JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 3: Stardust Crusaders
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders

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The fighting shounen manga is possibly the most widely read and widely published genre in circulation today. Hence, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders faces a great deal of competition for the attention the reader. However, JoJo's visual flare, entertainment value, and unrelenting creativity make it the cream of the crop among shounen adventures.

The story takes place 40 years after the events of Battle Tendency (the second part of the JoJo saga). The protagonist is none other than the grandson of Joseph Joestar -- Jotaro Kujo. When the coffin of the vampire Dio (the antagonist of part one, rival of Joseph’s grandfather Jonathan Joestar) was excavated ... off the coast of the canary islands, the ancient enemy of the Joestars awakened mysterious powers known as "stands" in Joseph, Jotaro, as well as Jotaro's mother Holly. However, Jotaro's mother is unable to control the consuming power of her stand and falls gravely ill. In order to save Holly from eventual death, Jotaro, Joseph, and Joseph's stand-user companion Avdol must embark on a journey to Cairo in order to destroy the root of her illness: Dio, while making new friends along the way. However, Dio's army of stand-users await our heroes at every turn to impede their progress.

While the outlandish premise of JoJo may not blow anyone away, the sheer creativity employed in the numerous fights will. The term "fight" is used loosely here, as many of the encounters don't rely on the trading of fists, but rather a test of wits and quick-thinking. This is largely due to the dizzying array of abilities that the enemies possess. While the stands of protagonists have more or less conventional superpowers (save for Joseph Joestar), anything is fair game for their foes, with powers ranging from bestowing magnetic pull to the bodies of opponents to the ability to merge with mineral objects, demanding a combination of brains and brawn from the heroes. The action is often visceral, suspenseful, and full of intrigue, especially as the series progresses onwards, when the more outlandish enemies make their appearances. The occasional emotionally charged encounters further enhances the intensity of the story, especially towards the end of the adventure, producing an adventure that is not merely flashy in its action, but truly a memorable journey.

The characters of JoJo are simple and straightforward, each with their own undeniable charm. The strong and reserved Jotaro is the embodiment of "cool", while Joseph makes for spectacular comedic relief with his offbeat attitude, especially for a man of his age. However, most of the villains the group encounters don't have much character behind their stand powers -- they either fall in the "hopelessly psychotic" category, or are bound by their greed for wealth and power, though there are a few exceptions. This is forgivable flaw, given the format of the story, which is a fast-paced ride from one opponent to another, with only brief introductions to the exotic locales in between. There is no mistake in that JoJo does not take itself seriously, as it gives no pretence of plot and character depth, but rather opts to focus on entertainment value, and to this end, JoJo succeeds spectacularly.

The art of Stardust Crusaders, like the previous instalments of the JoJo saga, remains one of the key selling points. The distinctly bold and detailed art style makes it difficult to believe that JoJo was produced weekly. Like the previous incarnations, the characters in part 3 all sport heavily muscled builds, though their bulkiness has taken a step towards moderation from the ridiculous flesh fortresses that appear in the previous two instalments. The fashion sense of the characters is equally wild -- one only needs to take a glance at Jotaro to notice the logic-defying style employed in the manga. Author Hirohiko Araki makes good use of his outrageously stylish artwork by producing action on the page that's ready to leap out at the reader. The fights are kinetic and brutal in presentation, locking the reader's attention and never lets go.

In the end, finding a concrete flaw in JoJo proves to be a difficult task. Its lack of depth is obviously intentional, as JoJo is meant to be a thrill ride -- and what a thrill ride it is. With style, creativity, and exciting bursting at the seams, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders is a no-brainer for any fan of the shounen fighting manga. Even to those who don't usually read works of this genre, JoJo has plenty to offer, and one is bound to be charmed by one of the many positive aspects of Hirohiko Araki's highly influential work.


Pros:
-- Endlessly creative
-- Outrageously stylish
-- Superb action, enhanced by stunning bold art

Cons:
-- The first few encounters don't measure well with the later encounters, though respectable in their own right.
-- Over-muscled men may be a turn-off for some readers.

Stardust Crusaders is the third, and most famous part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. This is for a lot of reasons - it's the arc that introduced Stands, the core mechanic of the series that has stuck with it for the last 25 years. It marks the return of Dio Brando, JJBA's most instantly recognizeable character. It stars the iconic Jotaro Kujo, who is the poster-boy for the series. It was, until recently, the only arc to have an official translation in English, and it produced multiple games based on it.

So, with that in mind, it's kind of surprising that Stardust Crusaders isn't really one of ... the better parts that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has to offer. It's arguably the quintessential JoJos arc, codifying what would follow in most of the parts to come - but that doesn't compensate for its flaws.

While stands were introduced in this arc, Araki wasn't entirely sure how they worked at first, resulting in a small handful of plotholes and/or irrational elements that would go on to be ignored later. Similarly, while Stands would later prove to be a brilliant idea, it didn't seem to hit Araki straight away how much of a masterstroke they were, so a lot of the earlier Stand abilities are either generic, or simply uninteresting. Sure, the series gave us some fantastic battles - especially in the Egyptian God half - but for every Cream, there's a Tower of Grey. For every Bast, there's a Wheel of Fortune. For every Hanged Man, there's an Empress. You get the picture.

Similarly, the plot isn't very interesting. Or rather, what plot there is is interesting, but there just isn't that much of it. The idea is simple - Dio is in Egypt, we need to get to Egypt, there are stand users in the way. The Monster of the Week formula is unimpressive and can drag after a while, especially if you're coming off the heels of Battle Tendency, one of the most dynamic arc in the JoJo canon.

Now, odds are, you've checked my score already and are wondering how I gave this a 7/10.

You see, JJBA relies on trickery and strategy rather than a slugfest of punches, drawn-out powerups, and plot twists from nowhere, as many bog-standard battle shonens are likely to - and the addition of Stands, flawed as they were at this stage, allowed a lot variety in battles than Hamon did. It even allows more variety in its enemies... I mean, where else can you see the protagonists fight an Orangutan, a bird, and A GODDAMNED BABY?

But the most immediate improvement on the previous arcs that the new formula allows is that, in the previous parts, too much of the story hinged on the titular character. OF COURSE he was going to win! Who else could?

Well, not any more. With Stardust Crusaders revolving around a team of 6 protagonists rather than just one, Stardust Crusaders had more flexibility and was able to shake up the formula simply by using a different character each time. However, it wasn't an entirely fair balance - Jotaro and Polnareff did take about 50% of the screentime between them, leaving the remaining 4 protagonists comparatively little, with Kakyoin and Abdul going largely underdeveloped.

