Rohan Kishibe/Personality and Relationships

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Reality is the lifeblood that makes a work pulse with energy! Reality itself is entertainment! To write something interesting, you have to write what you've seen, what you've done, what you've experienced!
—Rohan Kishibe, Chapter 318: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 1

Rohan Kishibe (岸辺 露伴, Kishibe Rohan) is a primary ally featured in the fourth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Diamond is Unbreakable. He is introduced as an antagonist in the "Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House" story arc, but later becomes an ally and cooperates in the search for Yoshikage Kira.

Rohan is a successful, professional manga artist, having created the series Pink Dark Boy in Weekly Shonen Jump. He is often roped into paranormal events while conducting research for his latest manga. He is the Stand user of Heaven's Door, which he uses to transform others into books and read them for inspiration.

He is notable for starring as the main protagonist of the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan spin-off series.

Appearance

Rohan is an individual of average build and height. He has an undercut that is slicked sideways. While he regularly changes outfits, Rohan keeps his trademark headband with serrated edges and fountain pen-tip earrings in every appearance. He dons a variety of elaborate outfits throughout Diamond is Unbreakable and Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan.

Diamond is Unbreakable

Rohan Appearence Anime.png

Rohan's most depicted outfit is the one he wears during the Rock-Paper-Scissors Kid is Coming! story arc, which consists of a crop-top jacket buttoned with pen heads over a crop-top shirt, and baggy pants. Outside the manga, it's his primary costume in All-Star Battle and Eyes of Heaven. In his first appearance, Rohan adorns a baggy suit and pants, over which he wears a semi-unbuttoned vest.

During the Rohan Kishibe's Adventure arc, Rohan wears a dress shirt and tie, with the first kanji of his name, "Ro" (露), and the tip of a pen stitched onto the shirt. He also has baggy pants. During the I'm an Alien story arc, Rohan has a cold shoulder turtleneck crop-top, serrated with cuts all over and wrist-bands. He wears suspenders attached to baggy pants, along with Versace inspired boxers that are visible.

During the Highway Star story arc, Rohan has a single buttoned (pen tip button) longline waistcoat on top of a turtleneck sweater, baggy pants, and long boots. During the Cheap Trick story arc, Rohan has a short sleeve shirt serrated with holes and tucked under baggy pants. He also has long boots and a long pen tip necklace.

In Rohan's final appearance during the Another One Bites the Dust and Crazy Diamond is Unbreakable story arc, he wears a longline waistcoat buttoned with a single pen tip on top of a crop-top with pen tips stitched on. He also has baggy boot pants, gloves, and a Gucci watch.

Diamond is Unbreakable Outfits
Chapters: 53 - 94
Episodes: 1 - 15
MangaAnime
Chapter 319.jpg
Rohan Appearence Anime.png
Chapters: 65 - 69
Episodes: 17
MangaAnime
Chapter 331.jpg
DU ep17-1.png
Chapters: 106 - 111
Episodes: 26
MangaAnime
Chapter 371.jpg
DiUVolume 9 (AnimeBlu-ray).png
Chapters: 116 - 118
Episodes: 27 - 28
MangaAnime
Rohanoutfit.png
RohanTapestry.png
Chapters: 119 - 121
Episodes: 28 - 29
MangaAnime
RohanFifthOutfit.png
Rohan HS Outfit Anime.png
Chapters: 147 - 152
Episodes: 31 - 34
MangaAnime
Rohan Cheap Trick outfit.png
Rohan CT Outfit Anime.png
Chapters: 154 - 174
Episodes: 35 - 38
MangaAnime
Chapter 420.jpg
Rohan BTD Outfit Anime.png

Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan

Rohan Millionaire Village Appearance.png

The outfit often worn by Rohan throughout Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan consists of a dress-shirt and pants. There are front straps with pen tips at the end stitched to the shirt and sometimes the sleeves and collar, along with wristbands. Rohan wears a version of the shirt with long sleeves. The anime depicts Rohan with this outfit in the last episode of Diamond is Unbreakable exercising his hands.

In At a Confessional, Rohan wears a sleeveless crop-top shirt buttoned with pen-tips and baggy pants buttoned on the seams, along with a big wrist-band. In Mutsu-kabe Hill, he wears a light colored half-zipper sweatshirt and sweatpants. In Millionaire Village, Rohan wears a shirt serrated with holes that extends from the back and tucked into his pants, along with a pen tip choker. In Poaching Seashore, Rohan wears a short sleeve swimsuit with a pen tip for the zipper and gloves. In The Run, the outfit Rohan dons in the gym consists of a contrast shoulder panel dress shirt and sweatpants, with typical pen tips on his collar, sleeves and shoulders.

In the first season of the TV Drama, Rohan wears a white loose blouse with black threads, black jacket, pants and shoes, green headband, golden pen nibs earrings, and a gray net wristband. In the second season, he wears a white form-fitting shirt and pants, gray headband, gray pull-over with oval-shaped holes, and black leather Lewis AVIAKIT boots. In the third season, Rohan wears a black shirt extending to his legs under a white thin white coat with black trim. He also wears white trousers and shoes. He bears a large metallic bracelet on the left wrist.

Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Outfits
Chapters: 16
Episodes: 16
MangaOVA
Confessional.jpg
Rohan At a Confessional Appearance.png
Chapters: 2
Episodes: 2
MangaOVA
TPR5.jpg
Rohan Mutsu-kabe Hill Appearance.png
Chapters: 5 - 6 - 4 - 7 - 8 - 9
Episodes: DU 39 - 5 - 2 - 9 - 16
MangaOVA
RohanTSKR5Outfit.png
Rohan Millionaire Village Appearance.png
Chapters: 5
Episodes: 5
MangaOVA
TPR8.jpg
TSKR5 Rohan Oi Oi Outfit.png
Chapters: 5
Episodes: 5
MangaOVA
TSKR5 Rohan Outfit Coat.png
Rohan Millionaire Village Appearance 2.png
Chapters: 6
TPR16.jpg
Chapters: 9
Episodes: 9
MangaOVA
The Run Rohan Treadmill.jpg
Rohan The Run Appearance.png

Color Schemes

Diamond is UnbreakableThus Spoke Kishibe Rohan
The series is known for alternating colors between media, the information presented below may or may not be canon.
Colored MangaAnimeAll-Star BattleEyes of Heaven
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Turquoise)
Eyes(Green)
First Outfit
(Purple shirt under light green vest with light green pants and dark brown shoes. Green headband.)
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Dark Green)
Eyes(Green)
First Outfit
(Light Purple shirt under light green vest with white pants and light green shoes. Green headband.)
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Midnight Blue, dark green on the sides)
Eyes(Green)
Outfit
(White tinted-blue suit with gold accessories, green undershirt, shoes, and headband.)
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Black, olive green on the sides)
Eyes(Lime Green)
Outfit
(White tinted-violet suit with gold accessories, green undershirt and headband, and dark green shoes.)
The series is known for alternating colors between media, the information presented below may or may not be canon.
Colored MangaOVA
Recurring
(Green headband, white clothes, golden accessories)
At a Confessional
(Blue clothes, black belt with green buckle)
Gucci (top)
(Gray & brown coat, blue pullover, crimson shirt)
Gucci (bottom)
(Green pants, white sneakers with gray and brown stripes)
Gucci (accessories)
(Green headband, pink tie, brown earrings)
Millionaire Village
(Black necklace, green belt, blue coat, green bag)
Poaching Seashore(Green belt)
A Rainy Monday(Gray wristbands)
DNA
(Gray wristbands, white bag with golden & green decorations, tan rings)
The Run
(White clothes, black details, golden accessories)
At a Confessional (1st outfit)
(Blue clothes, orange headband & accessories, black belt and shoes, green underwear)
At a Confessional (2nd outfit)
(Lavender clothes, purple and cyan accessories, cyan headband, blue pants)
Mutsu-kabe Hill
(Red headband, seagreen blouse, blue pants, yellow accessories)
Millionaire Village (Intro)
(Purple headband, wheat shirt, blue pants, yellow arrows, dark yellow pen nibs, purple wristband, brown belt)
Millionaire Village (1st outfit)
(Orange headband, gray shirt, off-white pants, brown necklace and wristband, golden accessories, green belt)
Millionaire Village (2nd outfit)
(Red headband, purple shirt, brown pants and belt, purple wristband, golden accessories)
The Run (Intro)
(Red headband, white shirt with green decorations, blue pants, brown shoes, yellow earrings and shoe soles)
The Run (Main outfit)
(Green headband, purple clothes, blue, green, pink and gray details)

Personality

Did you think the great Rohan Kishibe draws comics because he wants money?! I draw comics because I "WANT TO BE READ"! That's the one and only reason. I couldn't care less about anything else!
—Rohan Kishibe

Rohan Kishibe is a passionate manga artist dedicated to his work, with a particularly abrasive personality but a good heart.  

With proper inspiration, Rohan is entranced when he draws

Rohan Kishibe is above all defined by his dedication to his work. With great draftmanship talents, Rohan has constantly sought to make the best manga possible in order to keep being read. His wish to be read is so great it trumps any other motivation,[2] disdaining money or glory and feeling no need for kinship either.[7] When drawing, Rohan falls into an artistic trance, drawing with abandon and being distracted with great difficulty.[7] Because of his tremendous drawing skill, the one thing Rohan seeks the most is inspiration to fuel his work as everything else is an effortless formality.  

To gain inspiration, Rohan is constantly seeking new experiences or facts, investigating anything he might find interesting with blatant disregard for common sense, politeness or the law, for instance buying a whole mountain range to preserve the living area of a supposed yokai and constantly prying into people's lives by turning them into books with his Heaven's Door.[9][10] Moreover, Rohan is overly curious, willingly throwing himself into strange adventures such as an unusual house sale or a poaching session. His inquisitiveness can turn obsessive and downright morbid as he had to be reigned in to stop harassing Koichi[11] and killed a spider just to taste its innards.[2] Nonetheless, Rohan considers "reality" to be the greatest inspiration, and looks for genuine material, disdaining fakes such as when Hazamada fakes throwing up.[2]  

In addition to his own work, Rohan is an admirer of art in all its forms. He possesses a notable amount of movie memorabilia,[12] artbooks, albums and merchandise from various manga series (like Sailor Moon and Rurouni Kenshin),[13] and considers a visit to the museum to be a solemn occasion necessitating a proper outfit.[8]

Rohan looks down on everyone but himself and Koichi

Parallel to his artistic passion exists Rohan's general unpleasantness. First of all, Rohan is arrogant, being aware of his nearly superhuman skill as an artist. Thus he generally looks down on everyone else[7] and may only see people as possible material for his stories. However, he greatly respects Koichi for his courage and niceness.[11] He also respects Tonio as a chef.[14] Naturally, Rohan also hates being made a fool of, reacting with extreme dissatisfaction when Josuke cheated against him without him knowing how and cutting off his own finger as self-inflicted punishment.[15] Likewise, he didn't like that his editor Kyoka Izumi dismissed his idea for a one-shot.[16]  

