ability, Stone Free. Ermes pricked herself on the pendant and sold the pendant to Gwess.

Ermes' Sticker
Ermes then fell ill and was placed in the infirmary for enough time that the doctors came to check on her on six separate occasions. When she wakes up, Ermes notices that the janitor has stolen some of her money. However, something strange is happening to her: stickers keep appearing in her palm. She already tossed one earlier and the sticker has landed on her shoe, but Ermes notices that there are now two of the same shoe and that she somehow got a sixth finger on which another sticker is stuck. Panicking, Ermes removes the sticker from her finger and sees her two indexes fuse together, although the remaining finger is cut. The same happens with a jar or urine and her shoe and Ermes understands that she has acquired a power through these stickers.

Ermes uses her power to make a trap and duplicates a mop to trap the janitor's face in between the mops when he passes by, knocking him out. However, Ermes notices that DISCS are sticking out of his head and instinctively takes one of them. On her exit check-up, Ermes inquires about the janitor but the guard refuses that she learns anything. In the toilets, Ermes examines the DISC and sees Whitesnake confronting the janitor near the janitor's secret hiding spot where he stashes his money.

Freaked out, Ermes jumps back, only to be confronted by the janitor, Thunder McQueen. Ermes angrily accuses him of being a creep for having discs sticking out of his face but is surprised to see McQueen bursts into tears as he cannot remember what he's recently done and where he used to hide his money, blaming himself. Ermes asks him if he's okay and McQueen is moved to have a woman caring about his well-being. Figuring that he'll never meet a woman who'd truly care for him, McQueen decides to end his life and hangs himself on a pipe with his belt. Ermes then feels herself being lifted by the neck and it being crushed. Seeing propellers sticking out of her neck, Ermes understands that McQueen has an ability like her. Unable to reach McQueen or call for help, Ermes summons a sticker and throws it at the belt. She then takes off the sticker from the belt and damages it so that McQueen's weight makes it snap. The two of them are saved, for the moment. McQueen is seemingly grateful and explains that he's depressed and hung himself on a whim. Ermes is still suspicious and asks how he obtained his ability, but McQueen is ignorant of Highway to Hell. Ermes is embarrassed when McQueen says he is indebted to her and promises to live a proper life, but as soon as she turns her head, McQueen attempts to drown himself in a faucet.

A watery substance appears around her mouth and nose, preventing her from breathing. Seeing other scars around her wrist, Ermes understand how much of a suicidal madman McQueen is and that she must stop him somehow. Ermes is forced in the same upside down position as McQueen because of Highway to Hell. To give herself time, Ermes duplicates her nose to breathe the air and manages to knock McQueen out of the faucet. Again, McQueen expresses depression because there is no way he could repay her and even talk to her again. Furious, Ermes tells McQueen not to approach her again and threatens to kill him but McQueen agrees to the idea. Freaked out, Ermes flees and takes the DISC with her.

On her way back to the women's ward, Ermes encounters a boy playing baseball in a staircase, Emporio Alniño. Ermes touches Emporio's ball and realizes there's a hidden crack on the wall. Emporio thus pulls her inside of a mysterious room, where two other inmates are quietly posing on and by the piano. Emporio presents his ability to Ermes and how the ghost room works, and clarifies that he isn't a ghost. Emporio then explains what is happening with Jolyne Cujoh and asks him what she's learned from the janitor. Ermes shows him McQueen's DISC but their conversation is interrupted when Ermes feels a shock on her arm. McQueen is trying to electrocute himself. To help Ermes, Emporio explains that McQueen will probably look for saline water so that he can properly kill himself. Ermes remembers that there's a good suply of saline water used to wash wounds next to the medical room and rushes here. Because there are too many potential witnesses, Emporio decides to stay near his room.

