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For a similarly named character, see Part 7 SpoilersDiego Brando
SPOILER WARNING: Part 1-6 spoiler details may follow.
Useless, useless!!! (無駄 無駄!!!)

Dio Brando (ディオ・ブランドー, Dio Burandō), later known simply as DIO (DIO(ディオ)), is the main antagonist of the first and third parts of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Phantom Blood and Stardust Crusaders, as well as a posthumous primary antagonist in the sixth part, Stone Ocean.

Originally a man of low birth but peerless ambition, Dio is a cunning villain of little conscience and has an insatiable hunger for power. After becoming a vampire and later a Stand user, Dio has gathered many minions around him and is responsible for many major events of the series. His legacy and influence persists throughout the first six parts of JoJo, with characters either being related to him or inspired by him, such as Enrico Pucci.

Wielding the all-powerful The World, he is the first main antagonist to be introduced with a Stand and is among the most well-known characters of the series. Dio is the father of Giorno Giovanna, the protagonist of Vento Aureo, as well as a handful of other illegitimate offspring.

Appearance

Phantom Blood

Childhood

Dio Young Render.png

When he first arrives at the Joestar Estate, Dio wears typical formal boys attire from that era; a blue coat, white dress shirt, a tie, suspenders, breeches, and a pair of striped socks. He has blond hair and 3 moles on the lobule of his left ear.

  • When boxing, he wears a shirt with folded sleeves, overalls, and boxing gloves.

Adulthood

Aside from replacing his coat with a vest, Dio's attire hasn't changed much. However, his overall physique and height have increased significantly. During the events where Jonathan sets out to find the antidote for his father's illness, Dio dons a top hat and a new, flamboyant-looking cloak that has feathers jutting out of the shoulders.

In an interview, Araki describes how the movie Blade Runner had influenced his work back when it premiered. He mentions Dio's blond hair and muscular build in particular as being influenced by the Blade Runner character, Roy Batty.[11]

Vampire

Dio undergoes drastic physical changes upon using the Stone Mask to transform himself into a vampire. His formerly-clean hair becomes messy and unkempt, his eyes become sharper and adopt a darker outline, and he develops fangs.

His clothing has changed quite a bit as well after his first battle with Jonathan; most noticeable is the scarf around his neck. He wears an ornate dual-colored shirt and matching breeches, a large pair of boots, vambraces, and two suspenders attached to a band around his waist.

Color Schemes

The series is known for alternating colors between media, the information presented below may or may not be canon.
Colored MangaPB (PS2)FilmAnimeAll-Star BattleEyes of Heaven
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Light Brown)
Childhood Outfit
(Light purple suit and orange vest over beige shirt and purple tie.)
Combat Outfit
(Green and purple shirt under gold suspenders with yellow pants and green shoes.)
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Brown)
Childhood Outfit
(Burgundy suit and brown vest over light gray shirt and blood-red tie.)
Combat Outfit
(Light yellow and blue suit with gold sccessories. Brown shoes.)
Skin(Fair, pale as a vampire)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Blue, Red as a vampire)
Childhood Outfit
(Light brown suit and brown vest over white shirt and dark orange tie.)
Combat Outfit
(White and purple suit with gold trim and accessories. Brown shoes.)
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Orange)
Childhood Outfit
(Navy suit over white shirt and blood-red tie.)
Combat Outfit
(Crimson and white suit with purple scarf under brown vest. Brown shoes.)
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Blood-red)
Outfit
(Gold suit with red accessories and purple scarf. Black shoes.)
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Maroon)
Outfit
(Magenta-red and white suit with purple scarf under brown vest. Brown shoes.)

Stardust Crusaders

Evil Incarnate DIO / Shadow DIO

Bg dio r.png

DIO does not have a visible face as an effect of the shadowy darkness of his mansion. He has shoulder-length blond hair and is often topless, exposing Jonathan's muscular body (on which his head is sewn in place). He wears pants with suspenders, boots, shiny cuffs on both wrists, and heart-shaped knee guards. In the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure arcade game, his voice is also extra distorted compared to the standard filter used for his other playable version. This form of DIO is commonly referred to in Japanese media as Evil Incarnate DIO (邪悪の化身ディオ, Ja'aku no Keshin DIO) or Shadow DIO (影DIO).