His arrogance is paired with his constant coarseness. While he may act with professional courtesy, Rohan is generally brash and impolite. Maintaining a thin veneer of civility, Rohan will usually make no secret of what he thinks of people which, combined with his arrogance, often earns him a mutual disdain with his interlocutors. Likewise, he also likes aggravating people he doesn't like, playing a game with Josuke with the declared intention to ruin him,[17] has also stated to liking put down people "in their place" by refusing their requests or orders[18] and is willing to tease or taunt an opponent. Rohan blatantly disregards courtesy for the sake of his goals, turning people into books on a whim and having at one point entered a confessional just to see the interior. But if he is disinterested, Rohan may also blatantly not remember an interlocutor's name such as Yukako Yamagishi at one point and distract himself while they talk.[19] He has also occasionally adopted a visible passive-aggressive behavior[12] and had no qualm punching an annoying Ken Oyanagi.[20]  

Pleading for Izumi's life

Nonetheless, behind his eccentric and discourteous demeanour, Rohan is also a decent person. When he learned about how Reimi Sugimoto saved him, he took an active part in seeking her murderer in part to give Reimi closure.[21] He would also admit, with some persuasion, that he did like her and would miss her.[22] Although he looks down on people and clashes with them, he always defends their lives, ultimately saving Ken Oyanagi when the boy tried to commit suicide[23] and also saving the abrasive Kyoka Izumi from the gods of the mountains.[16] Moreover, Rohan's stubborn personality means that he also has an iron-clad moral standard, for instance refusing to let Josuke be attacked by Highway Star despite the Stand promising to free him and Josuke being the person Rohan hates the most.[18] Finally, Rohan steadfastly grants his fans autographs whenever they ask him, no matter the circumstances.[24]

Despite his arrogance, Rohan is mature enough to know that surpassing others is easier than surpassing oneself.[25]

Recent stories feature Rohan doing regular physical exercise to keep in shape.[24]

Abilities

Personal Skills

Rohan is a genius manga artist

Rohan is an exceptionally talented draftsman, capable if he chooses of finishing manga pages of quality at superhuman speed. He can draw competently without construction lines and shade precisely simply by throwing ink drops with his pen. Such is his speed that he is able to do 19 pages in four days,[4] a feat he can easily surpass, as is noted when he still can meet the deadline for his manga during Made In Heaven's accelerated time, where time has hastened to the point that ink can dry before it gets to the paper.[26] Incidentally, his skill also gives him the necessary arm speed to draw a paper sheet off his desk even before Crazy Diamond can complete a punch. He was also able to throw pen nibs with such speed that they pierced Josuke's skin during their initial encounter.

In the live-action Rohan au Louvre movie, Rohan is seen interacting with two French fans and conversing fluently in French with them.[27]

Stand

Main article: Heaven's Door
HeavensDoor KeyArt.png

Heaven's Door enables Rohan to transmute people into "human books", with written pages unfurling from their bodies. These pages relate detailed information about that person, including biological characteristics, history, personality, or even details of their Stand and its abilities. It was acquired when he was shot with the Arrow[2] and its nature likely originated from his zeal for drawing manga. Rohan states that compelling manga requires a quality that may only be drawn from reality, both for its sensory variety and the depth of experience that humans accumulate.[4]

Heaven's Door's simple yet exceptionally versatile power to transform people into books makes Rohan a formidable Stand user. There has been a noticeable shift in Rohan's mastery of his Stand as he initially required someone to look at a manga page to be transformed into a book, but then could draw his art in the air to trigger the effect and has recently been shown to only need a touch to turn targets into books. This shift has been stated as his own progress as a Stand user.[10] Rohan liberally uses his power to write commands in people, but usually shows restraint and subtlety in writing said commands. He prefers using very specific orders to compel people into not doing one thing or performing a single task for him, but never more. As a manga artist, he frequently uses his power to pry into people's lives for inspiration, regardless of courtesy. He can also use his power in unexpected ways as people are literally transformed into paper and take on paper's property. Thus, he can easily immobilize someone by turning articulations into paper and has transformed an obese man into paper that could unfold and fit between two speeding trains.

Heaven's Door (ヘブンズ・ドアー(天国への扉))Link to this section
HeavenDoorMangaAv.png
PWR
D
SPD
B
RNG
B
STA
B
PRC
C
DEV
A

Other

In Kishibe Rohan Meets Gucci, Rohan inherits his deceased grandmother's Gucci bag, which possesses a Stand that allows its owner to hide items to be reobtained when in particular need.

GucciBag.jpg
Ability
Equivalent Exchange

Relationships

Family

  • Nanase Kishibe: Rohan first meets her as "Nanase Fujikura" during his teenage years. Attracted to her, Rohan mentions that his relationship was in effect a first love to him. Indeed, he was noticeably less abrasive in her presence and even showed some protective instincts. However, Nanase fled away before things could evolve in a meaningful way. It is only later that Rohan learns that Nanase is his ancestor and he was seeing her ghost.
  • Rohan's Grandmother: Rohan's exact relationship with his grandmother is unknown as she is only seen in a few spin-offs. In 2005, she dies from unknown reasons. In Kishibe Rohan Meets Gucci, the grandmother has gifted Rohan a Gucci bag.
  • Bakin: Rohan's dog, which he only has in the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan spin-offs. Rohan seems to take good care of him as a puppy, as he keeps special treats for him and has offered him several toys. He also is affectionate towards Bakin, calling him a "good boy" and petting him on a regular basis. Rohan presumably continues to raise Bakin properly as the dog grows into a healthy and well-behaved adult dog.

Acquaintances

Despite loving his manga more than anything else, even over friends and family, Rohan still maintains relationships with the protagonists, most if not all of which are strained.

