Johnny Joestar

Background

Jonathan "Johnny" Joestar, nicknamed "Joe Kidd", was born in 1872 to a family of former aristocrats in Danville, Kentucky. His father, George Joestar, was a wealthy owner of several farms and an acclaimed horse trainer who had won the Triple Crown seven times. He was successful enough for the family to live comfortably in England for several years.↗↗

Steel Ball Run

Meeting Gyro Zeppeli

Johnny is drawn to the starting point of the Steel Ball Run race for reasons even he doesn't fully understand. He first appears among the crowd witnessing a confrontation between Gyro Zeppeli and a pickpocket who had stolen money from him. Afterward, Johnny follows Gyro and touches the spinning Steel Ball he had used. His legs suddenly twitch, allowing him to briefly stand.↗↗

Corpse Parts

As Johnny and Gyro continue their journey, they are attacked by another competitor, Fritz von Stroheim. Gyro swiftly defeats the German cyborg, but Johnny begins to question the importance of the race's prize, as several competitors have already tried to kill them. Suddenly, Johnny sees a mummified left arm fused to his own body, though it quickly fades inside him. He senses its significance, linking it to his Stand ability and the Devil's Palm.↗↗

Continued Rivalry With Diego Brando

Near Kansas City, Johnny and Gyro meet Sandman who warns them of an incoming tempest. Yet, when Sandman informs them of Diego 's route, they decide to run after him. In the storm, Johnny and Gyro finally catch up to Diego. Diego lets them approach once but suddenly turns into a dinosaur and leap above them. He warns the two to stay behind or be killed before he leaves.↗↗↗

The 6th Stage begins - Sugar Mountain's Trials

At the start of the 6th Stage of the Steel Ball Run, Johnny and Gyro continue their journey northward, venturing into the cold, snowy regions of the United States. As they travel, Johnny experiments with his nails, finding new uses for them and learning that he can drink herbal tea or chew herbs to can accelerate the growth of his nails, allowing him to fire them more frequently.↗↗

Chasing Funny Valentine

Johnny and Gyro spot Diego and Hot Pants who have allied themselves. Knowing they have the President's trail, they also follow the pair to find Valentine. With a pair of binoculars, they observe the fight happening in the cars and Johnny sees Diego dying. Just before engaging Valentine, Johnny and Gyro reveal each others' secret. Johnny learns that Gyro's name is "Julius Caesar Zeppeli" and he reveals that he's excited by bug bites on girls.↗↗↗↗↗

At Journey's End

Having lost the race and the Corpse, and now dying as a result of his own attack, Johnny nearly sinks into despair. However, before his life can come to an end, Steven Steel appears. With Steven's help, Johnny performs Tusk ACT4's infinite Spin power on himself to reverse its effects. Johnny is never seen completing the ninth and final stage of the race and ends with a total of 295 points.↗↗

Post Steel Ball Run

According to family tree left in the 1987 edition of Norisuke Higashikata's record of the Steel Ball Run race, Johnny had married Norisuke's daughter, Rina Higashikata, in 1892 and had a son and daughter with her. Their family lived on a farm, though Johnny would travel to Japan by request of the Japanese government to teach horsemanship, and also contributed to the importation of foreign fruits.↗↗↗

Spin-Offs

JORGE JOESTAR

In the light novel JORGE JOESTAR, an incarnation of Johnny appears in the 37th universe. According to Funny Valentine (Universe?) Funny Valentine from an unknown universe, Johnny played a major role in the Steel Ball Run race of this universe. However, instead of gathering the Saint's Corpse parts, they were gathering nine Holy Grails. Like his original universe counterpart, Johnny (Universe 37) Incarnation of Johnny Joestar in the 37th universe was forced to drop out along the way.↗

Eyes of Heaven

The story starts after Johnny has used Tusk ACT4 on Funny Valentine and the President has subsequently disappeared to another universe. Johnny, laying near the Corpse's legs, awaits Funny Valentine's return and final attack. Unbeknownst to Johnny, Valentine has involuntarily unleashed a DIO from another universe who is now attempting to rewrite reality in all universes. Thus, in another timeline, JoJos and their enemies are fighting, and the JoJos are seeking the pieces of a Saint's Corpse.↗

Appearance / Outfits

During his theft of the Saint's Corpse, Johnny wears a beret-style sailor cap with a tassel on the top similar to Yoshikage Kira 's above his knit cap.↗

Personality

Later, having his legs twitch due to the Corpse Parts, he additionally sets out to acquire them, despite the many other murderous pursuers of the same goal.↗↗↗

