Best JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Manga Covers

Summary

• Volume covers of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure showcase Araki’s unique artistic style and set the stage for each story arc.
• Characters’ personalities are captured in the covers, such as Joseph’s energy or Jotaro’s stoicism.
• Araki’s use of color and design in the covers adds depth and visual storytelling to the series.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure may have become a household name, in large part thanks to the anime adaptation, but the original manga has actually been going since the late 1980s. As a result, it has become one of the longest-running manga stories still in publication, which has resulted in plenty of volume covers for fans to admire. These covers grant author Hirohiko Araki a chance to showcase his incredibly unique artistic style which incorporates a lot of style and fashion to spruce up the character designs.

As a result, he’s easily able to create a cover that manages to be eye-catching, artistic, and memorable. After all, a manga cover panel is supposed to set the stage for what’s to come, and when it comes to JoJo’s, Araki certainly knows how to get readers hooked from the very first glance with his covers, with these being the very best examples of that.

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Volume 11

A Dazzling Cover That Perfectly Highlights Joseph’s Infectious Energy And Charisma

Out of all JoJo’s protagonists, Joseph Joestar is probably the most vibrant and energetic of the bunch, which is the main focus of this dazzling cover. Joseph can be seen swinging into view from the side of the page, while an unusually dire expression crosses his face. This was the final volume of Battle Tendency, so in order to emphasize the dramatic tone of Joseph and Kars’ face-off, Araki decided to add a lot of urgency to this cover.

An example of this can be seen with the mask peaking in from the back, or even the bright red and orange swirls which look like a firestorm surrounding Joseph in the heat of battle. This cover would be one of the few that was even referenced in the anime opening for Stardust Crusaders many years later.

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Volume 36

The Whole Morioh Gang Get Their Time To Shine In This Stylish Cover

Part 4 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Diamond is Unbreakable, would introduce a wide array of quirky new characters, so it only feels right that Araki would decide to fit as many of them in the spotlight as possible for a cover. This particular illustration is a highlight for the many emotions that it incorporates into a single page, which gives readers a taste of every character’s personality.

Whether it’s Jotaro’s stoic scowl, Okuyasu’s confused and baffled face, or Rohan judging the reader from afar, there’s so much being said about each member of the gang, making for a great cover. Of course, there’s also the flashy pose that Josuke Is pulling off, which has since become one of the most iconic gestures in the series.

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Volume 54

One Of Araki’s Most Iconic And Eye-Catching Illustrations Of Giorno

Araki has gone on record in multiple interviews stating that, by the time he had gotten around to creating Giorno, his character designs had changed, at least, for his protagonists. Giorno isn’t a muscular brick house like Jonathan or Joseph and instead is a lot more slender and flamboyant. This was a breath of fresh air, and Araki would make sure to show off Giorno’s unique design in this memorable cover, which sees the descendant of Dio striking an elegant pose while pink rose petals float by his side.

When writing part 5, Araki took a lot of inspiration from Versace and Gucci when illustrating his characters. This particular pose would be a reference to a model in a Gianni Versace magazine, and it results in a stunning image which is undoubtedly one of Araki’s best drawings of Giorno in the series.

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Volume 1

A Cover That Perfectly Sets The Stage For The Bizarre Adventure To Come

It’s amazing how much can be gleaned about JoJo’s series from its very first panel. Immediately, readers are given a glimpse into the ever-intense rivalry shared between Jonathan and Dio, along with a look at the mask, and a gothic backdrop that reflects the Victorian setting.

This is a cover that has become so recognizable that even those who aren’t fans of anime and manga would associate it with the series. It would later be referenced many years later in the anime adaptation, which saw the main duo in their remastered designs pulling the same poses.

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Volume 13

A Vibrant And Colorful Cover Which Sees Jotaro Striking An Iconic Pose

Volume 13 is as fashionable and stylish as a manga cover can get, with Jotaro pulling an iconic pose while gold glistens around the rest of the page. Alongside the spectacle of colors, this cover also stands out for how it highlights Araki’s immensely detailed character designs, with even the smallest features of Jotaro, such as his multiple belts, being carefully drawn to seem eerily realistic.

The golden sheen of this cover could also be in reference to the far-stretching sands of Egypt that have become synonymous with part 3 as a whole. It’s also a nice touch to see Star Platinum getting a little time to shine on a cover alongside his master.

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Volume 38

A Visual Representation of A God-Like Kira Which Manages To Look Both Epic And Terrifying

Yoshikage Kira is a fascinating villain, and for many people, the highlight of Diamond is Unbreakable. Despite simply being a man who wants nothing more than to be left alone, Kira eventually finds himself embarking on a killing spree throughout the town of Morio, with this cover depicting him as an almost god-like figure residing over the town with his Stand by his side.

The bright yellow sky paired with Kira’s purple outfit and the blue palette of Morio all come together to create a spectacle of color that is a real feast for the eyes to look at. It also does an excellent job of visually conveying just how absurdly powerful Kira was supposed to be by the end of his part.

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Stone Ocean Volume 17

Araki Would Use A Little More Experimental And Psychedelic Imagery For Stone Ocean

By the time Araki got around to writing Stone Ocean, the sixth part of the series, he had become such a master of his own style that he was able to start experimenting with his designs and overall aesthetic. In Stone Ocean specifically, he would try out some more psychedelic imagery to feed into the ongoing events of the story, with this cover being a prime example of that.

While Jolyne and the moon resting behind her take up a good portion of this cover, many of the part’s key characters can also be seen lying across the floor, including Jotaro and Pucci who stretches out from the ground like a branch up towards the moon, hinting at his true motifs. There’s a jawdropping medley of colors on display here that also helps the illustration stand out, especially the haunting dark purple sky.

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Steel Ball Run Volume 1

A Close-Up That Puts Araki’s Incredible Character Designs On Full Display

When people mention Steel Ball Run, this is likely the image that will appear in the minds of many readers. Despite not even technically being the main character of his respective part, Gyro Zepelli still takes center stage here with a close-up that provides a perfect display of Araki’s talents as an artist.

The cover’s clever use of vibrant color coordination thanks to all the light greens and yellows already makes the cover stand out, but Gyro’s long flowing hair and cowboy hat only add more intrigue to the character, begging readers to dive in to find out more. The small detail of the horses running around in circles atop his hat is the cherry on top of this legendary JoJo’s cover.