Kars (カーズ, Kāzu) is the main antagonist of the second part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Battle Tendency, as well as the second main antagonist of the series overall.
Kars is the leader of the Pillar Men, and the designer of the Stone Mask. His goal is to evolve further to become immune to the sun's rays, and thus he seeks the Red Stone of Aja to empower his Masks, battling the Ripple users for its possession.
As the creator of the Stone Masks and vampires, Kars is one of the more influential characters in the series, his invention having far reaching repercussions for a number of major characters, such as Dio Brando, the Joestar family and the Zeppeli family.
He is also a primary ally in the light novel JORGE JOESTAR.
Appearance
Kars is a tall, well-built man with long, dark, wavy hair which he keeps under a dark, tight head-wrap (taking it off as a sign of either honor or aggression). Three little pointy horns sprout out from his head and he wears a little diadem with one jewel embedded in it. When designing Kars and his companions, Araki pulled inspirations from Roman statues, Egyptian sphinxes, and Japanese Nio statues to emphasize their beauty as god-like figures.[4]
He is otherwise minimally dressed, wearing high boots, forearm guards, a thong, and a flowing loincloth. When attacking, he produces long, shimmering blades from his forearms and legs.
Kars is the only one to wear a turban to display his superior power and intelligence as the king of the Pillar Men group. However, Araki made him naked from the waist up to contrast with his air of intelligence.[4]
In Switzerland, Kars dons a fedora and a long coat to appear less conspicuous in public.
Color Schemes
Personality
Kars is intelligent, ruthless, and ambitious in his pursuit to conquer his kind's weakness to the sun. He is stated to have been a genius among his tribe, and the original creator of the Stone Mask.
Initially, he appears to be the most aloof and no-nonsense of the Pillar Men, rarely smiling and often being the one to remind Wamuu and Esidisi of their goal.[5] Kars is utterly devoted to obtaining the Red Stone of Aja necessary for his goal, and tramples over anyone in his way, no matter the method. Though he entertains Joseph's initial challenge, and later Lisa Lisa's. In Kars's mind, the only thing that matters is the final victory. He still has some level of respect for bravery, but ultimately his philosophy is to never leave anything to chance.[6] He breaks his word about fighting for the Stone fair and square, cheating to defeat Lisa Lisa and has been revealed to execute children, anticipating their revenge.[7] Though he vows to avenge his companions, he finds Wamuu's warrior spirit to be a weakness. Kars will fight for his companion's memory but his priority will always be attaining absolute power by any means necessary.[6]
Kars is observant, methodical, and boasts an incredible intelligence accustomed to trickery. His first battle against Joseph demonstrates a great deal of relentlessness in trying to obtain the Aja Stone as the Pillar Man answers Joseph's every trick calmly with moves of his own.[8] Unaffected by setbacks such as when he peacefully accepted that Joseph stole the Stone from under his nose,[9] he will relentlessly struggle to win through the direst situation. Only when does he find himself in space, unable to move despite repeated attempts to do so, and drifting away from Earth does he lose his composure and hope.[10] Nonetheless, his obsession with the Aja Stone is an easily exploitable weakness as Kars prefers to take no chance in losing it. Thus it has been used as a shield and leverage by his enemies with ease.[9][11]
Despite his stern, no-nonsense exterior, Kars possesses a murderous and sadistic nature. He has stated that a life without an enemy is boring[5] and has shown to enjoy fights occasionally. However, he only really derives pleasure from inflicting harm and hearing the cries of his victims.[12] Kars enjoys the desperation, and often licks his lips in anticipation of their demise. Kars also comes across as mockingly polite, as he offered Lisa Lisa poison to die on her terms rather than fighting him.[13] These tendencies become more clear when he attains his ultimate form, and he is seen to thoroughly enjoy his status as the most powerful life form on Earth.[14]
Kars reveals himself to be a power-hungry Pillar Man, fixated on controlling the full potential of his body and the idea of resting "at the top".[7] When he discovered that his species's brains held untapped potential, much like humans, Kars wanted to control it. That obsession made him build the Stone Masks to unlock his hidden abilities; when that failed to meet his expectations, he sought out the Red Stone of Aja to complete his transformation into an Ultimate Thing. He was enraged when the rest of his tribe refused to "conquer the sun" as he wished, believing that they should use their innate power to the fullest and rule over all life; however, he either ignored or failed to consider the fact that the increased hunger brought on by the Stone Mask's power would cause his race to exterminate all life on Earth.[15] When Kars transforms into Ultimate Thing, he is enamored by the sun, brazenly standing in its light and prided on the conquest of his only natural foe.[16]
Kars keeps an ambiguous relationship with those around him. On one hand, he considered Santana to be nothing but a simple guard dog,[17] and slaughtered the rest of his race (including his parents) without hesitation or remorse.[15] On the other hand, he expresses himself to care deeply for Esidisi and Wamuu,[18] repeatedly vowing to achieve his goals and kill Joseph Joestar to honor and avenge their sacrifices in ensuring his success.[14][17] Kars also seems to have a certain respect for nature and animals; he caused a drunk driver who nearly hit a puppy to get into an accident and die,[19] and he deliberately complicated an otherwise-simple landing to avoid falling on a flower.[9] However, he does later attack a squirrel when testing his Ultimate Form's abilities,[14] and is said to have threatened an entire ecosystem fueling his Stone Masks. Ultimately, Kars is capable of affection and forming bonds with others, but those affections always come second to his goals.