Revealed

DIO Anime Render.png

Incorporating his previous outfit, DIO dons a jacket with a tight tank-top underneath, as well as chaps with an exposed crotch. His face is now in full-view, and on his head is a heart-adorned circlet to match his knee guards. This is his form during the beginning of the DIO's World story arc. In most depictions of him, DIO's outfit is tinted orange or yellow.

He also wears a necklace covering his neck scar and heart motifs above his feet and on his pant legs, but he quickly stopped sporting them after his first stairway confrontation with Polnareff.

When pursuing the Joestar group, DIO donned a cloak that he ended up discarding during his confrontation with Kakyoin.

High DIO

DIO nears his physical peak after draining Joseph Joestar's blood. His appearance now is similar to his revealed form, minus the jacket and the heart-shaped headband that was destroyed by Star Platinum's attacks. He now sports a deranged and homicidal look and mannerisms, having lost his suave touch. His hair is disheveled and mostly oriented upwards, while his lips are darker and seem adorned with lipstick. This is his main form during the latter half of the DIO's World story arc, often called High DIO (ハイDIO) in Japanese media.

Color Schemes

The series is known for alternating colors between media, the information presented below may or may not be canon.
Colored MangaSFC GameOVAHeritage for the FutureAll-Star BattleAnimeEyes of Heaven
Skin(Fair, black lipstick while "high")
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Gold)
Outfit
(Yellow coat and chaps over a black shirt with green accessories, and gold shoes and cuffs. Yellow cape.)
Skin(Slightly Tan)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Brown)
Outfit
(Yellow coat and chaps over a dark gray shirt with green accessories.)
Skin(Slightly Tan)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Red)
Outfit
(Orange coat and pants over a brownish-black shirt with light brown accessories, and brown shoes and cuffs. Orange/red cape.)
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Orange)
Outfit
(Yellow-orange coat and chaps over a dark gray shirt with green accessories, and bronze shoes and cuffs.)
Skin(Fair, purple lipstick)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Yellow)
Outfit
(Yellow coat and chaps over a dark green shirt with green accessories, and gold shoes and cuffs.)
Skin(Pale, green lipstick while "high")
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Yellow-orange, Magenta while "high")
Outfit
(Orange coat and chaps over a black shirt with green accessories, and brown shoes and cuffs. Red cape.)
Skin(Fair)
Hair(Blond)
Eyes(Yellow)
Outfit
(Yellow coat and chaps over a black shirt with green accessories, and gold shoes and cuffs.)

Personality

Dio is consistently manipulative and violently domineering, and has repeatedly shown a lack of conscience and empathy.

DIO is ecstatic when he sees his power growing further

Dio's most recognizable characteristics are his boundless ambition and his love of power. Abused by his father and having lived in the most miserable living conditions,[12] Dio set for himself the goal of becoming the richest, then the most powerful being on Earth. To do so, Dio used anything or anyone that he could in order to further his goals, disregarding any kind of morality that would restrain the range of actions available to him. Using either manipulation, seduction, or plain violence, Dio constantly sought to become more and more powerful. Dio enjoys being in a position of power[10][13] and has repeatedly stated how great he felt being in a dominating position. On the contrary, Dio never tolerated that someone could stand up to him or equal him in power, and was enraged and deeply disturbed at the thought several times.

Throughout his life, Dio has tended to surround himself with witless cronies and later minions, who were attracted by his natural charisma. Not thinking much of them at first, he then selected those he deemed as particularly evil, claiming that an evil person wasn't bound by rules such as honor and thus were stronger mentally. This belief culminated in including the absorption of 36 souls of sinners, or, as he claims, particularly strong souls, to unlock a power greater than that of his Stand, The World.

Dio planning to mentally break Jonathan and usurp his place upon meeting him

Naturally, Dio is an incredibly-selfish person, only looking over his own interest and overlooking those of others at best, trampling them on the ground at worst. Due to his composed nature, Dio can and will manipulate and take what he can from all sorts of people, using any method, as long as the person suits his present desires because he is primarily interested in their capabilities. Dio is the type who is incapable of loving another person wholeheartedly.[14] The only people he can be said to have held some type of affection for were his mother, Jonathan Joestar, and Enrico Pucci; Dio recognizing Jonathan's worth as equal to his own, and having been friends with Pucci. Still, Dio stole the former's body and his friendship with the latter was proven nonetheless beneficial of a grander plan to further himself.