This new formula also worked well with Jotaro Kujo, our new JoJo, who had a more stoic, laid back, bancho style than Joseph. having the screentime more split between the main cast allowed Jotaro to take a backseat and maintain a cool demeanour of indifference peppered with badass one-liners. Meanwhile, Polnareff picked up any slack that Jotaro's stoicness left, with his balance of wit and idiocy (coupled with some actual character development!).

And, as I said before, a lot of the latter half's fights (and some of the former half's) remain amongst the best JJBA has to offer - the epic 16-chapter "Dio's World" remains a personal favourite.

...Judgement was still absolute bullshit, though. Just pure crap. Worst JJBA moment ever, no exaggeration.


Final Words: Flawed, but entertaining.

Story/Plot: 5/10.
Characters: 7/10.
Art: 8/10.

Overall: 7/10.

For fans of: Fist of the North Star, Shaman King.

Stardust Crusaders is by far the most iconic, recognizable and popular part in the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure series. It was very influential and when there is a Jojo reference anywhere, it tends to be this part, particularly to Jotaro who is the most famous Jojo in the entire series.

Unfortunately, the earlier parts of the series have really not stood the test of time, and Stardust Crusaders, especially given its status as the most iconic part, might be the biggest example of this.

The basic idea is fairly sound: Dio returns after being absent in part 2, Joseph and his grandson Jotaro along with a few other ... people go to Egypt to save Joseph's daughter and rid the world of Dio once and for all.

To give credit where credit is due, SC introduced the concept of "Stands" to the series, which is much more interesting than the "Hamon/Ripple" of the previous two parts and allows for a lot more diversity and cleverness in the fights.

The thing is, while it may have been good for its time, the characters and storytelling in SC are now honestly pretty lackluster, outside of some entertaining fights it doesn't have anything that you haven't seen done better in a modern shounen 1000 times already. Jotaro is a pretty bland Jojo all things considered, and the rest of the cast is pretty forgettable. Even Polnareff, as entertaining as he can be, pales in comparison to just about any side character in part 4 and onwards.

Stardust Crusaders is also unnecessarily long; it is more than twice as long as both parts 1 and 2 combined, and most of it is just a "monster of the week" that gets dull fairly quickly. You really wish they would just get to Dio already, especially considering that there's no real interesting drama, substance, or character development going on.

The art in this part is improved from the previous 2; characters are still bulky and overly muscular, but they do generally look more natural and expressive. The art is by no means bad, but I can't say it's that much of a high point either unless you really really love the retro fist of the north star look.

There are some pretty good moments, admittedly, such as Jotaro's game with D'Arby and the final fight against Dio, but none of that really makes up for how underwhelming SC is compared to future installments in the series.

Stardust Crusaders IS entertaining and serviceable, but it is noticeably dated. if you want to experience this part i suggest watching the currently airing anime adaptation of it as it makes it a lot more entertaining.

The most popular and famous Part of Jojo, Stardust Crusaders is considered one of the most iconic and influential manga ever made. But is it really THAT good?

STORY: 5/10
Stardust Crusaders picks up 48 years after Battle Tendency. In it, an elderly Joseph Joestar teams up with his grandson Jotaor Kujo and others to stop a resurrected DIO, who has cursed the Joestar family and is hiding in Egypt. They go on a 50 day adventure to Egypt fighting DIO's army along the way with newly developed Stands, spiritual forces that live within one and grant a special power or ability.

And what a long ... adventure it is. Stardust Crusaders is...long. It drags on way too long. There are more fights than ever before, and for the first half not too many of them are interesting. In fact, two of them (Wheel of Fortune and The Sun) are some of the worst, ever. Stardust Crusaders is significant as from here on out, all fights in Jojo consist of Stands and Stand Users. No more fist fights. Araki doesn't know how great of a concept he had with Stands until around halfway through Stardust Crusaders.

While half of it is lackluster, the other half is some of the greatest action one will ever experience in graphic fiction. You know how people say "It isn't the destination, but the journey that counts?" Yeah, bullshit. Stardust Crusaders proves the opposite. Everything before it is just generic villain of the week and "Punch him I win" fights. Egypt is where things get great, but DIO'S Mansion is when things get GODLY, and features some of the best shounen action in manga history. The 18 chapter long final fight against DIO, called DIO'S WORLD, is one of the most dramatic, epic, intense, and satisfying final showdowns ever created, period. It completely justifies the long runtime of the manga. It's that good.

ART: 9/10
The art style remains almost unchanged since Battle Tendency, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. One thing that has improved is facial structure and movements. Lots of good reactions. Also proportions are much, much better. Artwork during DIO'S WORLD in particular is very impressive.

CHARACTERS: 7/10
There are much more characters in Stardust Crusaders than the previous Parts. At first, most of the villains are thruway but some (Hol Horse) are very fun and thankfully reappears. Pretty much all of the Egypt villains are very good. Oingo and Boingo, Pet Shop, Vanilla Ice, and both D'Arbys are particular favorites. As for main characters, Joseph is still fun although his Stand, Hermit Purple, is terrible. Avdol is great but his Stand's power is a tad boring. Kakyoin is my fav, but he sadly is out of commission for a chunk of the Egypt arc. Iggy the dog is terrible, but he is the subject of my favorite minor fight, Iggy vs. Pet Shop and he isn't in the series for very long. Polnareff is the comedic relief and he works very well as it, but he's not without his dramatic moments.

The Jojo of this Part, Jotaro, is, well, boring. He's too "badass" and his actions speak for his lack of words. It makes for a great fighter, but not too compelling of a character. The real standout is DIO. What a badass villain he is. Though he's pretty much absent from the Part until DIO'S WORLD, his presence is felt throughout all of it, and the buildup pays off as DIO basks in the villain spotlight in all his flamboyance and might.

ENJOYMENT: 7/10
It's very hard to review Stardust Crusaders. The second half, particularly the fights in Cairo and of course DIO'S WORLD are extremely entertaining and I had a hell of an enjoyable time with them. However, hardly anything before is as entertaining, and thus it's a very slow and tedious read, but the payoff is well worth it. Regardless, Stardust Crusaders has some special, it truly does feel like a "bizarre adventure", slow parts and all.

OVERALL: 7/10
Stardust Crusaders isn't the best Part, but it is one of the most significant and influential. There's a reason its popularity is still growing even after nearly 30 years. The inclusion of Stands is arguably the most significant addition to the Jojo canon, and it officially concludes the first trilogy of Jojo, the fight against DIO and his vampire lackeys. The next trilogy of Jojo is about the next generation in the Joestar family, the children of all 3 Jojo's from Parts 1-3 and while they're all different independent stories they are nonetheless connected to the events of Stardust Crusaders. A slow read, but well worth it.

