Within JoJo's Bizarre Adventure there exists a great number of overt references to existing art and media, as well as echoes of Hirohiko Araki's artistic influences. This article represents a provisional list of these.
Note: References listed on this page without citations have not been confirmed.
The farmer testifying about the presence of Jonathan and party (though he does not know their names) is named Jeff Back, presumably after English guitarist Jeff Beck.
A fisherman who reported his boat stolen is named Dan Hamar, presumably named after Czech-American musician, Jan Hammer.
The university where Jonathan and Dio studied is named Hugh Hudson Academy. This is likely named after Hugh Hudson, a British film director, known by the masterpiece movie Chariots of Fire.
The very first page of Volume 1 features the quote "Two men look out through the same bars; one sees the mud and one the stars." from Frederick Langridge.
Dio drinking Cronenberg
In Chapter 9: The Stone Mask, Part 2, Dio is unsure of Jonathan's survival and seen drinking on the street. The label on the bottle reads both "Cronenberg," a reference to the Canadian director, David Cronenberg, as well as "Dead Zone," a Stephen King movie adaptation Cronenberg had directed.[5]
The interactions between George Joestar I and Dario Brando parallel that of various interactions in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables. George mistakes Dario, who was trying to loot him, as his savior, just as Marius' father mistakes Thenadiers as his savior. George also claims that he gave Dario the ring that Dario himself stole, similar to how the bishop Myriel claims that he had given Jean Valjean the silverware.
The premise of Part I parallels Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, in that both take place in the closing years of the 19th Century and involve a young adult protagonist named Jonathan interacting with and defeating a charismatic vampire.
The line by Joseph Joestar to Caesar Zeppeli, "Nice, nice, very nice, Caesarino", is a reference to the song Nice, Nice, Very Nice by Californian band Ambrosia featuring Alan Parsons.
The cave in which Santana is discovered resembles the interior of the derelict spacecraft on LV-426 from the movie Aliens.
Joseph is shown reading a Superman comic when he and Speedwagon are attacked by a group of hijackers.
In the anime version of the hijacking scene, Joseph is reading a Baoh the Visitor manga instead of a Superman comic, presumably to avoid legal issues with DC Comics. However, the scene still references Superman in a more subtle way, as the Baoh comic's cover is based on that of Superman #1.
Chapter 49 is named after Master of the Game, a 1982 novel by Sidney Sheldon. The story spans four generations of the McGregor/Blackwell family, similar to the Joestar Family. Hirohiko Araki mentions reading the novel during the early chapters of Part 1. The novel is also used again for Episode 11 of the TV Anime.
The minor character Bruto appears to be a direct expy of the character Bluto from the series Popeye.
Avdol's Stand Magician's Red has an attack called Crossfire Hurricane which comes from the opening line of the Rolling Stones' song "Jumpin' Jack Flash".
In the localized version Devo is called Soul Sacrifice, after the Santanasong.
When Joseph tries to use Hermit Purple on a television in order to detect DIO from Singapore, his Stand shows him random TV programs. One of these shows the cover of Tom Petty's debut solo album, Full Moon Fever, and another shows an advert from MTV's prime in the 1980s. The Tom Petty reference was changed to the performance of an artist who's name is "Putty" in the anime.
In the localized version Midler is called Rose, after the Amanda McBroom song The Rose, which was popularized by Bette Midler in the 1979 film, The Rose.
In the 2005 English paperback printings of Stardust Crusaders and the anime, Oingo and Boingo are called Zenyatta and Mondatta, after the Policealbum. They retain their original names in Part 3's English JoJonium release.
The World's name, power, and the stair scene with Polnareff are a possible reference to the song "Stargazer" by Rainbow and sung by Ronnie James Dio (DIO's namesake), verse 3:
"All eyes see the figure of the wizard" "As he climbs to the top of the world" "No sound, as he falls instead of rising" "Time standing still, then there's blood on the sand"
The World's design may have been inspired by the band mascot of Dio, Murray, the demonic figure seen on select album covers of Dio albums.
Jotaro quizzes Joseph to make sure he isn't possessed by DIO by asking him who sang the song "Eat It" to which he responds "Al Yankovic".
In the last chapter Joseph listens to Get Back from The Beatles; this is a wink to the audience as many people think the name "JoJo" is a reference to this song as it's about a man named Jojo.
