Joseph Joestar: The ultimate survivor in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure keeps beating death

There is one character in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure who has defied all logic and managed to somehow survive against the most challenging odds. Joseph Joestar, the grandson of Jonathan Joestar, is the only one who has been presumed to be dead four times, and yet he managed to stay alive and live a fulfilling life.

Joseph Joestar made his debut in Battle Tendency, Part 2 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and was immediately different from his grandfather, Jonathan. Where Jonathan was noble and traditional, Joseph was brash, sarcastic, impulsive, and incredibly sharp.

He became popular with fans because of his playful nature and an extremely unique ability to predict what the other person is going to do or say. This ability to predict his enemy’s next line often ended up working in his favor, as it disarmed even the most confident foes.

Combined with his inherited Hamon abilities and natural combat intuition, Joseph quickly proved he wasn't just a gag character. He was a legitimate powerhouse in his own right. In JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, his type of fighting was a combination of brute strength and tactics.

However, as new JoJos took the spotlight, Joseph was inevitably nerfed to give them room to shine. In Stardust Crusaders, he becomes the comedic uncle and lore-dumper. In Diamond is Unbreakable, he’s a relic of the past. These changes allowed Jotaro, Josuke, and others to stand out.

The four major instances in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure where Joseph beat death

The first major brush with death came during the Battle Tendency arc when Joseph and Caesar encountered the Pillar Men. During the fight with Wamuu, Joseph was vastly outclassed.

Wamuu could have ended him, but Joseph’s quick wit saved the day. Rather than fight recklessly, he bargained with Wamuu, proposing a duel that would take place after he had trained properly in Hamon.

Another is that Joseph appeared to die after defeating Kars in one of the series' most dramatic scenes. In fact, Battle Tendency even fakes the audience out with a funeral scene, complete with mourning allies and a dramatic mood. Then Joseph crashes his own funeral. That’s cheat-death moment number two, and this time, even his friends thought he was gone for good.

In JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Joseph returned, but this time as a supporting character. Older, more world-weary, and now with a Stand of his own (Hermit Purple), Joseph mentored Jotaro and the rest of the group on their journey to defeat Dio.

During the climactic battle with Dio Brando, Joseph was fatally wounded. Dio drained his blood, and we even see his spirit leave his body, implying that he’s completely dead.

Although with Joatro Kujo’s quick thinking, he was again brought back to life. This was death number three, and perhaps the most visually confirmed one. And yet, the man still made it out alive.

By the time JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable rolls around, Joseph is much older and almost completely nerfed. He’s senile, fragile, and plays a mostly background role to Josuke and the new cast. Fans even joked that this version of Joseph felt like a ghost of his former self. In one memorable moment, Joseph saves the invisible baby from drowning.

With no Stand powers suited for the task, he resorted to slitting his own wrist, hoping the blood trail would help him locate the child in the water. It’s a reckless move, one that could have killed him, considering his age and condition. Yet once again, Joseph survives.

Final thoughts

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It’s tempting to write Joseph’s repeated survival off as plot armor or pure luck. And to some extent, that’s true. His moments of survival weren’t always pretty. Sometimes, they were ridiculous. Sometimes, they were emotional. But every time, they felt earned.

Joseph’s ability to beat death in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure doesn’t cheapen the story; it enriches it, showing that not all heroes must die to leave an impact. Where other protagonists stood for ideals, like Jonathan’s honor or Jotaro’s stoicism, Joseph stood for adaptability and resilience.

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