JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Parts 1–5 Ranked (and the best parts of each)
By: Tej Crescendo
Tags: List, Jojo, Anime, Cartoon, TV

5. Part 1- Phantom Blood

Don’t hate me for this but Phantom Blood was.. lacking compared to the other parts. Don’t get me wrong I liked the dark and exotic vibes it gave off better than the tone of Stardust Crusaders for example, but there was no real content compared to the other parts. It’s downfalls are simply due to circumstance, being the shortest by far and being the part to set up the entire series, but in true JoJo fashion, I will show it no mercy and leave it at number 5.

Best character: Dio, his unrelenting and unwarranted hatred for Joseph made him a complex and perplexing antagonist.

Best Stand: N/A

Soundtrack Rating & Ranking: 8.5/10 | 2nd place

Overall Rating & Ranking: 7/10 | 5th place

4. Part 5- Golden Wind

Golden Wind has its perks and downfalls, I like the change in tone from Diamond Is Unbreakable to this, it’s darker and grittier, but following a whole group of mafiosos doesn’t do it for me. Yes Giorno is DIO’s son and they keep the use of stands, but those are the only real connections to the other parts. It is full of repetition and feels more like a fanmade rendition than an actual JoJo part.

Best Character: Bucciarati, he embodies a true mafioso even while looking like he’s about to scold Mr. Incredible for wearing a cape, his stand “Zipper Man” doesn’t sound cool either but both are more badass than Giorno will ever be.

Best Stand: Golden Wind, yes I know I said Bucciarati is more badass than Giorno, that is still true, but Giorno’s stand Golden Wind is still a more powerful and developed stand.

Soundtrack Rating & Ranking : 10/10 | 1st place

Overall Rating & Ranking: 7/10 | 4th place

3. Part 3- Stardust Crusaders

Stardust Crusaders is a GREAT part, it introduces stands and Jotaro, it goes to Japan, and my favorite part: the journey it sends Jotaro and the JoBros on, through various countries and cultures. The tone shift was eh, while I like the vibe of Stardust Crusaders, it was not a welcome one coming straight after the gritty tone of the first two parts. It’s overall a great part and made JoJo what it is today.

Best Character: Joseph, his shift from a young trickster in Battle Tendency to a wise and goofy old man in this was wonderful. He becomes a mentor to Jotaro as Speedwagon was to him.

Best Stand: Star Platinum, you probably saw this coming, Star Platinum is at the pinnacle of every ability other than range, which he doesn’t need due to his ability to stop time (that was sort of a cop out, but hey, it explains his speed)

Soundtrack Rating & Ranking: 6/10 | 5th place

Overall Rating & Ranking: 8/10 | 3rd place

2. Part 4- Diamond Is Unbreakable

I had a difficult time deciding if Diamond Is Unbreakable or Stardust Crusaders was better. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that a serial killer with a hand fetish and a bomb-using stand wasn’t going to be beat, even by DIO. Other than the antagonist I loved the protagonists, even if they were VERY similar to Stardust Crusaders. In fact, the JoBros in DIU are just better versions of the ones in SC if you ask me.

Best Character: Okuyasu, it would have been hard to see Okuyasu becoming a main character if it wasn’t for the cover art. He just seems like Pesci from part 5, a screw up that will always screw up, but after his brother died, Okuyasu stepped up and became an important part of the story. Okuyasu had the best growth of any JoJo character by far.

Best Stand: Shining Diamond, not just because he’s the protagonist’s stand, but because of his intelligence, strength, and resolve. His skills matching Star Platinum’s is one thing, but his ability to heal, and put matter back together made Shining Diamond the best stand by far.

Soundtrack Rating & Ranking: 8/10 | 3rd place

Overall Rating & Ranking: 8.5/10 | 2nd place

1. Part 2- Battle Tendency

Although there are no stands, and it doesn’t have many episodes, Battle Tendency has more entertainment value than the parts that proceed it. It keeps the dark tone left from Phantom Blood and sets the stage for Stardust Crusaders’ outrageous powers, it is the best JoJo part. All the Pillar Men are interesting and challenging opponents with a very valid reason for fighting (or not fighting). The WW2 imagery is incredible and characters like Lisa Lisa, Von Stroheim, and Caesar make it even better.

Best Character: Caesar. Caesar will always be my favorite JoJo character, his personality contradicts itself with him being respectful and irreverent at the same time. Caesar goes from a character you hate to love, to just plain old love.

Best Stand: N/A

Soundtrack Rating & Ranking: 7.5/10 | 4th place

Overall Rating & Ranking: 9/10 | 1st place