Araki mentions that some of the inspiration for Jotaro's character comes from Hollywood actor, Clint Eastwood.[14]
In the anime when Joseph uses Hermit Purple in Singapore one of the images seen is of a show called "The Vision". This is a reference to "The View" which is a show presented by Whoopi Goldberg .
When Polnareff meets Cameo the genie, he wishes to become a comicbook writer even more famous than Walt Disney.[15]
At some point in the High Priestess (story arc), the crew attempts to take advantage of Midler's infatuation with Jotaro by complimenting her. Kakyoin suggests that she sounds like film icon, Audrey Hepburn.
During Joseph's usage of Hermit Purple on the TV, one of the random programs shows Marlon Brando in his famous film The Godfather, where he played Don Vito Corleone.
When Polnareff hits Devo in his hotel room, Devo falls off the balcony; he is nowhere to be found when Polnareff checks for his body. This is a possible shout-out to the ending of John Carpenter's Halloween.
Strength was possibly inspired by the tale of Mary Celeste, while its user was modeled after Link, a character from a 1986 movie of the same name.[16]
When Polnareff is turned into a kid by Alessi's Stand and locks himself behind a wooden door, Alessi tears this door down by using his axe. He then puts his head into the now broken door, saying "Polnareff, I'm here." The scene closely resembles the famous setting of Stanley Kubrik's The Shining.
The first half of the Wheel of Fortune part is possibly a reference to Steven Spielberg's first movie, Duel.[16]
Lovers' appearance is that of the robot from Short Circuit, crossed with a tick or a fly.[16]
The events involving Lovers is based on the sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage.
When the heroes discover camel, Joseph says he's learned about camel riding by watching the movie Lawrence of Arabia.[17]
N'Doul is based off Kan Shimozawa's Zatoichi, a long running Japanese film series centered around a blind blademaster of the same name.[16]
While Iggy is fighting Pet Shop in the sewer Iggy uses The Fool to create a wound across the front of Pet Shop's torso. Pet Shop touches the wound with his wing and lick the blood off it, similar to a famous scene in the movie Enter The Dragon.
Jotaro is seen reading Weekly Shonen Jump by the prison guards at one point when he's in his jail cell.
When Joseph tries to use Hermit Purple on a television in order to detect DIO from Singapore, his Stand shows him random TV programs. One of the shows that appears is Doraemon.
Dio's Road Roller move was inspired by an identical move used by Kinnikuman in the first episode of the Kinnikuman anime.
The car crash scene in Chapter 251. Waldo can be seen among the people flying in the air.
Jotaro says to Enya that when he has something on his mind he can't sleep, saying it might be because he watched Columbo as a kid.
When Polnareff asks to become a famous comicbook author, several characters from Western comic books can be seen in the background. One of them is notably Colonel Clifton from the Franco-Belgian comics Clifton.[19]
In the Viz Media localization (from 2012 onward), Steely Dan is called Dan of Steel, a play on the band's name while also being a reference to Detective Comic's Man of Steel, Superman.
When DIO forces Senator Wilson Phillips to drive through the crowd, Waldo from the Where's Waldo? children's book series can be seen flying through the air.
Josuke's appearance is based on the musician Prince. His favorite musician is also Prince.
The "1999" insignia on Josuke's shirt is also a reference to Prince, specifically the song 1999, which likely inspired the year in which Diamond is Unbreakable takes place.
Akira Otoishi was modeled after young Kenji Ohtsuki, a Japanese rock musician and award-winning writer, considering their similar wavy hair and scar on the left side of the face
The pins on Akira's wrists read AC/DC, a reference to the band AC/DC.
In the English dub Okuyasu says "So go ahead punk, make my day" during his fight with Josuke. This is a reference to the Clint Eastwood film Dirty Harry.
In the Italian food arc, Okuyasu drinks some water that heals his tiredness by releasing large amounts of tears from his eyes. He underplays this by claiming that he had presumably cried a lot more when watching the 1979 film, The Champ.
In Episode 24 of the TV Anime, in the final shot where Kira escapes, an advertisement for Austin Powers 2 can be seen on the cinema marquee.
The story outline of Diamond is Unbreakable takes inspiration from the David Lynch television series Twin Peaks. Both series are supernatural thrillers that are set around the search for a psychopath that has caused the death of a teenager girl in a small town with odd characters. The characters of Jotaro, Reimi Sugimoto and Yoshikage Kira play similar roles to that of Dale Cooper, Laura Palmer and Killer Bob (With both Bob and Kira hiding in the guise of another person).
The fight between Josuke and Highway Star parallels the film "Speed" starring Keanu Reeves.
