Dragona Joestar
Dragona Joestar (ドラゴナ・ジョースター, Doragona Jōsutā) is a primary ally featured in the ninth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, The JOJOLands.
Dragona is Jodio Joestar's older sibling and works alongside him as a gangster in Honolulu, Hawaii. They are a Stand User who wields Smooth Operators, a colony-type Stand that can displace anything.
Appearance
Dragona is a slim 18 year-old with a feminine silhouette, tanned skin, and long straight hair that parts into long straight bangs. They wear a crown of flowers with some having elongated petals that are reminiscent of hands.[1]
They have many dragon-themed tattoos and accessories, including stylized dragon tattoos on their shoulders and left thigh and triple claw-like tattoos on their chest, arms, and left thigh. They also wear a necklace bearing a plate engraved with a stylized "D" which is made to look like a dragon.
During their first appearance, they wear a plain dark bikini with a belt and arm rings. Later, they wear a plain legless sleeveless suit.
As a descendant of the Joestar Family, Dragona has the Joestar Birthmark on their left shoulder.
Personality
Dragona Joestar is a jovial and carefree individual. Their gender is somewhat ambiguous, as while they live their life as a woman and use Japanese feminine first-person pronouns, their brother Jodio refers to them as his "big brother".[2] They wear feminine clothing such as two-piece bikinis and dresses, work at the women's fashion boutique Iko Iko, and have had some cosmetic injections to increase the size of their breasts;[3] it is implied they still have masculine genitalia when they are molested by a Honolulu Police officer under the pretense of a cavity search and the officer makes fetishistic remarks about not having found the "cavity" he was originally looking for but is still turned on.[4]
Apart from that, Dragona is an amiable, active youth who nonetheless participates in various crimes alongside their brother. Their Stand Smooth Operators doesn't have the same offensive capabilities as Jodio's Stand, thus Dragona seems more inclined to talk their way out of trouble or at least use guile and surprise attacks instead of rushing headfirst into trouble.[5] They disapprove when Jodio needlessly stomps on a police officer despite Dragona being molested by the man,[6] though they thank Jodio afterward.[7] Despite their criminal life, Dragona also takes their legitimate job at the fashion boutique seriously and heavily disapproves of their fellow gangster Paco stealing from the clients, scolding him and even pulling his ear to punish him.[8]
From Jodio's narration, it can be inferred that Dragona is physically active. They jog every morning and follow yoga courses. Their motto, which they picked up from an Indian yoga instructor, is to "never push themselves too hard, but never give up either," indicating a preference for steady effort. One of Dragona's favorite foods is watermelon, and it is the only thing they eat for breakfast.[3]
Abilities
Stand
Dragona wields Smooth Operators, a colony of small Stands on tank treads that are able to grab and displace anything, even if the object affected is supposed to be fixed in place.
History
Background
Dragona is the grandchild of Joseph Joestar and Suzi Q, and the child of Barbara Ann Joestar and an unnamed man. Their family initially lived in Atlantic City and they moved to Honolulu before Barbara got separated from her husband for unknown reasons. Dragona works at a fashion boutique in Kalihi called Iko Iko. At some point, they joined a gang in the neighborhood.
One day, Dragona and their younger brother Jodio go on a job to smuggle drugs in surfboards. They steal a pickup truck and Dragona creates a fake driver's license using their Stand, replacing the original photo on the license with their own.[1]
The JOJOLands
Jodio sits in the passenger seat of the pickup truck while Dragona drives, blasting music from Dua Lipa. They are suddenly stopped by police officers. Dragona is sure they have not done anything wrong and constantly questions the officer, annoying him. The police officer thus forces Dragona out of the car and molests them under the pretense of searching them for drugs. Jodio decides to intervene and steps out of the car, ignoring the officers' orders to stop. Instead, he demands that the officer takes his hands off of his big brother, threatening to kill him otherwise. The officers point their guns at Jodio but he summons his Stand, causing rain droplets to pin the officer behind him to the ground, flattening him.
