How Subtle Character Development Makes Jotaro’s Character Work

Key Takeaways

• Jotaro’s unchanging stoicism leads to victory in dire situations.
• Despite minimal changes, Jotaro exhibits subtle character development.
• Jotaro gains emotional maturity through friendship without losing his “bad boy” edge.

Throughout all of Jojo’s Bizarre AdventurePart 3, Jotaro doesn’t change. His best quality, and the reason he’s been able to emerge victorious in even the most dismal of circumstances, is his unflinching and unemotional stoicism. Bluffing while his very soul was at stake, staying calm while being forced into the most humiliating circumstances, and even outwitting one of the smartest characters in all of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure are just a few feats that can be attributed to Jotaro’s calm and unchanging demeanor.

Despite being one of his best qualities in battle, this unemotional stoicism has led many fans to believe that Jotaro is a one-note character incapable of change. However, although there are no major changes to his character throughout Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 3, there are many subtle instances of character development that make Jotaro’s character one of the best Jojo’s has to offer.

What Makes Jotaro So Special In Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Jotaro’s Personality Set Him Apart From Other Protagonists

From his first moments in the show, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure isn’t afraid to tell the audience that Jotaro is a bad guy. Although Jonathan and Joseph are presented as heroic, albeit flawed in their own ways, the first introduction to Jotaro, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 3’s protagonist, paints him as a disrespectful thug.

In the first episode, Jotaro cusses out his mother, disrespects his grandfather, and regularly beats up anyone in his way. Still, at the same time, they explain Jotaro’s brand of justice, doing the right thing not for reward or attention, but because he believes it’s right. In a way, Jotaro is an ideal “loner” protagonist.

Compared to many classic anime protagonists, like Luffy or Naruto, this kind of rough, yet calculated character helps Jotaro stand out as something special in a sea of Shōnen/Seinen protagonists. Jotaro is designed to be a character that never wastes a single movement.

Every action he performs is done with complete conviction and purpose. Personally, he doesn’t care if this makes him come across as cold, blunt or disrespectful. Jotaro simply cares about doing what he wants in the most efficient way possible up until the very end of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 3.

The Stardust Crusaders Are Jotaro’s First Real Friends

As anyone could guess, this way of thinking doesn’t lend itself naturally to making friends. However, once Jotaro meets people who share similar strict convictions and ways of thinking, for the first time, he is introduced to a group that can keep up with his standoffish mannerisms. Still, something as simple as a group of friends like the Stradust Crusaders isn’t enough to change the proudest member of the Joestar clan, but they can at least help him in other, subtler ways.

Jotaro’s Character Development Helps Him Change While Still Remaining Stoic

Jotaro Discovers New Qualities Without Losing Himself

Jotaro’s subtle character development works since the character is supposed to be fundamentally unchanging. Despite the horrors and tragic deaths of friends that Jotaro has witnessed, on the outside he is still the unwavering loner that fans met at the beginning of Part 3, where he first awakened his powerful Stand, Star Platinum. However, on the inside, something small has changed; learning to rely more on allies, and developing, for the first time, a genuine friendship with others are just a few of the new qualities Jotaro has.

This idea culminates in the very last scene of Stardust Crusaders. While on the plane home to Japan, Jotaro looks at a photo taken of the iconic group of anime characters, the Stardust Crusaders, at the beginning of their adventure in Egypt. Looking at the photo, Jotaro smiles very slightly, as the camera zooms out, leading to the end of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders.

Jotaro’s Remains the Same on the Outside

Jotaro Never Loses His “Bad Boy” Edge

By the end of Part 3, Jotaro’s personality hasn’t changed. As we see later, he’s just as tough and rude as before, albeit a bit more calm. However, what has changed is that now, after all the pain and suffering from his crusade, Jotaro is finally willing to let his emotional guard down.

For the first time, Jotaro has friends he can look back at fondly, and plenty of memories, both good and bad, that he experienced with them. This, combined with the defeat of one of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s strongest vampires, Dio, has left Jotaro as a much more emotionally mature person than he was before.

In the end, it isn’t growth that makes Jotaro’s character special in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Many fans of the show write that from the beginning of Part 3 to the end, Jotaro remains as steadfast and stoic as ever. However, what makes his character work is that he doesn’t gain anything from his adventure, he subtly loses something instead. Slowly, but surely, every experience with the Stardust Crusaders tears down his emotional walls, until the very end, Jotaro can subtly, but genuinely, smile.