By far the most recognised part of the series, Stardust Crusaders is the third part in the long running manga franchise Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. While Part 3 is a clear step in the right direction for the series to head in, it is not without the stumbles that come from the introduction into a different focus point (namely the Stand based combat) and does affect its overall effectiveness.

Notably the first thing that a fan of the previous two parts will notice right off the bat is that in terms of the narrative’s strength, JJBA is at its most linear in Stardust Crusaders. The story opens ... in the year 1983 on the Atlantic Ocean where a crew of fisherman have discovered a metal casket with the word “DIO” inscribed upon its surface. Believing that this casket holds a great treasure inside they eagerly open it, but soon disappear and are never heard from again. Cut to 4 years later and Jotaro Kujo has placed himself into a jail cell, fearing himself to be possessed by a demon that goes unseen to those around him. Upon meeting with Jotaro, his grandfather Joseph Joestar (the main character of Part 2: Battle Tendency) and his friend Mohammed Abdul explain that this demon is in fact the physical embodiment of Jotaro’s own power known as a “Stand” and that its awakening was most likely triggered by the revival of the Joestar’s sworn enemy: Dio Brando. Jotaro’s mother soon falls ill as a result of Dio’s presence and it is left up to Jotaro and his allies to track down Dio’s Egyptian lair and defeat him in order to save not only her, but the world from Dio’s evil influence.

This synopsis essentially sums up Stardust Crusaders’ plot from beginning to end; with what is left unsaid being more character driven or not worth mentioning and actual story progression acting more as a backdrop for the fights that are to come. While this formula was used in both of the earlier parts of the series, it is worth noting that both stories had more, smaller objectives in-between to give the characters smaller victories/losses along the way. Stardust Crusaders does not have this: it instead relies on the readers to get soaked up in the fights with the promise of Dio held above their heads in order to keep them reading. It just doesn’t work as well compared to what Battle Tendency did story wise and does unfortunately leave a blemish on what is otherwise a very entertaining series.

Making up for the disappointingly linear plot of Stardust Crusaders are the crusaders themselves, who are all memorable in their own distinct characteristics. Jotaro takes over the reins from Joseph in this part to great effect: the biggest difference between the two is that while Joseph in part 2 was very much a trickster kind of character, Jotaro is more of a Silent Badass kind of guy. Despite the difference in personalities, both characters are very analytical fighters that will seek out their opponents weaknesses to turn against them and are ultimately driven by the will to do the right thing (even if Jotaro is more static in terms of his own motivations and emotions). Joseph reappears in this part to act as Jotaro’s mentor along this adventure and appears more level headed this time around, but is otherwise the same quirky character that served the readers well in the previous part. Without wanting to give too much away, the other characters whom make up Jotaro’s ensemble are all terrific, likeable characters in their own right and each have their own distinct motivations for helping the team. In particular, Noriaki Kakyoin and Jean-Pierre Polnareff both experience great characterisation early on and receive excellent character development as they overcome obstacles from their past and those set up by the villains to hinder the heroes quest. Unfortunately the villains (with the exception of Dio) are for the most part ineffective; they are mostly confined to appearing to a mini arc (generally spanning 3-6 chapters each), are mostly bland in terms of personality (with many of their motivations being only to aid Dio’s own will) and at worst will not intimidate the reader into thinking they pose any real threat despite their Stand powers. Another gripe to be had concerns Dio; while he’s a constant presence throughout the story, he remains largely unseen and does not end up taking any direct action himself till the very end of the series. These two factors can become distracting and ultimately does take away from the overall experience.

As with the previous two parts in the series, the absolute high point and main attraction are the fights that Jotaro and company have across their journey. Gone from this series (save for a couple of brief ineffectual instances from Joseph) is the Ripple fighting style that was the protagonists main form of combatting their vampiric enemies and in its place are the Stand powers; the embodiment of a beings inner fighting spirit. The different Stands in this series are each named after one of the Major Arcana of the Tarot Cards in this part (with a couple of exceptions) and all operate in different ways with vastly different powers/effects dependent on the power of the particular Stand, making them much more varied than the previous Ripple based combat. To this end, many fights involve the heroes working out the mechanics of the Stand’s ability and either trying to overcome them with their own abilities or by tracking down the Stand’s user and defeating them to get rid of the Stand. While this new dynamic of how battles are fought is an improvement from the less original concept of the Ripple, many of the Stands in this Part lack the originality seen in the other parts of the series: there are a couple repeated concepts (namely shape shifting), a few involve element manipulation (e.g. the ability to control fire, ice etc.) and for the most part lack the utility element featured by Stands later in the series (which is forgivable for a new concept but does detract from the series). It should be noted that battles get more entertaining the further the series progresses, leading to the final confrontation with Dio which is one of the best fights ever to be seen in manga form. When all is said and done the introduction of the Stand powers was a big step in the right direction and has solidified Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure as being a truly unique and entertaining series that has left an impact on Manga as a whole forever.

In terms of art style, it was in Stardust Crusaders where Hirohiko Araki really started to change up his own drawing technique. While some things such as the overly muscled design of the main characters remained the same as what was used in the previous two parts, the way the characters were drawn shifted from the more angular and messy detail style last seen in Battle Tendency towards a more squared off style featuring cleaner lines. This change can also be seen in the design of the environments where the fights take place, with environment appearing slightly more angular as the series progresses. This is a change for the better; as this new drawing method allows for a greater distinction between different objects in a panel, makes the art easier to follow and moves away from being inspired by Fist of the North Star in order to gain its own identity artistically (something that the series up until this point had been lacking poses and fancy clothes aside). It's worth mentioning that this series can be very gory in sections; while Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency had their fair share of blood and guts, it feels as if Araki really stepped up just how horrific it appeared in this Part. Anyone who can't stomach graphic violence should therefore either avoid this series outright or do their best to overlook this.

So once all is said and done Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders is praise worthy, but is far from being a flawless work of fiction. If nothing else the success of this part gave the author a sense of what direction it would be best to take future Part’s towards (as it does more right than wrong) and with the invention of the Stands it now has something to make itself stand out as a truly unique series. If you’ve read the previous parts and enjoyed those then you’re in for a treat and if you’re new to the series but don’t want to read the preceding parts then it’s still worth checking out just to see if you like the concept of the Stands. It is one bizarre adventure that should not be missed.

