Summary
- Stardust Crusaders broke the mold in the JoJo series, taking a unique approach with a journey-style storyline instead of a traditional tournament.
- Jotaro Kujo, the protagonist of Stardust Crusaders, stands out by being rougher and lonelier than typical shonen heroes, inspired by Clint Eastwood.
- Stardust Crusaders introduced the innovative power of Stands, reflecting their s' personalities and ambitions, making it a significant contribution to JoJo's success.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a complex series, consisting of a number of different parts, each taking place in different settings and following distinct characters. While certain recurring themes and motifs tie the series together, the variety of the parts means that fans are bound to prefer some over others. As it happens, though Stardust Crusaders is sometimes accused of being unoriginal, it actually changed Shonen forever.
Stardust Crusaders follows Jotaro Kujo, the first JoJo protagonist not to share the Joestar family name, as he embarks on a quest to Cairo, Egypt, alongside his grandfather and a party of unlikely allies, to fight DIO and save his mother, Holy.
While some fans may consider it repetitive and unoriginal, Araki's statements in a series of interviews included in JoJonium (as translated by JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia) indicate otherwise.
JoJos Bizarre Adventures Stardust Crusaders Was a Big Risk
I didn't want it to be a tournament-style affair, like what was popular in Weekly Shonen Jump at the time. That's when I had the idea of having the characters head for a specific destination, like a road movie, taking inspiration from Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days. - Hirohiko Araki
While Araki knew that he wanted this part to be the one where the final confrontation with DIO would take place and that Jotaro's group had to get through his underlings first, one thing he absolutely wanted to avoid was the tournament-style affair that was common in the Shonen Jump magazine at the time. Instead, he wanted to take a completely different approach that was much more uncommon in shonen at the time - a journey akin to a road movie, inspired by the likes of Around the World in Eighty Days. Clearly, this was a bold risk whose payoff couldn't be guaranteed, no matter how carefully he would consider his story's structure.
JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: How Each Of DIO's Minions Was Defeated In Egypt
In Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, there are many fights that the Stardust Crusaders were a part of. Here's how each minion was beaten in the Egypt arc.
Stardust Crusaders Expanded What Shonen Could Be
Stardust Crusaders also stands out from the crowd through its protagonist, Jotaro Kujo. Araki's main inspiration for Jotaro was an actor who had nothing to do with the anime/manga industry, Clint Eastwood. As Araki said in the same JoJonium interview, "Clint Eastwood, who I love and respect as an actor, served as the model for Jotaro." As a result, Jotaro became a character who, while matching Araki's idea of a hero, could hardly be recognized as a typical hero of such a series. Compared to most Shonen Jump protagonists, Jotaro is much rougher; he doesn't care for friends or the power of friendship, nor does he seek recognition or fame. His feelings may be no less intense than others, but he doesn't express them nearly as much.
Clint Eastwood, who I love and respect as an actor, served as the model for Jotaro. Jotaro's trademark pose where he points his finger actually was inspired by Eastwood pointing his .44 Magnum. Even details such as Jotaro's catchphrase being "good grief" take inspiration from parts that Eastwood played, where he'd have lines like "A bank robbery? You have to be kidding me…" That's why Jotaro seems a bit "rougher" compared to other Jump protagonists. - Hirohiko Araki
Of course, there are plenty of other innovations that Stardust Crusaders needs to be credited for, such as the power of Stands. Had this power not been introduced to the JoJo universe, its success as a series may not have been nearly as high. After all, Stands are one of the most creative and recognizable powers in any shonen title, as they not only reflect their s' personalities and ambitions, but also allow them to manifest themselves uniquely. These types of innovations prove that Araki was never afraid of taking risks, always choosing to go where others in his demographic wouldn't dare to.
It would certainly be unrealistic to expect every JoJo fan to be on the same page when it comes to the best and worst parts of the series. However, credit needs to be given where credit is due. Stardust Crusaders may not be perfect or a masterpiece by any means, but it certainly contributed significantly to JoJo's popularity and success. And it is exactly its unbounded originality that allowed this part to stand out in the shonen manga landscape, which should come as no surprise given how JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is defined by its creativity.
Source: JoJonium Vol. 8-17 as translated by JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia
All episodes of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime are streaming on Netflix!