DIO "charming" Kakyoin to his side

When interacting with someone, Dio will constantly try to manipulate them and sway them into his side, using a veneer of gentleness and his natural charm to make people admire and like him. For instance, he acted the model son and popular charismatic friend to Jonathan's father and entourage to better isolate him, and as a Vampire, his charisma only increased as he appeared as a charming mysterious individual. However, his natural arrogance would lead him to openly insult and belittle his enemies, notably disparaging their insignificant strength before his vampiric or Stand powers.

Dio approaches obstacles and problems in a number of ways depending on the situation and his mood. When he was human, Dio was careful and methodical in trying to break Jonathan's spirit and slowly poisoned George for a sizeable period of time, only being thwarted due to unlucky twists of fate. As a Vampire, DIO at first let his arrogance get the better of him and took a laissez-faire approach, only sending subordinates to kill the Joestar Group while he rested and recovered. However, his defeat by Jonathan taught him to be wary of the Joestar Family in its entirety, thus he would later ambush Jonathan and, during the events of Stardust Crusaders, send his minions to delay the Joestars as much as possible to recover strength. During his final battle, his wariness, tactical acumen and arrogance would clash to make Dio alternate between meticulous approach and overconfident attacks.

Part 1 - Phantom Blood

I reject my humanity! JoJo! I will transcend humanity! (おれは人間をやめるぞ!ジョジョーッ!!おれは人間を超越するッ!)
—Dio before donning the Stone Mask, Chapter 11: The Stone Mask, Part 4

In Phantom Blood, Dio is ambitious, selfish, arrogant, callous and megalomaniacal, seemingly able to do anything to achieve his aims.

Dio drops all pretense of good

His natural ruthlessness is exposed very early when plans to exploit the Joestar family despite them being kind enough to adopt him.[15] In order to place himself in a better position to replace Jonathan Joestar and obtain the Joestar family fortune, Dio used the most underhanded means to break him mentally. These methods included: humiliating Jonathan in public sport fighting, ostracizing him from his friends,[10] and finally stealing Erina Pendleton's first kiss to drive a wedge in their budding relationship.[16] When he is eventually foiled, Dio opted to slowly poison George Joestar I and kill Jonathan with the Stone Mask to make both deaths seem natural and accidental.[12] Dio has shown a remarkable determination to reach his goal, never losing his drive despite the numerous defeats he suffers throughout Phantom Blood and always tried to find a way to get back at Jonathan for them.

Dio's lack of empathy is also apparent, since despite having lived for years with the kind Joestars, he never thought of them as anything more than obstacles, and is hinted to utterly resent the upper class he frequents. Dio had been maintaining a facade of a charming and agreeable person to everyone save Jonathan, yet never came close to anyone. At the end of the part, the only person Dio appreciated was Jonathan Joestar himself, begrudgingly acknowledging his valor as his archenemy[17] and "granting" him a painless death, and was even shocked to see him die.[18] Overjoyed to have changed into a powerful vampire, Dio spent his battles taunting various humans about their weaknesses and belittling them in favor of the apex predator vampires. Dio also sadistically changed a mother into a zombie just to watch her devour her own baby. When in a position of strength, he also tends to torment them further, such as sneakily sticking his thumb into Jonathan's eye during a punch.[10]

Dio slapping Erina in a fit of anger

Dio shows a lack of restraint in his violence, and is prone to murderous outbursts even as far as his childhood, notably trying to stab Jonathan when he beat him up, and violently slapping Erina.[13] He was also incredibly cruel to Jonathan's dog, Danny, going so far as kicking him on their first meeting.[15] When Dio was defeated by Jonathan, Dio secretly had Danny incinerated. He is shown to be utterly enraged when someone stands up to him, which is the cause for his outbursts. He himself acknowledged that his anger was a weakness,[19] but would be all his life unable to truly control himself.