《TO BE CONTINUED||

Not sure why I haven't heard of JJBA until very recently, but I watched the new anime for the first season and decided to try out the manga so I started with part 3 and, let me tell you, it was one hell of a ride.

You should know this already (if you don't then here it is), but here's a quick brush up on what JJBA is. It's a manga that has been around for an extremely long time and is very popular. It contains lots of action, gore/blood shed, super bulked up men, and each protag has the nickname "Jojo" hence why it's called ... Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

This particular part of the long running series was truly an adventure. The story spans about 50 days and the group of heroes on this journey must reach the ultimate antagonist at the end or else the protag's, Jotaro Kujo, mother will die. While most of the story seems to be filled with meaningless encounters, these are still very much entertaining. It's not a super fast paced story, but it runs well enough and is clear in its intentions through and through. I give story an 8.

Now, many people are put off by the art style in JJBA. Personally, I was drawn in by its art style because I assumed this series was going to be funny and that the bara men were going to add to the comedy. I found the art style fairly consistent and I still liked it even if it didn't fit normal standards. I give art an 8.

On to characters. One of my issues with JJBA is the lack of strong female characters. From Part 1 to 3 most of the female characters were either the potential love interests or the family members who generally didn't play a huge part in the adventure. However, despite this I found most of the characters to be interesting and enjoyable since they're filled to the brim with their own quirks and are all pretty easy to grow fond of. For example, at first I felt neutral about all the characters that I didn't know yet. There was nothing about their appearances that made me like them immediately, but as I read on I began to appreciate all of them a lot more which made major losses really hard for me. Even if you don't feel the same way I do you'll at least enjoy their reactions and interactions throughout the story since dialogue can be extremely funny. I give characters a 9.

Enjoyment? Did I enjoy JJBA part 3? Hell yes. It was jam packed full of comedy, great characters, an interesting story, and good art. I have be recommending the entire series to many of my friends since I started reading Part 3. I think Stardust Crusaders really sold this entire series to me. I enjoyed it. 10/10.

Overall I give it a 9. It's not the BEST manga out there, but it sure as hell is one of the better ones.

Stardust Crusaders is the third part of the JoJo series so please read or watch parts 1 & 2 first.

After the events of Phantom Blood & Battle Tendency, Jotaro Kujo makes his debut as this arc's Joestar who discovers his new STAND power & his visited by his grandfather, Joseph Joestar, warning him of the danger that is DIO Brando. After Jotaro's mom, Holly Joestar, is taken ill by DIO's curse, Jotaro, Joseph, Avdol, Kakyoin, Polnareff & Iggy embark on a road trip to Egypt to put an end to this family feud of The Joestars & The Brandos.

Part 3 is the most hyped ... arc of the series but new fans should be prepared for certain changes. The RIPPLE martial art is no longer in use & is replaced with the series iconic STAND which later inspired Persona. Stardust Crusaders takes advantage of this road trip setting as it pays homages to several horror elements found throughout films & novels, yet this is also its weak point.

As great as the main cast is, the enemies are perhaps too many for this arc. What is to be expected of part 3 are ongoing fights & villain of the week almost on a constant basis with DIO as the final boss. There are a few villains who leave an impression such as Vanilla Ice & The Darby Bros, but as a whole the villains aren't Pillar Men level in terms of character. While the future parts of JoJo also follow this formula, it's more noticeable & repetitive in Part 3.

However, the charm of Stardust Crusaders are the stands & the heroes themselves as this is the most iconic & arguably the best roster of any JoJo part. While fans may have different opinions on JoJo as a whole, there will undeniably be a favorite character to be found within the group.

The major flaw to part 3 is how inconsistent Araki can with his writing but this is also present in the later parts as well. What can affect enjoyment in this series are the fights as some end in very anticlimatic ways, but then again this is JoJo where anything can happen. The structure of Stardust Crusaders became the main formula of later JoJo parts & offers a grand conclusion to its long lasting nemesis & puts the Joestar family curse to rest.

Enjoy Part 3 & look forward to Part 4 Diamond Is Unbreakable as it will be the last of a masculine artstyle before things get FABULOUS in Parte 5 Vento Aureo.

This is an amazing Battle Shounen Manga in every way.

It was The 80s in the Jojo world, now. The main character, Jotaro Kujo, The 3rd Jojo in our story about the multi generational Joester family blood line. And i haven't read the later parts yet, but probably the most bad ass Jojo ever. Really a hard boiled delinquit, hard boy character in a modified all black japanese high school boy uniform with a chain hanging from the colar and a cool hat on his head and his ...Yare Yare Daze.... One liner.

Joester family arch nemesis Vampire Dio was back ! and that was literally killing ... Jotaro's mother... Dio had stolen the body of the first Jojo, Jonathan. He was connected to Joester family by blood now. This bizarre union woke the spiritual power known as the stands in Joester family... Jotaro's mother Holy couldn't control his Stand power and it was killing her, so to save her, Joesters must kill Dio ! and Dio was in Cairo, Egypt and he had so many stand user minions around the world. Could the Joesters kill Dio in time and save Holy ?!?!? dun dun dun... HA HA ! They would travel from Japan to Egypt to get Dio ! It was a road trip manga as well. Joesters and their allies fought aginst Dio's minions in Far East, Euro Asia and Middle East to reach Dio and kill him in the manga. The Joester Family team, Joseph Joster (American), Jotaro Kujo(Half Japanese), Kakyoin Noriaki (Japanese),Jean Pier Polnareff (French), Avdol (Arabic) and Iggy (a dog who can use a stand... HA HA !) They were all stand users, a multinational teams race against time to save Jotaro's mother and Joseph's daughter, Holy Kujo with a journey around the globe from Far East to Middle East.

It was an amazing read, none the less. The Stand fights were not just physical brutal fist fights but there were really fun, interesting stand fights like gambling and video game challanges, taking stand users body under control in interesting ways and regular fist fights, ofcourse. It was as fun as a battle shounen could be to the fullest.

Art - JoJo's always has great art, and part 3 is no exception. The uniquely styled faces are wonderful and the stylized dramatization of panels are awesome.

Character - The cast of characters in Stardust Crusaders is very good. Each party member is unique and lovable in their own way. DIO is also such an evil character that it's great.

Story - To clarify, I'd rate the story itself about a 7, but the writing is a 9. The way Araki can kill off main characters is great, because one of the worst things is when characters have plot armor because they are main characters.

Overall - The ... first half is good, but nothing amazing. The second half is where most of the greatness takes place.

