JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

Four years later in 1987, in Japan, a boy named Jotaro Kujo has willingly turned himself into jail, refusing to leave as he believes he is possessed by an evil spirit. He proves this by mysteriously taking a police officer's gun and firing a bullet at his own head, only for it to be stopped in midair by a spectral hand. Noticing the hand herself when others cannot, Jotaro's mother, Holly, calls her father and Jotaro's grandfather, Joseph Joestar, who travels to Japan alongside an acquaintance from Egypt, Mohammed Avdol. After Jotaro refuses his grandfather's demands to leave the cell, Joseph leaves the task to Avdol, who summons an "evil spirit" of his own, an anthropomorphic bird engulfed in flames, which he refers to as Magician's Red. As Magician's Red uses force against Jotaro, whose own spirit tries to protect him, Joseph explains these "spirits" are actually manifestations of the user's own life force, which have come to be known as "Stands". Jotaro is eventually pushed into fighting back with his Stand, breaking apart the prison bars, at which point Avdol withdraws from the fight, having achieved his goal of getting Jotaro out of his cell. Later, Joseph reveals to Jotaro and Holly that the Speedwagon Foundation has been investigating the disappearance of a shipwreck salvage crew and the discovery of an empty coffin. It was in this coffin that a man of pure evil known as Dio has been in slumber, until he was brought back to the surface. Joseph then uses a Stand of his own, resembling purple brambles, to smash an expensive instant camera, from which a photograph appears. After explaining how people from the Joestar bloodline have star-shaped birthmarks on the back of their necks, Joseph reveals the photograph to be a picture of Dio possessing the same birthmark, showing that he had stolen the body of his grandfather, Jonathan Joestar, as his own. He goes on to state that Dio's revival has caused the emergence of Stands in both himself and Jotaro, though Holly claims nothing has happened to her, whilst Avdol states he has had his Stand since birth. As the group decides to rest before tracking down Dio, Jotaro tries to take all this information in, as well as knowing Joseph and Avdol will be living with them for some time. Meanwhile, somewhere in the world, Dio senses that he is being watched by the Joestars and resolves to kill them.

Jotaro heads out to school, but not after a goodbye kiss from his mother, to which he lets out an exasperated "Good grief" (やれやれだぜ Yare yare daze), and is soon mobbed by a group of female admirers. As he heads down a staircase, a mysterious student in a green uniform paints a red stroke on a painting of Jotaro. This leads to a cut suddenly appearing on Jotaro's leg, causing him to fall down a flight of stairs, only managing to save himself by using his Stand to grab onto nearby tree branches and divert his fall. Managing to land safely, Jotaro receives a handkerchief from the student, who introduces himself as a new transfer named Noriaki Kakyoin, unaware that he is the one responsible. Later, as Jotaro heads to the nurse's office to have his wound treated, he discovers the handkerchief he received from Kakyoin contains a death threat, stating he will kill him using his Stand. At that moment, the school nurse starts acting strangely, stabbing one of the other students with a pen before going after Jotaro with inhuman strength. Kakyoin appears and reveals he has used his personal Stand Heirophant Green to possess the nurse's body from the inside. Jotaro uses his Stand to pull Hierophant Green out of the nurse's body, only to be attacked by its Emerald Splash attack, whilst the nurse receives harsh internal injuries as a result of Jotaro's extraction attempt. Despite seemingly being fatally injured by Heirophant Green's attack, Jotaro, deciding he will be the one to judge standing against evil Stand users, shrugs off Kakyoin's next attack and uses his Stand to pummel Heirophant Green, chanting "Ora Ora" (オラオラ) with each punch, until Kakyoin falls unconscious. After leaving the nurse to the school faculty, Jotaro brings Kakyoin back home to Joseph and Avdol. Joseph explains that Kakyoin had been forced to become Dio's pawn and will likely die in a few days, revealing the cause to be something implanted in Kakyoin's forehead.

