Dio Brando (later known as just DIO,) is the main antagonist of both Phantom Blood and Stardust Crusaders and a major character in flashbacks of Stone Ocean. He is the first antagonist of the series and acts as the final boss in both of the parts that he antagonizes in.
Dio Brando was born into poverty in late 1800s England to an abusive, alcoholic father, Dario, whose actions led to his mother's death. At 13, Dio slowly poisoned Dario. He then discovered a debt owed to his father by the wealthy Joestar family and used it to get adopted by them. Though welcomed with kindness, Dio secretly aimed to claim their fortune. For seven years, he acted as a brother to Jonathan Joestar before attempting to poison his adoptive father. When Jonathan discovered the plot, Dio tried to kill him using an ancient Stone Mask, which instead turned Dio into a vampire. With newfound powers, Dio sought world domination through the undead but was ultimately stopped by Jonathan in a ship explosion, where they both seemingly died.
Dio survives the ship explosion and fuses his head to Jonathan Joestar’s body. Escaping in an indestructible coffin, he ends up trapped at the bottom of the sea for 100 years. He’s eventually found by a fishing boat and revived. Recognizing his potential, Enya the Hag stabs him with a Stand Arrow, granting him the time-stopping power of The World. This awakens Stands in Jonathan's descendants, linking them to DIO. When one of the Stands threatens Holly Kujo’s life, her family sets out to stop him. DIO is ultimately defeated by Jotaro Kujo and his Stand, Star Platinum.
Dio wields the ability to stop time with his Stand The World.
Dio is a tall bulging man with long blond hair. On his right ear he has three tiny black birthmarks.
His outfit in Part 1 is a maroon coat over a white shirt. He wears a leather chest piece with a purple scarf and knee-high leather boots.
In Part 3, now in possession of Jonathan Joestar's body from the neck down, he wears a green headband under his hair, and has a yellow jacket over a black tight-fitting tank top. He has yellow pants and gold pointed shoes, and over the rest of his outfit are many different green heart designs. He has a star shaped birthmark on his left shoulder.
In Time For Heaven DIO is shown in a flashback meeting Enrico Pucci for the first time. He wears a black tank top with a tattered collar.
Design Variants[]
In Dio the Invader, he appears as a 12 year old boy. His hair is much shorter than his usual appearance and he wears a suit and tie.
In Dio the Invader, also as a young boy while boxing, he wears pants with a black t-shirt and blue boxing gloves.
In Dio the Invader, Dio wears a fancy white outfit with gold motives and a collar when he goes to harass Erina. This outfit also has fingerless gloves.
In Dio the Invader, aged up 7 years, he is much more bulky, and wears a white and green striped collared shirt.
In A Letter From the Past, he wears a brown vest over a long-sleeve white shirt and a pink bow.
In A Letter From the Past he wears a large coat with feathers on it, and the Stone Mask when he first transforms into a vampire.
In The Final Ripple! Dio is nothing more than a head in a glass case.
Dio appears in JORGE JOESTAR he appears shirtless with a dark cape and his Part 3 pants.
In A Man Possessed by an Evil Spirit DIO is seen in the shadows without a shirt on, showing his star birth mark.
In The Faraway Journey, Farewell Friends DIO is now empowered with the blood of Joseph Joestar and loses his jacket. His hair spikes up and he now wears black lipstick. This form is known as DIO High-Voltage.
Young Dio
Dio boxing with Jonathan
White outfit
Rugby outfit
Vest Dio
Dio wearing the Stone Mask
Dio's disembodied head
DIO as he appears in JORGE JOESTAR
Shadow DIO
DIO High-Voltage
Video Game Appearances[]
Video Game Appearances
DIO in Cult Jump
DIO in JJBA SFC
Dio in the Phantom Blood PS2 game
DIO in Heritage for the Future
Jump Superstars DIO
Dio in All-Star Battle
DIO in All-Star Battle
DIO in Last Survivor
Diamond Records Dio Brando (Part 1)
Diamond Records Dio Brando (Part 3)
Pitter-Patter-Pop Dio (Part 1)
Pitter-Patter-Pop DIO (Part 3)
Jump Force DIO
Puzzles & Dragons Dio Brando (Part 1)
Puzzles & Dragons DIO (Part 3)
Dio in Tower of Saviors
Alternate Universe Variants[]
In the second continuity of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, multiple characters appear that appear to be references or counterparts to those that appeared in the original continuity.
