Jotaro

## Introduction

**Jotaro Kujo** (空条 承太郎 *Kūjō Jōtarō*) is the protagonist of *Stardust Crusaders* and the main character in *Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage For The Future*. He is the first character introduced with a Stand, *Star Platinum*.

One day Jotaro claims to be possessed by an evil spirit and locks himself at a prison. His grandfather, Joseph Joestar and his assistant, Muhammad Avdol pay him a visit and explain to him that his evil spirit is actually an emanation of his spiritual power, called a Stand and that its sudden appearance is related to the awakening of Joestar's sworn enemy, the vampire DIO. Jotaro's mother, Holly, also becomes affected by this and develops a Stand that drains her of her life due to her spirit not being powerful enough.  After defeating the first two assassins sent by DIO, Kakyoin, and Polnareff, Jotaro saves their lives from removing DIO's flesh buds that controlled them. Now the party of 5 travels to Egypt together to find and stop DIO before Holly dies due to her Stand.

Jotaro is a very powerful close range oriented character with very good normals and fast attacks that can easily cause a Stand Crash. He has a very strong pressure game and devastating supers. A lot of his combos lead to hard knockdowns where Jotaro's true potential lies, as he has some of the best okizeme options in the game. His only major weakness is the fact he has no long-range attacks.

### **Pros & Cons**

+ Very strong and fast normals, including the fastest jab in the game
+ Very good mixups and okizeme thanks to his Star Finger attack
+ Fast movement
+ Can easily cause stand crash with and without meter
+ Strong supers
+ Long and stylish combos
+ Fast meter gain
+ Relatively easy to preform Touch Of Deaths utilizing stand crash
+ Has both simple and difficult combos

- Low Stand Gauge, meaning he can be Stand Crashed easily
- All of his attacks are considered physical hits, meaning they're susceptible to Counter attack specials
- No long-range attacks
- Many whiffed attacks can be easily punished, including some supers
- Has somewhat tight links

## Movelist

### **Stand OFF**

#### **Command Normals**

6C/4C (close) - Jotaro grabs the opponent while Star Platinum sends them flying with a powerful punch. Opponents can recover from this grab. It can be punished in corner by a large handful of characters and even midscreen by a select few, but that doesn't prevent it from being quite a solid grab. An incredibly strong way to grab the opponent is to dash in stand off and press S+6ABC. In grab range, it will grab the opponent instantly as turning on your stand cancels your dash. When you're outside of grab range you will get s.5A instead, which is cancellable and confirmable on hit, a much better result than s.5C.

### **Stand ON**

#### **Command Normals**

s.6C/s.4C (close) - Same as Stand Off version. Jotaro grabs the opponent while Star Platinum punches them away. Slightly worse recovery allowing Oldseph and Chaka to punish midscreen. Not practical enough as of yet to fear.

```
59  (Hit/Block | 25-2-32)

```
Air UB

## Combos

Most of Jotaro's combos are done from Stand OFF.

Many of the Stand ON combos can be started from 5A, 2A, d.s.5A, or any Stand ON jumping attack. Keep in mind that you have to press S and the attack button at the same time if you're trying to combo into some of these Stand ON combos from Stand OFF.

Keep in mind that some of these combos will drop midway or not work at all on short or crouching opponents. You will have to compensate and improvise for such situations.

### **Stand ON Chain Combos**

s.5A>5A>5A - Jotaro's autocombo. Two jabs into a straight punch (5C).
s.5A>5B>5C - Magic series combo.
s.5A>5A>5B>5C - Optimized combo.
s.5B>5B>5B - Jotaro's other autocombo. Two hooks into an uppercut. last hit launches.
s.5B>5B>2B - Alternative version ending with a low hit. Can combo into s.236+A.
s.2A>2B>2A>2B>2C - Five low hits, ending with a knockdown.
s.2A>5B>5C - String starting with a low punch.

s.5A>5A>5B>5B - Two jabs, a hook, and an overhead hammer smash. The last hit does not combo.
s.5A>5A>5B>2C - Two jabs, a hook, and a hard knee that knocks down. The last hit does not combo.
s.2A>2B>2A>2B>2B - Four low hits into an overhead smash. The last hit does not combo. This combo would be something you'd do for a tandem on short or crouching opponents. The last hit (overhead strikes) will combo if it's performed during a tandem.

### **Basic Combos**

#### **Stand OFF**

A majority of the most basic and fundamental stand off combos will typically revolve around confirming into 236S which confirms into knockdown, allowing you to abuse your strong oki. So the general idea is [ANY STAND OFF NORMAL] xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A. Get comfortable with this first. Here are some good confirms to know.

j.C 5A, 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Simple combo ending with a knockdown. Good setup for okizeme, unless your opponent has a fast wakeup. Get the link between 5A and 6B down consistently.

2A, 2A, 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Same combo as above except it starts with a low hit. The link between 2A and 6B is a frame tighter. Get it down consistently. Note you can also link 5A and 2A together.

d.5C, 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Same combo as above except it starts with a dashing heavy attack.

The three combos above can have 214AA substitute for 236S > s.214B > s.214A. It is not recommended that you substitute the sequence with Star Breaker because its damage will heavily be scaled. Note that in some situations you can replace s.214B with its A version.

2A xx 214AA - Simple normal that cancels into Star Breaker. Here are some other variations:

5A xx 214AA
5B xx 214AA
2B xx 214AA
6B xx 214AA
6C xx 214AA
5C xx 214AA

The purpose of these combos is to easily damage your opponent. However, there's no point in doing them once you learn okizeme. If you're still new to Jotaro, then these two-hit combos are for you.

#### **Stand ON**

s.5B xx s.214B > s.214A - A very useful confirm into knockdown from one of the best pokes in the game.

s.5A>5A>5B xx s.236AA - Partial magic series into the Jaguar Varied Assault.

s.5A>5A>5B xx s.214B > s.214A - Partial magic series into knockdown sequence. Good setup for okizeme.

s.5A>5A>5B xx s.236C (1 or 2 hits) xx s.214A > s.214A - Optimized combo. Blazing Fists can only hit once or twice. This is very important to learn as it will be important when you begin to use stand crash combos. Depending on spacing you may need to alter how many hits of s.236C you use, if at all.

All of these combos work after a jump-in and s.66a. Additonally, the two beginning s.5As can be substituted with s.2A. Alternatively, you can substitute the two s.5As and the s.5B with s.2B.

### **Intermediate Combos**

#### **Stand OFF**

2A, 2A, S+5A>5A>5B xx s.214B > s.214A - Combo into knockdown involving transition from Stand OFF to Stand ON. Sets up okizeme. This transition is very helpful to know but is by no means essential.

2A, 2A, S+5A>5A>5B xx s.236C (1 hit on most characters) xx s.214A > s.214A - Optimized combo. Blazing fists must only hit once.

j.C, 5A, 6B xx 214B, hh.C, 5A, 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Half of Jotaro's bread and butter (BnB). For this combo, you can negative edge the 214B, but it is up to preference. You also must hyper hop after 214B to link j.C. It is crucial that you get the links from 6B to 214B and 214B to j.C down. These are essential for Jotaro's BnB. Also, doing 6A instead of 5A will make linking 5A and 6B much easier.

2A, 2A, 6B xx 214B, hh.C, 5A, 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Half of Jotaro's BnB starting with two low hits.

d.5C, 6B xx 214B, hh.C, 5A, 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Half of Jotaro's BnB starting with a dashing heavy attack.

For the next combo you'll need to learn the timing on a trick where while Jotaro's performing special attacks, d.5C and d.2C will recover faster when they're timed just as Star Platinum vanishes from the screen. This trick magically cuts the recovery of d.5C and d.2C (which appear as d.5B and d.2A while your Stand is out). This is primarily used after Star Finger with d.5C to allow some really powerful links that are normally impossible.