The 3rd Part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a noted sea change from the compact, straightforward Parts 1 and 2. Stardust Crusaders is the most epic in scope of the first 3 parts, but it suffers as a result of the episodic journeys taken to fill the space of that ambition. This is the part that begins the "monster of the week" format that fills out the rest of the series, and where the self contained nature of the franchise becomes clear.

The set up for Part 3 is more fitting for a video game than a manga, as its broad nature allows for battles with ... random bad guys to be added or taken out with ease. Araki, having not become fully comfortable with Stands yet, struggles to keep these fights memorable and creative throughout the first half of Part 3. Some are refreshing and add to the ongoing sense of adventure, but others are varying degrees of dull. While the latter camp can be more easily forgotten about in manga form, and still does add to the overall weight of the story, they are unfortunate and drag down the series majorly as a whole. This padding makes certain underdeveloped characters and regrettable plot elements seem even more frustrating, as the extra time spent makes it feel like we deserve better.

These more uninteresting filler battles bring out the worst in our brick of a protagonist, Jotaro Kujo. Throughout Part 3, Jotaro is shown to be both untouchably strong and untouchably smart, with dashes of great kindness and great bravery on the side. Araki soon realizes Jotaro is boring and turns the endearing, relatable Polnareff into the main focus for most of the fights hence forth. Other cast members, though overall less charming than Part 2's cast, range from lovely to a tad confused. Araki has bitten off more than he can chew, and does not start getting control over his mouthful until about halfway through Stardust Crusaders.

The second half of Part 3 brings out the strongest elements of what came before. Exciting, creative battles with great humor and originality, and occasional moments of pathos, though not as powerfully as in the first two parts. I'd almost wager the last third or so of Part 3 couldn't possibly have been any better, as Araki raises the stakes with ingenious timing and rhythm, all the while introducing his now essential technique of actively sculpting the reader's perception of time. Sculpting time is an inherent part of all narrative storytelling (I stole that thought from Andrei Tarkovsky, I'm not creative), but artists tend not to wield this hammer with as much conscious control as Araki begins to at the end of Part 3. The blood curdling tension of a great JoJo battle is one of a kind, and Araki's manipulation of the reader's experience of time through panel size, focus, level of detail, etc. is an essential piece of that.

Still there are deeper issues with Stardust Crusaders. JoJo is, for the most part, a fatalistic story (see: FATE), though I'm aware it contradicts that to an extent, but Part 3 takes this fatalism to an unsettling degree. "I'll never forgive you" is a phrase uttered ominously often by our supposed heroes (including one especially demonic instance from the usually kind Avdol), and it colors the tone of this familial struggle towards authoritarian bloodright, as opposed to a classic battle between righteous and evil. At best, this redemption-less fatalism adds an uncomfortable undercurrent to the story being told. Araki must be aware of this, though, as he goes to great lengths to undo it in Part 4.

Araki's artistry is as strong as ever, and his cleverness finally reaches a comfortable place in the second half of this part, but small holes are more numerous and crippling for Part 3 than for the previous parts.

Stardust Crusaders is undoubtedly the most iconic part of Jojo, and the part that defined the direction the series went from this point. While I respect Araki's decision to change his series, which led to some great stories, Part 3 of Jojo is definitely my least favorite part.

Don't get me wrong, there's some good stuff, but part 3 to me is ultimately an extremely forgettable story. Part of why is because Part 3 is longer than part 1 and 2 combined (The anime is even longer, but I'll compared the two at the end). Now, 16 volumes is not an overly long length compared to ... other series, but I feel Araki made the series long just to be long. Take part 2 of Jojo, where the plot is almost always moving forward in some way. You can't take much out of the story without changing it drastically. This isn't the case in part 3. Only about 10-20% of encounters here are story-pertinent. While we see a map of the Crusaders' progress, once a fight ends, not much has changed. You could remove or even rearrange half of the arcs here and nothing would change.

Now, you might be thinking I simply hate episodic stories, but that's not the case. Episodic stories can work, but they don't work in Stardust for several reasons. To those who've experienced Stardust Crusaders, let me ask you this: What can you tell me about Avdol? How about Kakyoin? Not much, really. Characters in previous parts weren't great either, but parts 1 and 2 were so short that it didn't matter as much, and despite the length, I feel like I understand Caeser much more than I do Kakyoin or Avdol. Avdol gets nothing, and Kakyoin gets a sad backstory near the very end of the story, which is usually an example of bad writing. To be fair, Polnareff is kind of interesting, and has his own motivation for joining the crusaders, and the same goes for Iggy honestly. Joseph is fun as usual, and Jotaro is serviceable, but I prefer him in later parts. And then there's Dio. Dio is as charismatic as ever, but part of what made him good in Phantom Blood was his relationship with Jonathan. In Stardust Crusaders, Dio is just the final boss, and 'da bad guy' to Jotaro. He's not a bad character, just not nearly as good as he was in his debut.

Of course, as long as the battles are entertaining, this can all be ignored, but the thing is the encounters here are hit or miss. Part of this is because the crusaders have very simple powers that don't leave much room for creativity. The best battles are the story essential ones usually, but that's not always the case. Often, battles are won because Jotaro is randomly able to do something that was never established, and the series acts like it's because Jotaro is some genius or something. When I'm watching an arc that isn't entertaining and has weak and static characters that adds nothing to the story, I feel like my time is being wasted.

I will say this though; Once the Crusaders get to Egypt, the manga as a whole gets much better. The battles are more creative, Iggy is introduced, and the final battle, while a bit contrived, is good. That's why I rated it a 5 instead of a 3 or 4. Also, the art is pretty good.

While I respect Araki for trying to improve his series, the shift not only means early battles weren't as entertaining, but his characters weren't either. I guess you should read this if you've read the other parts up until now, but I definitely won't ever again.

The anime is longer and has some filler, but Kakyoin is given a bit more character (He still isn't good though). It's probably better, I guess.

