When it comes to the world of anime, few have reached the heights of Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, the supernatural adventure anime known for its distinct art stylings, source as an infinite meme supply, and ability to not only become exponentially more convoluted as time goes on, but to do so in a way that has managed to keep fans hooked for the 40+ years since Araki first published the original manga.
Indeed, “bizarre” is undoubtedly the key word when it comes to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure; thanks to the anime’s magic system equivalent in Stands, themselves bearing a very loose ruleset, combined with some of the medium’s most over-the-top personalities, Araki and his characters are masters at commanding attention.
And this is all captured in no better way than the many iconic poses the characters have struck over the years; whether it’s asserting dominance or just showing off, the sheer artful gusto of Araki’s cast know how to bring power-poses to the next level, and here are the top 10 of the whole series.
#10: Jotaro’s “yare yare daze” hat tug
Jotaro’s hat gesture comes in at the bottom of the list mainly due to the fact that it only arguably qualifies as a pose. Nevertheless, any JoJo’s fan knows that as soon as the wielder of Star Platinum utters the aforementioned phrase, things are about to go down.
Indeed, the only thing more dangerous than Jotaro Kujo is a slightly aggravated Jotaro Kujo, and if his nerves get to a point where he verbally indicates his irritation with the situation, the mangled corpse of an enemy Stand user is usually close to follow.
#9: Joseph’s “Oh my god/Oh no” face
Like the entry before it, Joseph grabbing his face and screaming his internet-famous Engrish only barely qualifies as a pose, hence its relatively low placement on this list. But for supplying the internet with a hefty chunk of JoJo’s memes all by itself, this couldn’t be left out.
It’s the Stardust Crusaders rendition of Joseph Joestar that we see this from the most, with the Hermit Purple user often loudly declaring his distaste for situations ranging from harrowingly life-threatening to marginally inconvenient. Perhaps the universality of Joseph’s verbose reactions is what captures the essence of the franchise the best.
#8: Giorno’s intimate pose with Gold Experience
We all knew that Giorno Giovanna was the protagonist of Golden Wind right from the outset, but it was this moment in particular that allowed Giorno to declare it as such without needing to say a word.
Whether it’s the tasteful sexuality of it all, the added context of having just won a fight, or some combination of the two that expounds not only the resilience, but the inevitable triumph, of someone like Giorno, this pose made it clear that the Golden Wind protagonist was the real deal, and that standing in his way would result in a death sentence at best.
#7: Jolyne’s threatening pose
This was the moment when we all became at least a little bit afraid of Jolyne Cujoh. With a gravitas of uncontested ferocity, Jolyne defiantly names her Stand — Stone Ocean — and tells everyone within earshot that her escape from Green Dolphin Street Prison is written in the stars.
It’s Jolyne’s icy departure from the awkward goofball we know and love that carries the most weight here, but when you add in her use of of her father’s “good grief,” the subsequent beatdown that we see Stone Ocean gearing up for above, and the simple fact that this is where Jolyne first made her mark, this truly cements itself as one of the most multi-layered poses in all of JoJo’s.
#6: Kira’s pose from the third opening of Diamond is Unbreakable
Let’s face it; Yoshikage Kira was done far too dirty for how great of a villain he was. The serial killer was the surefire show-stealer in Diamond is Unbreakable, whose relatively low stakes were brought on par with the other stories thanks to Kira’s cunning destruction and bone-chilling psychology.
The third title sequence of the plight of Josuke and co. features a smug Kira armed with one of Killer Queen’s detonators, smiling devilishly as he prepares to detonate it. There’s an undeniable taunt to the way he carries himself, believing that the heroes are truly powerless in their pursuit of him, and this middle-of-the-pack placement seeks to honor the villain who truly did give them all a run for their money.
#5: Stone Ocean group shot
We’re not quite through the Stone Ocean anime at the time of writing, so it’s no wonder that Jolyne and her posse of inmates and plankton are the current occupants of the hearts of JoJo’s fans everywhere, and this group shot of her and her closest allies has all the right ingredients for our list.
The combined feminine swagger of Jolyne, Ermes, and F.F. quickly become a force to be reckoned with within the walls of Green Dolphin Street Prison, and while a snapshot of this union seems to be confined to the cover of the manga, very few group poses can match that of the Stone Ocean crew.
#4: Jotaro’s pointing pose
Claiming the fourth-highest spot by way of its iconic status, Jotaro’s pointing pose has an evergreen vitality, due in part to the Stardust Crusaders protagonist being perhaps the most everpresent member of the Joestar family across the franchise, pulling the strings of many an adventure following the conclusion of his own.
It’s hard to pinpoint the source of this pose’s power; maybe we’re just so used to seeing it from Jotaro, or perhaps it’s the feeling of Jotaro directing his power toward us; a power that we ultimately cannot handle and subsequently succumb to happily. Whatever it is, Jotaro’s pointed hand is etched into our brains forever.
#3: Polnareff’s gravity-defying pose
One of the very worst things you can do while watching JoJo’s is ask, “How?” While Araki does a fairly good job with fight choreography and puzzle-like confrontations, there does come a point where thinking too much about a fantasy anime becomes counterproductive.
That being said, Jean-Pierre Polnareff’s complete disregard for gravity in the pose above can scramble even the most settled mind. Is it the camera angle? Does Polnareff have a past life in the circus we have yet to learn about? Indeed, despite having muscle to spare, it can’t be the case that it translates to the Frenchman’s ability to balance. So, by way of its dazzling impossibility, this pose finds itself among the top three.
#2: The hand pose
The granddaddy of all poses from the granddaddy of many a Joestar, Jonathan’s simple splayed-hand pose, later popularized by one Caesar Zeppeli (pictured above), blows every other individual pose out of the water with its legacy and subsequent status as not only an icon, but a paradigm of JoJo’s.
The simplicity of the one hand across one’s face, fingers separated to maintain eye contact with one’s opponent, and near-complete inactivity from the rest of the body set the tone for the many portraits of posing that would come. Without a doubt, Jonathan’s hand walked so that his ancestors’ bodies could soar.
#1: “Let’s hit the road!”
Jonathan may have the monopoly on individual poses, but even the timeless influence of the first Joestar can’t surpass what is perhaps the greatest group pose in all of fiction.
Kicking off the Stand era of Araki’s work in spectacular fashion, this group pose of Jotaro, Joseph, Kakyoin, and Avdol packs a very specific, confident defiance; one that’s so entirely cocksure of their success in saving Holly from her illness, one that encapsulates such a quintessential vainglory of the Joestar name and ethos, one that so perfectly combines the eye of the tiger and heart of the lion possessed by each member of the eponymous Stardust Crusaders crew, that there could be no place for it on this list other than the very top.