Ermes finds Thunder McQueen in the medical room tied with a denuded power cable and ready to electrocute himself to death. He douses himself in saline water and a panicking Ermes tries to dissuade him from killing himself. She explains that he risks killing her alongside himself and tries to make him see the bright side of life. McQueen explains the extremely unlucky circumstances in which he was condemned for murder. Seeing him ready to end his life, Ermes tries to promise her to give him her panties but McQueen retorts that she's only being nice to save herself and calls himself trash again. Ermes loses her composure and speaks her mind, calling him a selfish scum who only thinks of himself. This pushes McQueen over the edge, who decides to kill himself and Ermes so that they can die together. Ermes runs towards McQueen who flips the switch to electrocute himself. Thankfully, she manages to put a sticker on McQueen's face. The sticker duplicates McQueen's head and burns out due to the electricity, making the two heads fuse together. The shock knocks Highway to Hell's Stand DISC out of McQueen, making him harmless.

Ermes remembers McQueen's stash and retrieves $5,000 from it. Now aware of Whitesnake and wanting to stop this chaos, Ermes decides to seek Jolyne and cooperate with her.

Foo Fighters
By looking at McQueen's DISC, Jolyne and Ermes find a hidden stash of discs near a farm.

Incidentally, two prisoners disappear in the farmlands surrounding the facility. Loccobarocco gathers the female prisoners to gather a search party. Jolyne volunteers, as well as Ermes. They and three other prisoners are cuffed with explosive bracelets and must run to the farmlands behind their supervisor, from whom they must not get too far away from or else the cuffs will explode. On the farmlands, the duo take out McQueen's disc and confirm that there is a stash of DISCS hidden in the tyre of a tractor. The guard tells the two to start searching but Ermes makes a disapproving remark, attracting the guard's anger. He hits Ermes' bracelet with his baton and tries to make her fall on feces, but Jolyne pulls a leaf to cover the feces as Ermes falls on it, splashing the guard's trousers. However, the guard angrily orders everyone to go toward the swamp instead of the hangar where the farming equipment is kept. Suddenly, Jolyne and Ermes notice that there are now 6 of them among the female prisoners. Furthermore, the guard is killed while everyone is distracted. The prisoner must seek the body but one of them dies when she accidentally strays too far.

It is clear that an enemy is there and Ermes discovers a peculiar creature in the water that drags her away, with the bucket stuck on her face. This small creature also seems to multiply in the water. Using Kiss, Ermes breaks the bucket but is still in the middle of the water and the creature has grown to a human sized monster. Jolyne comes to her and fights the monster. It is a match for Stone Free but Jolyne repels it. Jolyne tries to pull herself and Ermes back to the land, but the enemy pursues them and manages to grab Jolyne's leg. Ermes puts a sticker on its arm and kicks it away, damaging it and forcing it to let go. The enemy writhes in pain while Jolyne and Ermes manage to join solid ground.

One of the prisoners is an enemy but they cannot remember the five original members. The dilemma is rendered moot when it is revealed that the enemy is controlling the bodies of all of the prisoners. The enemy is a sentient plankton colony named Foo Fighters. It splits itself in two: one body runs to the hangar to hide the DISCS and a second one grabs the body of the guard, aiming to indirectly kill Jolyne and Ermes. Ermes takes car of the one in the swamp, Jolyne runs back to the farmland. Ermes attacks with Kiss and tricks Foo Fighter into chopping a decoy arm. That way she can take the guard back to the land. Foo Fighters splashes the land around Ermes, allowing itself to come and pin Ermes to the ground but Ermes takes one of the dried corpse Foo Fighters was possessing and destroys it, the dry dust sprinkling Foo Fighters and taking the moisture off it. This part of Foo Fighter dies and Ermes can lift the guard's closer to the hangar.

Jolyne forces the other Foo Fighters to run on dry soil, which almost kills it and Ermes prepares to deal the finishing blow. However, Jolyne spares Foo Fighters and gives it some water despite Ermes' protestations, figuring that it didn't know any better and only wanted to survive. Touched, Foo Fighters accepts to become Jolyne's ally and they get Jotaro's Stand DISC. Foo Fighters disguises itself as a woman named Etro to pass off as a prisoner. They retrieve Jotaro's Stand DISC and Foo Fighters explains that this stash is only a hiding spot for DISCS Whitesnake doesn't need. It hides in in its cleavage when the guards arrive. The trio make up a story to keep suspicions off themselves. This whole operation catches the attention of Whitesnake's User, the prison priest Enrico Pucci.