Just before the other officer fires at Jodio, Dragona uses their Stand to slide the officer's eyes to the back of his head, throwing off his aim. Finally, Jodio attacks the officer with rain drops as well, crushing him. He continuously stomps on the cop before Dragona stops him, calming him down so that Jodio doesn't kill the man.
Jodio then burns the officers' body cameras and dashboard camera along with their car, so that the officers would have no evidence and wouldn't be able to go after them. This initially shocks Dragona but Jodio tells them that he is erasing evidence and Dragona thus agrees with Jodio's actions. Moreover, Dragona uses their Stand to change the numbers on the truck's license plate and gets rid of their fake license before they head to their gang's rendezvous point. One of the gang members praises them for doing well but reprimands them for being late. He also asks them if they heard about a police car being burned down but Jodio and Dragona pretend to be ignorant. They walk until they get to a major road and then call an Uber to go home.
Later, Jodio, Dragona, and Paco are summoned by their boss, Meryl Mei Qi, to the fashion boutique named Iko Iko. Paco attempts to steal from one of the customers but Dragona stops him by grabbing his ear. Meryl Mei makes an announcement to close the shop and then orders the three gang members to turn off their phones before showing them her own phone. On the screen is a 24-carat natural blue diamond worth $6 million. It is owned by a lone Japanese tourist who also owns a villa on the Big Island of Hawai'i and plans to stay there for around 12 more days. Their group will be getting a 2% split all together, while Meryl Mei gets an 18% cut after they sell it on the black market. She also informs them that they will be going as a team of four. The student who Jodio and Paco sold drugs to at school in the morning arrives as their fourth member, as Meryl Mei guarantees that he will be useful to them.[1]
The Heist
After the group arrives at the Kona Airport in Hawai'i, Dragona scolds Usagi for being late and not providing a car, reminding him that they need to get back before the last plane of the day departs. Usagi reassures the group about the mission by stating that he knows a safe car rental that does not have tracking devices or cameras. In the end, they trust him due to the recommendation from Meryl Mei Qi and depart. After arriving at the villa of the japanese tourist, Dragona tells their brother to reveal the gathered intel. They also notice that the owner might come out to the pool. Following the briefing, Dragona instructs the group to put their earphones and masks on, and only to use their codenames on the radio. As they approach the estate, Usagi tells Dragona to wish to have the camera installed on the side of the house. This activates Usagi's Stand, The Matte Kudasai, which copies the camera. He uses the cameras to create two distinct videos, making the recorded evidence useless. The group continues on its way in.[9]
Relationships
Family
- Jodio Joestar: Dragona's younger brother. The two have a close relationship, working together to earn money and protect their mother. Dragona seemingly makes efforts to restrain his more violent impulses, but still shows appreciation for his efforts to keep them safe.[1]
- Barbara Ann Joestar: The mother of Dragona and Jodio, who raises them alone. Jodio and Dragona love her and ensure her social safety by helping her behind the scenes with their gang work.[1]
Gangmates
- Paco Laburantes: Dragona and Paco seem to have a strained relationship. When Paco tries to steal from customers at Iko Iko, Dragona reprimands him and threatens to wrap his ear around his head. Paco also challenges Dragona to fight afterwards, though Dragona refuses.[1]
Chapters
Manga Appearances- The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure (1st appearance)
- The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street
Gallery
Jodio and Dragona's first appearance in a pick up truck
Dragona taking out their license
Jodio and Dragona laughing about Dragona being too excited from Dua Lipa's music
A photo of Dragona for their fake license
Hugging Jodio
Jodio introduces Dragona
Dragona's preferences and favorite motto
Ultra Jump March 2023 Back Cover
Ultra Jump February 2023 Next Issue Preview
Wall mural in Shibuya Station advertising The JOJOLands
Notes
- ↑ Dragona is referred to as "big brother" by the protagonist, but in Japanese they use feminine first person pronouns. So without an official source, any decision about the character's gender would ultimately be speculative.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure, p.15
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure, p.42
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure, p.12
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure, p.27-28
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure, p.30
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure, p.35
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 1: Departure, p.56
- ↑ The JOJOLands Chapter 2: South King Street
