Derived from the manga series of the same title, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has become one of the most popular shonen series in recent memory. Its popularity rivals that of other prominent anime series such as Naruto and Dragon Ball Z. Its story arcs, over-the-top characters, and overall ridiculousness provide entertainment for manga readers and viewers alike. Even other forms of media such as video games and TV shows have referenced Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, proving how popular the series has become.
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One aspect that makes JoJo's Bizarre Adventure so unique is how each arc follows a brand new protagonist in the Joestar lineage. So far the anime has aired five arcs, giving viewers five protagonists. However, the manga is currently on part 8, meaning there is a total of eight protagonists in the series. While every protagonist is great, a few stand out in the Joestar family tree.
8 Josuke "Gappy" Higashikita: Quirky Fisherman With Amnesia
The current JoJo's Bizarre Adventure protagonist and star of Jojolion, Josuke or "Gappy" is a unique character. Gappy suffers from a long-standing and somehow still semi-prominent story cliché: amnesia. Gappy's most interesting personality trait is that he has no real idea who he is. After learning of his past identity as a fusion of both Josefumi Kujo and Yoshikage Kira, he sets himself on a new path to healing the alternate universe version of Holy Kujo, Holy Joestar-Kira.
What he's lacking in previous memories, he does make up for with the knowledge he possesses. He also shows a strong sense of loyalty to the people he cares about, but not remembering why makes him the weakest of the JoJo protag's personality-wise. His stand is also named "Soft and Wet," which makes his placement here entirely justified.
7 Jonathan Joestar: The Forefather Of The Family Tree
While Jonathan Joestar isn't the first member in the Joestar family tree, he does serve as the series' first protagonist. Jonathan is a gentle character, despite his mother's death at a young age. Raised by his father alongside his adopted brother, Dio Brando, Jonathan became the ultimate gentleman. The original JoJo carries the Joestar family name with pride, as shown by how he treated Robert E.O Speedwagon in their very first encounter.
Jonathan might not be the most charismatic of the Joestars. He is honest and kind, but since the Phantom Blood part is so short, it's hard to rank Jonathan anywhere higher than this, since fans spent such little time with the character.
6 Josuke Higashikita: "What Did You Say About My Hair?"
Josuke Higashikita is the focal character in Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable, arguably the most wildly controversial arc in the series. He's unfortunately heavily overshadowed in his own part, while other new additions to the series such as Koichi Hirose and Rohan Kishibe prosper.
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Another issue with Josuke is his backward morals. Multiple times throughout the arc, Josuke claims he wants to be like someone he looked up to as a kid, and shows a strong sense of justice. Yet one episode shows Josuke solely focused on getting rich, despite having already inherited majority of his billionaire father's wealth. Then, of course, there's his hair. Whether a character is a good person, a bad person, or just simply asking him about his haircut, get ready for a world of hurt if one mentions his hair.
5 Johnny Joestar: Kind Of Like Jonathan, But He's A Cowboy
Many regard Part 7: Steel Ball Run as one of the best parts of the series. Johnny Joestar, the alternate universe version of Jonathan Joestar from Phantom Blood, is a big reason for that. His relationship with Gyro alone makes it a must-read for any manga fan, and anime-only fans have a big storm coming.
Similar to Jonathan, Johnny is kind and well-mannered, but he is far from the gentleman that Jonathan is. Johnny is ruthless in combat, taking down foes with seemingly no remorse. His more selfish and impulsive side places him in the lower half of the rankings.
4 Jolyne Cujoh: Trapped In A Spiders Web
Fans love the protagonist of Part 6: Stone Ocean for a reason. The only female protagonist in the series, Jolyne is snappy, hasty, and even a little sassy at times. Much like her father Jotaro Kujo, fans first met Jolyne while she's in prison.
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As her father was mostly absent during her younger years, Jolyne has been angry at him for not being there, and would do anything for his approval and attention. Soon after she developed her stand Stone Free, Jotaro gave her some much-needed affection. It was at this time that she matured and became more confidant. Despite her father being a less than ideal role model, she still goes out of her way to save him during her arc.
3 Giorno Giovanna: The Gold Standard Mafioso
He may be a member of the Italian Mob; however, Part 5: Vento Aureo (otherwise known as Golden Wind) protagonist Giorno Giovanna might have the strongest sense of pride and justice of any protagonist in the series. The son of DIO attached to Jonathan Joestar's body may not have the most personality when compared to other focal characters in the series. Yet, he makes up for it with his calm demeanor and his extraordinary intelligence.
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He and his fellow mafioso stand out because of their resolve and their will to win. Even after all the pain and struggling he's had to deal with, Giorno pushes ahead and looks deep within himself to find what it takes to be successful.
2 Jotaro Kujo: Good Grief
The most well-known and arguably fan-favorite JoJo, Jotaro Kujo, is the protagonist of Part 3: Stardust Crusaders. In terms of overall strength and power, Jotaro takes the cake. With the help of his stand Star Platinum, Jotaro is by far one of the strongest characters in all of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
At first, Jotaro comes across as incredibly rude, angry, and carefree. Yet it becomes clear to his fans (and his mother Holy Kujo) that Jotaro has a heart of gold, and would do anything for the ones he cares about. Even though he might not have been the best son, father, and friend at times, Jotaro doesn't act without thinking. He puts others' lives before his own on many occasions throughout his story.
1 Joseph Joestar: Super Secret Joestar Family Technique
Part 2: Battle Tendency shows that stepping out of one's comfort zone is far from a bad thing. The protagonist of this part, young Joseph Joestar, is by far the most over-the-top and flamboyant character in the series. His goofy attitude and lovable charm make him a strong candidate for the top spot, but that isn't the only reason he's here.
Joseph Joestar is a part of the main cast of characters in Stardust Crusaders as well. Since his time predicting his opponent's next line and utilizing the Joestar family technique, Joseph has become a natural-born leader. Some of his goofiness may be gone, but Joseph makes up for it by showing what he's willing to sacrifice for the sake of his daughter.