CHARACTER PROFILE
Bruford
- Primary work
- Phantom Blood
Other recorded work links
Bruford (ブラフォード, Burafōdo) is a secondary antagonist featured in the first part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Phantom Blood. He briefly becomes a tertiary ally later in the part.
Bruford was formerly a powerful knight in 16th century Great Britain and a loyal retainer of Mary Stuart alongside Tarkus. After dying in disgrace, Bruford is resurrected as a zombie by Dio Brando to battle Jonathan Joestar. He wields a knightly sword named Luck, which he uses in combination with his unnaturally rigid hair.
Image attribution details
Bruford. Source illustration via JoJoWiki; copyright remains with the original rights holders.
Image via JoJoWiki. Original franchise/production rights holders retain copyright; the wiki text CC BY-SA license does not license this image.
Original image ↗ · Archived image ↗01Basic information
- Japanese Name
- ブラフォード↗
- Romanized Name
- Burafōdo↗
- Aliases
- Dark Knight Bruford (黒騎士ブラフォード Kuro Kishi Burafōdo Kuro Kishi Burafōdo)↗
- Age
- ~300+↗
- Birthday
- ~1500s↗
- Gender
- Male↗
- Nationality
- Scottish↗
- Occupation
- Zombie subordinate | Royal retainer (Formerly)↗
- Species
- Zombie | Human (Formerly)↗
- Affiliation
- Mary Stuart (1500s) | Agents of DIO (1888) | Jonathan's Group (1888, Ally)↗
- Manga Debut
- Chapter 26↗
- Anime Debut
- Episode 5↗
- Game Debut
- Phantom Blood (PS2 Game) (Playable)↗
02Appearance
Bruford is a male zombie with athletic stature, a scar on the bridge of his nose, and long unkempt dark hair. He wears a set of metal armor consisting of a chestplate with a collar-like ornate plate that ends on a decorated metal disk, shoulder pads and ankles pads with a pair of sandals, and a diadem decorated with several jewels.↗
03Personality
When he was alive, Bruford was an honorable knight of Mary Stuart. His feelings toward her surpassed even that of love. When Elizabeth I betrayed Mary Stuart, Bruford stood by her side, fighting off all of Elizabeth's forces. However, when the executioner showed him Mary Stuart's head, even though he accepted execution to save his liege, he flew into a blind rage and began to resent humanity.↗
As a zombie, his hatred carried over, allowing Dio to use him in his quest for world domination. However, along with his hatred, his pride as a knight also carried over, as seen when he decides to fight Jonathan one on one.↗
After being defeated by Jonathan, the Ripple energy sent into him restores his human soul, allowing him to feel compassion again. He loses his hatred towards the world and is thankful for the chance to meet the honorable Jonathan.↗
04Abilities
As a knight, Bruford is supposedly a good fighter. It is stated that against the armies that fought against Mary Stuart, only Bruford and Tarkus could win. Already, Bruford had athletic abilities beyond ordinary humans. An expert swimmer, Bruford was capable of swimming a 5 km lake wearing armor with 30 kg of weight. He also managed to complete the trial of the 77 Rings.↗
As a Zombie, his strength is multiplied, to the point where he can scrape out a Zombie's nose with just his finger and swim as fast as the Ripple can travel through water, allowing him to escape one of Jonathan's attacks with minimal damage.↗
05Story
SPOILERS
Background
Born in the 16th century, Bruford was a member of the Tudor dynasty and a retainer of Mary Stuart. After losing his relatives in previous wars, young Bruford was brought up as Mary Stuart's knight and trained his body for that sole purpose. Bruford became attached to Mary, whose charm made him feel at peace. Alongside his fellow retainer Tarkus, Bruford passed the trial of the 77 Rings in 1563, becoming two of the only five in history to complete it.↗↗
Eventually, Mary was attacked by her political rival Queen Elizabeth, and a war ensued. Bruford and Tarkus fought the queen's army and won every battle, but the rest of Mary's allies were quickly defeated. Mary was eventually captured, and Elizabeth offered Mary's release in return for Bruford and Tarkus's surrender. But on the day they were to executed, Bruford and Tarkus learned from their executioner that Mary had already been killed.↗↗
Phantom Blood
After taking residence in Windknight's Lot following his transition into a vampire, Dio Brando resurrects Bruford and Tarkus as his zombie enforcers to kill Jonathan, Will Anthonio Zeppeli, and Robert E. O. Speedwagon. Bruford's hair ensnares Jonathan's arm and begins sucking his blood, but Jonathan uses his other fist to burn the hair with a Scarlet Overdrive. A Zombie tries to bite Jonathan, but Bruford cuts off his nose; he then asks Dio to let him fight Jonathan alone, and Dio accepts.↗↗↗
The two combatants surface, and Bruford expresses his gratitude toward Dio for allowing him to fight a man like Jonathan. Declaring his intention to hold nothing back, Bruford extends his hair and ties up Jonathan, smashing him against a tree. Bruford draws his sword and swings, but Jonathan kicks the sword, performing a Metal Silver Overdrive to conduct the Ripple through the sword. As Bruford's arm melts, Jonathan pummels Bruford with a Sunlight Yellow Overdrive.↗↗
Though Jonathan's Ripple energy begins to destroy Bruford's body, Bruford announces that the pain means nothing to him and swipes with Luck once again. However, Bruford stops his sword before cutting Jonathan's neck, having regained his former humanity due to the Ripple's effects. Accepting his defeat with grace, Bruford notes that he has lost his resentment toward humanity, expressing only contentment to be reunited with Mary in the afterlife.↗↗
At the beginning of Jonathan's final battle with Dio, he vows to defeat him not only to avenge his father and Zeppeli, but Bruford as well. During the battle, Bruford’s sword, now named Luck & Pluck, allows Jonathan to counter Dio’s freezing technique by channeling the Ripple through the sword.↗↗
06Plot details
SPOILERS
Personality
Upon learning of her capture, he was easily willing to die for her.↗
Appearances
Chapter 30: Sleep as a Hero (Death)↗
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Episode 6: Pluck for Tomorrow (Death)↗
Phantom Blood Musical Scene 16: Pluck for Tomorrow (Death)↗
Profile details
Status Status based on their final appearance in the part(s) they are featured in: Deceased (Part 1)↗
Date of Death: 1565 (Original death) | December 1, 1888 (Definitive death)↗↗↗
Cause of Death: Decapitated (original death) | Disintegrated via Jonathan Joestar 's Ripple energy (definitive death)↗
07Appearances
08Sources & attribution
- Bruford
Source text: JoJoWiki and its contributors. This entry has been reorganized and condensed for readability under CC BY-SA 4.0. Archived records reflect their capture dates. Referenced manga, anime, and artwork retain their respective copyrights.
Source bibliography (8)
- Chapter 26: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 1 Open ↗
- Chapter 27: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 2 Open ↗
- Deduced from the date of death of Mary Stuart Open ↗
- Chapter 41: Fire and Ice, Jonathan and Dio, Part 3 Open ↗
- Chapter 28: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 3 Open ↗
- Chapter 29: Tarkus and the Dark Knight Bruford, Part 4 Open ↗
- Chapter 30: Sleep as a Hero Open ↗
- Chapter 38: The Three from a Faraway Land, Part 3 Open ↗
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