Dio Brando is a charismatic antagonist who concocts a scheme against the Joestars after failing to achieve his goal of world domination in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood. He uses Jonathan’s lifeless body and puts together a gang of loyal followers he controls through fear and mind manipulation.
All these individuals are tasked to hunt down the Crusaders. In Phantom Blood, he is responsible for the murder of George Joestar.
What Is A Dio Pose?
If we were to use one word to describe the conniving and calculating immortal enemy of the Joestars, it would be flamboyant or fabulous. In everything Dio does, the magnetic emperor (commanding zombies and later Stand users) maintains a sense of irrevocable style, drawing many individuals towards him.
Table of Contents
#1 Dio’s Introduction In Phantom Blood
Dio Meter: 70/100
After the demise of his rotten and malevolent father, Dio sets out on a new journey to find and seize everything that belonged to the Joestar family. Dario Brando was an alcoholic abuser who treated his mother like trash and drove her to an early grave. Filled with resentment and negative emotions, Dario’s actions ultimately led to Dio becoming a megalomaniac who craved power and fame. The generational curse continued as Dio’s nefarious tendencies never dissipated despite repeated efforts from George Joestar.
#2 Dio Kicks The Dog
Dio Meter: 55/100
Danny was Jonathan’s pet dog and one of his closest friends. Dio hated dogs because they were unusually “subservient” towards humans, which is a trait he couldn’t tolerate. When the blonde-haired antagonist first arrives at the mansion, Danny gallops towards Jonathan and him with a gleeful demeanor. However, he gets furiously kicked in the face by Dio.
Then George Joestar exits the mansion and demands to know the reason for the commotion. The villain lies and tells the master of the house that he was surprised by Danny’s jump and was forced to kick him out of fear for his life. Thus begins the enmity between Dio and Jonathan, which continues till the end of the Phantom Blood Saga.
#3 Boxer Dio
Dio Meter: 77/00
In a fight surrounded by eager fans, Jonathan gears up to face his opponent in a boxing match. He is shocked that it is none other than Dio, the horrible man who entered his household after kicking his beloved pet. Brando sits calmly on green grass while putting on his gloves and tying them tightly. He then faces off against his arch-enemy.
As the two trade blows, Dio proves his expertise as a street fighter but shoving his finger into Jonathan’s eyes while delivering a punch. This puts the Joestar out of commission, and he is left perplexed about the Dio’s motives and why the latter keeps antagonizing him.
#4 Kono Dio Da!
Dio Meter: 90/100
After Erina Pendelton spends a day in the pleasant company of Jonathan Joestar, Dio Brando ambushes her with his group of lackeys. Inferring that Erina hasn’t kissed Jonathan till that moment, Dio forces himself upon her. This enrages Erina to such an extent that she tears his entire shirt off, trying to free herself from his grasp. With a vicious look, Dio proclaims to the horrified Erina that he has successfully stolen her first kiss.
Later on, Jonathan exacts righteous vengeance against Dio by beating him to a pulp and humiliating him in the presence of the benevolent George Joestar.
#5 Dio Plays Rugby
Dio Meter: 75/100
7 years after Dio’s entry into the Joestar mansion, he assists Jonathan in defeating the opposing team in a rugby match. The gallant and formidable Jonathan was moving forward on the field despite resistance from three separate adversaries who tried their best to pin him down.
Unable to progress any further, Jonathan passes the ball to Dio, who gracefully leaps into the air to complete the receive and scores a flawless touchdown as the spectators celebrate the resounding victory.
#6 The Maiden WRYYYYYY!
Dio Meter: 75/100
After murdering George Joestar in cold blood (when he aimed to stab Jonathan), Dio Brando kills one of the policemen by chopping half his head clean off using his hand alone. He then dangles upside down and utters his battle cry for the first time in the series.