Miraschon's Bet
The following days included an encounter with the gambler Miraschon who bet on a game of catch (that Jolyne and Foo Fighters couldn't relay the ball one hundred times). Ermes persuades Jolyne to agree to the bet (which she won) before Miraschon made another bet for more money. The new bet enticed Costello to not only agree but to put herself into the bet so she could get the thousand dollars. Ermes lost the bet and found herself at the mercy of Miraschon's Stand, Marilyn Manson, who took her gold tooth, money from her surgically-altered breasts, and her liver. Jolyne eventually wins the liver and money back from Miraschon.

Ermes remained in intensive medical care after her battle with Sports Maxx and does not appear again until Jolyne escapes from prison. She was one of the final members in the last battle against Enrico Pucci and dies in the struggle. All of her comrades, including herself, were left floating in the sea as they rot from Pucci's accelerated time.

After Emporio Alniño manages to defeat and kill Pucci, Ermes' alternate universe counterpart is seen being ejected from a bus for attempting to pay with a fifty-dollar bill. The counterpart feels infuriated and even wonders if the bus driver mistook her for an inmate of Green Dolphin St. Jail. She then meets Emporio and asks him for change for the bill. Afterward, she and Emporio meet Narciso Anasui's counterpart Annakiss and Jolyne's counterpart Irene, who invite them to ride with them in exchange for Ermes' money for gas. Ermes feels skeptical at first, as her older sister told her not to ride with strangers, but the coming rain forces her to give them the gas money and ride with the group. The group later picks up Weather Report's counterpart after refilling the car's gas tank.

Family

 * Gloria Costello: Ermes greatly cared for her older sister and when she is killed by Sports Maxx, she went as far as getting herself arrested to avenge her.

Allies

 * Jolyne Cujoh: Ermes is possibly the first true friend that Jolyne encounters in her life when they meet and bond in jail. Her relationship with Ermes resembles that of Jotaro Kujo's relationship with Jean Pierre Polnareff. Similar to Josuke Higashikata's relationship with Okuyasu Nijimura in Diamond is Unbreakable; Jolyne and Ermes see each other as worthy allies and friends, and because of their similar temper, get along well and kill time together. She has fought alongside Jolyne against many powerful enemies like Sports Maxx, Rikiel, & Donatello Versus.
 * Foo Fighters: Ermes and Foo Fighters meet as enemies, but even though she is reluctant to let Jolyne spare the plankton-Stand, they quickly become friends.
 * Emporio Alniño: Ermes and Emporio are acquaintances, and do not interact often with each other.
 * Weather Report: Ermes and Weather are acquaintances, and do not interact often with each other. Yet, Ermes still cries when Weather Report dies, implying they grew close off-screen.
 * Narciso Anasui: Ermes and Anasui are acquaintances, and do not interact often with each other.

Enemies

 * Sports Maxx: As the man who had her sister killed, Ermes despised Sports Maxx and got herself imprisoned just to take revenge. She finally got her revenge when she pummeled his reanimated corpse.
 * Enrico Pucci: Although Ermes has no real qualms against Enrico Pucci. The many assassins the priest sends against Jolyne and thus herself cause her to antagonize Pucci.
 * Thunder McQueen: Ermes and McQueen incidentally meet when McQueen tries to steal her money and Ermes beats him up for it. However, McQueen reveals his Highway to Hell, forcing Ermes to act nice toward him to stop him from committing suicide although she doesn't care in reality and despises him for wanting to drag someone down with him.
 * Miraschon: When Miraschon introduces herself, Ermes mistakes her for a loony inmate and plans to take her wage with ease. However, Miraschon reveals herself as a Stand User and takes some of Ermes' vital organs.

All Star Battle (PS3)
Ermes makes her video game debut in the PS3 title. She was confirmed for the game along with Jolyne, Part 4 Josuke, and Okuyasu. She's the only non-DLC ally character from Part 6.

As one of the mass majority of playable characters in the game with the "Stand" Style, Ermes can turn Kiss on/off, changing move sets, as well as having access to the Stand Rush ability returning from the Capcom game, being able to attack in conjunction with her Stand.