  • Koichi Hirose: Koichi was one of the first people Rohan met upon his return to Morioh. Despite trapping Koichi and using him for new manga ideas, Rohan shows more trust and friendship towards Koichi than the rest of Morioh's inhabitants. While Koichi is often perturbed by Rohan's near-obsessive behavior over him, he also has attempted to help Rohan in return. Koichi tolerated less and less the worst sides of Rohan's arrogance as he gained confidence, and he was overall a positive influence on Rohan's attitude. At the end of Diamond is Unbreakable, one reproachful look from Koichi was enough for Rohan to yield and confess an attachment to Reimi Sugimoto. In TSKR Episode 2, Koichi lets Rohan live in his house after he went bankrupt.
  • Reimi Sugimoto: Reimi was a babysitter for Rohan when he was four years old. As a ghost, Reimi still treats Rohan as though he were a child. While he often acts resentful towards her treatment of him, he also shows unceasing determination to find her killer, as Reimi had sacrificed herself to save Rohan's life as a child.
  • Josuke Higashikata: Josuke and Rohan loathe each other, with their relationship being strained at best. This first started when Rohan kidnapped Koichi to use as material and nearly had Okuyasu commit suicide. Rohan also insulted Josuke's hair, causing Josuke to beat him until he was in the hospital for a month. Rohan views Josuke as simple-minded, and Josuke is often annoyed by Rohan's arrogance. As a result, Josuke was not above scamming Rohan for money. However, Josuke has tried on at least two occasions to patch up the relationship between the two. During the Rock-Paper-Scissors Kid arc, he asked Rohan if he wanted to sit with him, Okuyasu, and Yukako. He also hoped to patch up their relationship after their battle against Highway Star, though Rohan's stubbornness and grudge prevented this. Despite their sharply contrasting personalities and rough history together, Rohan shows some trust in Josuke, proven when risking his own life to allow Josuke to escape from Highway Star, and the fact that he restrains some hostility on the knowledge that he's Joseph Joestar's son, a person he values deeply.
  • Jotaro Kujo: Jotaro and Rohan are allies in the battle against Yoshikage Kira. Rohan states that the two aren't close[28] but they seem to have mutual respect for each other, as Rohan has Jotaro's phone number in his phone book.[29] Rohan also tries heading to Morioh Grand Hotel thinking Jotaro could help him deal with Cheap Trick.[28]
  • Okuyasu Nijimura: They only truly interact once, when Okuyasu goes to save Koichi from Rohan. Rohan used Heaven's Door to manipulate Okuyasu, nearly causing him to commit suicide by burning himself. The two aren't seen together afterwards, except for a brief moment when Rohan insults Okuyasu after Josuke invites Rohan to sit with them and Yukako. It is safe to say they don't have a good relationship since Okuyasu holds a grudge against Rohan for what he did, while Rohan is mostly indifferent to Okuyasu.
  • Joseph Joestar: Unlike with most people, he seems rather polite to Joseph, possibly since Joseph is his elder (and often refers to him as Joestar-san or Mr. Joestar). Joseph has been shown to be a fan of Rohan's works, something Rohan appreciates. He usually speaks calmly to Joseph, such as when he explains his investigation in uncovering Kira's whereabouts. He even states that one of the main reasons he tolerates Josuke is out of respect for Mr. Joestar, further demonstrating his respect for him.
  • Tonio Trussardi: Although both characters do not interact in the manga, they are featured as allies in TSKR Episode 6. In the one-shot, Tonio and Rohan are portrayed as friends, even though Rohan disapproved of Tonio coming to Morioh in order to cook. Rohan changed his mind after eating Tonio's abalone risotto, and the two cooperated to go poaching for a rare type of abalone. During their escapade, Rohan ended up saving Tonio's life.
  • Yukako Yamagishi: While the two have no interactions, Rohan learned about her after reading Koichi's memories using Heaven's Door. When Josuke asks if Rohan wants to sit with him, Okuyasu, and Yukako, he declines while referring to Yukako as a "crazy bitch" (or the moody Yukako depending on translations). In TSKR Episode 8, Yukako asks Rohan to examine Mao Katahira.
  • Shizuka Joestar: The two have little interaction, though Rohan once scared her by using the flash on his camera. On another occasion, Rohan used her invisibility powers to force Ken's hand into a rock during Rock-Paper-Scissors, causing Ken to lose against Rohan. He seems to care for her, as he became worried when he lost her and helped Joseph and Josuke look for her.
  • Hayato Kawajiri: Rohan noticed that Hayato was in the background of many of the pictures he took of people who were possibly Kira in disguise and tailed him. Upon finding him on his way to school, he tried to get information out of him using Heaven's Door. While reading through Hayato's memories, Rohan was killed by Bites the Dust, much to Hayato's horror. Luckily, his fate is avoided thanks to Hayato's plan.
  • Toshikazu Hazamada: Toshikazu was a huge fan of Rohan who accidentally learned about his address and decided to visit the manga artist himself. He was impressed by Rohan and stated he truly admired him from the bottom of his heart, even after Rohan used Heaven's Door on him. In contrast, Rohan read through Toshikazu's memories and learned of his sordid personality and actions and frankly dismissed him, much to Toshikazu's sadness.
  • Tamami Kobayashi: The two worked together in the I'm an Alien arc to expose Josuke's cheating during a game of cee-lo, where it was obvious that the dice they used were somehow rigged to let Josuke win (it was Mikitaka disguised as dice, constantly throwing winning tosses for Josuke). Although they were not able to find out how Josuke cheated, Tamami still charged Rohan for his services. However, in TSKR Episode 2, he is shown to be a fan of Rohan's work and asks for his autograph, in stark contrast to their more professional relationship during their first on-screen meeting.
  • Akira Otoishi: Otoishi meets Rohan with Tamami after he is released from prison and excitedly asks for Rohan's autograph, claiming to be a big fan of his. Rohan's editor, Minoru Kaigamori, harshly declines by saying that Rohan is busy, but Rohan scolds the editor and gives the two of them an autograph.
  • Minoru Kaigamori: Rohan's editor in Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 2: Mutsu-kabe Hill. Having spent less than a year in the business, he doesn't know how to act properly in meetings, and displays a general ignorance of art. Rohan consequently treats him with the utmost disdain.
  • Kyoka Izumi: Rohan's editor from Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5: Millionaire Village onward. Kyoka is stubborn, arrogant, ambitious, naive, and overconfident, which naturally leads to a professional relationship fraught with tension and frustration. Yet when Kyoka's life is endangered by the Gods of the Mountain, Rohan is seemingly willing to risk his own life to save her, understanding that her intentions in visiting Millionaire Village were good. Afterward, Kyoka continues to work as Rohan's editor for the next decade, and even visits the manga artist's house with some regularity, despite Rohan's continued frustration with some of her actions.
  • Koji Koseki: In an author's comment for Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional written in-character, Rohan recounts visiting a photo booth with Koseki, who he refers to as a "good friend of his."