Dio planned on poisoning George Joestar to death, but his grand plan failed when Jonathan ventured to Ogre Street and, with Speedwagon’s assistance, was able to locate the “Easterner” who supplied Dio with the aforementioned poison. This scene occurs after Jonathan and Speedwagon confront Dio at the Joestar mansion.
#7 Dio On The Balcony
Dio Meter: 67/100
After the memorable “WRYYYY” scene, Dio hops onto the verandah and taunts Joestar and his associates (i.e., Speedwagon, Policemen) and dares them to attack him since he has left mortals far behind.
Dio explains how he survived bullet injuries and a deadly fall, as the Stone Mask imbued him with newfound abilities which allowed him to drain his blood victims to increase his power.
#8 Dio Vs. Jonathan (His First Fight As A Vampire)
Dio Meter: 65/100
After the passing of George Joestar, his son and true heir Jonathan sets fire to the mansion to bring down Dio. While preparing to fight against the maniac, Jonathan adopts a stance, and so does his enemy. This makes Brando resemble a seasoned kung-fu practitioner, as he raises his right arm over his head and positions his left hand downwards.
#9 Muda Muda Muda! Dio Walks On The Wall
Dio Meter: 78/100
When Jonathan desperately tries to kill the vampire Dio, the antagonist casually walks up the wall stylishly. He labels Joestar’s efforts as “useless” (which is also a catchphrase of his in Japanese, i.e., Muda) since he is unable to conquer Dio now that the latter had “rejected his humanity” for the sake of indomitable immortality.
#10 Dio Meets Zeppeli & Comes To Know Of Hamon (The Ripple)
Dio Meter: 70/100
As the main protagonist Jonathan and his helpers Robert E.O. Speedwagon and William Antonio Zeppeli set out in search of a revived Dio who survived the burning mansion, they enter a graveyard where Dio and his subordinate zombies are lying in wait. Zeppeli tries to handle Dio, but his efforts are thwarted because of his adversary’s ability to freeze his opponent in seconds.
Barely managing to escape with his frozen arm, Zeppeli speaks to Jonathan about how they could wound the immortal with vastly formidable abilities beyond their own. Then, Dio gets information about Hamon, a breathing technique that allows the user to channel the sun’s energy to destroy a vampire. His pose against the moon is one of the most epic stances in Phantom Blood. It is reminiscent of Itachi’s pose in Naruto and Rukia’s stoic frame in Bleach.
#11 Dio Points At Jonathan
Dio Meter: 75/100
This scene is taken at Dio’s hideout in the village where he had successfully established a base. The village was filled with zombies that Dio created using his vampiric powers. The villain expresses his displeasure at being forced to kill Jonathan with his own hands, which is something he didn’t wish to do. He coolly points at the Joestar with both fingers.
Right before this moment in the first season, Dio had killed countless families and even made a mother eat her baby after turning her into a monster.
#12 Dio’s Menacing Namaste
Dio Meter: 66/100
As Jonathan prepares to battle and finish off his rival once and for all, the two have a fiery confrontation at Dio’s base of operations. The fearless Jonathan readies his sword (given to him by the Black Knight Bruford) and Pluck against the despicable Dio.
Dio gains composure and puts his hands together as he tries to devise a strategy to take out Jonathan by gaining control of his body and using it to further his empire.
#13 Dio Admires His New Body (Shadow Dio)
Dio Meter: 77/100
After escaping the coffin he was trapped in for over a century, Dio was finally free. He took refuge in the body of the gentlemanly Jonathan Joestar. This allowed him to unlock a curious ability called The Stand.
Dio frequently admires his newfound physique by standing in front of a mirror (a reference to the Magic Mirror in the tale of Snow White) or in the presence of his loyal subjects. Enya the Hag instructs her master to have total control over the power to stop time, which would render him invincible against experienced combatants.
#14 You’re Watching Me Aren’t You, Joseph Joestar?