623[B/C], d.2A, ]B/C[, d.5C, 5A, 6B, 214B, hh.C, 5A, 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Half of Jotaro's BnB starting with a very risky mixup. You have to hold the C version of Star Finger, land d.2A, and release C. Then, while Star Platinum is visible on the screen, you have to do d.5C. If Star Platinum disappears before you land d.5C, you're too late.

623[A/B/C], d.j.A/B/C, ]A/B/C[, d.5C, 5A, 6B xx 214B, hh.C, 5A, 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Half of Jotaro's BnB starting with another very risky mixup. You can tiger knee d.j.A/B/C if needed.

#### **Stand ON**

s.d.2A/s.d.2B xx s.214A > s.214A - Low hit into hard knockdown. If done quick enough, Star Platinum will cancel the first Blazing Fist into the follow-up. This combo doesn't have much use and is really the only intermediate Stand ON combo.

### **Advanced Combos**

#### **Stand OFF**

j.C 5A 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 214S {ABC x N} d.j.C sideswitch 2A x N j.C 5A 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Jotaro's BnB. It's an intermediate combo except you tandem on the second 6B. The traditional tandem consists of five 5A 5B 5C reps. Get used to doing five of them because it's a big part of the BnB. Alternatively, you can substitute the tandem with any inputs that suit you. Just make sure that you make all the tandem hits link. d.j.C to link the first 5C into 5A and to get to the other side of your opponent. Next, repeatedly do 2A, ensuring that you let each 5C link into 5A. At the fifth 5A, prepare to combo. Do j.C and the rest is a cakewalk. If you tandem your opponent in the corner, you don't have to do d.j.C and you have the option of doing 5A/2A after every 5C or doing repeatedly doing 2A. Repeatedly doing 2A is harder and you have to perform d.5A every so often to make sure that Jotaro doesn't stray too far from your opponent.

2A 2A 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 2A 6B xx 214S {ABC x N} d.j.C sideswitch 2A x N j.C 5A 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Variation of BnB starting with two low hits.

d.5A 2A 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 214S {ABC x N} d.j.C sideswitch 2A x N j.C 5A 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Variation of BnB starting with a dashing hit. To link d.5A into 2A, Jotaro cannot be too close to the opponent. Get a feel for what "too close" is by practicing.

d.2A xx 214A d.5A 5A 6B xx 214S {ABC x N} d.j.C sideswitch 2A x N j.C 5A 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Variation of BnB from a dashing low. Utilizes d.5A mid-combo. Although difficult, helps a lot with hitconfirming.

j.C 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 214S {ABC x N} 5A x N j.C 2B 236C d.j.C 5A 5A 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - The basic ora extension in the corner.

d.5C 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 214S {ABC x N} d.j.C sideswitch 2A x N j.C 2B 236C d.j.C 5A 5A 6B xx 214B hyperhop j.C 5A 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Variation of BnB starting with a dashing heavy attack ora extension midscreen. Midscreen ora extension can be a little inconsistent. While d.5C is important to know how to convert, midscreen ora extension is not.

5A 5A 6B xx 214B d.5A 5A 6B 214S {2A 2B x N} 5A 5A 6B xx 214B d.5A 5A 6B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214A - Variation of BnB that helps with short characters that 214B hh.C is a little inconsistent on. Also helpful in general as a safer hitconfirm.

For some reason, the ora extension can be somewhat inconsistent on Avdol. Some hits may whiff if you use 236B.

#### **Stand ON**

d.s.5A, s.5A > 5A > 5B, WC 5A > 5B xx s.214B > s.214A - Mostly for style points. It looks really cool but it's hard to pull off and it's generally not worth the effort.

j.s.A/B/C, cl.s.5C, d.s.5A, s.5A > 5A > 5B xx s.214B > s.214A - More style points 4 U... that link from s.5C to d.s.5A is mighty hard, not sure how many frames.

j.s.A/B/C, cl.s.5C xx s.623A, s.5A > 5A > 5B > 214S {TS, but in order to make tandem link from 5B, you have to do 6B before the first hit of tandem lands}, j.C, S+5C xx s.623A, s.5A > 5A > 5B xx s.236AA - Again, mostly for style points. Look like a super badass with this combo.

### **Stand Crash Combos**

Stand Crash combos involve your opponent with Stand ON and full Stand Meter. These are crucial to Jotaro because you will find yourself performing combos on Stand ON opponents quite frequently. Attacks that knock down will not knock down Stand ON opponents, so you might as well learn these combos.

**Small Gauges**

s.5A s.5A s.5B s.236C(2) s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

s.5B s.214B s.214B !SC cl.s.5C s.214AA

d.5C 6B 236S s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

s.5B s.236C(1) s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

d.s.2A s.236C(2) s.214A s.214B !SC cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C

6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 214S {5AAB 623X} d.o.5C 2B !SC 623[X] d.o.5C ]X[ d.o.5C 6B 214S {TS}...

6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 236S s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

d.5C 6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 236S s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

j.C 2B 236C d.j.C 5A 5A 6B 236S !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

214S {5BB 2B 5AB 623X} d.o.5C 2B !SC 623[X] d.o.5C ]X[ d.o.5C 6B 214S {TS}...

**Medium Gauges**

s.5A s.5A s.5B s.236C(2) s.214A s.214B !SC cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C

d.s.5A s.5A s.5A s.5B s.236C(2) s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

s.5B s.214B s.214B !SC cl.s.5C s.214AA

s.5B s.236C(1) s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

d.s.2A s.236C(2) s.214A s.214B !SC [cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C]

j.C 5A 6B 236S s.214A s.214B !SC [cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C]

d.5C 6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 236S s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

j.C 5A 6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 236S s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

j.C 2B 236C d.j.C 5A 5A 6B 236S s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

j.C 5A 6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 214S {5AAB 623X} d.o.5C 2B !SC 623[X] d.o.5C ]X[ d.o.5C 6B 214S {TS}...

214S {5BB 2B 5AB 623X} d.o.5C 2B !SC 623[X] d.o.5C ]X[ d.o.5C 6B 214S {TS}...

**Large Gauges**

s.5A s.5A s.5B s.236C(2) s.214A s.214B !SC cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C

d.s.5A s.5A s.5A s.5B s.236C(2) s.214A s.214B !SC [cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C]

j.s.B s.5A s.5A s.5B s.236C(2) s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

j.s.B d.s.5A s.5A s.5A s.5B s.236C(2) s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

s.5B s.236C(1) s.214A s.214B !SC [cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C]

s.5B s.236C(2) s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

d.s.2A s.236C(2) s.214A s.214B !SC [cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C]

d.5C 6B 236S s.214A s.214B !SC [cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C]

j.C 5A 6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 236S s.214A s.214B !SC [cl.s.5C s.214A s.214C]

d.5C 6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 236S s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

d.5C 6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 214S {5AB 623X} d.o.5C 2B !SC 623[X] d.o.5C ]X[ d.o.5C 6B 214S {TS}...

j.C 2B 236C d.j.C 5A 5A 6B 236S s.214A !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

j.C 5A 6B 214B hh.C 5A 6B 214S {5ABCx2 623X} d.o.5C 2B !SC 623[X] d.o.5C ]X[ d.o.5C 6B 214S {TS}...

5A s5C s.623X s.5A s.5A s.5B s.214B !SC d.s.5C 214S {TS}...

214S {5BB 2B 5AABB 623X} d.o.5C 2B !SC 623[X] d.o.5C ]X[ d.o.5C 6B 214S {TS}...

### **承太郎 Basic Combos**

These combos are flashy, for-fun combos posted in a video by WJ. They feature some atypical links, split dash combos, and more. These are not vital to learn by any means, but if you still wish to learn more combos after you've learned the practical ones, these are the ones for you.