Dio's personality could be explained by his poor childhood and the abusive relationship he shared with his father, Dario Brando. Speedwagon, however, rejected this as the cause of Dio's personality, claiming that Dio was simply born this way, and that his poverty had nothing to do with it. True to that, Dio was already an immoral person but then openly relinquishes his humanity in favor of becoming a Vampire upon being cornered by the police.[20] He trades his underhanded scheming persona for a more arrogant and hedonistic personality that is dismissive of humanity and revels in evil. Nonetheless, Dio respects determination and said much to Jonathan that his determination was equal to his own, earning him the dubious honor of serving as Dio's new host, after Dio was reduced by Jonathan to a head.[17]

Dio's potential for empathy is implied in both the manga and 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 has expressed hatred for dogs, considering them vermin.[10]

Part 3 - Stardust Crusaders

Everyone survives in pursuit of peace of mind... Aren't you uneasy, preparing to fight me, knowing you may die? If you join me, I will give you peace of mind that will last forever. (安心を求める事そ人間の目的だ。そこでだ……わたしに仕えることに何の不安感があるのだ?わたしに仕えるだけで他の全ての安心が簡単に手に入るぞ)
—DIO to Polnareff, Chapter 248: DIO's World, Part 2

Reappearing in Stardust Crusaders, DIO did not change much since his burial at the bottom of the ocean for one hundred years, as he remained a remorseless and murderous megalomaniac, but nonetheless he had matured a little by recognizing valor in others and being generally more calm and level-headed.

DIO discussing the true nature of happiness with Polnareff

DIO does not appear frequently in Stardust Crusaders except towards the end, but is seen discussing various philosophies with Stand users he wishes to recruit, and with his already-loyal followers, particularly Enya the Hag who serves as his main adviser. It seems equally likely that DIO does this to manipulate and persuade as that he believes what he says, but nonetheless acknowledges the power and valor simple humans can have, notably respecting one's willingness to die for his goal. Wishing to quickly dispose of the Joestars, he listened to Enya and was told that she'd already sent agents to deal with them, and quietly rested in his mansion to gain more strength. Furthermore, DIO learned his lesson and stops underestimating his opponents, being particularly careful around the Joestar bloodline. He nonetheless sneered at other Stand Users' efforts to fight him, most notably Kakyoin's, whose discovery ended up being crucial in his defeat.

This time, DIO is far more calm and collected. Maybe due to knowing that his Stand The World is far above anyone's reach, DIO is more tolerant of people resisting him, and didn't react to Polnareff's taunts and insults. He even seems to appreciate Hol Horse's insubordination, which confirms the mercenary's strength, and let him go try to assassinate Jotaro. However, DIO is still callous about human life and killed anyone who would fail him, even Enya—who was, again, his closest adviser. The usually confident and cunning gambler Daniel D'Arby was driven to madness when he couldn't handle the pressure of possibly revealing DIO's Stand ability to Jotaro.

DIO's insanity in full view

True to himself, DIO is enjoying the fact that he is wielding the most powerful Stand in his organization, being unconcerned by the heroes' effort to discover his power as he thinks they are meaningless. When Jotaro reveals himself to be able to move within the stopped time, DIO is initially very distraught but recomposes himself quickly, devising other plans to get rid of Jotaro by exploiting his advantage. The full scale of his insanity is visible when, overjoyed to have completely fused with Jonathan's body and being at full power, DIO declares that he was experiencing "the greatest high" and delightfully drills his index finger into his skull.

DIO’s final speech exposes that he is still willing to use any way to win and despises any concept of honor or revenge, ultimately using a cheap trick to blind Jotaro momentarily. However, this was all for naught since DIO would ultimately meet retribution by dying at Jotaro's hand.

Part 6 - Stone Ocean

What you can find beyond the powers of my Stand is the way forward for humanity. What you need is a trustworthy friend. Will I, DIO, be able to meet someone like this one day? (我がスタンドの先にあるものこそが人間がさらに先に進むべき道なのである。必要なものは信頼できる友である。いつかそのような者にこの()()()が出会えるだろうか?)
DIO with Enrico Pucci

In flashbacks placed before the events of Part 3, DIO demonstrates a burgeoning ability to be genuinely nice to another person in numerous conversations with Enrico Pucci. Intrigued by Pucci, who let him be despite suspiciously hiding in a church, DIO healed his crooked foot, a kind gesture, and gave him the head of an Arrow, which would grant him his own Stand, Whitesnake. During these flashbacks, DIO is able to open up with him on multiple subjects, and confiding to Pucci that the priest could make him be at peace. Once daring Pucci to steal his Stand, to Pucci's refusal, DIO thanked him for his fidelity, and even admitted that he feared the thought of Pucci betraying him.