Kars looks down on machines, sneering at the cyborg technology Rudol von Stroheim demonstrates and considering it inferior.[17] Moreover, he considers his vampire grunts to be worthless pawns, unmoved if they are victimized or slain, and willing to execute them himself should they prove annoying to him.[7]
Abilities
- See also: Pillar Men
In his natural state, Kars possesses at least two techniques known as Light Modes (光の
Kars is able to produce bladed appendages from his arms and legs and use these to reflect blinding light toward his enemies. The light comes from the reflections of tiny, shark teeth-like claws running along the edges of the blades, much like a chainsaw. Kars's blades are sharp enough to cut through most objects, including an automobile and several bullets, at blinding speeds. The Mode is thus able to both stun and cut through Kars's opponents at the same time.
As the Ultimate Thing
As the Ultimate Thing, Kars acquires multiple abilities and skills:
- Superhuman Intelligence: Kars is an extremely intelligent and cunning individual, even by the high standards of his species. He was the one who created the Stone Mask, studying the Pillar Men's brains to unlock untapped power. In battle, Kars is methodical and observant, able to analyze the enemy's plan and plan accordingly with cunning and ruthlessness. Kars has also mastered his godly powers quickly, using the power of Earth's fauna and even its most obscure properties to his advantage. In every setback, Kars manages to quickly find a counter or a way to exploit it and reverse the situation.
- Superhuman Senses: Kars can sense the heat and air pressure around him by forming antennae. His vision is akin to an astronomical telescope, and he is able to hear anything from whale calls to bat screams.
- Superhuman Strength: Kars's strength is 900 kg/cm2.
- Regeneration: Kars can heal any wound in a short period of time.
- Immortality: Kars is invincible, immortal, and nigh indestructible. He does not age, is self-sustaining, and is described as more beautiful than a Greek sculpture.
- Body Manipulation: As the Ultimate Thing, Kars' body contains the DNA of every organism to ever live on the Earth. He can manipulate his entire body on a cellular level to gain the traits of any life-form, such as bird-like wings that enable him to fly. He can even detach parts of himself and transform them into separate organisms that act independently of himself, such as turning his hand into a flesh-eating squirrel or turning his feathers into armadillo-scale projectiles that morph into piranhas and octopus tentacles to bring down Joseph's plane.
- Reactive Evolution: Kars can also alter his body to withstand extreme conditions, as seen when he evolved a continuous layer of inorganic porous material to survive being submerged in magma.
JORGE JOESTAR
In the novel JORGE JOESTAR, Kars expresses a higher skill of biology manipulation of not only himself but other beings:
- Kars and his other versions have complete control over the form of their bodies. His 36 alternate universe versions form themselves into The Eyed Balloon.[20]
- Kars also uses this ability to convert the 36 other versions of himself into a fuel for the Giotto Spaceship, which Kars uses to return to Earth.[20]
- Kars is able to make his biology compatible with electronic devices, as after observing some visual data, he is able to plug himself into a device and project the information. He does this by producing a light from his mouth, and a cellophane-like membrane in between his upper and lower jaw, turning his mouth into a functioning projector.[21]
- He can manipulate the bodies of humans by tweaking their brains, similar to the functions of the Stone Mask. By inserting his finger into a person's brain, he can change their body's electric signals, blood flow, bones, organs, skin, etc. Kars uses this ability to break Jorge Joestar's limbs before reforming them to make him 20cm taller, all with minimal pain. Kars also suggests that he can make wings grow from Jorge's back with this same technique.[21]
Throughout the story, he unlocks his own versions of several Stand abilities by adapting his body once he understands how the Stands function.