基本が一番大事。

d.5C ~ 236S xx s.214B > s.214C

j.C, S+5C, d.s.5A, s.5A > 5B, WC s.5A > 5B xx s.214B > s.214C

d.5C, d.5A, 2A, Instand Dash S+5A, s.5A > 5A xx s.214A > s.214C

j.s.A, s.2C ~ s.214A xx s.214C xx 623[C]

623[A/B], j.C, ]A/B[, d.5C (while Stand is on screen), S+5C xx s.214AA Early Cancel\* s.5A > 5B xx s.214B !SC, j.s.A xx j.s.236AA

j.C, S+5C xx 214B[C] Early Cancel s.5A > 5B xx s.214B > s.214B !SC, cl.s.5C xx s.214AA

3C xx 214S {(623A, 5Bx3) 6B before 623A}

3C xx 214S {(623A, 5Bx3, 236AA) 6B before 623A, j.C immediately after third 5B}

5C(1) xx 214AA Cancel\*\* 6B xx 214AA

j.C, 2B xx 236S > s.214B > s.214B !SC, s.2C ~ s.214A xx s.214B

j.s.A, cl.s.5C, s.2A > 5B > 5C

d.2B xx 214AA Cancel 6B xx 214B, hh.C, 5A, 6B xx 214AA

j.C, S+5C xx s.214AA Early Cancel xx s.2C xx s.236C(4)

d.5C xx 214B[C], 5A, 5A, 6B Cancel 236S > s.214B > s.214C

j.C, 5C(1) xx 214AA Cancel 5A, 6B xx 214S {5A 5B 623A}, d.2B xx s.214AA Cancel 5A, S+5C !SC s.214AA Early Cancel, d.s.5C xx s.214AA Cancel 2B xx 214AA

\*Early Cancel is a glitch that results in Jotaro remaining stand on after cancelling Star Breaker. He will typically have the glowing fist of Star Platinum remain despite cancelling the move.

\*Cancel is just cancelling Star Breaker normally.

### **Okizeme**

Jotaro's okizeme game is one of his strongest aspects, as almost every hit (even against stand on opponents thanks to the ease of stand crash combos) will lead into knockdown. Once you get a knockdown, typically from A rekka ender, you have several options for okizeme. This video details very practical okizeme options that can be used on a majority of the cast. Correctly executing and converting from okizeme is very important and is a part of a strong Jotaro players.

Star Finger Okizeme: This is your go-to option on a majority of the cast. After a knockdown, turn off your stand and do 623[X]. You now have two options: go low with 6B, or IOH (Instant Overhead) with j.C. After this, release star finger and convert with d.o.5C 6B etc. (d.o.2C 5A 6B is needed on hitboxes smaller than Black Polnareff). More notes in the video. (Does not work on Petshop, Iggy, Devo, Alessi- you are able to hit a meaty 6B on Vanilla Ice, Rubber Soul, and Avdol, but j.C will not hit meaty. Avoid star finger oki on these 7 characters.)

Ora Okizeme: An alternate, meterless, option on those who are too short or too quick to get up for Star Finger okizeme. Similarly to Star Finger Okizeme, after A rekka ender, turn off your stand and do 236C as the opponent is beginning the wakeup animation- this will typically be instant on the characters where Star Finger does not work. Once again, you have a high/low option, IOH j.C or 2A. It is important to note that Ora Okizeme is **ONLY CONFIRMABLE IN CORNER.** Confirm with 66A 2A 2A 6B 214S. Note that the low option is incredibly prone to IPS (Infinite Prevention System).

Star Breaker Okizeme: With Star Breaker you are able to 50/50 the previously stated problem characters, while not dealing with pesky IPS. The downside is that you will not get the same two-touch capabilies that Star Finger has, as you will not be able to confirm after star breaker is released. It is preformed similarly to Star Finger. Turn your stand off, do 214AA and hold a button. Then 50/50 with either j.C or 6B/2A, followed by a released Star Breaker.

## General Strategy

#### **Overview**

Jotaro is a very fluid character that has strengths in many areas, but his standout character trait is his strong punish game. Jotaro has access to a very fast stand on jab in s.5A that leads to knockdown and even stand crash on small or damaged guages. On top of this, he posesses s.214AA, one of the best supers in the game. It is loaded with I-frames, and can be held to be later cancelled or released, removing a large amount of risk for using the move and creating a mix up oppurtunity. This will be expanded upon later. These two tools combined with his other tools such as 6B and s.5B (marvelous counterpokes) allows Jotaro to threathen knockdown into death at almost any moment.

A general gameplan would be to space the opponent out with your exceptionally strong buttons, then punish an overextension on block or in neutral and convert into knockdown. This leads to Star Finger, the biggest thing about Jotaro's overall gameplan. Star Finger is one of the scariest things in the game because the opponent is forced to guess. If he/she guesses wrong, then that's over 50% of their health taken away with a potential tandem confirm. You can use Jump C, 6B, or 2A for the Star Finger mixups, and it has to be done before releasing the attack button used for Star Finger.

A common question is "When should I use stand ON/OFF?" To put it in an analogy (thanks CaineTemple) think of stand OFF and ON as your sword and shield respectively. Stand OFF allows for quick movement, high damage, and strong pressure. Whereas stand ON grants you access to the inherently strong properties of stand on, double jumps, no chip, can't be knocked down, while granting access to s.5A, s.5B, and s.214AA. Transitioning between the two modes at the right moments to utilize each in the right situations is the key to strong neutral and overall gameplay. You will get used to this with time, but stand ON neutral is typically easier to grasp at a beginner level.

#### **Neutral / Footsies**

Jotaro has a lot of strong buttons and it's important to be aware of the current situation and apply these normals accordingly. Some of Jotaro's strongest buttons will be listed below and divided into 3 catagories: Poke, Counter poke/Whiff punish, and moves to catch those waiting for a whiff punish. Note order does not signify anything, and **these are not your only good buttons, merely the best.** The amount of bad tools Jotaro has is quite limited compared to other characters, so do not underestimate buttons not on this list, as most likely have a place in Jotaro's game.

Strong Pokes:

1. d.5A - A confirmable, fast normal that can stuff enemy ground approaches incredibly well. It is not to be used as frequently as the other normals on this list, but it is very crucial to apply when the time arises. Proper use of this normal seperates good Jotaros from great ones.
2. d.s.5A - Although it can be ducked, it is an insanely fast, disjointed, moving jab that converts into knockdown and standcrash on medium and small gauges. It also has a large role to play in your anti-air game, as it is excellent at beating out lateral jump-ins such as Chaka's hyper hop. It is also used in tech chasing alongside s.j.C and s.2C.
3. s.5B - An insanely strong button, s.5B does massive stand gauge damage while being one of the most disjoint normals in the entire game. It is quite hard to contest for most characters, making it a superb poke as well as a counter poke.
4. s.5A - Similar to d.s.5A but in place. What makes this worth mentioning is the fact that this move can be done near instantly from stand on using s+5A. Proper use of this will make movement far more fluid as you can cancel dashes into one of the stronger anti-airs in this game, or convert into knockdown on a grounded hit.
5. d.5C - A fast, long range poke that can be cancelled on whiff, a very important normal to assert your control over neutral in some matchups. While important to not overuse, it's just another strong tool in Jotaro's arsenal.

