Close up of Dario in the manga
Dario abusing Dio
Dario's grave in the manga
Dario's letter to George in the manga
Dario Brando
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For a similar character, see Dario
Dario Brando (ダリオ・ブランドー, Dario Burandō) is a minor character featured in the first part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Phantom Blood.
Dario is the father of Dio Brando. An alcoholic and abusive man, he is primarily responsible for contributing to Dio's descent into evil. After a tragic misunderstanding, George Joestar I decides to give him a favor and adopts his son Dio into the Joestar Family.
Appearance
Dario appears as an elder man with a stocky build. Balding save some hair on the back of his head and a white beard, he bears a scar crossing his forehead, and is missing several teeth.
Dario has a tattoo on his chest of a cross with the words 'In memory of mother' visible.
Personality
Dario Brando is portrayed as a corrupt, alcoholic, and abusive father.
Dario is repeatedly portrayed as extremely immoral. Being a petty thief, Dario has no qualm stealing from the dead, notably stealing a then unconscious George Joestar's ring, believing him to be dead. He also told his companion to let Jonathan, then a baby, die. When George woke up, Dario tricked him into believing he was saving him, hoping to exploit the gentleman's naïveté. When George covered for him out of kindness, Dario couldn't understand the gesture.[2]
Dario was an abusive husband and father, having presumably forced his wife to work to death. He was hated by his own son, whom he would yell at and beat for the flimsiest reasons. At some point, he asked his son to sell his dead mother's clothes in order to buy more booze. His alcoholic nature was shared with Dio, who hated himself for resembling his father after getting drunk.[3]
Nonetheless, he cared about Dio enough to let him be adopted within the Joestar Family.[2]
History
Phantom Blood
Dario was a poor man in Victorian England who witnessed George Joestar I's carriage crash one day in 1868, looting the wreckage on the assumption that there were no survivors. However, a woman from a bar that he brought with him noted that the infant is still alive. Dario was seen by George, who assumed that Dario saved his life and felt indebted to him. Although George later learned the truth when a police officer alerted him that Dario was in jail from trying to pawn Mary Joestar's wedding ring, George pressed no charges and asked Dario to become a good man for his family. Even after receiving money from George to start a hotel, Dario ended up back in poverty and worked his wife to an early grave.[2]
For the next twelve years, Dario took out his frustration on his son Dio as he grew to hate his father enough to secretly murder him with poison he got from Wang Chan. With Dario unaware that his own son was killing him, he died telling Dio of the debt George made to him and tells his son to take advantage of it. However, Dio was unaware of the letter Dario had sent to the Joestar Mansion, which would play a role in exposing his attempted murder of George seven years after his father's death.
Chapters / Episodes
Manga AppearancesChapters in order of appearance
- Chapter 1: Prologue (Death)
- Chapter 6: A Letter from the Past, Part 1 (Mentioned only)
- Chapter 7: A Letter from the Past, Part 2 (Flashback)
- Chapter 12: Youth with Dio, Part 1 (Flashback)
Anime AppearancesEpisodes in order of appearance
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 1: Dio the Invader (Death)
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 2: A Letter from the Past (Flashback)
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 3: Youth with Dio (Flashback)
Video Games
Phantom Blood (PS2)
Dario appears on his deathbed in the first cutscenes of the game. Like in the original story, he gives his son a letter that will allow him to live with the Joestars.
Gallery
Dario Brando "saves" George Joestar
Dario Brando in jail
Dario being ill
Dario's letter to George in anime
Dario's grave in the anime
Dario And The Woman From Bar (Part 3 OVA Timelines)
Dario looking down on the carriage (Part 3 OVA Timelines)
Bed ridden Dario handing a letter to Dio (Part 3 OVA Timelines)
Closeup of Dario Handing the letter to Dio (Part 3 OVA Timelines)
Phantom Blood Concept Art
Dario Brando looting the horse carriage from the PB Movie
Dario's body perspective model sheet from the PB Movie
- 06 DarioHeadsMovieSheet.png
Dario's heads of perspective model sheet from the PB Movie
- 07 WomanWithDarioMovieSheet.png
Woman that was with Dario. Body perspective model sheet from the PB Movie
Giving Dio a letter to the Joestars in the Phantom Blood PS2 game
Trivia
- George mistaking Dario as his savior bears resemblance a similar scene in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables, in which Marius's father mistakes the corrupt innkeeper Thénardiers as his savior and sends Marius to seek aid from him on his deathbed. George also claims that he gave his ring to Dario Brando, who was imprisoned for stealing said ring, resembling the bishop Myriel claiming the same for Jean Valjean, who attempted to steal his silverware.
- Dario's English voice actor would ironically later to go on to voice Yoshihiro Kira, the father of another main villain.
- Dario's design and alchoholism is a reference to the Old Man from Poker Under Arms, Hirohiko Araki's debut work.
