Midler (ミドラー, Midorā) is a tertiary antagonist featured in the third part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Stardust Crusaders, specifically the "High Priestess" story arc.
Midler is the last of DIO's assassins the heroes encounter before entering Egypt. She is a Stand user, and her High Priestess attacks the group as they travel by submarine in the Red Sea.
Appearance
Midler's appearance is mostly obscured within the story, however she is described as beautiful.[3] She appears as a woman of average height and build with a plain dress and long hair. Polnareff notes that her face is unbearable to look at since Jotaro broke all of her Stand's teeth.
Midler received a complete redesign in JoJo's Venture. She is a slim woman of average height wearing an outfit in the minimal style of a belly dancer. Her long hair is held together by a headscarf and five pins with a large star on each sticking out of the headscarf. A gemstone hangs on her forehead in addition to elaborate earrings consisting of several teardrop-shaped gemstones, each ending in one small orb. A veil covers her mouth. She wears a bikini-style bra with star-shaped cups, a fishnet-style band on her right arm, bracelets with frills, a loincloth, and high heels.
Color Schemes
Personality
Midler is a ruthless mercenary of DIO who does not hesitate to kill the Joestar Group with High Priestess, both sinking their submarine and attempting to kill them directly with her Stand. She tends to laugh when she injures any of them.[4] She is clever with her Stand, nearly killing both Polnareff and Jotaro.[5][6]
Despite her brutality, Midler is romantic and flirtatious, as she flippantly laments that she has to kill Jotaro, who is her kind of guy. She even seems somewhat touched by Jotaro's lie that he likes her. However, she is easily angered by men who lie about being attracted to her.[6]
Abilities
Stand
Midler's Stand is High Priestess, possessing mineral materials in order to form shapes large and complex with which she may attack. Due to its long-range, Midler was capable of using it from ashore, while it attacked the group on the ocean floor.
History
Background
Midler is a Stand User hired by DIO to kill the Joestar Group on their way to Egypt. Similar to other hired help like Devo the Cursed, she has a notable underground reputation as an assassin, as Muhammad Avdol was not only able to identify her, but also describe her Stand's ability and characteristics. Prior to engaging the crusaders, Midler had High Priestess travel through the water and enter their submarine through a hole in the wall.
Stardust Crusaders (1988)
Midler intercepts the group during their passage through the Red Sea. Due to her Stand's extensive reach, she is able to position herself on the African coast as High Priestess invades their underwater submarine just above the coral reef. With the intent of sinking the vessel, Midler punctures a hole through its hull and disguises her Stand as one of the group's coffee mugs.[8]
High Priestess begins its assault by successfully chopping off Joseph Joestar's prosthetic hand before merging itself into the wall disguised as one of the submarine's gauges. Jotaro attempts to attack one of the gauges with Star Platinum, but during that time, Midler had already moved her Stand to a light fixture behind Noriaki Kakyoin, landing on a blow on his neck. As the ship continues to fill with water, Avdol rushes toward the door in an attempt to escape the room and seal Midler off, but is surprised when it's revealed the door handle is her Stand. Midler attempts to attack Avdol, but is momentarily subdued by Star Platinum who then attempts to crush High Priestess with its bare hands. The shapeshifting Stand morphs into a giant razor, forcing Star Platinum to let go and damages Jotaro in the process. Midler taunts the group through a series of laughs before disappearing into the hull of the submarine waiting to strike again. [4]
Just as the Joestar group attempts to exit the submarine, they discover that Midler had already disguised her Stand as Polnareff's scuba regulator and begins to attack him. Kakyoin and Joseph use their respective Stands to drag High Priestess out of Polnareff before it's able to do any notable damage. Midler retaliates by transforming her Stand into a harpoon gun, but is unable to follow through as the group had already exited the submarine and closed the hatch.