Strong Counter pokes / Whiff Punish tools:

1. s.214AA - An insanely strong super and a core part of Jotaro's identity. Proper use of this super can make playing against Jotaro incredibly scary. It has so many applications, but to keep it brief and only mention a few, we should observe a hypothetical situation. Jotaro presses s.214AA and during super flash we see that the opponent is not pressing anything. In normal situations this would mean a waster super and a potential punish. With Star Breaker we can hold it down to threaten several options. If they roll, cancel and throw. If they wait, delay the release or cancel into a low or grab. There are so many options open to you - and I haven't even mentioned the I-frames you get on START-UP AND CANCEL.
2. s.5B - Everything mentioned above still holds through as you will rarely find yourself losing to other buttons upon proper use of s.5B, making it an excellent counter poke to confirm into knockdown with. An important part of your kit in many stages of the game, try to apply it as well as you can.
3. 6B - A quick low kick that leads into insane damage due to being a stand off normal. This is your best counter-poke and whiff punish tool up-close in stand off. It is fairly active and is quite potent after pushblock against several pressure strings.
4. d.s.5A - Same as the previous section except now the speed is used to catch the opponent after they whiff a normal from a decently far distance. Confirming into good damage and knockdown from such a strong normal is very useful.
5. s.5A - Also same as the last section, as the the on demand nature of s+5A allows Jotaro to halt his dash and throw out one of the strongest moves in the game to usually beat out any attempts to stuff your dash cleanly. When used as an anti-air, it can be comboed into s.2C.
6. s.2C AA - When s.5A won't suite the angle of jump-in, s.2C fills in. Very active and deals with jump-ins quite well. Can also be used similarly to s.5A when inputted s+2C, but now for vertical anti-airing. Also leads into Jotaro's suprisingly decent tech chasing game.
7. 3C AA - Similar to s.2C in the angles it covers, but now in stand off!

Moves to catch waiting opponents:

1. d.2A - A dashing stand off low that can be confirmed into respectable damage. Can catch many opponents off guard, an important tool to utilize.
2. d.s.2A - Your go-to stand on low. Confirms into knockdown well.
3. 66 S 6A+C - Although the notation may appear intimidating, all this is is dashing up to your opponent, cancelling your dash with stand ON/OFF, the grabbing right after. Quite useful especially against characters like Kakyoin as it will disable nets safely. Sets-up up a, once again, strangely decent throw game. Do note that grab is punishable in the corner, although some characters may not possess an adaquate punish.

Now how do you use this information? Your counter-pokes are the meat and potatoes of Jotaro. Use them effectively to confirm into massive damage and knockdown, capitalizing on the opponents mistakes. Watch for oppurtunities to sneak in pokes in order to secure knockdown or stand crash. **Every action should be taken with the goal of a knockdown or death in mind.** Utilizing proper movement and transitions into stand on normals such as s+5A is the key to strong neutral. Pokes such as d.5A start pressure, which (depending on matchup) can be incredibly scary for the opponent. Pressure creates oppurtunities for your opponent to make a mistake resulting in knockdown. Achieve this through use of frame traps, staggers, tick grabs, and IOHs. Make sure to not overextend your stay, or you could be on the recieving end of explosive damage.

"Okay" Jotaro players tend to use Jump C, 5A, 6B xx 214+B, Jump C as an attempt to do his BnB combo. This is a common bad habit for Jotaro players. Kain once told me about that, and it took me a bit of time to figure out why, and the answer is because it leaves Jotaro open when the opponent is blocking/pushblocking. If Star Platinum gets sent out, Jotaro cannot block for approximately 2 seconds and that's all the time someone needs to punish him. So, avoid doing that combo as a startup. Proper pressure will be discussed in a later section.

#### **Pressure and Tech-chase**

Although it may not be obvious, Jotaro has quite strong tech chase and some fairly safe pressure. While there are definitely things to keep in mind, these techniques are very fluid and shift largely based on personal playstyle, so keep on open mind to whatever feels right in the moment.

Basic Jotaro pressure stems from proper use of staggers, tick throws, and hitconfirmable strings. 66A is an amazing normal that encompasses all these traits which is why it finds heavy use in pressure. The basic string that jot pressure is based from is 66a 2a 2a 6b 214b 66a etc. **This is not a string you should be doing often in real games.** The purpose of this string is to serve as the base to add on to. At its core every hit can be confirmed from, and it’s a gapless string if you don’t delay 66a after 214b. The first layer to developing Jotaro pressure is preventing pushblock and GC from cutting it short. If the opponent is not pushblocking correctly, ie mashing abc, simply stopping or delaying your string makes it very simple to flow chart into grab. Against GC, you can do the same and whiff punish or simply tick grab before the opponent can GC. Additionally, you can simply use the opportunity of pushblock and GC to reset to neutral. Simply backdash/tech back, as over extending on pressure is very dangerous depending on the matchup. By having a strong first layer you can start to put some of the options that require the opponents respect of your strings. After you have gained respect you can begin to go for far riskier options on block such as 236x jc or even 623x. Just be careful to not overstay your welcome, or you can eat a large chunk of damage. Japanese play shows off a lot of unique options, so look around and incorporate what you like.

Tech Chasing is a little bit easier to understand. The main tools you are going to be using are s.5A, s.2C, d.s.5A, s.j.C, and occasionally s.214AA. What makes Jotaro tech chase quite potent (aside from his already strong tools) is the fact that he can relaunch the opponent rather easily with s.5A > 2C, allowing for more tech chase. This coupled with the wide array of tech options s.j.C covers after this makes his tech chase quite rewarding. This is definitely a skill that develops as you play more, but a basic way to practice is to set the opponent to auto tech a direction and trying to find ways to contest it.

#### **Other**

Jotaro rewards a player who knows their punishes, as well as proper pushblocking. He has an average guard cancel, and it does not benefit his gameplan very much. Instead, understanding common patterns and punishable strings from the opponent is a very important aspect in securing damage. Counter measure videos are being gathered, but if you are struggling with a certain offensive string, either try several options against it in training mode, or ask knowledgable players. Punishes are an important part of every Jotaro's tool kit.

## Matchup Strategy

#### Abdul

Avdol is primarily looking to play around your approaches and punish mistakes on your part. A large majority of Avdols normals outclass yours by quite a bit, but you still have very strong close up options regardless. Meter is an important thing to keep in mind in the matchup as Jotaro actively having meter will dissuade Avdol from throwing out normals to space or meter build. Jotaro finds difficulty in punishing Avdol for throwing out projectiles meaning the game becomes significantly harder if Avdol secures a sizable life lead. s.5b is your life line in this matchup as it’s disjoint can rival Avdol’s normals. On knockdown you cannot go for star finger oki safely, so you will either have to meaty 6b or use Ora/Starbreaker oki. This means while your hits still convert into big damage, you won’t be able to vortex and two touch as much as you would other characters. Alternatively, you could opt for a starfinger 50/50 reset or jc 2c xx 623x after tandem. With these things in mind, it’s easy to see how it comes down to securing momentum.  Being at the brink of s66a or 66a range and just slowing down your movement can illicit response from the Avdol, meaning you can blow them up for taking an action, primarily with Star Breaker.

Jot:Avdol Matches

#### Alessi

Alessi is incredibly prone to jump-ins so j.c is your go to button in this match-up. Match-up becomes a lot easier when you have the life lead and can force alessi to approach, but that can be quite difficult if Alessi is smart about his pokes and spacing. However, since Alessi-Jot is comprised of majority small stages, as well as Alessi not being able to manipulate his jump arc makes him prone to Jotaro’s strong anti-air and air to air buttons. This makes tech chasing a phenomenal way to quickly rack up damage and secure the life lead. Become comfortable with tools such as s.j.c and s.66a to catch airborne approaches. When it comes to contesting Alessi’s stand on pokes, 6b works wonders in stuffing out his pokes as the hurtbox is present before the hitbox. This is obviously a big risk as it relies on the Alessi to press a button, but even on patient players one hit can lead to a full convert. However, you mainly want to be approaching with stand on jump-ins. This will allow you to mix up double jump timings and will have s214aa to establish a threat if they choose to pushblock your jump-in. Regarding that s214aa is VERY strong in this match-up as Alessi has large lingering hurtboxes on most of his stand on moves and even some stand off. One hit can lead to a strong life lead, forcing Alessi to approach, which is the Alessi finds extremely difficult to do. In most cases this is your win condition forcing Alessi to approach against s214aa, s5b, and your other godbuttons.

