Phantom Blood

Issue 1-2 of 1987 of Weekly Shōnen Jump, depicting (left to right) Dio Brando, Jonathan Joestar and his dog Danny on the cover.

Phantom Blood (ファントムブラッド, Fantomu Buraddo) is the first story arc of the manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1987 for 44 chapters, which were later collected into 5 tankōbon volumes. It was originally known as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1 Jonathan Joestar: His Youth (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 第一部 ジョナサン·ジョースター ―その青春―, JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken Dai Ichi Bu Jonasan Jōsutā -Sono Seishun-).

Phantom Blood is the first arc of the popular long-running manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. It was followed by part 2 Battle Tendency, which began immediately after. This first arc was adapted into a PlayStation 2 video game in 2006 and a theatrical animated movie in 2007. In 2012, it was adapted as part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime series, spanning episodes 1 to 9.

Plot

The story begins in England, 1880 with young Jonathan Joestar living at his father George's wealthy estate. Another young man, Dio Brando, is adopted by them for having recently lost his father, Dario Brando. George believed that he and his infant son were rescued by Dario during a stagecoach accident, also in which his wife lost her life, as actually Dario was trying to loot their corpses.

Jonathan attempts to befriend Dio, unaware of his plan to drive him into discredit and earn George's trust so that he can become the sole heir to the Joestar fortune. As part of his scheme to torment Jonathan, Dio violently beats him in a boxing match, turns his friends against him, steals his girlfriend Erina's first kiss, and even burns his dog Danny to death in an incinerator, while presenting himself before Jonathan's father as a better gentleman and student than his adoptive brother.

Seven years later, George falls ill. Jonathan becomes suspicious of Dio's excessive care for him and is certain that he has ulterior motives, especially after discovering an old letter written by Dario Brando on his deathbed requesting Lord Joestar to care for Dio. In his letter, Dario described his symptoms, which were identical to Lord Joestar's mysterious ailment. Jonathan believes that Dio must have poisoned his own father and plans to do the same with his father. Jonathan confronts him about his suspicions, and Dio decides to dispose of Jonathan before he is exposed.

During one of their initial scuffles soon after Dio's arrival at Joestar Estate, a few droplets of blood splattered an ancient stone mask which Lord Joestar acquired left hanging from a wall in his vast mansion. When touched by blood the mask did "animate" extruding several bony hooks which, had anyone been wearing it on the face, would have pierced his skull at several points. Only Dio and Johnatan witnessed the fact and while the former maintained it to be nothing more than an instrument of torture and death the young Joestar started researches in the fields of Archaeology and Etnology to find the history behind the artifact. Dio reasoned that if he made Johnatan wear the mask and then activated it his ensuing death could have been feigned to be a 'research accident' due to his known interest towards the artifact.

However, to be assured of the lethal effect of the mask, Dio experiments with it on a drunken beggar he finds in the dilapidated London boroughs he frequents to replenish his stash of poison. To his horror the exposure to the mask's bony hooks not only doesn't kill the 'subject' but rejuvenates him transforming it into a vampire. Dio is saved by the monster's attack when it is bathed in sunlight and dies.

Returning home, still shaken from the recent events Dio is surrounded by police constables summoned by Jonathan, who in a daring raid to "Ogre Street" managed to befriend the honorable criminal Robert E. O. Speedwagon and to obtain from him the address of the merchant from which Dio obtained his poison. Fighting ensues and Dio, cornered, uses the mask on himself, becoming an unstoppable vampire and killing George. After a long duel Jonathan is able to burn down the mansion, apparently, with Dio inside. However, Dio survives, and takes off to plot his revenge. At this time, Jonathan meets an Italian man called Will A. Zeppeli with a strange power called the Ripple (波紋, Hamon), which is basically a martial arts technique that allows the user to focus bodily energy into other kinds of energy via proper breathing (they focus it into the energy of sunlight, which is effective against vampires). After teaching Jonathan how to use the Ripple they set out to seek and defeat Dio, being joined by Robert E. O. Speedwagon.

Their chase takes them to the village of Wind Knights Lot, where most of the villagers have been turned into zombies by Dio. Joining a young boy named Poco, whose sister was kidnapped by Dio, they fight their way to his castle while encountering Bruford and Tarukus, a pair of legendary knights resurrected by Dio. Zeppeli sacrifices himself in order to save Jonathan along the way. He transfers his remaining Ripple into Jonathan before dying. Zeppeli's Ripple master, Tonpetty, and his two disciples Dire and Straizo then show up to help Jonathan and Speedwagon go on. Eventually, a fight between Dio's vampiric abilities and Jonathan's Ripple ends with a loss for Dio, but not before Dire is killed.