Joseph reveals that the object on Kakyoin's forehead is a "flesh bud" that has a tendril going straight into his brain, making him swear loyalty to Dio simply by charisma. Avdol reveals that he was once approached by Dio in this manner, and only barely escaped unharmed. Determined to save Kakyoin, Jotaro uses the precise nature of his Stand to steadily remove the bud from Kakyoin's brain. Despite the bud's attempts to invade Jotaro's body in self-defense, Jotaro remains calm until the bud is safely extracted, where it is destroyed by Joseph using the Hamon. The next day, as Kakyoin is recovering from his injuries, Jotaro heads for school, but realizes Holly has not tried to give him a kiss goodbye. Avdol finds Holly collapsed in the kitchen and discovers that she herself has been cursed with a Stand resembling rose vines. Furthermore, as Holly does not have the willpower to control it, the Stand is slowly killing her, a fact that Jotaro and Joseph fear to be her fate. Jotaro asks what can be done, and Joseph states that the only way to save Holly is to kill Dio and lift the curse. Joseph and Avdol are unsuccessful in determining Dio's location, until Jotaro uses his Stand to analyze the photos Joseph has taken, managing to identify a fly in one of the photos and draw it in detail. After doing some research, Avdol determines the fly to be a particular species found only in the Aswan region of Egypt, where they believe Dio to be hiding. Kakyoin, who had previously learned from Avdol that Holly has only fifty days to live, confirms their theory, mentioning how he met Dio while on a family vacation to Egypt, and decides to join the group in their search for Dio because of a fondness he feels for women like Holly. After Joseph calls on the the Speedwagon Foundation to take care of Holly, Avdol uses a deck of Tarot cards to name Jotaro's Stand, naming it Star Platinum after The Star card. As the group takes off on a flight towards Egypt, Dio, using a Stand power similar to Joseph's Stand, Hermit Purple, takes a photograph showing him their location. On the plane, Joseph senses Dio's presence, becoming cautious that there may be a Stand user somewhere on the plane, as an insect flies about.

Dio receives word from his advisor, an old woman, that their assassin is on the plane where the Joestar group is. As the plane reaches the airspace over Taiwan, Jotaro and the others are awoken from their slumber by the sound of a flying stag beetle, which Avdol identifies as an evil Stand known as Tower of Gray, which is responsible for causing mass murders that look like tragic accidents. As Jotaro struggles against Tower of Gray, finding its speed to outmatch even Star Platinum's, it suddenly kills a row of passengers, using their bloody tongues to spell out the word "Massacre!", shocking an elderly passenger who seems to have escaped the attack unscathed, until Kakyoin knocks him out. Avdol becomes angered, but Kakyoin convinces him to calm down, stating that the plane could explode if he or Jotaro used their Stands recklessly, deciding to face Tower of Gray himself using Heirophant Green. Although Heirophant Green's Emerald Splash attack seems to have no effect against Tower of Gray's speed, it all turns out to be a trap laid out by Kakyoin, who uses Emerald Splash to pin down Tower of Gray's movements so that Heirophant Green can impale it using spikes laid out in the seating. With Tower of Gray immobilized, its user Gray Fly, the elderly man from before, is also fatally wounded as a result. They soon discover he has no flesh bud in his brain, and is working for Dio under his own greed and desire to murder. Upon noticing that the plane is not flying properly, Joseph discovers that the pilots have already been killed, with Gray Fly taunting in his last breath that even if they survive the crash, they are still over 10,000 kilometers (6,200 mi) away from Egypt. Despite having two plane crashes under his belt and only experience in flying propeller planes, Joseph manages to safely land the plane off the coast of Hong Kong, where the group realizes that they must find an alternate way of reaching Egypt that does not put innocent lives at risk. As the group goes to a restaurant and discuss travelling to Egypt by sea, they are joined by a French tourist who soon reveals himself to be one of Dio's Stand using assassins sent to kill them. After attacking Avdol first, who combats his Stand, Silver Chariot, with Magician's Red, the swordsman fashions a flaming clock out of an upturned table and Magician's Red's flames and proclaims that he will kill Avdol before the clock strikes twelve.

The swordsman, who introduces himself as Jean Pierre Polnareff, decides to take their fight outside to give Avdol a chance to use his powers to his full extent. He leads the group to the Tiger Balm Garden, predicting he will defeat Avdol with his own Stand's abilities. As Polnareff shows off his skills by carving a nearby statue to resemble Magician's Red, Avdol attacks Polnareff with his special technique, Crossfire Hurricane, launching an ankh-shaped flame at Polnareff, but Polnareff rebounds it back at Magician's Red, seemingly burning Avdol. However, this turns out to be the statue that Polnareff himself carved earlier, and both he and Silver Chariot are engulfed in flames. Before the group can celebrate victory, Polnareff has Silver Chariot shed off its armor, which had protected him from Avdol's attacks, allowing it to move even faster and produce after images to confuse Avdol and attack him from multiple angles. However, Avdol overcomes this with his Cross Fire Hurricane Special, using multiple flames to distract the decoys, before attacking Polnareff directly from underground with a larger flame. With Polnareff defeated and burning alive, Avdol throws him a knife to end his own life before the flames do, but Polnareff refuses, admitting his defeat and residing himself to be killed by the flames. Realizing the man's chivalry, even in the face of death, Avdol releases him from the flames, and discovers that Polnareff has also been under Dio's control by means of a flesh bud, which Jotaro soon extracts. As the group heads for their boat the Speedwagon Foundation has hired for them, Polnareff appears before them, asking to see Joseph's gloved hand to confirm something. He reveals that his true goal is to find and kill a Stand user with two right hands, who was responsible for the rape and murder of his younger sister, Cherie, becoming swayed by Dio when he suggested he could help him find the culprit. Learning that the culprit is likely someone in Dio's employ, Polnareff decides to join the Joestar group on their journey to Egypt, believing that their search for Dio will lead him to his sister's murderer.