Also known as Dio, he acts as a rival to Johnny Joestar in the seventh part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He is similar to the original Dio due to sharing the same name, having the father Dario, being British, their rivalry with a Jonathan Joestar, and their particular cruelty. This version of Dio possesses a different Stand to the original, which is Scary Monsters, but he got this Stand from Dr. Ferdinand instead of awakening it naturally.
Another version of Diego appears later in the story from an alternate world, brought on by the Stand Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. This version of Diego has access to the Stand THE WORLD, similar to the main universe's Dio.
Dio Brando (37th Universe; non-canon)
JORGE JOESTAR
A version of Dio from the 37th universe reset by Pucci during the events of JORGE JOESTAR. In 1889 Dio attempts to rob a train but he is stopped by his version of Jonathan and both of them die.
History[]
TBA
schtealing
Powers and Abilities[]
The Stone Mask[]
After being pierced by the Stone Mask, Dio becomes a vampire. With these powers he becomes immortal and is able to do a fair sum of other abilities such as:
Sting Ripper Laser Eyes: Shooting lasers out of his eyes that span for miles and miles and can rip through just about anything.
Chimera creation: The ability to fuse two creatures together to become chimeras
Vampire/Zombie creation: The ability to turn humans or animals into zombies or fellow vampires.
Cryokinesis: The ability to freeze the air of his surroundings, essentially being able to make ice.
DIO received his Stand after his 100 year slumber at the bottom of the ocean through being stabbed by the Stand Arrow by Enya the Hag.
The World is a close-range Stand with a range of about 2 meters.
Super Strength: The World possesses immense strength, being able to throw a Jeep carrying four men and a girl out of the path of an 18-wheeler with one hand, later pulling the same Jeep out of a canyon with only a car as a counter-weight, and destroy large artificial diamonds within seconds.
Super Speed: The World boasts phenomenal speed. It was able to intercept a bullet fired from point-blank range, briefly contended with Silver Chariot (whilst it was using Anubis), and is stated to exceed the speed of light.
Precision: The World is incredibly precise; it can surgically remove an object embedded in a person's skull without ill effect, catch both a bullet and a minuscule Stand like Lovers between his thumb and forefinger in midair, and create a near photo-realistic drawing of a small Egyptian fly from a dark, blurry photo.
Barrage of Strikes: The World's primary method of attack. It throws an extremely fast but precise barrage of powerful punches to pulverize an opponent or destroy objects.
Time Stop: The World's power is its ability to stop time, allowing only itself, DIO and anyone with the same power, to act within the duration of stopped time. DIO is able to use this ability consistently, as shown as he is able to stop time with little to no fatigue, although this might be due to his vampiric nature or greater experience with his Stand.
Age[]
Dio is 21 in Part 1, and before that he was 13. As of Part 3 he was 123 years old.
Episode 13: Kiss of Love and Revenge, Part 1 (flashback)
Episode 15: Ultra Security House Unit (flashback)
Episode 22: Time for Heaven! New Moon! New Priest! (flashback)
Episode 23: Jail House Lock! (flashback)
Episode 27: Sky High (flashback)
Episode 29: Under World (mentioned)
Episode 31: Heavy Weather, Part 2 (flashback)
Episode 32: Heavy Weather, Part 3 (mentioned)
Episode 34: C-Moon, Part 1 (mentioned)
Episode 35: C-Moon, Part 2 (mentioned)
Episode 37: Made in Heaven, Part 2 (mentioned)
Episode 38: What a Wonderful World (mentioned)
Trivia[]
The word "Dio" in Italian means "God."
This is ironic that his son Giorno battles with a character named Diavolo, who's name in Italian means "devil."
Dio has two alternate universe counterparts in the Steel Ball Run universe, both representing the two parts that he is physically featured in, Parts 1 and 3.
Diego Brando represents Dio pre-Stand, as both were born Standless and have a rivalry with Jonathan/Johnny Joestar.
Alternate Diego Brando represents DIO because they both share the same Stand, The World.
Dio's plan of achieving "Heaven" (which is outlined in his diary that Jotaro is retconned to have discovered after his defeat,) has been foreshadowed since at least Part 4, as it is stated then that DIO was apparently "searching for a specific type of Stand," we later find out that this Stand was Made in Heaven.
The form DIO takes at the end of Part 3 after drinking Joestar blood was previously known as DIO's "Greatest High," Empowered DIO, or Awakened DIO, was officially given a name in an update for the JoJo's BIzarre Adventure: Last Survivor arcade game known as DIO High-Voltage.
This shares a name with the final arc in the seventh part of the series, Steel Ball Run, where an alternate version of Diego Brando appears with the Stand, THE WORLD.
It is unknown if this form of DIO always had this name internally or if the game is referencing Steel Ball Run's final arc.