Not a fan of this at all. The reason why the rating is not any lower is only because of the final 2 fights which were great but everything else sucked. The Around the World in 80 Days is a cool concept but the formula is so repetitive that you actually forget about the globetrotting. Some of the stuff that I thought was particularly poor were:
1) No tension. It's the story of a Jotaro and his grandfather (Joesph from part 2) in a race against time to save Holly, Jotaro's mother. The idea is emotional but the story lacks any tension whatsoever.
2) Stand of the ... week concept. Here's the formula: Get to a new place -> Meet an enemy stand -> Fight and defeat him -> Move to a new place and repeat
The worst part for me is that in spite of the numerous battles there is neither any character development nor does any character get stronger, learn new stuff like how the mc in the previous 2 parts learned Hammon through fighting

DISCLAIMER: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a currently ongoing series with (at the moment of writing), 7 complete parts and one ongoing one. It's important to first make the distinction that this is NOT one ongoing story split into parts, but rather 8 stories in the same universe following the Joestar bloodline, that share similar elements, plot points, and even motivations in some cases.
Due to that, this and my other JoJo reviews will follow an unique JoJo rating system, since in my opinion it cannot be easily compared to other manga, done in a beginner-friendly way so as to illustrate whether or not it is worth ... it to get invested in the series, and how it compares to other parts of it.
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Stardust Crusaders is THE most known JoJo part, and honestly, that's not because of the story.
This is also the first real "adventure" in the JoJo series, as the characters have to travel to Egypt in order to stop Dio, who yes, is still alive, somehow, and still powerful.
It's one of the first manga to create what is now generic shonen story beats, à la Monster of the Week format, and the progress feels similar to moving in a board game.

Beat a stand user -> Move a few spots -> Beat another stand user -> Move a few spots

And so on until they reach Dio. It can get tiring very fast if you're not invested in the characters or the fights, which are 90% of it. And speaking of fights...

Stardust Crusaders introduces the concept of stands, a manifestation of the user's psyche as what is essentially a punching ghost with an added ability. Magician Red punches and has fire, Emerald Splash punches and shoots green energy, and so on.
The meat of Stardust is watching how the main cast use their stand abilities to defeat other stand users, and unfortunately since this is the first time the concept was used, Araki was still trying to figure out what to do with them, and as a result, some of the fights are good, a lot of the fights are boring and end up being "who can punch first" or "who can punch harder".


Most of the stand abilities aren't too crazy, but some are really annoying and sometimes seem to make no sense at all, at which point they get punched into oblivion, usually by Jotaro and his Star Platinum.
But most infuriatingly, this is the start of a meme known as "Araki Forgot", in which Araki simply forgot that some stands can do certain things, or forgot previously established plot points, the most notable one being that in Phantom Blood, Dio was somewhere. Now he says he was ACTUALLY somewhere else, and this really only serves to bring him back as a villain, albeit much less charismatic, and without much screen time outside of the last few volumes.


The art is a gigantic step up from Phantom Blood, and one of the most iconic art styles in manga, ever. It's still frequently referenced in anime, 30 YEARS LATER, and for very good reason. Nothing ever looks stale or confusing, and the stand designs are all mostly awesome to look at.
The "stand user of the week" villains have mostly unique designs, which is really hard to accomplish for a long series like this (larger than previous parts), but I can't say the same for their personality.

The main cast is alright. Jotaro is closer to Kenshiro than Jonathan and Joseph were, with his stoic attitude and constant punching of things via his Star Platinum, but without any of their emotions other than "I'm angry". The rest of the main cast is okay, even if underused, which is reminiscent of how Z fighters would lose until Goku came in to defeat the villain.
It also features an old Joseph Joestar, which is still a trickster but VASTLY underused.

The main villain is once again, Dio Brando, this time not only is he a charismatic vampire, he's also a charismatic vampire with a STAND. Chances are you already know what it does, but I won't spoil it if you don't. The final fight with him is similarly iconic and still referenced to this day, in multiple other manga and anime, again, for good reason. You probably already know why and you probably already saw dialogue of it somewhere.



So if you like shonen battle manga and you don't mind a seemingly emotionless protagonist that only wants to punch things with his punching ghost as hard as he can, this is a pretty solid read. You might get bored around the halfway point but it's thankfully not a manga with a lot of dialogue, so you can still just enjoy the awesome fighting. And if you liked this, then you'll probably like the following parts.

It's a very iconic entry into the shonen genre, but if you're already used to the genre, you will probably notice 90% of the most common tropes might affect your enjoyment of this manga, which is due to the fact that it largely STARTED those tropes. So whether you can accept that or not vary from person to person, but I would say it's at least worth a try.

Despite this being the original break out part in both Japan and the west, I really feel like the popularity is misplaced when compared to the rest of Jojos. It's a good part, no doubt, and the inclusion of stands was a fantastic idea since Ripple was a very weak, undefined ability.

The story is solid following the long fued of the Joestars and the Brandos and putting a nice epic ending to it all.

Araki's art style is something that takes a long time to get used to, at least I think, but somewhere around Parts 2 and 3, his muscular style definitely started growing ... on me. There's a lot of weirdly proportioned models throughout this part, and weird goofy, almost cartoonish art direction when it's trying to be funny. These are things that would get defined as Araki's artstyle improves throughout the series. However, in the last few volumes the artwork is definitely stunning and clean.

The characters are all pretty solid asides from one glaring flaw which is Jotaro, one of the weakest protagonists in all of JJBA. He's a quiet badass, which is cool and all but doesnt make for a very interesting lead. His Stand is also extremely bland in comparison to some of the future ones, but you gotta love it either way because it's just so energetic.

The enjoyment is a little less than the average for Jojo parts. The main problem is the setting. Jojo's has a very formulatic villain of the week formula which persists in every part after 3, but the problem with Stardust Crusader's take on the formula is the setting of Egypt and the lack of progress. It never really seems like they're getting closer to Dio which made it a chore to read some of the later fight before they finally reached Cairo. Every single villain is DIO's henchmen without a single break to the formula, which other parts also improve on, so the first half until Egypt really wore me down.

The series in general hits its stride when the crew gets to Egypt, and that's when it starts clicking more. The abilities start being more creative, Araki's genius for interesting combat direction starts to shine, and the moments start becoming punchier and more impactful.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure stands, in my opinion, as the greatest manga I've had the pleasure of experiencing. However, Stardust Crusaders, despite being the most iconic part of the series, is not its best offering. It occupies an awkward position where it showcases many of the manga's signature elements but also highlights some of its weaker aspects. Though it's undeniably important for the development of the series, it's not as refined as later parts. The introduction of a new, experimental power system, combined with pacing issues, affects its overall quality. Nonetheless, this part is crucial as it wraps up the original trilogy and lays the groundwork ... for everything that comes after.

With that said, let’s delve into what Stardust Crusaders is about and the themes it explores. We'll also discuss how the beginning might be misleading, how effectively it tackles its thematic elements, and how it compares to other parts of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure as well as its anime adaptation.

So, what is this show about?

Every part of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure revolves around a central theme: a love for humanity, often tied to the concept of karma—how actions shape fate, family, and community. While each part introduces its own thematic elements, they all fit within this larger framework. Stardust Crusaders completes the first trilogy of the saga, primarily exploring the idea of heroism.