Now how do you approach an Alessi who has secured the life lead and is now turtling? Mixing up double jump timing and staggering pressure with stand on are important tools in opening Alessi up, particularly the pressure. It will most likely force Alessi to go stand off as the stand gauge chip Jotaro outputs is quite hefty. This means he will be trapped without his best pokes, and with more jump timings and such he can be opened up. Due to Alessi’s wide stature, j.c becomes quite a consistent cross up in this matchup, and can often times catch opponents who try to cross under your landing. Obviously you shouldn’t gamble that the Alessi will just get mixed up on offense, so the most consistent method of securing damage is clean punishes, where damage is guaranteed when the situation arises. Take s.on landing Alessi- even without taking an air action, s.on landing had 1 frame of vulnerability, making it extremely prone to active moves, allowing anywhere from like damage to full confirms. Gun on block can be quite oppressive with its chip, so taking advantage of this disadvantageous position is key. Pushblocking gun completely nullifies the blockstun as opposed to giving you 15 frames. Meaning you can attempt to push an advantage. While not an punish, understanding how to deal with Alessi CC on block is crucial for not getting blown up by a knowledge check. (Note other counter tech will be in the video these were just particularly important or served to point out a flaw in Alessi’s gameplan) While in custom combo state Alessi can be pictured having two zones of influence. Close and Far. Typically when CC is blocked, they will try to space themselves in the Far region to gain access to 6b over head which confirms. This may seem near unreactable, which it is, but Alessi has NO comboable lows at this distance, so simply blocking high when spaced will prevent this. In order to see this distance better, avoid pushblocking. On a final note, holding up back will greatly increase the difficulty the Alessi faces when trying to do Alessi mode combos.

Jot:Alessi Matches

#### Black Polnareff

Can be quite a volatile matchup but it is infinitely harder for B. Pol to open you up and win neutral compared to Jotaro’s vast arsenal of tools. The main key concepts to keep in mind is to punish overextensions on block. B. Pols pressure is incredibly fake and easy to punish (refer to playlist), so better B. Pols stick to spacing themselves for a proper whiff punish into loop. B. Pol mainly capitalizes on the opponents mistakes to open people up so playing back once you have the life lead is incredibly strong. Additionally, you can stand off pressure him to some degree as his supers are either stubby or slow in terms of punishing 66a strings on block. However, you will do significantly less chip so balance stand on and off pressure accordingly. Secure life lead and play back and punish reckless approaches is all it boils down to. B. Pol has his best shot of winning if he can force Jotaro to approach so try to avoid that. Normals such as s.5a are vital in hard punishing B. Pols mistakes up close, while s2c and 3c can beat out telegraphed air approaches with j.b.

To deter a B. Pol from looping on block, you should first identity how far the commit to the rekka on block then act accordingly. While some punishes will always punish, you can get a greater reward or a meterless punish in some scenarios. B. Pols will either do 1 part of the rekka, 2 parts, or 2 parts and 236s. For both first and 2nd parts you want to pushblock 236x early. If you read that they will stop after the first, you can simply use 6b to punish. If they commit to the second, simply s.5a or tandem. If they opt for all three you have a choice. You can still do the same punish as the 2nd part on block, or you can simply pushblock 236s then s214aa or even 214aa. This is objectively the most overextended B. Pol can be on offense so punish accordingly.

Jot:Black Polnareff Matches

#### Chaka

This match-up is heavily dependent on respecting Chaka’s airspace. You want to stay grounded so you have the opportunity to jab out Chaka’s jump-ins with hyper hop. Chaka has excellent air mobility and jumping buttons so you should avoid contesting with air to airs. Chaka will be looking frequently cancel into 236s to catch bad whiff punish attempts and reckless approaches. Staying just out of reach and/or using star breaker discourages this behavior. Chaka has a couple options on wakeup, whether high/low or left/right. Block low until you see Chaka leave the ground. Fuzzy blocking is your friend. Luckily, Chaka has a small stand gauge meaning s.5a is at near full strength in this match up. Extended pressure strings such as rekka or a bad tech chase attempt can lead to large damage. Stay at a comfortable s.66a/66a distance, just outside of Chaka’s 236s range and play in the defensive aiming to heavily punish Chaka’s mistakes. Note, however, that overstaying in stand on is very risky as this can lead into large damage thanks to unblockable resets and even basic stand crash combos. The reset is incredibly punishing so getting caught and not punishing hyper hop s+j.c properly will put you in a danger life deficit and oki situation. All in all, play back in the s66a pocket in this match up and be content with letting Chaka push aggression a majority of the times. Simply punish with your tools and hold down momentum.

As mentioned earlier, Chaka can be hard punished if he over extends on hit and block. An important example is rekka on block. After the second hit, you are free to mash as long as they do not counter, as both options after are far too slow to frame trap, netting you an IPS free stand crash or anti air s5a into tech chase, both of which shift the momentum in your favor. Alternatively, just doing s214aa alleviates this. Also note that first rekka is incredibly minus and can’t be cancelled into counter, so watch if Chaka ends early on it or delays too much. However, you can get a punish even on hit- if a Chaka does C rekka ender as the 8th hit, launcher scaling will mean that you will be able to tech, while also being low enough to get a hard punish. Simply downteching into s+5a will net you a full punish. Chaka players may look for s+j.c after CC in an attempt to reset a combo and therefore scaling. Blocking it will result in Chaka backing off or overextending on pressure, both securing momentum.

Something to keep in mind is that given current lifelead, it may be a favorable decision to simply forego attempting to jab out Chaka’s approach- while this can let you tech chase into a favorable position, relying on safer options such as pushblock into s+5B helps to lower the risk while still providing an opportunity to get a hit in. Additionally, depending on the Chaka and the state of the match, meter holds varying levels of importance. With Chakas that mirror the Japanese playstyle of shorter, poke-oriented pressure, spending meter is not as common as with aggressive Chakas. Aggressive Chakas thrive if you respect their fake and overextended pressure, so blowing meter to contest that is quite important. You notice this split in playstyle between Japan and the Western scene in full detail. Just something to consider regarding meter usage based on the opponents playstyle.

Jot:Chaka Matches

#### Devo

Very dependent on matchup knowledge as fighting Devo requires several tweaks in traditional gameplan to accommodate for his low profile, puppet pressure, and reversals. Devo will usually be looking to open you up with puppet, so be wary as to not overcommit. He will like to avoid overstaying on pressure and will like to maintain his space, allowing Jotaro a lot of breathing room if he uses it right. Devo can usually secure a large life lead on one hit but Jotaro has a lot of room to punish attempts to open him up. You will be finding yourself stand off a good bit less than most matchups given safer moves in stand off such as 2a. Being chipped out is better than holding a lot of damage. Once you do have the life lead though, you can essentially lame out Devo by intentionally avoiding sandwich as much as possible, making it difficult for Devo to open you up and get substantial damage at the same time. Be extremely cautious of attacking the Devo when he is in remote/stand on as 214s is still a threat even if Devo is in hitstun, just like every remote mode user. You will either need to use a special that disables remote or go for a super (only do a super if puppet is in the middle of a high committal move s22c for example. Pushblock it and super.) Normals such as 66a, 5a, 2a, s2a, and s5b find a lot of use in this matchup. But arguably your best approach tool in the matchup is hh.jc as it beats a lot of Devo’s normals and you remain low enough to punish 5c on hit. Preemptive buttons are especially strong against Devo as he can struggle to safely go for puppet specials or normals. Tandem can find some niche use as an anti air option if s2c is too risky at the moment.

