Summary
It’s a common misconception to think thatJojo’s Bizarre Adventureis a recent series, mainly due to its animated adaptation by David Production that has been airing since 2012. But Hirohiko Araki’s original manga has been in serialization since 1987, meaningit has influenced various other works, both inside and outside of Japan.
There’s a reason the term “Jojo Reference” has been a meme for years, and it has not only plagued the anime industry, but also the wonderful world of gaming. There are many video games that feature one or more references to this classic anime & manga series. And while some of them are quite obvious, several others are mind-blowing.
A Stone Mask, very similar to the one that turnedDio Brandointo a vampire, can be found and equipped inSymphony of the Night, Curse of Darkness,Portrait of Ruin,and one can even be seen in the Netflix animated series. There’s also theDawn of Sorrowboss, Zephyr, who wields knives and can stop time similarly to Dio in Stardust Crusaders.
Yet there’s an argument to be made that the entireCastlevaniafranchise is a big Jojo Reference, since both series are centered on different generations of the same family (the Belmontsand the Joestars) trying to stop one powerful vampire (Dracula and Dio).
Because of its setting and origins,CD Projekt Red’srecent release may be the last place where a player may expect a reference toJojo’s Bizarre Adventure.This one, however, can be found within the game’s photo mode, in which V can be positioned in ways that resemble the signature poses of manyJojoprotagonists.
These specific references are: V’s Bizarre Buongiorno isGiorno Giovanna’spose, V’s Bizarre Gesture isJoseph Joestar’spose, V’s Bizarre Step isJosuke Higashikata’spose, and V’s Bizarre Pick-Up Line isJotaro Kujo’spose.
Fortnitealready has manyofficial player skins based on classic seriesfrom Weekly Shonen Jump, likeDragon Ball,NarutoorMy Hero Academia. There’s a big chance that Epic Games will addJojo’s Bizarre Adventurecontent in the near future. Until then, these particular skins are the closest thing so far.
Back in Chapter 4: Season 1 ofFortnite, the skins namedHanaandKeleritaswere released, with Hana having a similar design toJolyne CujohfromStone Ocean, and Kalaritas being referred to as her “inner demon”, an obvious reference to the concept of Stands. He can even be seen doing Dio’s classic “WRYYY!” pose.
Tango Gameworks’ recent rhythmic hack & slash gameHi-Fi Rushis brimming with style and charm, so it’s no wonder that there’s a character whose entire existence is aJojoreference. This is the case for the third boss of the game,Zanzo.As expected, he strikes a few signature poses from characters likeJonathan JoestarorKiller Queen.
But Zanzo goes even further in his references: He can also be seen performing the beloved Torture Dance fromVento Aureo. To top it all off, the classic purple katakana from the series can be often seen vibrating around him when he’s talking.
Toby Fox’s magnum opusis filled to the brim with internet memes, so it’s expected that it has its fair share ofJojoreferences. During his battle,Mad Dummywill shout “Useless!” and attack by throwing knives, similar to Dio Brando. There’s alsoMettaton, who strikes many poses that resemble popularJojoposes.
The references continue inUndertale’sspiritual successor,Deltarune,with the character known asQueenbeing pretty much a walking reference toKiller Queen, Yoshikage Kira’s Stand: Her battle theme is called “Attack of the Killer Queen” and she can blow up the things that she touches, just like the Stand fromDiamond is Unbreakable.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventurehas had a big impact on the fighting game genre ever since Capcom releasedHeritage for the Future, back in 1999. Because of this, there are many fighting games that recycle elements from that one, withSkullgirlsbeingone of the most well-known instances.
The K.O. portraits in this game are based on the ones seen inHeritage for the Future,Valentinehas a knife attack based on Dio, there’s an NPC that resembles Jotaro in the River King Casino stage andCelebellahas an attack in which she strikes a similar pose to Jotaro & Star Platinum’s. Finally,Big Band, Eliza,andMariehave color palettes that are based on Jotaro, Dio, and Jolyne respectively.
Way beforeSkullgirlsandHeritage for the Future, there have beenJojoreferences in the 3 biggest and most iconic fighting game franchises.Jean Pierre Polnareff’sdesign has inspired the likes ofBenimaru Nikaidofrom theKing of Fighters,Paul PhoenixfromTekkenandGuilefromStreet Fighter,with this last character also having elementsfromRudol von Stroheim.
TheStreet Fighterseries has several other characters that are based onJojo’s Bizarre Adventurecharacters:Roseis based on Lisa Lisa andJuri Hanis based on Jolyne Cujoh. It is no wonder that Capcom would later go on to developHeritage for the Futurea few years later.
In one of the most obscureJojoreferences ever made,Dark Soulsfeatures the infamousSet of Thorns, an armor that is based off of the77 Ringschallenge fromPhantom Blood, in which combatants had to defeat many opponents and wear their rings after each battle, slowly increasing their weight.
TarkusandBrufordwere some of the very few knights who completed this challenge. This is quite an impressive Easter Egg, considering the 77 Rings challenge was completely cut from theJojo’s Bizarre Adventureanime. There’s also theDark Souls IIIboss,High Lord Wolnir, who bears a strong resemblance to Enya the Hag’s Stand,Justice.
Series creator Hideki Kamiyais a self-declared fan ofJojo’s Bizarre Adventure, so he obviously added a lot of references to his hack & slash series: The Nobody enemies can be seen wearing the Stone Mask, the Sin Scissor enemies were calledDeath Thirteenduring production (Just like the Stand fromStardust Crusaders) and most important of all, Dante is confirmed to have been inspired byJoseph JoestarfromBattle Tendency.
Luckily, theJojoreferences didn’t stop even after Hideki Kamiya left the franchise. InDevil May Cry 3, the Quicksilver Style is based off ofThe World, Dio Brando’s Stand. Finally, the pachinko gameDevil May Cry X: The Last Judgementhas a victory animation for Dante, in which he mimics Jotaro Kujo in the anime opening, STAND PROUD.
When Hideki Kamiya left Capcom in order to create his own studio, he didn’t stop addingJojoreferences to all of his games, andDevil May Cry’sspiritual successor,Bayonetta, was no exception. The entire series is brimming with a signature style and personality that is reminiscent to both DMC andJojo’s Bizarre Adventure.
As far as specific references go, the firstBayonettagame features theLittle Devils: A group of small demons who can be summoned by the titular character. They all have their own personality and their respective numbers written on their head. Kamiya himself later confirmed that they are based onSex Pistols, Guido Mista’s Stand fromVento Aureo.