Enemies

  • Yoshikage Kira: While initially only interested in chasing down the serial killer to improve the quality of his manga, Rohan takes Kira much more seriously after learning that the man had killed his childhood babysitter, Reimi Sugimoto. Evidently, all of Rohan's attempts at tracking Kira down have been done alone, or with limited help from his allies.
  • Ken Oyanagi: Ken initially annoyed Rohan greatly when they first met by challenging him multiple times to Rock, Paper, Scissors. Because of this, Rohan felt little remorse for making him upset, eventually reaching the point of spontaneously punching him in the face out of irritation. When Rohan learned that Ken was actually attempting to steal Heaven's Door's ability in order to gain power, he acted diligently to beat him, and happily gloated in his victory. Rohan had a change of attitude after seeing Ken attempt suicide over the thought of losing his own Stand, claiming that he is moved whenever he sees people whom are dramatic like him.
  • Yuya Fungami/Highway Star: Though Rohan did not meet Yuya personally, he ended up a victim of his Stand. Rohan was shown to have enjoyed defying Highway Star, despite being completely at its mercy.
  • Masazo Kinoto: The architect was hired to inspect Rohan's house after it was burned in order to agree on a rebuilding plan. Upon their meeting, Rohan immediately used Heaven's Door in order to check if he was an enemy Stand user. Learning of Masazo's abnormal fear of having his back seen piqued his curiosity. During the inspection, Rohan tried time and time again to look at Masazo's back, and was eventually successful. This was the cause of Masazo's death, as his own Stand drained his life force and latched onto Rohan.
    • Cheap Trick: The Stand was an immediate threat to Rohan once it attached to him, making constant attempts to get other people to see his back in order to kill him. When he was able to remove the Stand via Reimi's Alley, he uses Heaven's Door to write in it "I'm going to Hell" before it gets dragged off into the unknown.
  • Ikkyu: Ikkyu and Rohan only interacted formally, with Ikkyu simply welcoming Rohan into his masters' house as a butler should. They become antagonists when Ikkyu begins to test Rohan and Kyoka on their manners. In the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan (TV Drama), their relation is more antagonistic with Ikkyu enjoying Rohan's distress when he loses the use of his arm, and Rohan mocking Ikkyu after the mangaka wins their fight.
  • Yoma Hashimoto: Rohan and Yoma were acquaintances who used the same gym. Their relationship developed into a rivalry of sorts with Rohan and Yoma playing games to see who would run the fastest. This relationship turned sour after Yoma awakened his ability as the avatar of Hermes and began killing people for hindering him. Rohan and Yoma played a game with fatal consequences and although Rohan survived, he still fears Yoma.
  • Yabubako-Hoshi: When Yabubako-Hoshi impersonated Rohan and began to mess with his life, Rohan did his best to undo the creature's mischief. In the only time they interact, Rohan plainly tells it to stay away from him.
  • Eve: A fan of Rohan who shows an excessive admiration and attachment towards him. Rohan himself finds her mildly annoying because she has a habit of trespassing. Yabubako-Hoshi impersonates Rohan for almost six months, and in the meantime gets together with Eve, making her believe they are a couple. Eve becomes dangerously jealous over Rohan, being ready to drug and kill Kyoka Izumi because she thinks Izumi could be a mistress, and because she wants to turn Rohan into an accomplice to bind him to her forever.
  • Eco-Terrorist: A man who is obsessed with saving the environment. Around 2021-2022, he invited Rohan to his house for an interview, although his goal was actually to lure Rohan to witness his destructive plan. Rohan sympathizes with the terrorist's motivations, but wants to stop him to protect Morioh. The terrorist also respects and admires Rohan for his work and ethics.

Relationships in Eyes of Heaven

The information below derives from a source not written by Araki. As such, it may or may not be considered canon.
  • Yukako Yamagishi: In Story Mode, Rohan is unnerved by Yukako's violent tendencies and will state that there is no difference in her behavior when she is brainwashed by Heaven-Attained DIO. In Free Battle Mode, Yukako is annoyed by Rohan's teasing of Koichi and threatens him.

Chapters / Episodes

Book Icon.png Manga Appearances
Chapters in order of appearance
Part 4Part 5Part 6Part 7TSKRCool Shock Old B.T.One-Shots
TV Icon.png Anime Appearances
Episodes in order of appearance
Part 4Part 5Part 6OVA
Book Icon.png Novel Appearances
Chapters in order of appearance
TV Icon.png Live Action Appearances
Episodes in order of appearance