Dio Meter: 70/100
While hunting for Dio Brando and his many lackeys, Joseph Joestar decides to use his Stand Hermit Purple to spy on the main antagonist.
Dio can sense Joseph’s stand from thousands of miles away. This is primarily due to him residing in Jonathan Joestar’s body, which bears a connection to all his descendants. He points in the direction of Joseph with heightened awareness, and Hermit Purple’s ability gets severed, much to Joseph’s dismay.
#15 Dio Appears In End Of The World (Sono Chi no Kyoku)
Dio Meter: 73/100
In an alternate version of the second opening song, particularly for the Episodes titled Dio’s World (3), The Faraway Journey, and Farewell Friends, instead of Star Platinum punching out, it ends with the World punching the screen. It shatters, then the viewer gets a look at the fully-rejuvenated Dio walking past the frozen Jotaro (as The World can stop time for around 10 seconds).
After Brando stands behind Kujo with a vengeful smile, time starts flowing at a normal pace as we hear “Sono Chi no Kyoku,” and the two stands start throwing hands at each other. We get to see and hear a ton of ORAs and MUDAs as the duo exchange blows.
#16 Dio Meets Polnareff Following The Battle Involving Vanilla Ice, Avdol & Iggy
Dio Meter: 85/100
After the tear-jerking sacrifices of Mohammed Avdol and Iggy (the dog), Jean-Pierre Polnareff moves forward to face Dio with a heavy heart. He encounters the primary adversary standing at the top of a flight of stairs. Brando strikes his classic pose, with hands resting comfortably on his hips and a cocky grin plastered across his face.
Still in the dark about Dio’s mysterious Stand ability, Polnareff turns down the offer of allying with him. Determined to exact vengeance for the deaths of his beloved comrades, the grey-haired Frenchman inches closer to Dio only to find himself standing at the exact same spot he started from.
After realizing that Dio’s Stand is The World, Polnareff gets confused as he is unable to wrap his head around why he is unable to climb a simple flight of stairs.
#17 Dio Towers Over Cairo
Dio Meter: 95/100
The enigmatic nemesis of the Joestar clan takes a look at the truck Joseph Joestar and Kakyoin Noriyaki used to rush in the opposite direction, away from Dio since the sun had set and the enemy would try to kill them all before the dawn of the next day.
Brando strikes a legendary pose with his red cape flying in the background, which makes him seem like he can defy gravity. Then he heads in pursuit of Joseph and Kakyoin, with Jotaro and Polnareff following him from behind (“like a pincer attack” – Jotaro Kujo).
#18 Dio In The VIP’s Car
Dio Meter: 85/100
While trying to catch up with his enemies, a sleek, black automobile enters Dio’s sights. After breaking the bodyguard’s hand, the fiend climbs into the car owned by Senator Wilson Phillips. A respectable man, Wilson is a proficient wrestler, pays his taxes, and has overcome all obstacles to inch closer to his dream of becoming a President.
However, Dio takes a nifty little shit on his hopes by pulling out both his incisors and cruelly twisting his nose. Disoriented by his audacity, Phillips decides to obey the impatient passenger and drives the car towards the truck laden with the heroes. The sheer confidence and pose Dio maintains while scaring a senator is a vibe in itself.
#19 Dio’s “Za Warudo,” Taking Aim At Joseph
Dio Meter: 97/100
After the older Joestar could figure out the secret behind Dio’s Stand The World because of Kakyoin’s noble sacrifice, he started rushing toward Jotaro to warn his grandson about the ramifications of fighting Dio in close combat. He tries his best to swing past buildings using Hermit Purple and by coating his body with Hamon so that Dio would steer clear of him. Just as he’s about to reach Kujo, Dio stops the flow of time and grabs a knife. There are two distinct poses in this particular section of the episode.
His usage of “Za Warudo” became an instant hit amongst meme lords.
#20 “Oh… You’re Approaching Me?”