In episode 33 of the TV anime, an 80s Corolla namely the AE86 briefly appears, making a reference to Initial D which stars Takumi's AE86.
Josuke is initially introduced being bullied by some upperclassmen. One of the bullies insults his hair by claiming it looks like Astro Boy's. In his rage, Josuke mishears it as Sazae-san.
After turning into Josuke, Surface asks him if he was familiar with the copy robot from Perman, a parody series by Doraemon author, Fujiko Fujio.
The album "Sticky Fingers" was particularly known for having a functional zipper in the sleeve for its vinyl release. Sticky Fingers the Stand creating zippers is a reference to this.[24]
Bucciarati licking Giorno's face is a possible reference to the Rolling Stones logo featuring a tongue.
Polpo biting off his fingers may be a reference to the Black Sabbath guitarist, Tony Iommi, losing the tips of his middle and ring finger as a teenager.
Risotto Nero's Stand, Metallica, is a reference to the American heavy metal band Metallica with the ability being inspired by the album cover of the Metallica album Load.
Luca is also a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation.
In the anime, Fugo uses his wit to outdo a waiter's threats on putting him in jail by mentioning a 1987 court case between "Argento v. De Sica". Said court case is fictional and the names used are references to film directors Dario Argento (Suspiria) and Vittorio de Sica (Bicycle Thieves).
Squalo/Clash's theme in the anime seems to be inspired by the Jaws theme.
The idea of Diavolo and Vinegar Doppio is very similar to the idea of Keyser Söze and Verbal Kint from the Brian Singer movie The Usual Suspects
When Team Bucciarati enter Coco Jumbo, they turn the T.V. on and there is a football soccer game on the screen which shows Tsubasa Oozora from Captain Tsubasa.
Narancia's backstory is nearly identical to that of the character Tom Hagen in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather.
During the fight with Ghiaccio, the pose that Giorno holds Mista at the end of the fight is a reference to Michelangelo's Pietà in St Peter's Basilica, on Vatican City
Jolyne Cujoh's name is likely a reference to the song Jolene by Dolly Parton. Notably, during her fight with Gwess, Jolyne's name is repeated several times in a fashion similar to the song.
The scene in SO Chapter 34 in which Miraschon steals Pucci's cross may be inspired by the lyrics to the Whitesnake song Saints an' Sinners; "Saints an' sinners, priests an' thieves."
The nature of Bohemian Rhapsody as a Stand is most likely a reference to the opening lyrics of the song it shares its name with, "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide,/No escape from reality." Due to Bohemian Rhapsody's ability to bend "fantasy" into "reality", much to the confusion of Anasui and Weather Report, it appears as a direct reference to the lyrics.
Atroe's name is derived from Italian fashion brand Etro.
Foo Fighters mentions the theories of astronomer Fred Hoyle, who affirms that there exists a preexisting intellect to the cosmos.[28]
During her battle against Viviano Westwood, Jolyne Cujoh quotes Frederick Langridge's quote "Two men look out through the same bars. One sees the wall, and the other the stars."[29]
Affected by Jail House Lock, Jolyne watches some movies while suffering from amnesia. She is seen watching From Hell and questioning the actions of Johnny Depp's character. Later she spoils the ending of The Sixth Sense. The notes she makes for herself are a reference to the movie Memento.
The name of the Enter the Dragon's Dream (燃えよ竜の夢, Moe yo Doragonzu Dorīmu) story arc references the Japanese localization of Bruce Lee's Enter The Dragon (燃えよドラゴン, Moe yo Doragon).
Johnny Depp
Jolyne spoiling the ending of Sixth Sense
Bohemian Rhapsody is a Stand able to bring fictional characters into reality. Some characters from Manga and Comics were summoned. Among them: Spiderman, Kenshiro, Raoh, Mazinger Z, Tetsuwan Atom (Astro Boy), Tetsujin 28 (Gigantor) and Giant Robo.
Weather Report's adopted name, Wes Bluemarine is derived from the Blufin fashion line, Blumarine.
Perla Pucci's first name is derived from the Italian clothing brand La Perla.
In SO Chapter 78 Jolyne mentions the cartoon dog "Snoopy", saying that she heard of carrots shaped like the famous dog being discovered.
Bohemian Rhapsody is a Stand able to bring fictional characters into reality. Some characters from Popular Tales were summoned. Among them: Pinocchio, Mickey Mouse, E.T., Mother Goat, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Peter Pan, Little Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf.