Jonathan Joestar embodies the traditional hero, representing honor and courage, albeit in a somewhat dated sense. Joseph Joestar builds on this by arguing that true heroism goes deeper than the simpler ideas symbolized by his grandfather — it only requires the more refined ideas, effort and will. Jotaro Kujo, the protagonist of Stardust Crusaders, goes even deeper, suggesting that the finer essence is rooted in patience and hope. In many ways, the initial trilogy was an exploration of the core values that make a hero.

First things later, let’s talk art direction.

Araki’s artistic talent shines through, and Stardust Crusaders introduces a new visual element: stands. The introduction of stands does wonders for the art, as each character now has both an external design and an inner, symbolic self in the form of their stand. This allows Araki to explore surreal, outlandish scenarios, providing endless creative freedom in how he illustrates battles and interactions.

That being said, there are some awkwardly drawn panels, particularly in the earlier chapters. While Jojo's is known for its exaggerated body proportions, some perspectives in Stardust Crusaders feel a bit off. However, it's important to keep in mind that Araki was working under intense pressure, producing chapters weekly for nearly four years without any significant break (he only took his first hiatus after nine years of serialization). Considering this, the relatively few missteps in the art are impressive. Unlike other mangaka who redraw for volume releases, Araki doesn’t go back to fix his work, making the consistently high quality even more admirable.

So, how does it start?

Unfortunately, the opening chapters are among the weakest in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. The “monster of the week” formula, often criticized, is especially evident here and poorly executed in the beginning.

The first chapter is exciting, bringing back Joseph Joestar and introducing our new protagonist, Jotaro, as well as a mysterious Egyptian man. The concept of stands is introduced well, and the use of Tarot cards adds an intriguing layer of symbolism. However, after the initial excitement, the narrative falls into a repetitive rhythm, with fight after fight, and little character development to carry it forward. Araki seems to forget to deepen the personalities of the characters, relying instead on the Tarot theme to provide characterization, which leaves much to be desired.

In terms of a starting point for new readers or viewers, Stardust Crusaders is one of the worst places to begin. Its first half is longer and less engaging than the earlier parts, and the second half is much more enjoyable with the context of characters like DIO and Joseph already established. Please, do not start here.

Regarding the anime adaptation, the first half drags out even more than the manga. While the anime does add some character development, the pacing remains an issue. If you're willing to go back and forth, the first half is perhaps best enjoyed while doing something else—watch it while eating or before going to bed. Then continue from JJBA volume 20, chapter 182 (or SC Volume 8, chapter 69).

The second half, however, shines in both the manga and the anime, but the manga offers a more contemplative experience, where you can stop and savor specific moments in a way that the anime doesn’t quite allow. The anime also somewhat misses a bit on the development of our main protagonist, making him seen too Stoic from the beginning.

What about the characters?

The characters in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure are often the hidden gems of the series. They feel like real people who happen to enter and exit the narrative without always completing their arcs. This can leave some characters feeling as though they’ve departed too soon, but it also lends a sense of realism to the story, as though Araki is recounting a tale that actually happened, with characters who have their own stories beyond what we see.

Stands amplify this dynamic. Now, we get a glimpse of both the inner and outer selves of these characters, frequently without needing much dialogue. Stand battles also become puzzles, revealing the complexities of a character’s soul rather than relying purely on physical combat. This form of storytelling is especially strong in the second half of Stardust Crusaders, where character development is more intricately woven into the narrative. Unfortunately, the first half doesn’t achieve this as effectively, frequently relying too heavily on Tarot symbolism, which hampers the development of minor characters and even some major characters.

What about the story itself?

The story is largely episodic. The overarching goal of the journey is often forgotten in the first half, making the structure feel loose. However, the travel aspect adds a unique flavor. The world-building (or should I say exploring?) is excellent, with each new setting offering a chapter where the characters simply explore a foreign culture before being thrust into another bizarre encounter with a new stand user. These moments of cultural discovery are a real highlight and contribute to the appeal of even the weaker chapters.

The second half manages to retain the strengths of the first while adding much-needed depth to the narrative. The pacing improves, and the character dynamics become more engaging as the story draws closer to its climax.

Then, what did I think of it as a whole?

While Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is regularly seen as niche, it has much broader appeal than many realize, offering depth and strong writing beneath its bizarre exterior. Stardust Crusaders is full of suspense, artistry, and philosophical themes, but it’s a mixed bag due to its pacing issues and underdeveloped characters in the first half.

Still, it’s important to remember that this part concludes the first trilogy of the series. The second half hints at the true potential of the masterpiece Jojo's would become. Yet, this doesn’t fully excuse the eight volumes of average-to-poor chapters that precede it. Nonetheless, for fans of the series, this part is essential for understanding the evolution of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure as a whole.

The mixed feelings evaluation relates to it in comparison to the anime adaptation.

One of the most influential manga of all time. Redefined battle systems in shonen manga and has an actual cast who are useful, a rarity in 80s manga, let alone current ones. Simply a masterpiece, you owe it to yourself to read this at least once in your lifetime.

The art is fantastically detailed and the story is simple and linear, but straight to the point and never pulls any punches. The fights are the biggest highlight of the manga, each one being radically different and unique.

It's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's rise to greatness and the start of the creative pinnacle that is Hirohiko Araki. READ ... IT NERDS!

Stardust Crusaders is about genetics and psychic ghosts and vampires and memes. This manga is consistently beautiful and hilarious. JoJo's kept me consistently laughing and rereading entire volumes, however why did I rate this down when i gave Aho-Girl and Grand Blue 10's for these very reasons.

At a certain point I felt like it was just going too far to be funny and that pandering was awful.
The characters barely develop with the exception of best boy Polneraff and some characters are kept on more than they should or brought back in the most dumn and insulting ways possible. Seriously *** and *** should have ... just stayed dead, they barely affected the story afterwards and their absence could have been easily written around.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Pretty much everyone is familiar with the third part of JoJo at this point, and for good reason. This part is when Hirohiko Araki really found his niche, what with the introduction of "stand" abilities, something that would be present in every part from here on out. In the later parts, we're introduced to crazy abilities like being able to erase time, travel between dimensions, and uhhh... make zippers and stuff, but in Stardust Crusaders, it's nice and simple. You got fire, fists, a sword, emeralds, and some vines that read technology or something, I don't know. Things are simpler in part 3, ... but that doesn't mean it all makes sense.