Quotes

Diamond is UnbreakableThus Spoke Kishibe Rohan
Quote.png Quotes
Show AllEnglishJapaneseRomaji
  • By the way, you wouldn't happen to know the secret to writing interesting comics, would you? It's reality! Reality is the lifeblood that makes a work pulse with energy! Reality itself is entertainment! You might think comics draw on imagination and fantasy, but that's wrong! To write something interesting, you have to write what you've seen, what you've done, what you've experienced!
    —Rohan Kishibe, Chapter 318: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 1
  • The first compatible people to read my manuscript will have the door to their heart opened thanks to my special ability, Heaven's Door.
    —Rohan Kishibe, Chapter 319: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 2
  • It's great! I've found the perfect inspiration for my comics!!
    —Rohan Kishibe, Chapter 319: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 2
  • Did you think the great Rohan Kishibe draws comics because he wants money?! I draw comics because I want to be read! "Want to be read" that's the one and only reason. I couldn't care less about anything else!
    —Rohan Kishibe, Chapter 320: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 3
  • Right now, I'm drawing my masterpiece! And it's made of your experiences, Koichi! Your experiences are amazing!
    —Rohan Kishibe, Chapter 321: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 4
  • That hairstyle of yours makes me laugh, Josuke! Isn't that the old fashioned sense of 20-30 years ago? You think it's cool? Ha! (『君のそのヘアスタイル笑っちまうぞ仗助ェッ!!』『20~30年前の古くさいセンスなんじゃあないのォ〜~~~~~〜!!カッコイイと思ってんのかよォ~~~~~』 フン!)
  • When I win, I want to be able to look down on your losing face.
    —Rohan Kishibe, Chapter 374: Rock-Paper-Scissors Kid is Coming!, Part 4
  • I'll say this only once. You said you wanted to surpass me... this is something you'll learn with age. It's not actually that hard to surpass someone. If you want to surpass someone, it's much harder to surpass yourself! Allow me to demonstrate by overcoming my own fate!
    —Rohan Kishibe, Chapter 375: Rock-Paper-Scissors Kid is Coming!, Part 5
  • I refuse. (だが断る)
Quote.png Quotes
  • I've already done the autographs. Don't lump me in with people who take too long to do their jobs. I signed it and left a special thanks.
    —Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 2: Mutsu-kabe Hill
  • While maintaining my wrists at an angle of exactly 90 degrees and maintaining all fingers pointing straight, completely unbent. Face palms forward... and while maintaining the shoulders straight forward as well, continue to hold the wrists at a right angle... then bend the fingers one at a time. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Then open the fingers up again one at a time. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And done. My preparation exercises for drawing manga... are complete.
    —Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5: Millionaire Village
  • Do not underestimate Rohan Kishibe... Forks, knives, chopsticks'... I can smell that those items are traps from a mile away. They seem far too purposeful. You grip the corn cob with your hands !
    —Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5: Millionaire Village
  • Wrists at a right angle. Then with the right hand having a one-finger delay behind the left, bend the fingers. And then, with another one-finger delay... open them again. He~~w. Done. Warm-up no. 2: complete.
    —Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore
  • I'll admit, I didn't much like you since I heard about how you chose to open this shop here in Morioh, rather than your home country of Italy, but anyone that can turn a human's loneliness into being emotionally moved like you can have my upmost respect. Right now... I feel happy.
  • I refuse. My Stand isn't even able to cure anything. Besides, what is it that you want me to cure. I don't even understand what you mean by "normal". What's so normal about your standard of "normal"?
    —Rohan Kishibe, about Mao Katahira's condition, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 8: Deoxyribonucleic Acid
  • For once, I regret my actions in this incident very much. It was all caused by a fault in my personality. There was a red line that wasn't meant to be crossed, but I failed to see it and stuck my head in where it didn't belong. I proudly and foolishly believed that I could read the personalities of others. It's only because I got lucky that everything from my wrist up is still intact. These events are Episode 9: The Run.
    —Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 9: The Run

Creation and Development

Despite Rohan Kishibe being modeled after him,[30] Hirohiko Araki has stated that the two of them are not the same personality-wise. He does admit however, after being asked if he would lick a spider like Rohan, that he would eat really strange things if asked to, and that he really enjoys drawing skin peeling, which is the premise behind Heaven's Door.[31]

In an interview with Shoko Nakagawa, Araki mentions that if he were to have any Stand ability from his series, it would be Heaven's Door.[32]

Casting

Rohan's TV anime voice actor, Takahiro Sakurai, previously voiced Bruno Bucciarati in the PS2 game GioGio's Bizarre Adventure. Sakurai also voices minor roles in the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan TV drama.

For the English dub of the series, Vic Mignogna was cast to play the role of Rohan in the Diamond is Unbreakable anime. However, due to the actor's involvement in scandals regarding sexual harassment allegations by female co-workers and inappropriate conduct at fan conventions, Mignogna was removed from productions related to dubbing studio Bang Zoom! Entertainment. Landon McDonald was cast to play the role instead in the English dub of the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan OVA series.

Trivia

Rohan by Gosho Aoyama


References

  1. Jump Square - December 2007: Memo from Araki
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Chapter 320: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 3
  3. Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan (OVA) - Model Sheet No.CR懺悔_09A
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Chapter 318: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 1
  5. Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 9: The Run
  6. Chapter 416: Cheap Trick, Part 5, p.6
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Chapter 321: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 4
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Rohan au Louvre
  9. Chapter 319: Let's Go to the Manga Artist's House, Part 2
  10. 10.0 10.1 Chapter 331: Rohan Kishibe's Adventure, Part 2
  11. 11.0 11.1 Chapter 330: Rohan Kishibe's Adventure, Part 1
  12. 12.0 12.1 Chapter 384: Highway Star, Part 1
  13. Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 2: Mutsu-kabe Hill
  14. Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 6: Poaching Seashore
  15. Chapter 382: I'm an Alien, Part 5
  16. 16.0 16.1 Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 5: Millionaire Village
  17. Chapter 381: I'm an Alien, Part 4
  18. 18.0 18.1 Chapter 386: Highway Star, Part 3
  19. Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 8: Deoxyribonucleic Acid
  20. Chapter 372: Rock-Paper-Scissors Kid is Coming!, Part 2
  21. Chapter 334: Rohan Kishibe's Adventure, Part 5
  22. Chapter 439: Goodbye, Morioh - The Golden Heart
  23. Chapter 376: Rock-Paper-Scissors Kid is Coming!, Part 6
  24. 24.0 24.1 Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan
  25. Chapter 375: Rock-Paper-Scissors Kid is Coming!, Part 5, p.12-13
  26. Stone Ocean Chapter 154: Made in Heaven, Part 6
  27. https://twitter.com/rohan_movie/status/1669268519333277696?s=20
  28. 28.0 28.1 Chapter 415: Cheap Trick, Part 4
  29. Chapter 414: Cheap Trick, Part 3
  30. Hirohiko Araki's Manga Techniques, p.104
  31. Phantom Blood PS2 (October 2006)
  32. Tameike Now (August 2007)
  33. 『荒木飛呂彦の奇妙なホラー映画論』、荒木先生(51歳)のビデオメッセージが公開ッ! 「週刊文春」にもコメントが掲載!
  34. Interview:JOJOVELLER (September 2013)