Upon beginning their journey towards Singapore, which will take them three days by sea, the Joestar group discovers a stowaway on board. The small child claims that "he" wants to reunite with "his" father, but when met with resistance from the other crew, the stowaway attempts to swim away in the ocean. The crew is worried because the water is infested with sharks, but the stowaway is rescued by Jotaro, who discovers that the child is actually a girl, Anne. When they see one of the sharks has been sliced in half, they soon find themselves approached by a seafaring Stand, narrowly escaping its clutches with Kakyoin's help. The group initially suspect Anne of being the Stand's user, but soon deduce from her attempt at acting tough that this is not the case. When the ship's Captain Tennille[d] appears, harassing both Anne and Jotaro, who was trying to have a smoke, Jotaro accuses him of being the Stand user, using a bluff involving the cigarette he was just smoking to make him reveal himself. His identity as an imposter revealed, the fake Captain Tennille has his Stand Dark Blue Moon take Anne hostage, challenging Jotaro to fight against him in the ocean, where he would have the advantage. Star Platinum manages to beat Dark Blue Moon before its reaches the ocean, knocking its owner into the sea. However, acorn barnacles appear on Star Platinum and spread around him, draining its strength and causing Jotaro to fall into the ocean, where Dark Blue Moon and the fake Captain Tennille await. Dark Blue Moon creates an underwater whirlpool and spreads its razor sharp scales into it, preventing the others from coming to Jotaro's aid. Jotaro overcomes this situation by keeping himself and Star Platinum limp, allowing it to concentrate its strength in its fingers, and waits for the right moment to attack with his Star Finger, defeating Dark Blue Moon and sending its user to his death. Just then, several bombs laid out by the impostor explode, forcing the group and crewmates to escape on emergency lifeboats, where they soon come across a large freighter.

As Dio contemplates in his hideout over how he fears the Joestar bloodline, as he feels they cannot be underestimated, his advisor, Enya the hag,[e] assures him they still have many Stand-using assassins to stop the Joestars and their comrades from finding him. Elsewhere, the Joestar group boards the freighter, unable to find a single soul on board save for a lone caged orangutan, named Forever, even though everything appears to be functioning properly. Suddenly, one of the ship's cranes' hooks moves by itself and kills one of the crew members, despite nobody operating the machinery. While Kakyoin uses Heirophant Green to search for other life on the ship, which proves unsuccessful, Anne checks on Forever again, becoming concerned when he produces a freshly cut apple and begins reading a dirty magazine while smoking. Later, as Anne decides to take a shower, Forever escapes from his cage, kills the remaining sailors, and corners Anne in the shower. Jotaro arrives just in time save Anne and fights against Forever, but finds himself attacked by various parts of the ship and is shocked when Forever disappears into the ship's hull. Jotaro then comes to the realization that not only is Forever one of Dio's assassins, but the ship itself is an extremely powerful Stand, which ensares Jotaro and starts crushing the others. After emerging from the hull of the ship wearing captain's regalia, Forever, who uses a dictionary to show off his Stand's name, Strength, taunts Jotaro by showing how he has complete control over the ship and everything on it. As the orangutan once again sets his sights on Anne, Jotaro throws a button from his school jacket at him, taunting that the ape has no control over it. Forever flies into a blind rage and lunges at Jotaro, who uses the opportunity to have Star Platinum launch his jacket button into Forever's skull with a Star Finger, leaving the ape frightened and vulnerable for Jotaro to easily finish off. With Forever defeated, Strength loses its form, forcing Jotaro and the others to escape to the lifeboats as the ship reverts to a tiny boat. Upon hearing of Forever's defeat, Enya, who is revealed to have two right hands, assures Dio that there are still six other Stand users left to face the Joestars, her son included. The Joestar group finally arrives in Singapore, already four days into their journey, and they decide to check into a hotel to plan the next leg of their trip, unaware that a mysterious doll sits in one of the rooms waiting for one of them.