However, Dio tears off his own head before the Ripple power could reach it. Jonathan and company destroy the stone mask the next morning, having protected the town. Shortly after the events in Wind Knight's Lot, Jonathan marries Erina and while on board a ship to America, notices Wang Chan and follows him straight into a trap by Dio (now nothing more than a severed head), who had snuck on board the ship within a special coffin. Dio reveals to Jonathan that he plans to kill him and attach his own head to Jonathan's body before arriving in America. Although Dio manages to mortally wound Jonathan in front of Erina, Jonathan uses one last Ripple to attack Wang Chan, using him to jam the ship's engine to trigger an explosion.

As he urges for Erina to flee, Jonathan is further wounded in the ensuing explosions by shrapnel from the engine. In a final attack, Dio ensnares Jonathan with tendrils from his neck and attempts to decapitate him, only for Jonathan to stab him with the shrapnel and thwart his assault. Jonathan holds Dio's head in his arms, reflecting on their fate as the ship begins to sink. Dio demands to be let free, only to find that Jonathan has already died from his wounds. The ship explodes with both men inside as Erina escapes in Dio's coffin, pregnant with Jonathan's child and protecting a surviving infant whose parents were killed in the attack on the ship.

Characters

Jonathan Joestar (ジョナサン・ジョースター, Jonasan Jōsutā)

Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu, Hideyuki Tanaka (PS2 Game)

The main protagonist of this arc. Nicknamed "JoJo" for short, he is the son of George Joestar whose life turns to misery when Dio enters the household. After his father is killed by the vampirified Dio, Jonathan comes to learn the power of the Ripple from Zeppeli.

Dio Brando (ディオ・ブランドー, Dio Burandō)

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu, Hikaru Midorikawa (PS2 Game)

The antagonist of this arc. The son of Dario Brando, he becomes a member of the Joestar household with the intent of inheriting for himself. When this ultimately fails after Jonathan catches him in the act, he uses the stone mask to transform himself into a vampire. Named for Ronnie James Dio and Marlon Brando.

George Joestar I (ジョージ・ジョースターI世, Jōji Jōsutā Issei)

Voiced by: Masashi Sugawara, Tsutomu Isobe (PS2 Game)

George Joestar is Jonathan's father. He lost his wife in a carriage accident where he met Dario Brando. After Dario's death, Dio went to live with George and Jonathan at the Joestar Estate (because George thinks Dario saved his life so he takes in Dio as thanks, when in actuality George knew this was not true but still took Dio in). Eight years later George falls ill from unknown causes. After Jonathan returned from Ogre Street, Dio attacked Jonathan with a knife, which George blocked and got stabbed in the back. George's blood lands on Dio, who is wearing the Stone Mask, turning Dio into a vampire as he dies.

Danny (ダニー, Danī)

Danny is Jonathan's pet dog, bought by his father while still a puppy when Jonathan was five years old. Jonathan and Danny didn't get along for a while, which caused Danny to bite Jonathan. Jonathan, in turn, attacked Danny by throwing stones at him. One day, while swimming in a river, Jonathan started drowning and was saved by Danny, which made them the best of friends. When Dio arrived, he kneed Danny in the jaw and later put him into a box, planning to incinerate the dog. Danny was burned to death and buried in the backyard of the Joestar Estate.

Erina Pendleton (エリナ・ペンドルトン, Erina Pendoruton)

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi, Aya Hisakawa (PS2 Game)

Erina Pendleton first appears as a small girl, with Jonathan rescuing her from bullies. When she appears again, she and Jonathan are dating, and eventually fall in love. However, after Dio forcefully seizes, kisses, and then brutally beats her, she is humiliated and stays away from Jonathan for a long time. She did not appear again until after Dio's first near-defeat, when she nursed Jonathan back to health. After Jonathan finally defeated Dio using the Ripple, they subsequently renewed their relationship and got married. They took a ship to go on their honeymoon to America, but the voyage was cut short by the appearance of Dio. When the ship sinks, Jonathan stays behind, trying to kill Dio. Erina saves an orphaned infant and escapes. Years later, she and her grandson Joseph Joestar are the last of the Joestar family, and they travel to New York on the invitation of Speedwagon, which sets off the events of the second story arc Battle Tendency.