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Personality

Did you think the great Kishibe Rohan draws comics because he wants money?! I draw comics because I "WANT TO BE READ"! That's the one and only reason. I couldn't care less about anything else!
—Rohan Kishibe

Rohan is very much aware of his nearly superhuman skill and his success in his profession as a mangaka, thus his attitude towards others is seen as arrogant. This even borders on a narcissistic personality disorder, as Rohan generally looks down at everyone in some way or another and genuinely believes there is no one on Earth greater than him. He doesn't take well to criticism and has a deep-seated need to consistently make exciting chapters for his manga, fearing being forgotten about if he doesn't. He doesn't socialize much, as he finds most people to be "incompatible with his wavelength" (especially Josuke, whom he greatly dislikes). Even Koichi Hirose, the one person Rohan does consider his friend, frequently calls him overbearing and pushy, especially when Rohan successfully manipulates Koichi into assisting him in his work research several times. He even states he loves saying his famous catchphrase "I refuse" to those who he says think of themselves as hot shit. Rohan is also an expert at psychological mind tricks. He tends to cover up his true feelings with his arrogance, although he is not without his sincere moments, as seen when bidding farewell to the ghost of Reimi Sugimoto.  

Being very successful at his job results in massive wealth - evident by his house worth several million yen or the Gucci watch he wears. He does, however, make it a point that he never was interested in gaining fame and wealth. His only passion is to create manga, and he goes to great lengths for his research to make his work feel as "realistic" as possible. At one point, he spends his entire fortune on buying a bunch of mountains where he heard a demon resided, causing him to spend his time at Koichi's home until his next paycheck. He is eccentric in his mannerisms, and could even be said to be slightly childish. Even though he acts indifferent to the affairs of others, he does believe in the forces of good, making him a valuable ally in the chase against Yoshikage Kira – especially after hearing the tragic story of Reimi, of which he is directly involved. He also seems to believe in age-elitism, where those who are younger should respect those who are older. For example, he tells Ken Oyanagi, who is only eleven years old, that as his elder he should give him some advice. In addition, he tells Josuke to respect his elders when Josuke doesn't greet him while on the bus in the Highway Star arc. His respect for Joseph Joestar seems to further imply this. Regardless of his elitism, Rohan appears to care for the lives of people younger than him as he risks his own life to save Shizuka, Ken, and Josuke on separate occasions.

Relationships

Acquaintances

Despite loving his manga more than anything else, even over friends and family, Rohan still maintains relationships with the protagonists; albeit some being strained.