It is debatable how good a friend DIO truly was, considering Pucci's good-willed nature during his youth directly opposing his later evilness and zealotry. DIO also seems to have built that friendship to further his ambitions, which calls into question how sincere it was. It is implied that he 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".

Over Heaven

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

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Over Heaven offers an interpretation of Dio Brando's character by mixing elements present in the original material and plot points introduced by the light novel, which serves to be the real-life interpretation of DIO's Diary.

In the novel, DIO has seemingly matured past his megalomania and, due to his mother's kindness and influence on him during his younger years, developed an extreme fixation on the concept of 'heaven' - an idea he revisits when he becomes embroiled in the world of Stands. After discovering the power human souls possess, as well as the possibility that these souls can be harnessed and controlled for one's benefit, DIO tries to devise a plan to use Stand power and human souls to bring about his idea of heaven.

Apparently, all throughout the events of Stardust Crusaders, DIO had been holding meetings with Enrico Pucci as well as devising ways on how to go to heaven. He then comes to the conclusion that in order to achieve true victory and witness heaven, DIO must guide Pucci to heaven, and not the other way around. Spliced between these events are all sorts of entries, such as memories of his past life as a human and later on a Vampire, the intricacies of the Stone Mask, his musings about the generational feud between him and the Joestar Family, the life his parents had in the slums of London, him interacting with his organization, and various philosophical matters.

For what it was worth, DIO appears to have genuinely cared about Enrico Pucci, and even more so about his plan to go to heaven, stating outright that he would sacrifice his organization, his vampiric abilities, his stand, everything - just to achieve his goal of creating his heaven on earth.

Abilities

Invulnerability! Eternal life! Stand power! Here lies the proof that none shall surpass the mighty DIO! (不死身ッ!!不老不死ッ!スタンドパワーッ!これで何者もこの()()()を超える者はいないことが証明されたッ!)
—DIO, Chapter 263: DIO's World, Part 17

DIO is one of the most powerful characters in the series. As a human, he was already brilliant but over time he's managed to acquire several powers, becoming a Vampire and then a Stand User.

Stand

The World

Main article: The World

DIO's Stand is The World; a close-ranged Stand with comparable, if not superior strength and speed against Jotaro Kujo's Star Platinum.

About a year after gaining his Stand, DIO discovered it's signature ability of stopping time. At first, he could only do this for a very short amount of time, but by the end of Part 3, he is able to stop time for a maximum of 9 seconds.[21] This duration would have continued to increase, had DIO not been defeated. When stopping time, DIO gives the impression that he is teleporting or otherwise moving at impossible speeds.

The World (ザ・ワールド(世界))Link to this section
TheWorldMangaAv.png
PWR
A
SPD
A
RNG
C
STA
A
PRC
B
DEV
B

The ability is best known for DIO's activation and cancellation phrases, The World! Time, stop! (世界(ザ・ワールド)! 時よ止まれ!, Za Warudo! Toki yo tomare!) and Time resumes. (時は動き出す, Toki wa ugokidasu.)

Mastery

Having had ample time to rest and train with The World, DIO is shown to have been thorough in exploring his Stand's abilities. Case in point, it was during an experimental session during which DIO sought to test the limit of The World's speed that he discovered his time stop ability.

DIO with The World

To give himself an advantage, DIO has tried to keep the ability of The World a secret, only using it at key moments to psych out an opponent and perform incomprehensible sneak attacks, as well as only trusting its secret to a few confidants such as Enya the Hag and not hesitating to eliminate her as soon as she remotely risked to inform the Joestars of his timestop power. However, as soon as they understood its ability, DIO dropped the secret and showed a great degree of confidence about the supremacy of his power, ultimately not caring about his secret as he was convinced that no one could do anything about it. Thus, he began to liberally stop time against Jotaro. Thanks to the free time-frame of action granted by The World, DIO has made it possible to instantly reposition himself to avoid attacks or set himself up to attack, kill enemies instantly, or even displace his opponents to toy with them.