Robert E. O. Speedwagon (ロバート・E・O・スピードワゴン, Robāto Ī Ō Supīdowagon)

Voiced by: Yoji Ueda, Masaya Onosaka (PS2 Game)

Robert E. O. Speedwagon first appears as an Ogre Street thug boss attacking Jonathan, but soon realized the young man's worthiness and dedication, becoming his good friend. He helps uncover Dio's plot to poison George Joestar, and from that point onward remains by Jonathan's side, helping in whatever way he could to defeat Dio. By the 1930s he is the head of the Speedwagon Foundation, a giant oil company, which assists the Joestar family a great deal in story arcs 2-6. In 1952 he dies of a heart attack at age 89. Speedwagon's first three initials are R.E.O; REO Speedwagon is the name of an American rock band of the 1970s and 80s.

Will A. Zeppeli (ウィル・A・ツェペリ, Wiru Ē Tseperi)

Voiced by: Yoku Shioya, Rikiya Koyama (PS2 Game)

Will A. Zeppeli was on a ship with a crew studying Aztec ruins when he was younger, when his father put on the mask and killed everyone in the crew but his son. After this horrific event, Zeppeli travels the world in order to destroy the mask, and sees a man cure someone using the Ripple. Zeppeli is then directed to his master Tonpetty, who teaches him to use the Ripple. However, Tonpetty foresees Zeppeli's death during his training, warning him that should he complete his training he will surely die. Zeppeli doesn't share this fact until the fight with Tarukus, where he afterwards gives his power to Jonathan, whom he trained after the Joestar's house burns down. His grandson, Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli, is a major companion in part 2 Battle Tendency. His name is derived from the latter half of Led Zeppelin.

Tonpetty (トンペティ, Tonpeti)

Voiced by: Tamio Ōki, Osamu Saka (PS2 Game)

Named after Tom Petty, Tonpetty is a Ripple master who trained Zeppeli, as well as others. He trained the then 25-year-old Zeppeli in the ways of Ripple and eventually revealed to him that he would face a gruesome death. The only other known Ripple students of Tonpetty are Dire and Straizo, both who accompanied him to Dio's town. However, they did not meet with Jonathan and Speedwagon until after Zeppeli had died. During the final battle between Jonathan and Dio, Dire is killed, and Tonpetty and Straizo help kill Dio's remaining zombies. After the battle, Tonpetty is last seen at the docks (together with Straizo, Speedwagon, and others) to say farewell to Jonathan and Erina as they go on their honeymoon.

Dire (ダイアー, Daiā)

Voiced by: Taketora, Yukitoshi Hori (PS2 Game)

Dire is a Ripple user and a student of Ripple master Tonpetty. He first properly introduced himself after a short match against Jonathan. Before Dio and Jonathan had their last fight, Dire fought Dio to avenge Zeppeli. However, even Dire's best attack, the Thunder Split Attack, didn't stand a chance against Dio's Freezing Attack, which completely turned his body into ice and then shattered it. Dire, now only a head, was able to use his last ounce of Ripple energy to shoot a rose into Dio's eye. For that, Dire's head was turned into ice as well and destroyed.

Straizo (ストレイツォ, Sutoreitso)

Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita, Hiroaki Miura (PS2 Game)

Straizo is another of Tonpetty's followers. He aids Jonathan in the fight against Dio and his minions. However, in the 1930s during part 2 Battle Tendency, he betrays Speedwagon and puts on one of the newly discovered Stone Masks. He explained that he had always envied Dio's strength and beauty and, as a result, desired to stop his aging process. He dies after battling and losing to Joseph Joestar in New York City, overloading his own vampire body with Ripple energy. He is also the adoptive father of Lisa Lisa. He, along with Dire, were named after the band Dire Straits.

Poco (ポコ, Poko)

Voiced by: Yumiko Kobayashi, Daisuke Sakaguchi (PS2 Game)

Poco is a young boy who lives in the village of Windknights. He fell in with the heroes after unsuccessfully trying to steal from them. His chief contribution was crawling through a narrow hole into the room where Tarukus and Jonathan Joestar were having their "chain match", so that the door could be opened and Zeppeli could help Jonathan. Dio Brando later captured his sister and Jonathan rescued her from Doobie. He is named after the 70s rock group Poco, which was formed from ex-members of Buffalo Springfield.

