Nena (ネーナ, Nēna) is a minor antagonist featured in the 3rd part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Stardust Crusaders, specifically the "Empress" story arc.
She first appears in India alongside Hol Horse and tries to assassinate Joseph Joestar while passing as an ordinary woman. She is a Stand User who uses Empress.
Nena first looks like a beautiful young Indian woman in typical Indian attire. However, this is merely a disguise, and Nena is truly a short, ugly, and overweight woman wearing a bikini. Nena also possesses a bud on her tongue.
Disguised, Nena has a bindi on her forehead and wears an ankle-length, sleeveless dress and a hijab, along with plenty of jewelry such as a pair of looped earrings and a bead necklace.
(Normal)
(Normal)
Nena is a devious servant of DIO.
Not much is known about Nena but most of the things she's seen doing indicate a twisted personality. Nena is an assassin at DIO's service and Enya the Hag notes that her Empress's specialty is to slowly kill her victims[2]. Nena also hides her true form by wearing the skin of another, prettier woman and uses her good looks to trick her targets into thinking she's an innocent woman and approach them to plant Empress in them. Nena also keeps this habit in presence of potential allies.
Nena is introduced being in love with Hol Horse to the point of wanting marriage. However, she also poses as a young Indian girl from an aristocratic family and later uses her "relationship" with Hol Horse as a cover to try and assassinate Joseph Joestar, which puts the sincerity of her love into question.
Nena's Stand, Empress, represents the Tarot Card "The Empress", which symbolizes fertility. "The Empress" card often puts emphasis on motherly qualities, like the creation of life, and it is thought to signify physical attraction and luxury. Nena's luxury can be seen through her crush on Hol Horse and later attraction towards Polnareff (even though she was only faking the latter). Her Stand, Empress, refers to her fertility by growing as it eats, similar to a real living being. It also refers to its host as "daddy", though in a mocking manner, as if it was the fruit of a relationship.
Nena is an obese, unsightly woman from an aristocratic family hired by DIO to intercept and kill the Joestar group. Nena used her Stand Empress to kill a beautiful young woman and wore her skin to hide her true form. She eventually falls in love with Hol Horse to the point of wanting to marry him. The two become allies and lovers, though Hol Horse takes advantage of her as she was willing to do anything for him.
Nena is initially portrayed as an ally and lover of Hol Horse, an enemy of the protagonists, but is not shown to be a true enemy herself. She shows interest in marrying him but he denies her marriage offer claiming he is a traveler destined to die on the street and couldn't stay with her even though they loved each other. He later reveals to J. Geil that he is with her just because she could be useful in the future, sacrificing her life for him.
After Hol Horse is defeated she eventually comes to his rescue, holding down Jean Pierre Polnareff while Hol Horse escapes from Jotaro's team. She then accompanies the group on a bus they take to Varanashi, and it is then that Polnareff becomes attracted to her while she hides her actual identity as a Stand User, and attacks Joseph Joestar with her Stand.
Nena then exploits Polnareff's interest in her to distract him while her Stand fights Joseph. After Joseph is able to deal the finishing blow to Empress, Nena takes the damage and dies, revealing her real form.
Polnareff appears traumatized as she is killed in front of him, realizing she is an enemy (and a very ugly enemy at that). This has led to comical scenes as the rest of the Crusaders try to bring him back to his senses.
Manga Appearances
Anime Appearances
Quotes
Nena's disguised face in the manga
Nena distracting the Joestar Group, allowing Hol Horse to escape.
The bud on Nena's tongue
Nena emerging from her disguise
Disguised in the anime
Nena bored of Polnareff's rambling on their way to India
The bud on Nena's tongue
Nena being followed by Polnareff
Nena emerging from her disguise
Polnareff shocked after Nena's reveal and death
A deceased Nena
Nena as she appears in the OVA (it is unknown whether or not she is disguised)
"Hold your horses!"
Nena begs Hol Horse to marry her
Nena asks Hol Horse to tell her he loves her more than anyone
Nena begins to cry with joy after Hol Horse confesses his "love"
Hol Horse and Nena embrace after Hol Horse's "confession"
JOJO A-GO!GO! (Inside Illustration)
Nena in Heritage for the Future
| Leadership | |
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| Zombies and Other Undead | |
| Stand Users | |
| Egypt 9 Glory God Users | |
| Agents of Pucci | |
| Non-Canon Agents | |