DIO has shown a high degree of control over The World, using it to battle Jotaro's Star Platinum to a standstill, but showing superior technique in hand to hand combat by using low kicks to unbalance Star Platinum or feints to out-punch Star Platinum. However, his Vampire constitution means that DIO never showed the same care at using The World defensively at he preferred to avoid being hit at all and regenerate by sucking blood.

Unlike every other enemy Stand User in Stardust Crusaders, DIO actively sought to improve his Stand's capabilities. He notably wanted the Joestar Group to come to him so that he could suck the blood of a Joestar and sync himself up with Jonathan's body to bolster his powers further. Araki himself has stated that DIO had the potential to stop time indefinitely.

Moreover, DIO had searched a way to unlock a power even more powerful than The World, using esoteric knowledge to divine a plan to create another mightier Stand.

Joestar Stand

Main article: Joestar's Stand

When DIO awakened The World, Jonathan's body also awakened a Hermit Purple-like Stand power with semi-precognitive abilities.[22] Similar to Hermit Purple, it can produce psychic photographs by striking a camera or a crystal ball, which DIO used to track the Joestars and their friends' current location to send Stand Users after them. DIO was even able to tell when Joseph used Hermit Purple to take a psychic photograph of him, and instinctively knew that his acquisition of a Stand also awoke Stand abilities in Jonathan's descendants.

In the light novel JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE OVER HEAVEN, this Stand shares the same name as Hermit Purple and is called "Hermit Purple #2". In JORGE JOESTAR, this Stand is instead named "The Passion" and takes the form of a crown of thorns, along with also being able to watch the futures of anyone that is blood-related to Jonathan.

Vampiric Abilities

Main article: Vampire

Becoming a Vampire as a young adult, Dio Brando displays a broad range of fantastic, supernatural abilities, explained as expressions of the full, unbound potential of the human body.

Anti-Aging Link to this sectionLink to this section

As part of its immortality, the body of a vampire forfeits natural decay, essentially preventing the host from dying of old age. Those transformed at a younger age will naturally preserve their looks, while those who are older will rejuvenate their bodies and take on the appearance of a young adult.[23] This characteristic allows DIO to retain his youth and survive at the bottom of the ocean for a century. Even over 100 years after his birth, DIO continues to appear as though he is in his 20s.

Superhuman Strength Link to this sectionLink to this section
Dio strength.gif
DescriptionExamples
Dio attains massive strength as a Vampire, allowing him to perform incredible feats, such as walking on walls and deflecting powerful attacks such as Hierophant Green's Emerald Splash. After absorbing Joseph's blood, he is powerful enough to pick up and drop a steamroller on Jotaro.[24]
Superhuman Speed/Agility Link to this sectionLink to this section
Dio jump.gif
DescriptionExamples
Like all Vampires, Dio is exceptionally agile. He can jump high in the air, make long leaps or hang from the ceiling. On various ocassions he is shown gliding through the air, particularly during his fight with Jotaro, though it is unclear if this is the actual ability to fly or an exaggeration of his superhuman jumping capabilities, either through his Stand or by being a vampire. At one point, Speedwagon compares his speed to a cheetah's.[25]
Superhuman Senses Link to this section
Dio listen.gif

Dio appears to have senses beyond human levels, as demonstrated when he places his head on the ground to hear Jotaro's heartbeat from a few meters away.[26]

Blood Sucking Link to this sectionLink to this section
Dio suck blood.gif

All vampires, including DIO, consume the blood of living creatures to sustain themselves. Unlike traditional vampires, they suck their victims' blood with their hands, digging the fingers directly inside the target to suck their blood. Blood consumption will strengthen a vampire and heal them if they were weakened before. In a weakened state, a vampire will instinctively crave blood and may attack any victim to regenerate.

