JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Characters: Full Guide

Few anime open with as much confidence as the 2012 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which tears through two generations of the Joestar bloodline in just 26 episodes. It swings from a Victorian revenge tragedy to a globe-trotting fight against ancient super-beings, so its cast is small but unforgettable — and this guide breaks down every character who matters, what they can do, and where their arc fits.

All main characters at a glance

Character	Role	First appears	One-line description
Jonathan Joestar	Protagonist (Part 1)	Phantom Blood	The honorable heir who first turns Hamon against Dio.
Dio Brando	Antagonist (Part 1)	Phantom Blood	The scheming foster brother who becomes a vampire.
Will A. Zeppeli	Mentor (Part 1)	Phantom Blood	The Hamon master who teaches Jonathan to fight the undead.
Robert E. O. Speedwagon	Ally	Phantom Blood	A reformed street tough and the Joestars' most loyal friend.
Joseph Joestar	Protagonist (Part 2)	Battle Tendency	Jonathan's brash grandson who wins by outsmarting stronger foes.
Caesar Zeppeli	Deuteragonist (Part 2)	Battle Tendency	A proud Hamon fighter and Joseph's rival-turned-partner.
Lisa Lisa	Mentor (Part 2)	Battle Tendency	The mysterious master who trains Joseph and Caesar.
Wamuu	Antagonist (Part 2)	Battle Tendency	A Pillar Man warrior who fights by a strict code of honor.
Kars	Antagonist (Part 2)	Battle Tendency	The Pillar Men's leader, chasing perfect immortality.

Jonathan Joestar — the gentleman who starts it all

The original JoJo, Jonathan Joestar is the earnest heir of a wealthy English family whose life is upended when his father adopts a cruel foster brother. Kind, principled and physically imposing, he grows from a bullied boy into a warrior once he learns Hamon, a martial art that channels sunlight-like energy through controlled breathing. His Phantom Blood arc is a duel of ideals — the man who does right against the man who will do anything to win — and he sets the template every future Joestar follows. The star-shaped birthmark he shares with every Joestar literally marks the bloodline that carries the whole story forward.

Dio Brando — the rival who refuses to stay buried

Dio Brando is one of anime's definitive villains: charismatic, ruthless and utterly convinced he deserves to rule everyone beneath him. Taken in by the Joestars as a boy, he spends years plotting to seize the family fortune, and when an ancient stone mask reveals its power he abandons humanity to become a vampire. What makes Dio endure is that he is not just strong but magnetic — a villain who treats domination as a philosophy. His clash with Jonathan defines Part 1, and his shadow stretches so far beyond it that the wider franchise never quite lets the name go.

Joseph Joestar — the hero who wins with his mouth

If Jonathan is a knight, Joseph Joestar is a con artist. Jonathan's grandson and the star of Battle Tendency, Joseph is a loud, cocky, wisecracking brawler who would rather bluff and trap an enemy than trade honest blows. His signature gag is predicting exactly what his opponent is about to say, and he backs the swagger with real Hamon skill and improvised gadgets. He is the most purely fun protagonist here, which is why he keeps returning in later parts of the saga as a fan-favorite veteran.

Caesar Zeppeli — pride, bubbles and loyalty

Caesar Zeppeli is the grandson of Jonathan's old mentor, and he enters as Joseph's rival before the two become close partners. Hot-blooded and image-conscious, he fights with a refined Hamon style, including bubble techniques that turn his energy into beautiful, deadly weapons. Beneath the swagger is a young man carrying his family's tragic history and a fierce need to prove himself. His bond with Joseph, built on friction and grudging respect, becomes the emotional core of Battle Tendency.

Will A. Zeppeli — the teacher who lights the way

Will A. Zeppeli is the Hamon master who finds Jonathan and trains him to face threats no ordinary strength can beat. Eccentric, theatrical and surprisingly wise, he treats Hamon almost as a spiritual discipline, transforming Jonathan from a brawler into a true warrior. He also carries a personal stake in stopping the stone mask's evil, which gives his mentorship a real urgency, and his legacy echoes through the Zeppeli family for generations.

Robert E. O. Speedwagon — the loyal witness

Robert E. O. Speedwagon starts as a knife-carrying thug from London's slums who picks a fight with Jonathan, then is so impressed by the man's character that he switches sides on the spot. From then on he is the Joestars' most devoted ally — a shrewd everyman who often narrates the danger the heroes are walking into. He later strikes it rich and founds the Speedwagon Foundation, an organization whose resources quietly support the good guys across the entire franchise. He is proof that in JoJo, courage and loyalty matter as much as raw power.

Lisa Lisa — the master with a secret

Lisa Lisa is the poised, glamorous Hamon instructor who takes both Joseph and Caesar under her wing in Battle Tendency. Cool under pressure and startlingly powerful, she wields Hamon through a scarf with lethal precision, at a level far beyond her students. She also guards a personal secret tied closely to the Joestar family, one the series reveals in its own time. As one of the franchise's earliest major female fighters, Lisa Lisa remains a genuine standout.

Wamuu — the enemy with a code

Wamuu is one of the Pillar Men, ancient super-humans awakened from stone, and he is that rare antagonist defined by honor rather than cruelty. A born warrior, he respects worthy opponents and treats combat as a sacred art, which makes his duels with Joseph as much a relationship as a fight. His wind-based techniques make him terrifyingly fast and strong. Wamuu is the blueprint for JoJo's long tradition of noble villains you almost find yourself rooting for.

Kars — the pursuit of perfection

Kars is the leader of the Pillar Men and the true mastermind of Battle Tendency. Brilliant and merciless, he created the stone masks in the first place, and his single-minded goal is to overcome his kind's one weakness and become the ultimate life form. Where Wamuu has honor, Kars has only ambition, and that ruthlessness makes him the arc's most dangerous threat. His scheme raises the stakes from a family feud to the survival of humanity itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the main character of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure?

The 2012 anime has two. Jonathan Joestar leads the Phantom Blood arc, and his grandson Joseph Joestar leads Battle Tendency. Both are "JoJo," the nickname the series builds around the Joestar family line.

Who is the strongest character in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2012)?

By the end of Battle Tendency, Kars is comfortably the most powerful, having chased a form of near-perfect immortality and combat ability. Among the heroes, Lisa Lisa and a battle-hardened Joseph are the strongest Hamon users, while Dio remains the most dangerous long-term threat.

How many main characters does JoJo's Bizarre Adventure have?

This 26-episode season centers on roughly four leads — Jonathan Joestar, Dio Brando, Joseph Joestar and Caesar Zeppeli — supported by a tight cast of mentors and rivals including Will A. Zeppeli, Lisa Lisa, Speedwagon, Wamuu and Kars.

What powers do the JoJo characters use?

Almost every hero in this era uses Hamon, or the Ripple — energy channeled through breathing that behaves like sunlight and is especially deadly to vampires and the Pillar Men. The Stands that later define the franchise are not part of these first two arcs.

Is Joseph Joestar related to Jonathan Joestar?

Yes. Joseph is Jonathan's grandson. The series is built as a generational saga following the Joestar bloodline, marked by a shared star-shaped birthmark, which is why each new protagonist carries the "JoJo" name.

Do you need to watch Phantom Blood before Battle Tendency?

It helps a lot. Phantom Blood establishes the Joestar–Dio conflict, the Hamon power system and carry-over characters like Speedwagon, so watching the arcs in order makes Joseph's story land far harder.