Dio Brando Is One of Anime's Greatest Villains, But You Haven't Heard His Hidden Backstory
There are very few anime villains with as terrifying of a reputation as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'sDio Brando. Although many anime series feature heartless murderers who will do anything to selfishly obtain power for themselves, it is difficult to find an anime villain quite as evil as Dio proved himself to be in JoJo's.
Dio is one of the series' most well-written and interesting characters, and he plays a major role in Part 1, Part 3, and Part 6 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Even after his death, he had a sizable impact, and the series would truly not be the same without him and his villainous acts. Although fans may think they know everything there is to know about Dio, a recent Reddit thread has just revealed new information about the petrifying JoJo's villain's backstory, straight from mangaka Hirohiko Araki himself.
Dio’s Physical Beauty Is a Canon Fact in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Araki Built Dio’s Character Around His Physical Attractiveness, Which Dio Uses for His Benefit
The Reddit post by user u/Firm-Broccoli7474 includes a graphic of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure author Hirohiko Araki's answer to a question about Dio Brando's character profile, and he explained how he wrote the villain to be such an imposing, horrific presence in the series. In the interview, Araki explained that Dio is canonically a "beautiful, attractive young man" and is actually among the most good-looking characters in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure universe. Dio's physical attractiveness actually helps him out as a villain, earning him the trust and admiration of others who he can more easily deceive through his exceptional outward beauty.
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Araki started creating Dio with the intention that he would be good-looking, and built his character around the handsome physical features that Dio is so well-known for now: his muscular, toned body, his charming smile, his towering height, and his overall put-together look. In Araki's own words, Dio "embodies the attractiveness of evil," and it is Dio's gorgeous appearance that makes him even more effective as a villain, because throughout JoJo's, he uses these positive aspects to his advantage. Dio lures in women and henchmen who blindly fall for his poised persona and beauty, before they can realize his true evil nature.
Jonathan and Dio Were Designed to Be Completely Opposite Characters
All of Jonathan’s Heroic Characteristics Were Designed to Oppose Dio’s Villainous Ones
Most viewers are aware that Dio is considered very attractive in the series, but they may not have known that Araki designed him intentionally to be gorgeous. Every facet of Dio's character design was planned meticulously, from his appearance to even the way his name rolls off the tongue. Araki went on to state in the interview that Dio was meant to be a foil character for Jonathan Joestar, contrasting Jonathan's pureness and goodness with Dio's cruelty and malice. When examining the physical appearances and personalities of these two men, it becomes evident they are complete opposites in every way.
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The smallest details of Jonathan and Dio's characters oppose one another, such as Dio's blond hair and Jonathan's black hair. Aside from these more subtle physical differences, though, they are extremely dissimilar in attitude and upbringing as well, which was also planned by Araki when he wrote the story. Jonathan is kind and forgiving to absolutely everyone he encounters, almost to a fault, while Dio is all too willing to take advantage of anyone with zero empathy for their feelings, as long as it helps him achieve his evil goals. Jonathan also had a much more fortunate upbringing than Dio did.
Dio Uses His Positive Traits to His Advantage, Making Him an Interesting Villain
Dio’s Evilness Juxtaposes With His Looks and Confidence, Making Him the Series’ Most Manipulative Character
Dio's father was heartless and abusive to Dio and his mother, while Jonathan's father treated him well throughout his childhood and ensured he had everything he needed at all times. This is just one more way in which the two men deviate from one another. Araki's description of Dio's character reveals how much careful thought went into constructing the iconic villain. It is no surprise that Dio quickly became a fan-favorite shortly after his first appearance in Part 1 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, because every element of his disposition was chosen deliberately by the author to amplify Dio's monstrous nature.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's Dio Has a Surprising Inspiration No Fan Would Guess
In coming up with a villain for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the series' creator turned to an unusual source of inspiration: FBI criminal profiling.
Dio is arguably the most terrifying villain in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, willing to burn a dog alive, betray the family who so graciously accepted him into their home when he was orphaned, force a woman to eat her own baby, and slaughter thousands of innocent humans. A man like this should find it impossible to earn the love and reverence of anyone, but because of how well Araki wrote Dio, so many characters in the series were unwittingly charmed into trusting him temporarily. The genius of Dio's character is how well his beauty and confidence mask his true evil, making him one of JoJo's most unpredictable villains.
Source: Reddit
- Created by
- Hirohiko Araki
- TV Show(s)
- JoJo Bizarre Adventure
- Video Game(s)
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R
- Character(s)
- Will A. Zeppeli, Jonathan Joestar, Giorno Giovanna, Jotaro Kujo, Joseph Joestar, Jolyne Cujoh, Johnny Joestar, Josuke Higashikata, Gyro Zeppeli
