Dio Brando/Personality and Relationships
Personality
Dio is ambitious, narcissistic, arrogant and megalomaniac, and will do anything to get what he wants. He frequently bullied and upstaged Jonathan Joestar in their youth in order to place himself in a better position to replace him and obtain the Joestar family fortune, and in his adulthood, relinquished his humanity in favor of becoming a vampire. His personality could be explained by his poor childhood and the abusive relationship he shared with his father Dario Brando. Speedwagon, however, denied it as a cause for Dio's personality, claiming that Dio was already born this way and poverty had nothing to do with it.
However, Dio is not entirely evil, although he tends to approach it. He shows a good side to those who are good to him. In particular, he has shown favorable attitudes towards Enrico Pucci, who also showed loyalty in return. This trait is particularly emphasized in the anime, when Dio is shown to have killed his own father out of revenge for the abuse against his mother, rather than as a step in his scheme to rise in society. Dio also has a passion for reading, as he is found in the library of his Egypt mansion several times he is shown.
Unless provoked or deemed an obstacle, Dio will normally not attack anything or anybody (although probably more out of regarding them as inconsequential, and so not worthy of attention, than anything akin to kindness). He will first try persuading people to work for him, then fight them, if they oppose.
It is implied in Part VI: Stone Ocean that Dio wanted to use his stand to create a perfect world for himself and a handful of subordinates. He enlisted Pucci as his living "conscience", in case he would go crazy and veer "off track".
Araki personally considers Dio to be technically bisexual. He remarked that Dio can and will openly offer himself to either gender using any method, as long as the person suits his present desires. Since he is selfishly interested in their capabilities, however, Araki commented that Dio is the type who is incapable of loving another person wholeheartedly.[1]
Relationships
Family
- Dario Brando : Dio hated his father and saw him only as a stepping stone in his path to ascend in society. In the anime, Dio's hatred stems from the abuse he dealt his mother with his alcoholism, as well as himself. He emphasizes this by spitting on his grave before leaving for the Joestar mansion.
- Giorno Giovanna: Dio is not shown to have interacted with Giorno, although Giorno keeps a photo of his father in his wallet. Also to note is that while Dio was shown to have sucked the blood out of young women, killing them in the process, he had neglected to kill Giorno's mother for unknown reasons.
- Ungaro: Similar to Giorno's case Ungaro's Mother was left alive. However,he didn't inherit Jonathan's spirit. Ungaro knows his true father only after his fated encounter with Pucci.
- Donatello Versace Similar to Giorno's case Donatello's Mother was left alive. However,he didn't inherit Jonathan's spirit. Donatello knows his true father only after his fated encounter with Pucci.
- Rykiel: Similar to Giorno's case Rykiel's Mother was left alive. However,he didn't inherit Jonathan's spirit. Rykiel knows his true father only after his fated encounter with Pucci.
Allies
- Enrico Pucci - With Enrico, he showed compassion by healing his foot, earning his undying loyalty. He trusts him enough to take control of his plan if he ever "veered off track".
- Vanilla Ice - While the former is fanatically loyal to his cause, even willing to chop off his head to prove his worth, Dio notes that in he often forgets about the doors while he uses his stand Cream to put a hole in the wall.
- Wang Chan - While at first a provider of his secret oriental poison, after becoming a vampire, Dio used him as a scout and aide once his head is chopped off. Despite his dependance on him, he doesn't take his insults to Jonathan lightly and threatens him for it.
Enemies
- Jonathan Joestar - He initially viewed his adoptive brother as a stepping stone and pest to be driven to despair and abused in order to gain his fortune. After being beaten once, he viewed him as more of threat, feigning brotherly bounds in public, while secretly poisoning George Joestar in order to get his fortune quicker. He intended to kill Jonathan with the Stone Mask, but upon discovering the hidden power to unlock the vampire powers of man, he decided to use it on himself in order to one. After another failed attempt to kill his adopted brother, he decides to have others face him rather than turn him into a zombie himself due to his ego. After being bested by Jonathan, he quickly changes his mind, only to be thwarted again. In their final confrontation, he admits he respects Jonathan and is genuinely shocked when Jonathan died.
- Joseph Joestar - He needed Joseph in order to complete his merger with Jonathan's body, secretly manipulating his minions to bring him closer and closer in order to drain his blood.
- Jotaro Kujo - He viewed Jotaro as much of a threat as Jonathan was, if not more, going to extremes to outwit and make sure of his death.