Including Joseph in this part was a brilliant move, really helping to connect part 2 to part 3. For the first time ever, JoJo was in the modern day (late 80s at the time of publication), and with the change in formula that stand abilities bring, Joseph keeps it from being too jarring. He serves as both a mentor figure and a comic relief character in part 3 and both those roles are perfect for him. Speaking of comic relief, the comedy is what really carries this part. Polnareff and Joseph are just such goofballs, balanced out by the more straight edge Jotaro and Avdol, with Kakyoin lying somewhere in between quirky and boring. There's plenty of great side characters too, like Hol Horse, Oingo, Boingo, and the D'Arby brothers. While some fights definitely feel unnecessary (to the point where you could skip many of them without impacting the story too much) you'll be missing out in the long run if you don't read them all. The many ridiculous fights and comedic moments just make the final confrontation with Dio all the more meaningful. Araki shifts the the tones between fights seemlessly, where during one arc we're laughing at the gang forcing a baby to eat his own poop, and the next we're watching Polnareff try to avenge his sister, or mourn the death of a friend he blames himself for.

Jotaro may technically be the main character, but Polnareff is the real star, and genuinely one of my all time favorite characters. Jotaro is both a little too calm and a little too powerful for his own good, meaning that he's not always that intriguing of a character. I still love him, but for the sake of the story I think it's good that he takes the back seat a lot of the time. Araki quickly discovered that Avdol's fire abilities don't have much versatility, same with Kakyoin's emerald splash, which means that Polnareff and his sword are front and center for what feels like the majority of arcs. Some of the best arcs are the ones that go beyond normal stand battles though. A couple of my favorites are the arcs involving characters I mentioned earlier, those being brothers Oingo and Boingo, and the other pair of brothers D'Arby #1 and D'Arby #2. Oingo and Boingo bring us some of the funniest moments in the series, while the D'Arbys provide a mental mindgame giving Jotaro some time to shine.

I don't wanna talk about the final fight too much, but let me just say the buildup definitely has a payoff. Right from the start we learn that Dio is the guy we're after, and even though we don't actually encounter him until the very last arc, it's all worthwhile. Mystery, suspense, death, steam rollers, plot twists, you name it; the finale has it. Jotaro vs. Dio could very well be my favorite finale in the series.

This review has mostly been me rambling, but the point is that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure part 3: Stardust Crusaders is one of a kind. There's so much I didn't talk about, because frankly, there's too much. I couldn't possibly talk about everything I love about part 3 because there's something memorable in nearly every arc. With the fun globe trotting, the variety of fights, and the comedy that only Araki can do, there's just so much to love.

First chapters of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, pt.3 are disappointing: the concept behind renown stands may seem childish, first battles result in ‘classic’ enemy-becomes-friend scenarios and protagonist Jotaro Kujo reminds too strongly of his predecessor. But hold out for thirty chapters and you will start to realize how brilliant the creation of Hirohiko Araki is. Stands will become just another form of superhuman abilities, shounen tropes fades quickly and and Jotaro will transform into unique, awesome character. In fact, most of characters of Stardust Crusaders are awesome because of Hirohiko Araki one-of-a-kind approach to the story. He never tries to *teach* which opens up an opportunity ... to portray villains as human beings and not the devices to make heroes bond together, train willpower or contemplate the values of life. Same *not teach* technique strips the story of unnecessary templated episodes about friends, hard work and other bullshit. Everything is simple and honest: protagonists are compatritriots united by duty (much more plausible cause than most shounen have) against an ambitious spiteful man. Each of characters has quirks and traits that makes them fun and distinct.

But the main revelation of pt.3 are stands. Stands are cartoonish creatures standing behind host. Sounds stupid, yes? Don’t worry, in middle of journey you will forget about that detail and most stands will be perceived simply as superhuman powers, like in western comics. Each fight will begin with a mystery: what is our enemy stand? And will revolve around strategic approach of how to deal with adversaries, utilizing our strengths and exploiting their weakness. In fact, that is why Hirohiko Araki made stands of protagonist so trite and unsophisticated: so no encounter will have an easy solution. No encounter will be dull either. Hirohiko has done a extraordinary job: the journey to Egypt is filled with dozens of stands most of which being intricate and unorthodox. It creates this engulfing story train where you can’t wait to see who will be the next enemy and what are his powers. So if you one of those people who likes to be passenger of said trains - JoJo pt.3 is definitely for you.

Unfortunately, I’m not exactly one of these people. Ninety nine percent of of pt.3 are battles. There are literally only two or three chapters that are not the part of some fight. Protagonists can’t make a step without encountering another stand user which is kinda ridiculous. There are literally no story twist, side stories or any other plot deviations. It’s all just fights, one after another, non-stop. It makes Stardust Crusaders look very discreet and unnatural. It also makes me very sad because, ironically, the slices of life in execution Hirohiko are *extremely* good. The tiny bits of peace at the start of each new battle arc are so entertaining that I just couldn’t help but ask myself: “Why, why did he have to end them so soon?”.

All in all, Stardust Crusaders transforms JoJo into what it is even today: smart stylish collection of epic strategic battles. Yet pt.3 is too blatant about it - more sophisticated plot definitely wouldn’t have hurt.

P.S. Bulkiness, gore and strong language are fun too.

7/10

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders is the third part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga, created by Hirohiko Araki. Originally published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1989 to 1992, Stardust Crusaders is known for introducing the concept of "Stands", which would become an integral part of the series going forward.

The plot centers on Jotaro Kujo, the grandson of Joseph Joestar, the protagonist of the previous part. Jotaro has a special ability called Stand, which allows him to manifest a spiritual entity to fight other Stands. Jotaro and a group of allies embark on a journey across the globe to defeat Dio Brando, ... the series' main antagonist, who has awakened from his 100-year slumber and seeks revenge against the Joestars.

What makes Stardust Crusaders so interesting is the introduction of Stands, which offer a new dimension to character battles and abilities. Each Stand has a unique and often bizarre ability, leading to creative and exciting matchups between characters.

In addition to the main characters, Stardust Crusaders features a host of memorable supporting characters, each with their own Stand and fighting style. The narrative unfolds through a series of confrontations against Dio's minions, which become more challenging as the story progresses.

In terms of art, Araki continues to refine his style in Stardust Crusaders, with more detailed and expressive character designs than in previous parts. The action scenes are impressive and full of energy, and the Stand designs are creative and often bizarre.

Overall, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders is an exciting and action-packed continuation of the series. With the introduction of the Stands and a host of memorable characters, it's easy to see why Stardust Crusaders is one of the most popular parts of the series.