Relationships
Allies
- Esidisi: Kars appeared to care for his comrade, being the only Pillar Men of his generation to agree with his ideals. He trusted him to investigate a lead on the Red Stone of Aja alone, and immediately went to Switzerland himself when he realized that something must have happened to Esidisi. Upon learning that Joseph had killed Esidisi to keep him from the stone, Kars vowed to kill him after completing his primary objective - and he meant it, as the first thing he did after testing his Ultimate abilities was to attack Joseph.
- Wamuu: Along with Santana, Kars raised him along with Esidisi. While Kars respected Wamuu's ability as a fighting genius, he showed no respect for his honor and thought he was too pure to be a warrior. Nonetheless, he seemed to care for Wamuu to some extent, as he immediately cut down a group of his own minions for mocking Wamuu after the latter's demise and vowed to avenge his death along with Esidisi's by killing Joseph.
- Santana: Kars and Esidisi raised Santana along with Wamuu. However, Kars regards Santana as a "guard dog" and chooses to leave him behind in custody with the Speedwagon Foundation since he doesn't measure up to their abilities.
Enemies
- Joseph Joestar: As the man who created the stone masks, Kars is essentially responsible for Dio Brando's transformation and the death of Jonathan Joestar. Initially, Kars was just one of the Pillar Men to defeat in Joseph's eyes, but after Joseph killed Esidisi, Kars voiced a deep-seated hatred for the human above all Ripple users. Kars would win Joseph's ire as well by revealing how dishonorable he is compared to the others. It was only once Kars became the Ultimate Thing that he indulged himself in attacking Joseph who made great efforts to defeat him. Kars responded by cutting off Joseph's arm and it ended in Joseph unintentionally sending Kars out into space, but not before mocking him one last time.
- Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli: As the man who created the Stone Masks, Kars is essentially responsible for the deaths of Caesar's father, grandfather and great-grand father.
Chapters / Episodes
Manga Appearances- Chapter 61: The Pillar Man, Santana, Part 8 (Cameo)
- Chapter 62: The Pillar Man, Santana, Part 9 (Cameo)
- Chapter 64: The Red Stone of Aja
- Chapter 65: Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times, Part 1
- Chapter 66: Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times, Part 2
- Chapter 67: Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times, Part 3
- Chapter 68: Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times, Part 4
- Chapter 70: An Engagement with Death: The Wedding Ring
- Chapter 73: Ripple Teacher Lisa Lisa, Part 3 (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 75: Ripple Teacher Lisa Lisa, Part 5 (Flashback)
- Chapter 76: Ripple Teacher Lisa Lisa, Part 6 (Flashback)
- Chapter 77: Go! Ripple Master (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 78: Flame Mode Esidisi, Part 1 (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 79: Flame Mode Esidisi, Part 2 (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 83: Stroheim's Unit Strikes Back, Part 1
- Chapter 84: Stroheim's Unit Strikes Back, Part 2
- Chapter 85: Stroheim's Unit Strikes Back, Part 3
- Chapter 86: Light Mode Kars, Part 1
- Chapter 87: Light Mode Kars, Part 2
- Chapter 88: Caesar: A Lonely Youth, Part 1 (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 89: Caesar: A Lonely Youth, Part 2
- Chapter 90: Caesar: A Lonely Youth, Part 3 (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 92: Caesar: A Lonely Youth, Part 5 (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 93: Caesar: A Lonely Youth, Part 6 (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 94: Climb Out of the Fortified Hotel (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 95: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 1
- Chapter 96: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 2
- Chapter 97: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 3
- Chapter 98: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 4
- Chapter 99: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 5
- Chapter 100: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 6
- Chapter 101: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 7
- Chapter 102: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 8
- Chapter 103: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 9
- Chapter 104: The Warrior Returns to the Wind
- Chapter 105: The Bond That Binds Lisa Lisa and JoJo, Part 1
- Chapter 106: The Bond That Binds Lisa Lisa and JoJo, Part 2
- Chapter 107: JoJo: The Final Ripple, Part 1
- Chapter 108: JoJo: The Final Ripple, Part 2
- Chapter 109: Kars the Superbeing is Born, Part 1
- Chapter 110: Kars the Superbeing is Born, Part 2
- Chapter 111: Joseph's Final Gamble
- Chapter 112: The Man Who Became a God
- Chapter 113: The Man Who Crossed the Atlantic (Retired)
- Crazy Diamond's Demonic Heartbreak: Chapter 9 (Mentioned only)
- Cool Shock Old B.T. Chapter 2: The "Say Hi to Old Virginia" Incident (Mentioned only)
Anime Appearances- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 13: JoJo vs. the Ultimate Being (Cameo)
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 14: Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 15: A Hero's Proof
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 17: Laying a Deeper Trap!