 * Here's where ya stick it!: Ermes places stickers on her arms and/or legs, duplicating them. An icon showing that she currently has stickers applied appears above the Heat Heat Gauge, with arm stickers appearing on the left and leg stickers appearing on the right (reversed as Player 2). This skill doubles the number of hits Ermes and Kiss deal in all of their skills and abilities except for her GHA, increasing her overall strength.
 * Sticker Damage: If Ermes is knocked to the ground, the stickers on her limbs fall off and disappear, damaging her in the process. Ermes takes more damage if she had stickers on both her arms and legs at the time. She may recover this lost health over time, but must not take any more damage during this process in order to do so.


 * Take it off and it returns!: Kiss swings forward with a sticker in its hand. If it connects, the opponent will have their head duplicated, before Ermes pulls the sticker off, damaging them. Many of Ermes' attacks and skills can combo into this ability.


 * Throw - Get bent!: Ermes pushes the opponent before taking a sticker off of a broom, causing it and its duplicate appearing behind the opponent to smash together, catching them in the middle.

While Kiss is off:


 * Outta my way!: Ermes kicks high, knocking the opponent off their feet. This move can also hit a downed opponent, and Ermes' skills can be performed instantly following it. (Comboable)


 * USHAAAA!: Ermes slides forward and summons Kiss to rapidly punch the opponent, sending them flying with the final hit.


 * Uryaaaaa!: Ermes summons Kiss as the both of them unleash an uppercut in unison, knocking the opponent into the air. This move doubles as an anti-air, and if performed on an already airborne opponent, they will be sent much higher. (Comboable through Puttsun Cancel)
 * Pretty handy, huh? (Normal): Ermes uses a duplicated broom to fly at the opponent. Ermes cannot be hit with low attacks during this move, and can even fly past the opponent. If Ermes stops in front of the opponent, the broom will hit them and knock them off their feet. (Comboable through Puttsun Cancel)

While Kiss is on:


 * Uryaaaaaaaaaaa!: Kiss performs a punching combo. This move can be inputted up to twice more to unleash new subsequent attacks. On the second input, Kiss continues its assault by kicking the opponent multiple times and sending them into the air. On the third input, Kiss spins around and backhands the airborne opponent, launching them away. (Comboable through Puttsun Cancel)
 * Right in your grill!: Ermes and Kiss both unleash a powerful downward spinning kick in unison. If the opponent is hit, they are left crumpling to the ground. (Comboable)
 * Pretty handy, huh? (Stand): Kiss uses a duplicated broom to allow Ermes to fly at the opponent. Ermes cannot be hit with low attacks during this move. If they touch the opponent, the broom will hit them multiple times and knock them off their feet. (Comboable through Puttsun Cancel)

Ermes' HHA, "I know what you're after!", is a counterattack, where she puts a sticker on herself and if hit, will kick the opponent away before Kiss delivers a massive counter combo. Ermes will take minor Sticker Damage whether or not the HHA is triggered by the opponent. The HHA's damage is increased if done while "Here's where ya stick it!" is in effect.

Ermes' GHA, "Eat this! And this! And--", starts with her taking out a sticker and lunging forward. If she lands the hit, she will slap said sticker on the opponent's head, causing it to duplicate as Kiss kicks the opponent multiple times. The Stand then switches to fists and rushes them repeatedly, gradually raising them into the air. Before allowing the opponent to fall, Ermes quickly snatches the sticker off and turns away, dealing damage as the opponent's head violently merges back into one (similar to how she killed Sports Maxx).

Alongside all playable members of Bruno Bucciarati's Gang of Part 5 (with the exception of Narancia Ghirga), Ermes is one of the only characters who activate Resolve Mode instead of the normal Rumble Mode when low on health. In this state, attacks that do not result in hard knockdowns or blow-backs no longer phase the character.

Ermes possesses one alternate costume, which is the outfit her alternate universe version wears.

Eyes of Heaven (PS3/PS4)
Ermes was confirmed as a playable character alongside Jolyne, Pucci, and Weather Report.

As a Stand User, Ermes is one of many characters with wildly varied abilities that grant her uniqueness in battle.


