JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Is Great, But Its Best Characters Are Way Overlooked

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'sfriendships are some of the best in anime, largely because the story prioritizes showing strong platonic bonds rather than only focusing on romantic relationships. This focus on friendship goes so far that every part of JoJo's features a character affectionately known as a "Jobro," who isthe loyal best friend of the main Joestar of that arc.

Many people argue over which Jobro duo is the best, but my favorite JoJo's friendship is actually the most underrated pair. Diamond Is Unbreakable's Josuke Higashikata and Okuyasu Nijimura are JoJo's most refreshingly realistic relationship, and Part 4 of the series would be far less enjoyable and meaningful without them.

Josuke and Okuyasu’s Bond Is JoJo’s Most Realistic Picture of Friendship

Despite Their Superpowers, Josuke and Okuyasu Feel Like Typical, Loyal High School Best Friends

Josuke Higashikata and Okuyasu Nijimura JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Gyro and Johnny and Joseph and Caesar are often used as examples of the best friendships in JoJo’s, and these friendships are certainly legendary for a reason, but Josuke and Okuyasu's relationship accomplishes a level of relatability that few others in the series have achieved. Although the duo often brave dangerous, near-death situations on the hunt for the elusive serial killer in Morioh, Yoshikage Kira, they also simply enjoy life together and engage in typical high school experiences like attending school, hanging out, and playing video games, which grounds an otherwise supernatural series somewhat in reality.

Josuke and Okuyasu's friendship may have started out on rocky ground, but once they became amicable, they were absolutely inseparable. After becoming friends, they are rarely pictured apart from each other for the rest of the story, signifying the depth of their unbreakable bond. Their hilarious and dependable friendship is particularly meaningful to me, because it feels so similar to close friendships I had in high school, when I was their age. Josuke and Okuyasu may be heroes with powers, but they still feel like a pair of relatable high school pals, which makes it easier for viewers to see themselves in the duo.

Their Relationship is a Heartwarming Use of the Enemies to Friends Trope

The Pair Had To Overcome Obstacle To Develop the Strong Friendship They Have Today

Josuke Higashikata and Koichi Hirose Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Josuke and Okuyasu's relationship is also interesting because they started out as enemies, but quickly became best friends. They met when Josuke and his friend, Koichi Hirose, were investigating a disturbance at a house they assumed was abandoned. Okuyasu, his brother, Keicho, and their father were inside, and the group began battling, because Keicho wanted to awaken Josuke and Koichi's Stands for his own benefit. Keicho revealed that Dio had turned their father into a beast who cannot be killed by any Stand, so him and Okuyasu were awakening people's Stands with the Bow and Arrow to try to find someone who could end their father's misery.

Okuyasu cooperated with his brother's scheme, until he began listening to Josuke and Koichi's arguments that maybe they could try to save their father instead. Turning his back on his own brother, Okuyasu took hold of the Stand arrow, stealing it from Keicho and teaming up with Josuke and Koichi instead. From this moment on, they became his new best friends, and their kindhearted, honorable personalities changed Okuyasu for the better. Okuyasu saw Josuke as an enemy at first, and Josuke viewed him as nothing but a villain, but they both quickly realized their first impressions were not accurate.

They Add Much-Needed Comic Relief to the Otherwise Extremely Dark Kira Storyline

Although They Are Chasing a Serial Killer, Josuke and Okuyasu's Friendship Makes This Arc More Uplifting

Yoshikage Kira and his Stand Killer Queen in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Their willingness to take the time to understand and empathize with each other proves their friendship is not just touching, but mutually beneficial for both of them. They definitely both have flaws, since Josuke can be arrogant and Okuyasu can be childish, but they never give up on their friendship and constantly push one another to be better, which is a sign of a worthwhile relationship. The enemies to friends trope is common in fiction, but Okuyasu and Josuke's version of this trope proves it is a classic for a reason, and I loved watching them completely change their initial negative perception of each other.

Diamond Is Unbreakable is a very serious part of JoJo's considering the subject matter, since the season does involve a serial killer mystery plot, but at the same time, it feels a lot more laidback and casual than other arcs because of the energy and humor Josuke and Okuyasu bring to Part 4. Without their relationship, Part 4 might very well be the darkest arc in JoJo's, since it includes copious amounts of murder and violence. Yoshikage Kira is one of the most twisted villains in anime, luring in women so he can murder them and chop off their hands as a disgusting reminder of his crimes.

Josuke and Okuyasu Were Fully Willing To Die for Each Other

When Okuyasu Was Seriously Injured, Josuke Carried His Body, Even Though It Held Him Back From Fighting

Part 4 of JoJo's can get grim, but overall, the season has a happy, upbeat tone because of Josuke and Okuyasu's antics. There are plenty of breaks from the battles, such as Josuke and Okuyasu's trip to the Italian restaurant, or their adventures at Rohan Kishibe's house. All of these smaller sideplots do move the narrative forward and bring them one step closer to catching Kira, but they also add laughter and warmth to an otherwise grim storyline. Their friendship does not completely negate the darker moments, but without Josuke and Okuyasu, Part 4 would have been nothing but saddening.

The closeness of Josuke and Okuyasu's friendship knows no bounds, since the pair even proved they are willing to die for each other. Towards the end of Diamond Is Unbreakable, Okuyasu nearly did lose his life, and for a while, it seemed he did not survive. Josuke was absolutely devastated at his friend's sacrifice, and would not leave his body behind, carrying it with him until Okuyasu was thankfully revived. Even though Okuyasu's unconscious body hindered Josuke's fighting, his refusal to even consider leaving his best friend behind is just one more piece of proof that they are JoJo'sbest duo by far.

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