Regeneration Link to this sectionLink to this section
Dio regen.gif
DescriptionExamples
Dio can regenerate his body faster than fire can consume it. His body is able to live even after having vital body parts amputated, and he is even capable of controlling his detached body parts. The extent of Dio's inability to be killed is demonstrated when he appears to Jonathan as just a head.
Hypnosis Link to this section
DioHypnotism.gif

This ability is used twice, on Jack the Ripper and Poco. In the case of the former, Dio hypnotizes Jack to convince him to become his servant, allowing Dio to drain his blood and turn him into a zombie.[27] Poco was hypnotized to lure Jonathan's group into a graveyard trap, though his consciousness returned after being subjected to Jonathan's Ripple.[28]

Vaporization Freezing Technique(気化冷凍法 Kikareitōhō) Link to this section
Dio freeze.gif
DescriptionExamples
By vaporizing the moisture in his body, Dio can absorb heat from any living being he comes into physical contact with, freezing them and stifling their blood flow.[29] This ability can be circumvented if Ripple energy is channeled through items or fire.
Flesh Transmutation Link to this section
Chimera Zombies Anime.gif

Having extensive knowledge on the anatomies of organic beings, Dio can graft the body parts of different beings together. At first, he uses this ability to create hybrid animal chimeras that he keeps as pets. Some of his other zombies such as Page, Jones, Plant, and Bornnam may have also been created this way. Dio ultimately utilizes this power to graft his head onto Jonathan's body.

Space Ripper Stingy Eyes(空裂眼刺驚(スペースリパー・スティンギーアイズ) Supēsu Ripā Sutingī Aizu) Link to this section
DioSRSE.gif

Dio is able to pressurize bodily liquid in his eyeballs and then create small openings in his pupils, eventually unleashing two fluid jets. This ability, later referred to by Straizo as "Space Ripper Stingy Eyes",[30] is one of Dio's most lethal abilities, powerful enough to slice through stone. Though DIO can still utilize this ability without his original body, as shown in Heritage for the Future and the Drama CD, he actually never uses it in Stardust Crusaders.

Flesh Buds(肉の芽 Niku no Me) Link to this section
Flesh Bud.png

DIO is able to manipulate his hair to create parasites, which he can then insert into a human's head. These flesh buds pierce through the skull into part of the brain, making the victim compliant to Dio's charisma. As explained by Joseph, the parasite will gradually consume the victim's brain. If anyone attempts to remove the bud, it will sprout tentacles in an attempt to invade the intruder's brain. If necessary, DIO can give permission to someone to activate the spore's tentacles from a close distance. The spores possess another effect in case DIO himself ever dies: according to Keicho Nijimura, DIO's cells mutated his father into a greenish animalistic form upon DIO's death. Presumably, this is a side effect of the flesh buds that all Stand users containing flesh buds suffer from.

Healing Link to this section
DIOHealingPucci.png

Dio seems to possess the ability to heal other people's wounds, as he is able to completely cure Pucci's wounded foot by simply touching it.[31] The origin of this power remains unknown, though it could be an extension of his transmutation capabilities or self-healing factor.


Personal Skills

Intelligence: Dio is naturally intelligent, displaying cunning and perceptiveness as well as imagination repeatedly.

As a child and teenager, Dio Brando managed to achieve academic excellence with ease, having planned to graduate from university as a top law student.

Otherwise, Dio is a cunning villain and proficient tactician in combat. Dio almost managed to get away with two murders, biding his time in order to have a perfect alibi and was only discovered by accident. Upon his return from the bottom of the ocean, DIO built in six years a powerful criminal empire spanning over several continents and which brought him many riches. In a fight, Dio is particularly cunning and perceptive, his ruthlessness making him able to exploit dishonorable and downright inhuman tactics to get ahead, such as leading his enemies into a trap, using hapless civilians as projectiles and sources of energy, or plain sneak attacks. Dio has the habit of analyzing his opponents and determine quickly a counter to their strengths, such as freezing blood in order to stop the flow of the Ripple or forcing Jotaro's bluff by throwing multiple knives from all direction so that he's forced to act during the stopped time.

Naturally ambitious, Dio constantly seeks to improve himself and meticulously studies his abilities to make the most of them. As such, he developed a freezing power akin to the Pillar Men's Modes in just a month, and in six years, discovered enough about Stands to be able to fuse several together with souls in order to create the ultimate Stand. Arguably his most successful move Dio experimented on how his vampiric powers allowed him to fuse two organisms together and used that knowledge to steal Jonathan's body.