 * Style Action - Here's where ya stick it!: Ermes places stickers on her limbs to duplicate them, starting with her arms, then her legs (she may not apply anymore after that). This skill doubles the number of hits Ermes and Kiss deal in all of their attacks and skills except for DHAs, greatly increasing her overall strength. However, if Ermes is hit or otherwise recoils from any source of damage, the stickers on her limbs fall off and disappear, damaging her in the process. Ermes takes more damage if she had stickers on both her arms and legs at the time.
 * Have Lance...: Ermes launches a small lance duplicated with a sticker forward, or towards an opponent, if locked on. The lance will send any opponent it hits flying and will also be lodged into their bodies, indicated by an icon of the lance and sticker next to their health gauge. If the skill is used again while a lance is stabbed into an opponent, Ermes takes off the sticker on the lance duplicate she herself has, causing her to propel at high speed towards her target. If she connects, she spears the opponent and leaves them crumpling and vulnerable to further attack. This skill is not affected by Ermes' Style Action.
 * Uryaaaaaaaaaaa!: Kiss unleashes a barrage of 5 punches. This skill can be inputted up to twice more to unleash new subsequent attacks. On the second input, Kiss continues its assault by kicking 3 times. On the third input, Kiss spins around and delivers a strong backhand, sending opponents flying.


 * Pull off the sticker, and it tries to turn back to normal.: Ermes stabs a lance into the ground. If this skill is used again while another lance is active, Ermes deactivates the sticker on the first lance she placed, causing it to rapidly fly towards and combine with the second one. If an opponent is between the two lances, they will take damage and be pulled in the direction of the second lance. If they end up at the second lance, they receive extra damage and crumple, left vulnerable to further attack. This skill is not affected by Ermes' Style Action.


 * EX - Have Lance...: The projectile lance gains a speed and damage boost, and Ermes gains super armor while she's being propelled.


 * EX - Uryaaaaaaaaaaa!: The skill does more damage and Ermes recovers from using the backfist quicker.

JoJolities

 * Kiss is my license... for vengeance!: Ermes must use her Style Action twice. (200 Points)
 * And soon, I realized... It's pretty useful.: Ermes must connect "Pull off the sticker, and it tries to turn back to normal." twice. (200 Points)
 * Ready? This kick is for Gloria!: Ermes must break 3 of the opponents' health gauges. (300 Points)
 * Revenge is the way to settling the score with your own fate!: Ermes must perform a Dual Combo Finish. (500 Points)
 * Why am I crying all of a sudden?: Ermes must Retire an opponent with a Dual Heat Attack. (800 Points)

Dual Heat Attacks

 * Solo - Eat this! And this! And this!: Ermes has Kiss punch the opponent, then the two both unleash a spinning kick that knocks them off their feet. Ermes places stickers on both her arms, duplicating them for both her and her Stand. Kiss proceeds to uppercut the target into the air and unleashes a devastating barrage of punches with an extra set of fists, finishing with a strike that sends them flying.
 * With Jolyne - We're gonna kick your ass!: Ermes uses Kiss' stickers to create multiple arms for Jolyne and Stone Free. Having done so without warning, she is reprimanded by Jolyne who knows that the stickers' removal will cause her pain. Ermes reminds Jolyne that they are in the middle of a fight, forcing Stone Free to angrily pummel the opponent with an extra set of fists and blowing them back as Ermes laughs.

Tournament
She is paired with Robert E. O. Speedwagon in the Eyes of Heaven Tournament but was eliminated in the preliminaries by Narancia Ghirga and Diego Brando.

Gallery
Manga=

Trivia

 * Due to her rather masculine manner and appearance, Ermes was given the endearing nickname aniki (older brother; similar to Keicho Nijimura and Prosciutto) among Japanese fans.
 * Araki considers the fan nickname a compliment for Ermes because "It means she looks tough enough to take a real punch and still be in the fight."
 * Araki states that Ermes' position in the story is "kinda like a female version of Polnareff." Similarly, both pursue a perpetrator who killed their sisters.
 * Ermes originally referred to her stand, Kiss, as "Sticker" due to it's ability.

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