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 18: Stroheim's Unit Strikes Back
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 19: Race Toward the Cliff of Death
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 20: Caesar: A Lonely Youth (Flashback)
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 21: The Hundred vs. Two Strategy
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 22: A True Warrior
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 23: The Warrior Returns to the Wind
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 24: The Bond That Binds JoJo
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 25: The Birth of a Superbeing!!
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 26: The Man Who Became a God (Retired)
Novel Appearances- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (Novel) (Mentioned only)
- Crazy Heartbreakers Chapter 7: DIO (Mentioned only)
- JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 10: H.G. Wells
- JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 12: Rhinoceros Beetle
- JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 14: Desolation Row
- JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 15: Beyond
- JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 16: Beyond II
- El Aleph Chapter 4: IV - Peru Arc (Mentioned only)
- El Aleph Chapter 19: XIX - Final Arc (Mentioned only)
Quotes
Quotes- “Geez... have humans devolved since the past?”—Kars about Joseph, Chapter 68: Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times, Part 4
- “Foolish... we are immortal, it's lonely without an enemy. Life is only worthwhile with an opponent. I understand your feelings, but our first objective is to gain the power of the Red Stone of Aja. Don't forget that you two!”—Kars berating Wamuu and Esidisi for sparing Joseph, Chapter 70: An Engagement with Death: The Wedding Ring
- “The Red Stone of Aja! I have waited four, no, five millenia for this, and now it is before me!”—Kars, Chapter 86: Light Mode Kars, Part 1
- “It seems I, Kars, am the only one left... but only one can stand at the top!”—Kars, Chapter 104: The Warrior Returns to the Wind
- “Heh! A one-on-one fight... ludicrous! My only goal is the Red Stone! To become the 'Ultimate Thing'! I don't have any romantic spirit, nor do I want to become a warrior like Wamuu, because the method isn't important, all that counts is to get the final victory!”—Kars, Chapter 105: The Bond That Binds Lisa Lisa and JoJo, Part 1
- “All that matters is that I get a hold of the Red Stone. Move your pieces one at a time on the board, making them effortlessly reduce the risks to a minimum! Chance has nothing to do with it! That's a "true fight"!!”—Kars, Chapter 106: The Bond That Binds Lisa Lisa and JoJo, Part 2
- “Hehehehe HAHAHAHAHA! The 'Ultimate Thing'! It is the one gathering all the power... from the living world, all the lives... And this beauty! How gorgeous! I've never seen anything as wonderful as this! Finally!! The sun... Finally, I have tamed the sun!!”—Kars, Chapter 109: Kars the Superbeing is Born, Part 1
- “You fools! Don't you wish to tame the sun?! Don't you wish to dominate creation!? Don't you wish to not fear anything!?”—Kars to his former tribe, Chapter 112: The Man Who Became a God
Quotes- “Humans are a life form with possibilities. You can do almost anything if you simply tweak their brains a little.”—Kars, JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 12: Rhinoceros Beetle
- “Heh heh heh. Humans are a fascinating species. They seem like they are constantly striving to become something else, but they resist actual change. Most likely they simply enjoy imagining things. That is what I like most about the human race. They are the only ones who imagine, who create. Who make stories. When I was living underground I gathered the stories human had written, and read them. Humans are the only species that enjoy things that happen to others of their kind. At first I had no idea how they were enjoying it. Our brains had no concept of emotional investment, of putting ourselves in other's shoes. It wasn't easy to do. My race was complete as it was, and satisfied with that. And as a result they lacked ambition, made no progress of any kind, and lived a life of stagnation. But there's a difference between being actually sufficient and simply not knowing that something is insufficient. I came to understand that we weren't perfect. We just hadn't noticed that we weren't. We lacked even the ability to realize this fact because we had never compared ourselves to anyone else. Because we expected nothing from anyone else, and made do entirely with what we already had. But I noticed. Reading human writings and learning to enjoy them sent new electric impulses through my mind. I knew then that we had never stopped to think about our own potential. We were certain our species was the pinnacle of all things, and thus we had stopped progressing. This was the first time I ever felt dissatisfied. The first time I had ever questioned myself. That quickly let to frustration, to anger. And that frustration and anger pleased me. It was what you would call a eureka moment. I was furious with myself, and that was cause for celebration. It was proof that I, too, had potential.”—Kars, JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 12: Rhinoceros Beetle