Bohemian Rhapsody also summoned some art pieces: Vincent van Gogh's portraits and Venus by Botticelli.
When the 7 dwarves are summoned they mentioned Terminator's T-2000 and Star Wars's Chewbacca.
In popular culture, The Mayan Prophecy of 2012, announced the end of the world at December of that same year. In the manga Pucci succeeded in ending the actual world to create a new one.
In a Florida tourist guide book read by Anasui, the city of Orlando's Disney's Magic Kingdom and MGM, Universal Studios and Sea World Theme Park are referenced.
The racer Baba Yaga (referencing the Emerson, Lake & Palmer song The Curse of Baba Yaga) and their horse Nut Rocker (referencing the Emerson, Lake & Palmer song of the same name).
The artwork Araki drew for the cover of the Ultra Jump May 2011 Issue is a reference to the album art of Progressive Rock Band Yes' album, Fragile. This album contains the song, "Roundabout", which happens to be the first ending of the anime.
People
In SBR Chapter 3, an actress named "Dorothy Parker" is named by Johnny's girlfriend, likely as a nod to the American writer Dorothy Parker.
Within the Sesame Honey Cafe, there are various fake music albums with covers that reference real ones. One in particular features the Dropout Bear found on Kanye West's album, The College Dropout, while another features the Inner Knot from King Crimson's Discipline.[33]
Yotsuyu's Stand I Am a Rock is named after the Simon & Garfunkel song of the same name. Yotsuyu himself says a line from the song, "I am a Rock, I am an Island."
Karera's Stand name is a combination of Part 4's Yukako Yamagishi's Stand, who's name is based off an album by the British R&B group Sade, and the Japanese phrase, "Love-Love."
Damo Tamaki's Stand Vitamin C is named after the Can song of the same name. His last name is derived from Damo Suzuki, the former vocalist of the band, Can. The first name "Tamaki" was chosen as a reference to the band itself as the kanji can also be read as "Kan".[34] This reading is also reflected in the name of Damo's cleaning service.
Chapter 99 features a panel which bears visual similarity to the album cover of Led Zepplin's album Houses of the Holy.
People
The famous mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori is mentioned to have mediated under pine tree in Morioh, now on the Wall Eyes opposite the land that belongs to the Higashikatas.
When Yasuho and Josuke come to Yoshikage Kira's home, they see a naked woman bathing in a way similar to the room 237 scene of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.
When Yasuho is in the basement of the Higashikata residence with Tsurugi, there is a poster on the back wall of the film, Enter the Dragon, starring Bruce Lee.
When Josuke drags Yasuho into the Higashikata's family photo, it resembled the family photo scene in The Godfather where Michael Corleone drags Kay into the photo. Also, when Norisuke realizes one of his sons is missing, he decides to not take the picture like the way Vito Corleone acted when he noticed Michael was missing.
When Josuke uses his bubbles to shave, there are some references to Kinnikuman. Josuke also uses Soft & Wet to steal the fur off a cat whose head bears the kanji for meat (肉), another reference to Kinnikuman.
During a flashback, Holy Joestar-Kira recommands a novel called "Rose of Versailles", most likely as a nod to the The Rose of Versailles shojo manga.[37]
Other
The natural disaster that hit Morioh in the manga is the same event that actually took place in Japan on March 11, 2011, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
When Kira orders Ojiro off the coast in JJL Chapter 49, he mentions Aoba Castle. He specifically says that he doesn't care that Ojiro may be standing atop the castle (which is quite far inland) because if he can see the ocean, then it is a coast.
Sumire examines a "Mejo" chocolate, referencing the Meiji chocolate brand.
In Baoh the Visitor Chapter 4: Evil Beast Martin, p16 a chocolate brand named "Nilky" can be seen. It references the Japanese candy brand Milky and its mascot "Peko-chan".
Her youngest son Seshiru is the Japanese fashion brand Cecil McBee.
The Eyed Balloon is compared to the painting The Eye Like a Strange Balloon Mounts Toward Infinity, a painting from French painter Odilon Redon. It is also compared to Japanese manga artist Mizuki Shigeru's character, the yokai Backbeard.
Purple Haze Feedback
Music
Sheila E's name is inspired by American percussionist, singer, author, and actress Sheila E..
The JOJO A-GO!GO! artbook includes several images of different characters and stands having a dance party, with the artwork being captioned with "Let's Dance". This is a possible reference to the David Bowie song and album Let's Dance.