  • Koichi Hirose: Koichi was one of the first people Rohan met upon his return to Morioh. Despite trapping Koichi and using him for new manga ideas, Rohan shows more trust and friendship towards Koichi than the rest of Morioh's inhabitants. While Koichi is often perturbed by Rohan's near-obsessive behavior over him, he also has attempted to help Rohan in return. Koichi tolerated less and less the worst sides of Rohan's arrogance as he gained confidence and he was overall a positive influence on Rohan's attitude. At the end of Diamond is Unbreakable, one reproachful look from Koichi was enough for Rohan to yield and confess an attachment to Reimi Sugimoto.
  • Reimi Sugimoto: Reimi was a babysitter for Rohan when he was four years old. As a ghost, Reimi still treats Rohan as though he were a child. While he often acts resentful towards her treatment of him, he also shows unceasing determination to find her killer, as Reimi had sacrificed herself to save Rohan's life as a child.
  • Josuke Higashikata: Josuke and Rohan loathe each other, with their relationship being strained at best. This first started when Rohan kidnapped Koichi to use as material and nearly had Okuyasu commit suicide. Rohan also insulted Josuke's hair, causing Josuke to beat him until he was in the hospital for a month. Rohan views Josuke as simple-minded, and Josuke is often annoyed by Rohan's arrogance. As a result, Josuke was not above scamming Rohan for money. However, Josuke has tried on at least two occasions to patch up the relationship between the two. During the RPS Kid arc, he asked Rohan if he wanted to sit with him, Okuyasu, and Yukako. He also hoped to patch up their relationship after their battle against Highway Star, though Rohan's stubbornness and grudge prevented this. Despite their sharply contrasting personalities and rough history together, Rohan shows some trust in Josuke, proven when risking his own life to allow Josuke to escape from Highway Star.
  • Jotaro Kujo: Jotaro and Rohan seem to have a relationship based on mutual respect. Rohan seems to regard Jotaro as knowledgeable, and Jotaro trusts Rohan despite being a former enemy. They've shown to be capable of working together, such as in the final battle against Kira when they're stuck in the time loop. Rohan also has the phone number of Jotaro's hotel room in his address book, which implies they have been in contact for other purposes beforehand.
  • Okuyasu Nijimura: They only truly interact once, when Okuyasu goes to save Koichi from Rohan. Rohan used Heaven's Door to manipulate Okuyasu, nearly causing him to commit suicide by burning himself. While the two aren't seen together afterwards, it is safe to say they don't have a good relationship since Okuyasu holds a grudge against Rohan for what he did while Rohan is mostly indifferent to Okuyasu.
  • Joseph Joestar: Unlike with most people, he seems rather polite to Joseph, possibly since Joseph is his elder (and often refers to him as Joestar-san or Mr. Joestar). Joseph has been shown to be a fan of Rohan's works, something Rohan appreciates. He usually speaks calmly to Joseph, such as when he explains his investigation in uncovering Kira's whereabouts. He even states one of the main reasons he tolerates Josuke is out of respect for Mr. Joestar, further demonstrating his respect for him.
  • Tonio Trussardi: Although both characters do not interact in the manga, they are featured in Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan - Episode 6: Poaching Seashore as allies. In the one-shot, Tonio and Rohan are portrayed as friends, even though Rohan disapproved of Tonio coming to Morioh in order to cook. Rohan changed his mind after eating Tonio's abalone risotto, and the two cooperated to go poaching for a rare type of abalones. During their escapade, Rohan ended up saving Tonio's life.
  • Yukako Yamagishi: While the two have no interaction, Rohan learned about her after reading Koichi's memories using Heaven's Door. When Josuke asks if Rohan wants to sit with him, Okuyasu and Yukako, he declines while referring to Yukako as a crazy bitch (or the moody Yukako depending on translations).
  • Shizuka Joestar: The two have little interaction though Rohan once scared her by using the flash on his camera. On another occasion, Rohan used her invisibility powers to force Ken's hand into a rock in Janken, causing Ken to lose against Rohan. He seems to care for her, as he became worried when he lost her and helped Joseph and Josuke look for her.
  • Hayato Kawajiri: Rohan noticed that Hayato was in the background of many of the pictures he took of people who were possibly Kira in disguise and tailed him. He tried to get information out of him, though Hayato refused, knowing that telling him anything would activate Bites the Dust and kill Rohan. Rohan did eventually get killed by Bites the Dust since he used Heaven's Door to read Hayato's memories, much to Hayato's horror. Luckily, his fate is avoided thanks to Josuke.
  • Toshikazu Hazamada: Toshikazu was a huge fan of Rohan who accidentally learned about his address and decided to visit the mangaka himself. He was impressed by Rohan and stated he truly admired him from the bottom of his heart even after Rohan used Heaven's Door on him. In contrast, Rohan read through Toshikazu's memories and learned of his sordid personality and actions and frankly dismissed him, much to Toshikazu's sadness.
  • Tamami Kobayashi: The two worked together in the I Am an Alien arc to expose Josuke's cheating during a game of Cee-lo between Josuke and Rohan where it was obvious the dice they used were somehow rigged to let Josuke win (it was Mikitaka disguised as dice and constantly throwing winning tosses for Josuke). Although they were not able to find out how Josuke cheated, Tamami still charged Rohan for his services. However, in Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan - Episode 2: Mutsu-kabe Hill, he is shown to be a fan of Rohan and asks for his autograph, which is a stark contrast to their more professional relationship during their first on-screen meeting.
  • Akira Otoishi: Akira meets Rohan with Tamami after he is released from prison and excitedly asks for Rohan's autograph, claiming to be a big fan of his. Rohan's editor Minoru Kagamari harshly denies, saying that Rohan is busy, but Rohan scolds his editor and gives the two of them an autograph.

Enemies

  • Yoshikage Kira: While initially only interested in chasing down the serial killer in order to improve the quality of his manga, Rohan takes Kira much more seriously after learning that the man had killed his childhood babysitter. Evidently, all of Rohan's attempts at tracking Kira down have been done alone, with limited help from his allies.
  • Ken Oyanagi: Ken initially annoyed Rohan greatly when they first met by challenging him multiple times to Janken (Rock, Paper, Scissors). Because of this, Rohan felt little remorse for making him upset, eventually reaching the point of spontaneously punching him in the face out of irritation. When Rohan learned that Ken was actually attempting to steal Heaven's Door's ability in order to gain power, he acted diligently to beat him, and happily gloated in his victory. Rohan had a change of attitude after seeing Ken attempt suicide over the thought of losing his own Stand, claiming that he is moved whenever he sees people whom are dramatic like him.
  • Yuya Fungami/Highway Star: Though Rohan did not meet Yuya personally, he ended up a victim of his Stand. Rohan was shown to have enjoyed defying Highway Star, despite being completely at its mercy.
  • Masazo Kinoto: The architect was hired to inspect Rohan's house after it was burned in order to agree on a rebuilding plan. Upon their meeting, Rohan immediately used Heaven's Door in order to check if he was an enemy Stand user. Learning of Masazo's abnormal fear of having his back seen piqued his curiosity. During the inspection, Rohan tried time and time again to look at Masazo's back, and was eventually successful. This was the cause of Masazo's death, as his own Stand drained his life force and latched onto Rohan.
    • Cheap Trick: The Stand was an immediate threat to Rohan once it attached to him, making constant attempts to get other people to see his back in order to kill him. When he was able to remove the Stand via Reimi's Alley, he uses Heaven's Door to write in it "I'm going to Hell" before it gets dragged off into the unknown.

 Relationships in Eyes of Heaven

(The information below derives from a Video Game not written by Araki. As such, it may not be considered canon.)

  • Jotaro Kujo (Part 3): While their relationship is about the same as it was in the manga, Rohan expresses a desire to draw Jotaro in his prime after seeing his strength.
  • Yukako Yamagishi: In Story Mode, Rohan is unnerved by Yukako's violent tendencies and will state that there is no difference when she is brainwashed by Heaven Ascension DIO. In Free Battle Mode, Yukako is annoyed by Rohan's teasing of Koichi and threatens him.

References