He generally holds on to basic morals in regards to others in most situations, for instance objecting to involve the defenseless Lucy Steel in their struggle for the Corpse due to her young age and the incredible riskiness of Gyro's plan.↗↗↗↗↗↗

When Nicholas died after falling from a horse that was seemingly startled by Danny, Johnny became guilt-ridden, believing that his brother's death was his fault and that he should have died instead.↗↗↗↗

Having met someone who gives him hope and is genuinely nice to him, Johnny feels grateful for meeting the Italian executioner and treasures this relationship, at one point being willing to abandon the Corpse Parts he has to save his friend. Gyro repeatedly knocks Johnny out of his lack of confidence and helps him get the Corpse Parts, giving him assurance and optimism in life.↗↗↗

The key steps of his progress include Johnny discovering the Corpse (ACT1), then standing up for himself against Soundman (ACT2), symbolically cleansing himself of his guilt against Axl RO and being blessed by Jesus Christ 's apparition (ACT3) and finally acquiring the Corpse and regaining the use of his legs (ACT4). Although Gyro dies, Johnny cherishes the time they spent together.↗↗↗↗↗↗

Seeing his son afflicted with the disease as a result of his selfish misuse of the Holy Corpse returned him to his senses and revealed a stronger-than-ever sense of selflessness.↗↗

Abilities / Spin / Stand

Most often, Johnny channels the Spin by the use of his Stand, Tusk; developed first with the power of the Corpse's left hand, and further with Gyro's help.↗

Abilities / ACT1

Tusk ACT1 is awakened in the Devil's Palm when the corpse part combines itself with Johnny's left hand, manifesting his Stand with the ability to spin his nails and fire them akin to bullets, and regrowing his nails in seconds.↗

Relationships / Family

Johnny admired him since his childhood and feels excessively guilty over his death, thinking that the Universe cursed him for it.↗

When Nicholas died, Johnny believed that Danny and thus him, were responsible for frightening the horse Nicholas was riding and causing his death.↗

After she becomes ill, Johnny goes searching for the corpse parts as a cure.↗

Relationships / Friends

When they first meet, Johnny strongly opposes Gyro's plan to have her steal Valentine's heart of the Corpse, rebuking it as a heartless idea despite how much he wants the Corpse for himself. Later, Johnny resolves together with Gyro to rescue Lucy from Valentine as their last hope to get the Corpse back, presumably also related to how he did not want her involved in the first place.↗↗↗↗↗↗

Johnny considered him a friend as after learning of his death, Johnny requested Funny Valentine to bring a parallel Mountain Tim back to the base world.↗↗

Relationships / Rivals

In his quest for the Corpse Parts he considers Diego a rival.↗↗

Hot Pants: Johnny considers Hot Pants a rival in his quest for the Corpse Parts. He realizes that she is a woman after Gyro kills Ringo Roadagain, but doesn't reveal her true gender to Gyro out of respect for her privacy. After Hot Pants steals Johnny's Corpse Part yet leaves him a small part of the spine, he is curious about Hot Pants motivations for acquiring it.↗

Sandman: Because Sandman didn't go after the Saint's Corpse and acted friendly with the duo, Johnny didn't see him as an enemy. Ultimately, Sandman allied with Valentine and tried to kill Johnny with Gyro and take the Corpse Parts, they thus became enemies.↗↗

Relationships / Enemies

Funny Valentine: As both tried to gather the Saint's Corpse, Johnny and Valentine were enemies, but didn't interact much until their single fight. Because of his selfish motive, Valentine saw Johnny as unworthy of the Corpse and tried to kill him, though he treaded carefully with Johnny since Tusk was partly immune to his Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.↗

Parallel World Diego: As this version of Diego was recruited by Funny Valentine to take the Saint's Corpse from Johnny, it was only natural that the two were enemies.↗

Ferdinand was an assassin and Stand-user hired by President Funny Valentine to murder Johnny and Gyro and gather the Corpse Parts.↗

Appearances

JoJolion Chapter 21: "Shakedown Road", Part 4 (Flashback) (Death)↗

JoJolion Chapter 22: Morioh 1901 (Flashback) (Death)↗

Profile details

Goals: Master the Spin to find a way to reverse his disability (Part 7) | Spoiler Collect the parts of the Saint's Corpse (Part 7) | Spoiler Cure his wife's disease (Part 8)↗

Status Status based on their final appearance in the part(s) they are featured in: Deceased (Part 8)↗

Date of Death: November 11, 1901 | (Death confirmed on Nov 12)↗↗

Cause of Death: Receiving the Rock Disease and a nail bullet to the head in an Equivalent Exchange with George III↗↗