Jot:Devo Matches

Devo Countermeasures

#### DIO

A matchup that gets discussed frequently, it is heavily in your favor if played correctly. On paper and in practice your tools are stronger and more versatile than DIO’s in almost every situation. s.5a and s.66a are INCREDIBLY strong in this matchup as they cannot be ducked unless DIO presses 2a due to his tall hurtbox. Additionally, he has difficulty contesting your tick throw mix as any attempt to tech a throw could result in a throw, leading to a sizable punish. s.5b is another normal that almost entirely beats him out. To contest your strong normals in footsies range, DIO will want to be stand on, which is another boon in that if you get a hit you can convert into a full combo, and given how superior your buttons are it happens quite frequently. Don’t be reckless with your air approaches but don’t stay entirely grounded either. On pressure a good DIO will mix in frame traps to catch those trying to gc 214x and hits after. Getting comfortable with how the DIO cycles their options on block is the key to blowing him up on offense. Don’t randomly pushblock, you will miss out on a large amount of punishes because of it. Play smart and once you have a life lead, it is not too difficult to lame him out. In fact, laming him out and playing hyper defensively shifts the matchup even further into your favor, as DIO struggles to approach and contest your stand on buttons and presence.

A short aside on roll. Given the fact DIO cannot throw risk free, roll is an incredibly strong option. Jotaro’s roll in particular is quite interesting, as if you end up on the same side after your roll, by not inputting anything, you can receive up to 20 I FRAMES that you CAN ACT OUT OF. This makes it incredibly easy to whiff punish attempts to meaty.

Jot:DIO Matches

#### Hol Horse

Approaching slowly into the tip of s66a range in Stand On allows you to punish Air Glass as well as whiffed normals, while also limiting the amount of normals Hol can use at that range. Most importantly, being in stand on denies Hol from ending a round off a single 5c/2c, as you cannot be knocked down in stand on. It can be quite unintuitive to approach a Hol who keeps his distance and uses 236b and his normals to stuff your approach. As long as you remain patient and get a hit to secure lifelead, the game is heavily skewed towards you. Lifelead can be attained by hard punishing or stray hits. With hard punishes, even just a small confirm gives you decent damage and, if it’s grounded, oki. What’s important about this is that it is guaranteed damage. Note that is important in several matchups, but you want to recognize and capitalize on these situations whenever possible. You want to punish stuff such as 2c on block, air glass, throw, 236x within star breaker range etc. Get comfortable with moving around in the matchup and positioning yourself so that you can easily catch and capitalize on the opponents mistakes.

Just as with DIO, due to the fact that grabbing is not practical as Hol, Jot can throughly abuse his roll in this matchup. While Hol has a hard time contesting you rolling out of his pressure, be aware that many hols are aware of this and will meaty your roll upon sideswitch, possibly leading into a frame trap or big damage.

Hol/Hoingo Countermeasures

#### Hol & Boingo

Hoingo’s weak normals coupled with lacking a large amount of tools Hol has makes the matchup much easier. However, it may be quite unintuitive as new options such as S bullet patterns and normals xx 360a paired with old tools such as 236x and air glass means adapting to an entirely different option cycle. Although this may be a little bit overwhelming, understanding what makes these options weak when compared to Hol is important in beating Hoingo. For example, normals cancelled into S bullet on block can be hard punished with star breaker, tandem, and (depending on normal cancelled) s5a. Try to slowly position yourself in max s66a distance, as this pocket will allow you to hard punish over extensions such as air glass while preventing normals into 360 and other scramble options. Don’t feel pressured to approach as with stand on Hoingo loses his chip pressure and can struggle to deactivate stand without the use of 360. At s66a pocket distance you can find yourself rolling to close the gap if you suspect the Hoingo may go for a normal or special as you can easily punish and convert to knockdown if they attempt to grab. Another note is that S bullet oki and 623x oki (without 4c) is too slow to meaty Jotaro, be aware and reversal tandem etc. when applicable.

Hol/Hoingo Countermeasures

#### Iggy

Buttons like s.5b and s.2a are even more important in this matchup as s.5a and such normals get ducked fairly easily. Additionally, stand off in general is very useful in this matchup, along with buttons like 6b 66a and 2a. The matchup is dependent on securing a life lead and turtling as both Iggy and Jotaro have a varying amounts of trouble approaching each other in the matchup. Life lead is typically won through patient stand off play and whiff punishes. Full confirms, while still good, will grant extremely limited oki given iggy’s stature and wakeup speed. You can pressure Iggy when stand on fairly well, but your options when iggy is stand off is limited. Don’t over extend and know when to back off and play back. Buttons like s.5a still find use in contesting Iggy’s air approaches, ESPECIALLY IOH. Overusing stand on normals against grounded Iggy will result in Iggy positioning himself to stand off then run up grab, allowing him to start his dangerous okizeme game. To prevent this poke with stand off normals and occasionally cancel into 236s. This is a far departure from typical Jotaro matchups so understanding how to handle certain interactions is crucial, particularly Iggy’s oki and stalling options.

Iggy has access to almost all of his oki options- a standard high low into tandem/236aa, IAD, etc. The most visually confusing one, however, is the unblockable command grab oki. You will be able to see iggy set this up as the move summons two sand dogs. Iggy will usually attempt to meaty you to force you to block the command grab. The solution to this is simply taking the hit and jumping out as you have command grab invulnerability that carries over from a meaty hit. Simply hold 9 and you will escape. However, although not common, Iggy has a hitconfirm that allows him to convert if you take the hit. In this case you must guard cancel buffer high. To combat stalling, particularly defensive sand balls, slowly approach in stand on and fish for a s5a or try and weave a properly spaced 66c in order to trade with Iggy. Knocking him out of flight/hover will give you time to get the life lead or momentum back in your favor. Also, new information shows that **IGGY CAN’T MEATY YOU AFTER A THROW! YOU ARE FREE TO MASH 214S!**

Jot:Iggy Matches

#### Joseph

This matchup is rather straightforward and is quite an easy one. Oldseph has to work incredibly hard to deal with your approach options with any consistency. Focus on getting a hit and vortexing as hard as possible, then just backing off if your oki is blocked or you are forced to reset to neutral. Joseph’s approaches are quite limited and he requires you to make a mistake in order to capitalize. Tools such as hh.jc, s66a, s5a, and s5b are quite important in this matchup given Joseph’s size and poor anti airs.

Oldseph 236x is a frequently used special in order to follow up a poke with 66b or 662a etc. However, this special is punishable on block resulting in huge returns. Simply pushblock 236x as early as possible and s5a. This will net you a punish into knockdown, where you can 50/50 him with ease. Avoid pushblocking s236x as it makes it harder to punish than just blocking s236x.

Jot:Old Joseph Matches

Old Joseph/Young Joseph Countermeasures

#### Jotaro

The Jotaro mirror is incredibly volatile due to small stand gauge and both Jots wanting to be close, meaning most hits result in either oki or death. The name of the game is hard punish as the match-up revolves around proper use of s5a, s5b, and starbreaker. You don’t want to over extend on pressure, as one mistake is usually the round. Along with proper use of close up pokes, anti-airing properly is also a deciding factor in the mirror. Small stand guage means that you can get near 80 damage on a typical route and about 100 on a more optimized routes solely off an s5a. Options like roll s+5a and dash up s+5a, while gimmicky, become even stronger in this matchup. Outside of that it's a very straightforward matchup as you are ideally going for the same gameplan.