Though he doesn't show it often, Dio has become a natural philosopher, arguing about the human condition with multiple people.

Resilience: All prior to becoming a Vampire, Dio was already an able bare-handed fighter; a skill he says he developed in the slums of London. A good amateur sportsman, during a rugby game as a young adult, he is shown to have developed high athletic ability (as well as fantastic muscle mass).

Charisma: Dio is a cunning and charming individual. In addition to Stand Users, whom Avdol and Joseph suggest he recruits through charm or charisma, he has seduced many women throughout his life.

Knowledge: Throughout both his humble youth and tempestuous maturity, Dio is often seen reading. During his pre-teens, he is seen playing chess with adults. In Stone Ocean, in conversation with Enrico Pucci, he is shown to have accumulated some wisdom within the world of Stands. Importantly, Dio is able to concoct a plan, contained in his diary, incorporating vast, unknown information as to the deliberate creation of Stands of perfectly specific abilities.

Spiritual Connection: After stealing Jonathan's body, DIO began to share a spiritual connection with Jonathan's living descendants. He notably was instinctively aware of their presence and their well-being, allowing him to track them across Cairo. Joseph mentions that DIO probably cannot distinguish between him and Jotaro, and only feel their presence.

Weaknesses

  • Vampiric Body: Dio Brando's powers, however, are all at the expense of having a body sustained by sheer willpower alone, rather than vital energy. A sufficiently powerful force of vitality - specifically sunlight or the Ripple - will negate the sustaining force's presence and disintegrate his long-unliving body.
  • Jonathan's Body (former): When DIO first acquired Jonathan Joestar's body and resurfaced from the ocean, he was unable to use the full power of his Stand, and had to acquire blood from a live Joestar to compensate and fully synchronize with his new form. Once this weakness was negated, he managed to grow significantly stronger, as did his Stan

References

  1. JoJonium Volume 3
  2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood (PS2 Game) - Interview with Hirohiko Araki 2006
  3. The Miasma of the Void, Vanilla Ice - Vol.9 "Shueisha Jump Remix Stardust Crusaders Edition" P170 The Secret of JOJO Characters
  4. JoJo 6251, p.103
  5. JJBA Artbook: JoJo 6251, page 151
  6. Stone Ocean Chapter 152: Made in Heaven, Part 4 (Note: Originally 1988; Changed in later chapters)
  7. Stardust Crusader Model Sheet No.SC-MC000-00
  8. Chapter 440: Gold Experience, Part 1, p.11
  9. Chapter 1: Prologue, p.9
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Chapter 2: Dio Brando the Invader, Part 1
  11. Hirohiko Araki Reveals Which Blade Runner Character Inspired DIO
  12. 12.0 12.1 Chapter 7: A Letter from the Past, Part 2
  13. 13.0 13.1 Chapter 4: Dio Brando the Invader, Part 3
  14. 2007 Eureka November issue - Interview with Hirohiko Araki
  15. 15.0 15.1 Chapter 1: Prologue
  16. Chapter 3: Dio Brando the Invader, Part 2
  17. 17.0 17.1 Chapter 42: Fire and Ice, Jonathan and Dio, Part 4
  18. Chapter 44: Fire and Ice, Jonathan and Dio, Part 6
  19. Chapter 5: Dio Brando the Invader, Part 4
  20. Chapter 11: The Stone Mask, Part 4
  21. JoJo 6251 Stand Encyclopedia, p.124
  22. JOJO A-GO!GO! appendix note
  23. JoJo6251, p.105
  24. Chapter 263: DIO's World, Part 17
  25. Chapter 39: Fire and Ice, Jonathan and Dio, Part 1
  26. Chapter 260: DIO's World, Part 14
  27. Chapter 18: Jack the Ripper and Zeppeli the Strange, Part 1
  28. Chapter 24: Ripple Overdrive, Part 2
  29. Chapter 25: Ripple Overdrive, Part 3
  30. Chapter 50: Straizo vs. Joseph, Part 3
  31. Stone Ocean Chapter 127: Heavy Weather, Part 3

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