Dio Meter: 100/100
After grievously wounding and potentially delivering a death blow against Joseph Joestar, Dio Brando finally meets the main protagonist. The enraged Jotaro starts walking toward the enemy despite his grandfather’s warnings. Seeing this, Dio is surprised. The overconfident vampire firmly believes The World is the greatest Stand and has no weakness. Thus, he cannot possibly fathom why a teenage delinquent would approach him after seeing his grandfather’s neck being impaled by a knife.
#21 Rejuvenated Dio
Dio Meter: 88/100
After a brutal battle against the brash protagonist, which resulted in Dio sustaining critical injuries (his skull gets fractured because of Star Platinum and its hard punches), Dio tries to escape and reach Joseph’s body which was lying on the street.
Jotaro catches up to him and then uses his stand to punch the enemy yet again. This sends Dio flying in the same direction he was trying desperately to head towards. Dio then uses his fingers to drain Joseph of bodily fluids and strikes a menacing pose yet again.
#22 WRYYYYYYY Against Jotaro
Dio Meter: 90/100
The scion of Darius Brando lets out a battle cry to unnerve Jotaro. Though Joestar isn’t scared by his foe, he is furious because of how Dio desecrated his grandfather’s lifeless body.
This WRYYYYY is the most prominent one in all of Dio’s appearances throughout the manga (and anime). Feast your eyes on this beautiful vampire.
#23 Deranged Dio
Dio Meter: 77/100
After reviving himself and gaining tremendous strength because of Joseph’s blood flowing through his veins, Dio gets a great high. He remarks how he obtained immortality over a century ago and had never felt so powerful before the moment he drained Joseph. He then sticks his right finger into his temple and drills a hole in it to prove his point. It’s a pretty hilarious yet gruesome site.
#24 Road Roller Da!
Dio Meter: 90/100
In the ultimate fight between Dio Brando and Jotaro Kujo in Stardust Crusaders, the antagonist drops an entire road roller on his opponent and tries hard to flatten the delinquent hero completely. Jotaro tries to defend himself against the heavy vehicle, with Star Platinum punching repeatedly to lessen the effect of the steamroller.
On the other hand, Dio’s The World also punches in the direction of Jonathan. As the vehicle lands, our handsome baddy sees the road covered in blood and wrongfully assumes that Kujo is flattened like a pancake. He then lets out a victorious sigh, believing he has finally conquered all his foes.
This is a pretty iconic scene in Part 3 and has been the subject of various memes on the Internet. David Production and Hirohiko Araki never disappoint the audience.
#25 Dio Conversing With Pucci
Dio Meter: 66/100
Dio sits on a comfortable chair and explains his plans to conquer Heaven to his student Pucci. Father Enrico Pucci was determined to fulfill this end goal and thus tried to kill Jotaro Kujo (and steal his memories) at the beginning of Stone Ocean. In the anime, Dio is seated with a wine glass in his hand.
In contrast to the manga, Dio and Pucci lay next two each other on a luxurious bed, while the man blessed with The World gazes at Mona Lisa’s image in a book. The two always chased after perfection.
#26 Dio In JJBA: Eyes Of Heaven Video Game
Dio Meter: 80/100
Dio serves as the primary villain in the game Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven. In this story (non-cannon), Dio ascends and obtains God-like abilities that enable him to rewrite reality as he sees fit. Aside from increasing the range of The World Over Heaven, Dio can practically do anything under the sun.
A heavily overpowered and ultimate version of the immortal vampire, Dio wars against multiple generations of Joestars (including Johnny and Josuke Higashikata from the alternate timelines). He has two significant poses; one in his original green-gold outfit and the other wherein his skin is white (since he has evolved beyond human comprehension) with gold paint smeared across his body.
This list is now complete. What do you think, lads, ladies, and those beyond? Did we miss a key pose you have in mind? Let us know your suggestions, and don’t forget to subscribe to averagebeing.com!