Jot:Jotaro Matches

Jotaro Countermeasures

#### Kakyoin

A majority of this match up will be slowly approaching using frequent dash cancels, looking for opportunities to blow Kak up with an s5a or s214aa. Play slow and cautious, and although you will be at a disadvantage, do not panic if you lose lifelead. Keeping your approach safe and steady will allow you to clearly see opportunities to whiff punish or dash up throw accordingly. Dash up throw is quite useful in this matchup if the Kak begins to respect the threat of stand on breaker, as it will allow you to safely destroy/avoid nets as well as starting your suprsingly strong throw game. If Kak begins air dashing to attempt to hold on to lifelead as long as possible, stay at about Star Breaker distance and call the air dash out with s77 s.j.c. You have a much better time when the Kak is forced to approach, but it's still threatening. In the off chance you can land it, you can get about 60-70 damage simply off s214aa !sc s.j.a s.j.236aa on an IADing Kak. A majority of the time, however, you will not be able to react to it consistently at least with s214aa, so using s5a, pushblock, and simply jumping are answers to this type of approach. Outside of a limited amount of situations, jumping in this matchup is quite risky, so staying grounded a majority of the time approaching with dash blocks is ideal. There are a lot of tiny interactions such as oki-ing Kak, the RPS following a blocked net, and large guage routes, but the main concepts of the matchup are still very important to understand first. Do note that Kaks stand off jumping hurtbox makes s.5a less consistent, so using s2c and 3c are preferable.

Jot:Kakyoin Matches

#### Khan

Although this is a very easy matchup, it is fairly common for it to be somewhat unforgiving to newer players due to unfamiliarity. A common situation you may run into in this matchup is charge on block. This is minus but the mind game is delayed dp. It’s not that real on block and you have several ways of punishing it. Just know that khans hurtbox after charge and dp allows him to be hit with a s.5a, the only time you should be using this move on a grounded Khan usually. When Khan goes airborne is where s5a is a godsend. It is an incredibly strong anti hop option, and paired with s.2c it can completely invalidate a majority of Khan’s air approaches.

Jot:Khan Matches

#### Mariah

At first a somewhat unintuitive matchup, you want to focus on calling out fake and weak tools that Mariah wishes to use on block. Options such as canceling into outlet or trying to set up wire are easily star-breakerable. Do NOT get impatient when approaching, remain calm and occasionally destroy Mariah’s tools with s.5a and other stand on normals. Mariah’s main way to get damage on you relies on you making mistakes, so play smart and lame and you will be opened up less and find yourself in a favorable position more times than not. Do not go complacent with the timing you use to destroy outlets, wire, etc. If you get predictable you can often eat 5Cs, which don’t lead to much but will allow Mariah to hold down a life lead even easier. Saving meter to dump into quick and deadly whiff punishes in the form of s214aa and raw tandem at lower levels makes the matchup a lot easier.

Jot:Mariah Matches

Mariah Countermeasures

#### Midler

Although this is a heavily Jotaro favored match-up, it can be quite hard and unintuitive to play around a character that is proficient at jumping while punishing you for jumping in neutral. The main idea in this matchup is that Midler doesn’t want to get hit grounded at any cost, because she will die under pressure/from okizeme. This is why Midler players tend to jump quite frequently, to abuse to I-frames they have upon stand-on landing. To counter this, apply pressure with s.j.c. However, only jump after you see that Midler is airborne, as jumping prematurely may result in you getting hit by Cars/214aa. Keeping these things in mind makes this match-up a lot more straight forward but there are a couple defensive quirks and notes to take into play regarding stuff like Midler’s offensive throw os, crossup, divekick, and GCing Cars. When being pressured by Midler, understand what moves aren’t cancellable, and which ones are punishable. A notable example is 236c, which can be pushblocked and immediately punished.

Jot:Midler Matches

#### New Kakyoin

Another incredibly volatile match-up, as both characters can punish with combos that are usually about 60~75% added to the fact that New Kak has the second lowest defense making every hit hurt. Just like in the Kakyoin matchup, Jotaro wants to approach slowly and cautiously in stand on. Although nets aren’t as punishing as regular Kakyoin, you will likely get yourself knocked down, resulting in a possible vortex of New Kakyoin okizeme and pressure. You are able to stuff out s665b with s5a and s5b, although this will typically be cycled along with s.x s.5c unblockable and s.2b to call out buttons. N. Kakyoin has fantastic pressure when left uncontested, with a plethora of net cancellable pokes, IOHs, and an amazing grab that setups up oki. The key is taking the matchup slow and capitalizing on over extensions, such as s2c on block or against stand on. You will get dominated on the ground, as s6b s5c s214[x] is an incredibly potent space control tool. Mixing up jump timings during pressure is quite crucial to safely opening him up. Do note that nets are somewhat easier to deal with as opposed to Kakyoin. Jumping is a lot safer, but there is still a large threat behind it so tread carefully.

Jot:New Kakyoin Matches

#### Petshop

Not as abysmal as it seems on the surface but still quite difficult. Luckily you have access to all your basic combos which will chunk pet heavily due to low defense. However, instead of s214x s214a into star finger oki, you have to end with tandem knockdown to get a crossup 50/50. Luckily this means you can still two touch pet, the only concern is not getting blown up for trying to overextend for a hit. Most hits from pet will lead into 70-80% if not a tod, so be careful with your approaches and movement in neutral. Jumpins work quite well as well as dashing pressure. Success in this match up is bent around knowing how to deal with pets “pressure”.

Pet can gaplessly string mids in order to form an icicle, allowing him to do an unblockable. This requires you to gc in order to prevent getting blown up. To combat this pet may mix up or frame trap you with a low, which can be called out by grab. Because everything else is gapless, you can feasibly mash 4c during the string if you expect them to attempt a low. Normals such as s.5a can completely stuff out some of pets risky approaches and options on pressure, and 66a is a low commit button that can be used to move forward while pressuring to avoid icicle.

Jot:Petshop matches

Petshop countermeasures

#### Polnareff

Arguably Jotaro’s hardest matchup outside of Kakyoin, Pol requires smart and calculated play. Polnareff’s stand on almost completely outclasses yours, so a big part of this matchup is catching over extensions in neutral and on pressure. As an example, SS blockstrings can be called out with smart pushblocks and/or empty tandem after SS summon. But in a general sense, you have to capitalize as hard as possible off of Polnareff’s mistakes, which makes this matchup heavily reliant on Polnareff’s aggressiveness and negligence towards stand on. Luckily, unlike many other characters, you have good tools to deal with SS and other elements of Polnareff’s offense. j.s.c is important in attacking SS and double jump can cause SS to whiff entirely. Once you get really comfortable with the Pol’s offensive patterns, you incorporate options such as 7 s.j.b to call out both an SS 663c and a bait. Even with decent meterless options, holding onto meter for star breaker is crucial in punishing overextensions. All in all, a very tough matchup despite the tools, but doable as long as you play around the opponent and their mistakes.

Jot:Polnareff Matches

Polnareff Countermeasures

#### Shadow Dio

Shadow Dio can deal massive damage off most hits and set up for his extensive okizeme, yet has an incredibly though time getting in to start his combo and wakeup game. S. Dio can struggle close up against s.5b but typically they will approach with normals like j.b, 66c, 66a, and 663c cancelled into j.s/5s. Buttons such as s5b and 66a work to preemptively stuff these options out, while 6b is excellent for whiff punishing into knockdown. Be sure to properly whiff punish or stuff these out as S. Dio pressure can be rather sticky if they are adaptive. s.5a is still a solid anti-air tool, just note that S. Dio’s jumping hurtbox can be a little bit deceptive on the uptake, which can leave you susceptible to cross over j.s. Additionally, due to S. Dio’s slow wake up speed, Okizeme is quite easy and potent. This mixed with the fact that 5ABC reps will still hit S. Dio crouching means hits are extremely rewarding. You want to focus on punishing any overextension in their pressure, such as looping on block, attempting cross over j.s when you are stand on, etc. Additionally, make sure to hold on to meter as S. Dio struggles to safely pressure against it. S. Dio can punish you rather hard for staying in stand on, but you need buttons like s.5a to beat out his offense- this is why getting comfortable with using s+5a from stand off is important as you get stand on buttons on demand while still keeping the crouch box until it’s safe.