- “We are the Ultimate Thing, and there is no discord among us”—Kars, JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 12: Rhinoceros Beetle
- “Mere moments ago I intended to take the sole chance I had of killing myself! But I came to understand! Why I ran across the back side of Mars for so long! And why, despite the stifling feelings boiling up inside, I am equally filled with joy! My flesh may not be able to die, but my life is as fragile as it was before, and can be snuffed out so easily! You, who are another 'me'! You are not special! You share the same sadness I feel! But that is a treasure! Rejoice, 'Kars'! You, too, can suffer!"”—Kars, JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 16: Beyond II
Creation and Development
Hirohiko Araki felt that it was too early for Joseph to fight Dio Brando because he wanted to depict the fear of being attacked due to a grudge stemming from an unknown ancestor, but Joseph's connection to Jonathan was too close, being his grandson. Thus, he decided there should be at least one or two more generations before Dio's resurrection and came up with new villains. Since he wanted Part 2 to be more powerful than Part 1, he increased the number of allies, and accordingly, raised the number of villains to three. By having three opponents, Araki stated that the reader would naturally expect each villain to face off with Joseph one by one, leading up to the strongest among them, Kars. Portraying them as multiple enemies belonging to a clan allowed him to explore their ecosystem while evoking an eerie sense that something menacing might be lurking within.[22]
Araki compares the roles of the Pillar Men to the Japanese historical drama Mito Komon. Kars is similar to the protagonist Mito Komon, a prominent daimyo in the early Edo period. Esidisi and Wamuu are similar to his retainers, Suke-san and Kaku-san, respectively. Araki was inspired by their hierarchy when drawing their poses.[4]
Kars's blades are based on Ikuro Hashizawa's Reskiniharden Saber Phenomenon in Baoh the Visitor, another manga by Hirohiko Araki. Kars's quest to become the epitome of biological evolution is also similar to the goal of the Dress Organization in Baoh.[4]
Araki drew the final scene of Kars with the intention of him never returning, stating that unless Kars developed a compass ability or crash-landed on another civilization, he'll remain in space forever.[4]
Trivia
- The explanation for Ultimate Kars's ability to transform into animals in Chapter 110 is a reference to recapitulation theory.
- N'Doul in the French dub of the OVA and Kars in the French dub of the anime share the same voice actor, Emmanuel Gradi.
References
- ↑ JoJo 6251
- ↑ Chapter 101: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 7
- ↑ Chapter 110: Kars the Superbeing is Born, Part 2
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 JoJonium Volume 7 (Kars) - Special Interview
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chapter 70: An Engagement with Death: The Wedding Ring
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chapter 106: The Bond That Binds Lisa Lisa and JoJo, Part 2 P.10.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Chapter 104: The Warrior Returns to the Wind
- ↑ Chapter 86: Light Mode Kars, Part 1
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Chapter 87: Light Mode Kars, Part 2
- ↑ Chapter 113: The Man Who Crossed the Atlantic
- ↑ Chapter 95: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 1
- ↑ Chapter 111: Joseph's Final Gamble
- ↑ Chapter 100: The Wind, the Chariot, and Wamuu, Part 6
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Chapter 109: Kars the Superbeing is Born, Part 1
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Chapter 112: The Man Who Became a God
- ↑ Chapter 109: Kars the Superbeing is Born, Part 1 P.13.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Chapter 84: Stroheim's Unit Strikes Back, Part 2
- ↑ Chapter 66: Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times, Part 2
- ↑ Chapter 83: Stroheim's Unit Strikes Back, Part 1
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 10: H.G. Wells
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 12: Rhinoceros Beetle
- ↑ Hirohiko Araki's New Manga Techniques - Part 2: Kars, Wamuu, Esidisi—Why the "Pillar Men" Appeared