Dario Brando (ダリオ・ブランドー, Dario Burandō)

Voiced by: Tadashi Miyazawa, Kōji Yada (PS2 Game)

Dario Brando is Dio's abusive and alcoholic father. One day, Dario notices a carriage accident and tries to steal from the corpses inside. There he met George Joestar, who thought that Dario had come to save him instead, at which point George made a debt to Dario for saving his life. He beat Dio and worked his wife to death. Dio then went to Ogre Street and bought oriental poison from a Chinese man named Wang Chan. On his death bed, he then had Dio go to the Joestar Estate to repay the debt.

Wang Chan (ワンチェン, Wan Chen)

Voiced by: Hiroshi Naka, Kazumi Tanaka (PS2 Game)

Wang Chan is a mysterious apothecary who provides Dio with the poison to kill George Joestar, the same kind he used to kill his own father Dario years ago. Later, he gets brought back to the Joestar Estate and narrowly escapes the flames. As Wang Chan searches for the Stone Mask in the rubble, Dio emerges and turns him into his zombie servant. He serves loyally, and after Dio's penultimate defeat, he takes his master's head onboard the ship carrying Jonathan and Erina, where he meets his end. Wang Chan is named after 80s pop duo Wang Chung.

Jack the Ripper (切り裂きジャック（ジャック・ザ・リパー）, Jakku Za Ripā)

Voiced by: Naomi Kusumi, Hisao Egawa (PS2 Game)

A renowned serial killer in London, who later becomes one of Dio Brando's servants as a zombie. He confronted Jonathan and his group while they were on their way to the Windknights City in a cave. At first, Zeppeli fights him, overwhelming Jack with his many Ripple techniques (as well as teaching Jonathan different battle tactics on how to defeat zombies). After Zeppeli deals a blow to the head, Jack attempts to escape but Jonathan pursues him, finishing him off with a Ripple overdrive.

Bruford (ブラフォード, Burafōdo) and Tarukus (タルカス, Tarukasu)

Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda, Nobutoshi Canna (PS2 Game)

Voiced by: Tetsu Inada, Daisuke Gōri (PS2 Game)

Bruford and Tarukus are zombies resurrected by Dio to fight Jonathan, Zeppeli, and Speedwagon. Centuries before, they were followers of Mary Stuart, and were beheaded for attempting to rise against and kill Elizabeth I. Bruford is able, as a zombie, to use his hair to attack or entangle foes using his Danse Macabre Hair attack. He is, despite being haunted by revenge, a noble soul, and finally Jonathan is able to awaken this nobility. When his soul returns to him, he disintegrates peacefully. Tarukus, however, is not, and is more ruthless in his fight with Jonathan, even going so far as to nearly strangle the young man to death in a tethered match, as Tarukus easily outweighs him. It is only after Zeppeli's interference and his passing on his life force to Jonathan in a Final Ripple (after Tarukus dismembers his body) is Jonathan able to defeat the bruting Tarukus. Bruford gets his name from Bill Bruford, member of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (ABWH), who were integral members of the 70s band Yes. Tarukus is named after the album Tarkus, by 70s progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Doobie (怪人ドゥービー, Kaijin Dūbī)

Voiced by: Yuichi Ishigami

Doobie is a zombie who serves Dio Brando. His head is infested with snakes. Dio leaves Poco's sister to his tender mercies, but Jonathan takes care of him before he has a chance to do any real harm. Musical reference is the Doobie Brothers.

Page (ペイジ, Peiji) , Jones (ジョーンズ, Jōnzu) , Plant (プラント, Puranto) , and Bornnam (ボーンナム, Bōnnamu)

Page, Jones, Plant, and Bornnam are four zombies Dio conjures in an effort to defeat Straizo. They are named after Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones, from the band Led Zeppelin.

Chapters

The first chapter titles listed are those found in the original volumes, while the second ones are used in more recent collections. Chapters 45-47 are part of Battle Tendency.

Related media

A video game based on Phantom Blood was released for the PlayStation 2 by Bandai. An animated film adaptation was released theatrically in Japan on February 17, 2007, although has yet to see a home video release of any kind. A television anime series, produced by David Production, adapted the Phantom Blood arc between October 5, 2012 and November 30, 2012. Jonathan Joestar, Will A. Zeppeli, and Dio Brando (with his separate incarnation of Stardust Crusaders) appear as playable characters in the PlayStation 3 fighting game, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Namco Bandai Games.

References