Wishing to keep Anne safe until she is due to meet with her father, the Joestar group check into a hotel, with Polnareff put into his own room. Upon entering his room, Polnareff realises quickly that one of Dio's assassins, Devo the Cursed,[f] is hiding in his refrigerator. Polnareff seemingly defeats Devo easily, but Devo claims that being attacked was his plan all along, as he must be injured in order for hi Stand Ebony Devil to work, before throwing himself off the hotel balcony and disappearing. Whilst searching for Devo's whereabouts, Polnareff suddenly receives a cut on his leg, but cannot determine where it came from. After informing Avdol and Joseph of the situation and arranging to regroup with them later, Polnareff reaches under his bed for his keys, but is suddenly strapped to the underside of his bed, the culprit revealed to be a doll that Devo had possessed using Ebony Devil. Trapped under the bed and slightly blinded by shampoo, Polnareff struggles to fight against the doll as Silver Chariot cannot accurately attack in areas Polnareff cannot see, also becoming unable to save one of the hotel staff from being killed by the doll. Just as Polnareff manages to free himself from the cords restraining him, the doll soaks the room's carpet with beverages, preparing to kill Polnareff by electrocuting him with a shorted hairdryer. However, Polnareff manages to use reflections of pieces of a mirror he shattered earlier to pinpoint the doll's location and attack it precisely. Unable to learn anymore from his opponent, Polnareff cuts the doll to pieces, which in turn kills Devo, who had been controlling his Stand from a bathroom stall elsewhere in the hotel. Later on, as Polnareff deals with authorities about the incident, receiving help from the Speedwagon Foundation's lawyers, Joseph uses Hermit Purple on his room's television, which rapidly changes channels to reveal a hidden message: "There is a traitor among you. Be wary of Kakyoin, for he is Dio's servant." Soon, the image changes to Dio who taunts Joseph before causing the television to explode. This leads Joseph and Avdol to be cautious about Kakyoin, who Avdol realizes is currently accompanying Jotaro and Anne into town.

Jotaro and Anne believe something is wrong with Kakyoin after he uncharacteristically beats a pickpocket senseless and is later seen eating a beetle. Upon reaching a cable car station, Kakyoin steals the cherry off of Jotaro's ice cream cone, licking it while repeatedly mumbling "rero rero" (レロレロ), and then he nearly pushes Jotaro off a balcony, playing it off as a joke. Jotaro, believing Kakyoin to be possessed, punches him, nearly removing the man's jaw. But this instead reveals that the man before them is an impostor named Rubber Soul, who has disguised himself using his Stand Yellow Temperance, a Stand that consumes flesh and can take on any form. As the two take their fight onto the cable cars, with Anne informing Joseph and Avdol of the impostor, with the real Kakyoin joining them shortly after. Rubber Soul reveals that a piece of Yellow Temperance's slime has come off onto Jotaro's hand when he punched him and it will slowly consume his flesh. Jotaro escapes the cable car, attempting to first burn it off with his lighter and then freeze it off with the ice pop of a child in another car, only to fall into Rubber Soul's trap. He taunts that his Stand is invincible, when Jotaro decides on a new tactic learned from his grandfather: running away into the ocean below and dragging Rubber Soul with him. This forces Rubber Soul to lower Yellow Temperance's guard to breathe, allowing Jotaro to beat him. Upon being interrogated by Jotaro, Rubber Soul reveals the Stands of Dio's next assassins are Death, the Empress, the Emperor, and the Hanged Man; in addition, he reveals reveals that the Hanged Man's wielder is J. Geil[g] and he is the man with two right hands who killed Polnareff's sister. Rubber Soul, claiming he has used the speech as a distraction, goes for a last ditch counterattack by channeling Yellow Temperance through a nearby drainage pipe, but Jotaro uses the very same pipe to have Star Platinum deliver a high pressure water blast right back at him, unleashing an Ora Rush on the man when he deems him of no further use. Now safely on their way to India, Polnareff muses that Anne's absence makes him feel lonely. Kakyoin, still in awe as to how someone could impersonate him so perfectly, asks Jotaro if he could have a cherry from his dessert, and begins to lick it and repeat "rero rero" in the same manner as Rubber Soul did earlier, disgusting Jotaro. The group remains unaware that Anne is still following them, sleeping in the next train car.