Outside of the submarine, Midler morphs High Priestess into the surrounding ocean floor, eventually trapping the crusaders in her own Stand's mouth. As she stands on the beach thirty feet above them, Midler begins conversing with the group, revealing that she finds it a pity to kill them due to Jotaro being her type. The group attempts to charm her, but are unsuccessful as Midler proceeds to attack them with her Stand's tongue and pins Jotaro under its teeth. Midler claims that the teeth are harder than diamonds and tries to crush Jotaro with them, but instead has them punched out by Star Platinum.[5] Seemingly knocked out from Star Platinum's barrage, Midler's convulsing body is found lying on the African shore after the group emerges from the water. Jean Pierre Polnareff goes to take a look at her face to see if she is attractive, but is immediately horrified by her lack of teeth, refusing to comment on her condition and telling the other group members not to take a look.
Chapters / Episodes
Manga Appearances- Chapter 179: High Priestess, Part 1 (Voice only)
- Chapter 180: High Priestess, Part 2 (Voice only)
- Chapter 181: High Priestess, Part 3 (Voice only)
- Chapter 182: High Priestess, Part 4 (Retired)
Anime Appearances- Stardust Crusaders Episode 23: High Priestess, Part 1 (Mentioned only)
- Stardust Crusaders Episode 24: High Priestess, Part 2 (Retired)
Novel AppearancesQuotes
Quotes- “You guys are so stupid! All of you didn't even realize that the entire seabed is full of minerals!”—Midler, Chapter 182: High Priestess, Part 4
- “I am on the shore seven meters from here! But High Priestess will chew you to bits, so you will never see my face!”—Midler, Chapter 182: High Priestess, Part 4
- “Jotaro, you're my kind of guy... I regret that I have to destroy you...”—Midler, Chapter 182: High Priestess, Part 4
- “Shut up, you lying bastards! You don't mean any of that! I'll kill you all!”—Midler, Chapter 182: High Priestess, Part 4
- “These teeth are as hard as diamonds! You'll never break them! I'll crush you first!”—Midler, Chapter 182: High Priestess, Part 4
Creation and Development
Hirohiko Araki made High Priestess's user a woman, though he didn't make her very feminine so that "it would be more unexpected".[9]
In Weekly Shonen Jump 1990 Issue #33, Midler's name was spelled as "Shidler" (シドラー, Shidorā).
During development, Capcom wanted to use Midler for JoJo's Venture. Midler's face was never shown in the manga, so they asked Araki to design a new look for the character. Ever since then, this new look became her standard appearance, used in artbooks like JOJO A-GO!GO!.
Most of the art featured in-game of her is based on Yukako Yamagishi, from character portrait, close-up, and defeat sprites. In addition, some of Midler's lines are borrowed from Mariah; the most obvious example is "Unfortunately, you have to die." (残念だけど死んでもらうわ, Zan'nen dakedo shinde morau wa), used for Midler's appearance in the game.
Video Games
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (SFC)
The events from the High Priestess arc appear in the game with some alterations. Midler appears as a stewardess on the flight to India; along with Mannish Boy & Death Thirteen. Her Stand takes on the shape of the restroom's doorknob.
Capcom Fighters (Various)
Midler appears as a playable character in the Capcom games. She was part of the original roster in JoJo's Venture. Midler was redesigned for the game, as she only briefly appears towards the end of her fight unconscious.
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Stardust Shooters (Android/iOS)
Despite not appearing in the game herself, Midler's Stand, High Priestess, appears as one of the several Metal Strikers available to choose. Its FINISH move is a regular scratch done on the defeated opponent's Metal Striker.
Gallery
Midler after being defeated
Polnareff checking Midler out
Polnareff finds Midler after her defeat
Loading Screen
Adventure Battle Card; Midler
Midler, Dio & Mariah
Midler
Character Design Illustration
JOJO A-GO!GO! (Inside Illustration)
Midler's Illustration as a stewardess from the SFC RPG
References
- ↑ Death 13 - Vol.5 "Shueisha Jump Remix Stardust Crusaders Edition" P152 The Secret of JOJO Characters
- ↑ Midler - Character Introduction
- ↑ JOJOVELLER: STANDS, p.50
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 180: High Priestess, Part 2
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chapter 181: High Priestess, Part 3
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Chapter 182: High Priestess, Part 4
- ↑ JOJO A-GO!GO!: STANDS, p.104
- ↑ Chapter 179: High Priestess, Part 1
- ↑ JOJOVELLER: Araki's Stand Commentaries - High Priestess