Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath (ブラック・サバス, Burakku Sabasu) is the Stand of Polpo, featured in the fifth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Vento Aureo.
Only able to exist within shadows, it has the ability to pull an individual's soul from their body and pierce it with the Stand Arrow contained within its mouth.
Appearance
Black Sabbath appears as a large humanoid with a Venetian carnival mask-styled head, bound in a dark laced cloak and Venetian hat. Its body is riddled with small cables giving the impression of stitches. It also bears an Arrow motif on its hands and collar.
It is designed after a Venetian costume, notably inspired by the work of Casanova and by the image of Death. The borders of its hat and the scarf are used to evoke the image of Medieval Italy.[2]
Color Schemes
Personality
Black Sabbath is an automated Stand that blindly follows the instruction given to it and thus doesn't have a personality.
It nonetheless talks to its victim, grandiosely announcing their impending trial by explaining that they can either "follow the path of the chosen or that of death"[3] when pierced by the Arrow.
Black Sabbath is said to often make a "Bfff" (ブフゥ~, Bufuuu) sound.[4]
Abilities
Black Sabbath is an automated Stand that follows simple and direct preset commands. As such, it is characterized by its long-range strength, lack of damage transfer (to an extent that Polpo was unaware that Giorno Giovanna beat Black Sabbath[5]), and straightforward way of attacking. A formidable adversary in the shadows, it is nonetheless vulnerable to sunlight. However, even if beaten, Black Sabbath can be summoned back.[6]
For undisclosed reasons, Black Sabbath is linked to Polpo's test and his lighter. When someone holding the lighter puts it out but then reignites it, Black Sabbath materializes within the shadows and attacks all witnesses. It then automatically seeks to impale the souls of those present with the Arrow in its mouth to awaken a possible Stand, even if they already have one.[3] Polpo uses this Stand to weed out weaker recruits and only keep those with a Stand.[5] Those who pass the original lighter test and are therefore never given the opportunity to gain a Stand still pass, but are only linked to less combative areas such as intelligence teams or drug-running.
Polpo is seen chewing off his fingers, and in the next panel seemingly grows them back. While this is never explained, Giorno suggests that it may be part of Polpo's Stand ability.
Shadow Power
Black Sabbath's main ability is to draw power from the shadows.[7] The Stand is incredibly powerful within the shadows; its prowess can increase at least to the point where it can overpower and outspeed Gold Experience.[8]
Moreover, Black Sabbath can hide within shadows. It can sink inside a shadow as if it were water and go from one point to another near instantaneously as long as the shadows are linked, allowing it to easily re-position itself in the midst of battle.[7] It can even hide in small shadows and use them as transportation, using a bird's shadow to cross a sunlit space and hide inside an isolated tree's shadow.[6][8]
The drawback of this ability is that Black Sabbath is vulnerable to light. Being even partially exposed to sunlight pains it considerably,[7] thus its movements are restricted to the shadows. To escape, the Stand must touch a shadow again and hide inside.[8] In the sunlight, it is vulnerable and Gold Experience was able to destroy it with a barrage of punches.[6]
Soul Pull
By grabbing an ordinary human's shadow, Black Sabbath is able to forcibly drag out their souls,[3] whereas grabbing a Stand User's shadow would drag out their Stand.[7]
Arrow Storage
Black Sabbath can store objects inside its mouth, and Polpo uses that to hide an Arrow inside.[3] The Stand can then pull it out when needed, and continuously pierce people with the Arrow to awaken a Stand with little care about whether they have a Stand or not already. When Polpo unwittingly shoots himself in the mouth, he also destroys the Arrow inside Black Sabbath's mouth.[5]
Chapters / Episodes
Manga Appearances- Chapter 451: Joining the Gang, Part 2
- Chapter 452: Joining the Gang, Part 3
- Chapter 453: Joining the Gang, Part 4
- Chapter 454: Joining the Gang, Part 5
- Chapter 455: Joining the Gang, Part 6 (Death)
Anime Appearances- Golden Wind Episode 3: Meet the Gangster Behind the Wall
- Golden Wind Episode 4: Joining the Gang (Death)
- Golden Wind Episode 13.5: Inizio del vento aureo
In Video Games
GioGio's Bizarre Adventure (PS2)
(In shadow)
Gallery
Black Sabbath's first appearances
Black Sabbath kills an old man using Arrow
Black Sabbath drags Gold Experience from Giorno's shadow
Black Sabbath hidden in shadow
Black Sabbath appears from the shadows
Black Sabbath catches Gold Experience's foot
Black Sabbath's grip persisting even under the effect of 3 Freeze
Gold Experience landing a punching on Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath disintegrates in the sunlight
The death of both Polpo & Black Sabbath
Cover, Chapter 452
Black Sabbath's stats page, Chapter 453
Cover, Chapter 454
The Arrow inside Black Sabbath's mouth
Black Sabbath kills the janitor
Black Sabbath attacks Giorno
Forcibly grabbing Gold Experience
Black Sabbath's arrow is grabbed by Gold Experience
Black Sabbath pulls a sneak attack on Gold Experience
Ceasing its attack due to the sunlight
Staring at Giorno from afar
Frozen in midair by the sun, just before reaching Giorno
Fully exposed to sunlight by Giorno, thus saving Koichi Hirose
Grabbing Echoes
Black Sabbath grabs Gold Experience's leg and prepares to attack for the last time
Immobilized by Echoes ACT 3's "3 Freeze"
Black Sabbath's hand is stepped on by Gold Experience
Black Sabbath burns in the sunlight, ceasing its attack
Black Sabbath dies, along with its user
Black Sabbath's stats
Black Sabbath key art
Black Sabbath appearing at the very bottom of the mural
Polpo and Black Sabbath in GioGio's Bizarre Adventure
Black Sabbath's first appearance
Black Sabbath hides in the shadows
Black Sabbath is defeated
Black Sabbath is destroyed
Chara Heroes; Part 5 Vol.1
Adventure Battle Card; Black Sabbath
Weiß Schwarz; Observer From the Shadows, Black Sabbath
Observer From the Shadows, Black Sabbath (JoJo Rare)
Weekly Shonen Jump #13, 1997
Trivia
- The manner in which Black Sabbath attacks its targets with the Stand-creating Arrow is eerily similar to how the Alien from Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien kills its victims via an inner jaw impaling them in the head.
References
- ↑ Golden Wind Model Sheet No.ST009_01
- ↑ JOJOVELLER: Araki's Stand Commentaries - Black Sabbath
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Chapter 451: Joining the Gang, Part 2
- ↑ Chapter 453: Joining the Gang, Part 4, p.1
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chapter 456: 5 Plus 1
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Chapter 454: Joining the Gang, Part 5
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Chapter 452: Joining the Gang, Part 3
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Chapter 453: Joining the Gang, Part 4