Understanding S. Dio’s oki options helps a lot in this match up. A very frequent oki option is the “fake crossup” which involves S. Dio jumping over you and does a j.5s. This lacks crossup protection so you will have to block towards the direction the S. Dio is moving then quickly crouch block normally to prevent a 2a catching you after S. Dio lands. You are able to get a full punish simply by pushblocking j.5s and doing 2a or s5a. However, knowing how to beat this option is only one layer to S. Dio’s oki mindgames, so use your judgement to try to figure out when to respect and disrespect their oki. Another common issue that players may run into is dealing with tick throw as Jotaro has 6 frames of prejump, making fuzzy jump a bad option. Luckily, at least on block, 662a is minus, so you can press s.5a after to net a full punish. On hit it is much harder to deal with and react to, and will simply come to practice and time invested.

An interesting quirk to note is S. Dio’s immunity to raw tandem in some situations. (Note that a more detailed explanation will be synthesized soon.) Given he is not point blank, upon inputting 214s, Star Platinum will keep rushing towards S. Dio well after he has reached him face to face, allowing for S. Dio to 3c and beat it out entirely. This effect happens even when S. Dio is in recovery for some moves, so just keep this in mind when fighting him. Air tandems are still good to go.

Jot:Shadow DIO Matches

Shadow DIO Countermeasures

#### Rubber Soul

Rubber is similar to Iggy in the sense that both Rubber and Jotaro can struggle to approach, although Rubber has it much worse. Rubbers slow movement means many Rubbers rely on jump-ins such as j.A j.S to close the distance. This approach can be shut down by s.5a, s.2c, 3c, and star breaker fairly well, so Rubber relies of getting the life lead early and maintaining it. Once he does get a hit he can start an incredibly dangerous tech chase game that can result in large damage. Additionally his supers are incredibly damaging, namely 236aa. It can be used on early reaction to a jump-in to setup an air unblockable and make you tank the entire super. Due to Jotaro’s low stand meter, you are incredibly susceptible to a stand crash after blocking the super as it does a large amount of chip. Traditional star finger oki will not work, as Rubber has an exceptionally fast wakeup. This paired with how potent his counter is means you always have to keep wakeup counter in mind. 66c finds some good use in the matchup along with alternate oki options such as unblockables and Ora oki. Don’t over extend stand on pressure as rubber guard cancel can convert on stand crash. s.5b and Star Breaker as mentioned prior are very strong tools in shutting rubbers offensive game down.

Dealing with rubber vortex is incredibly difficult once he starts up, so you want to focus on just staying out of his 6s distance once you have a life lead. From there make sure to anti air any aerial approaches and stuff him out on the ground. However, if you do find yourself in the vortex, gcing j.s can get rubber off of you quickly.

Jot:Rubber Soul Matches

Rubber Soul Countermeasures

#### Vanilla Ice

An incredibly volatile a momentum based matchup, primarily because of how strong both characters’ offensive and defensive tools are. Once a life lead is established by either character, both of their strong stand on normals can stop the opponents approach. In this matchup Jotaro is looking to comfortably sit at about max range s66a and hard call out reckless or predictable spacing from Ice. V. Ice being a small stand gauge means most hits lead to massive damage. Once a life lead is secured, Jotaro can shut out a lot of Ice’s offense with buttons such as s.5b, s.5a, and 7 s.j.b. Additionally, star breaker is a large help in dealing with Ice overextending on offense. Become accustomed to patient play and hard call outs both in neutral and defense.

Jot:Vanilla Ice Matches

#### Young Joseph

This match-up boils down to contesting Youngseph’s air space and area of influence as often as possible. Normals like s.5a, s.2c, and 3c beat out j.c, j.s. Even an occasional trade is fine as you usually benefit more from it given you are grounded, allowing you to tech chase. s66a is incredibly strong in the matchup as youngseph cannot duck it, allowing for ample tick throw mix and rush down/ pressure. You want to stay within the 66c pocket in order to stay out of range of 66s and IOH j.c j.s but still be able to punish clackers or cross bow. Approaching can be a little obnoxious at first as 3b, 5b, 236b, and 66s can catch your dash-ins, so staying just outside of range and being on point with whiff punishes using s66a, s5b, 6b, and s214aa is effective in swinging the lifelead back in your favor.

If you are not able to stop Youngseph from initially throwing clackers do not fret- simply turn stand on, pushblock each clacker to destroy it, then walk forward until the next. Due to pushblock negating pushback from clackers, you will eventually reach s214aa range, which can lead to a bait out aforementioned moves that beat your blind dash ins. Showing you are willing to punish 236b is quite useful in the matchup, as once that is established Youngseph will have a difficult time chipping you. This is due to the fact that j.c j.s does NOT do chip damage, meaning you can simply block the move in stand off and prepare to pushblock and punish.

Jot:Young Joseph Matches

Old Joseph/Young Joseph Countermeasures

## Refrences and Resources

Just a couple of Jotaro related resources that are good to have.

A playlist of Japanese Jotaro matches

A smaller playlists of Jotaros who show off pressure, oki, movement, and tech chase quite well. Or ones that are just fun to watch. These guys may mess around a bit so take stuff with a grain of salt. SQ is the start palette one, a favorite of mine. :)

The oki guide

Stand off hitconfirms into tandem

Link to the matchup evernote I plan to keep the wiki up to date with this, but there's a better chance this will be updated, and it includes extra stuff like matchup odds and FAQ on MU numbers.

JP Jotaros to watch: SQ, WJ, BBC (retired), OraOra. On fightcade you may see Mazuibou and Cy002 play Jotaro (not main character but still cool to watch).

Overseas Jotaros to watch: TheShadowJin (retired), BNOC, KainZC7 (retired), MisterSystem (retired). Exceptional non-JP players. Additional Jotaros include Mono-1, CaineTemple, Reinerro. I may include a playlist of current overseas players' replays, to not only serve to show the gap in skill, but to also serve as a look into how Jotaros play in the "western meta".

Posterd#7176 - I just recently overhauled the Jotaro wiki, so if there are any questions or you just want to chat, let me know! You could watch me but I'm probably the least experienced of the bunch.

Thanks guru for the transparent hitboxes <3

## Frame Data

How to read the Frame Data Table:

Duration - Length of an action. The player becomes able to perform another action on the last frame of a given attack.

Active - Amount of attack's active frames.

Type - Attack or movement type. Normal is used for normal moves that cannot be blocked midair. Low is used for low attacks. Overhead is used for attacks that cannot be blocked while crouching. Special is used for special attacks that can be blocked midair. Air-UB is used for Special attacks that cannot be blocked midair. UB means the attack is fully unblockable.

Connects On Frame - Which frame the attack becomes active. In theory, if an attack is +7 on hit, you can follow it up with an attack that becomes active in 6 frames or less.

Adv. On Hit - Advantage after an attack is not blocked by the opponent. If an attack with more active frames connects late, the advantage will be bigger.

Adv. On Block - Advantage after an attack is blocked by the opponent. If an attack with more active frames connects late, the advantage will be bigger.

Adv. On Push - Advantage after an attack is pushblocked on the same frame it has connected with the opponent. Advantage changes depending on which frame opponent used pushblock.

Notes - Miscellaneous info about the attack.

[\*] - Stand recovery data: Whiff-Block-Hit. Might be inaccurate due to distance/ no. of hits extending the duration.

[\*\*] - Can be cancelled into s.214A/B/C.