Dio and Jonathan

Jonathan is the son of wealthy businessman George Joestar I and Mary Joestar. He is an honest, kind, and positive man whose life takes a tragic turn after meeting his adoptive older brother. As a child, Jonathan dresses in Victorian fashion. His attire consists of a shirt, pants, knee socks, and formal shoes; sometimes, a jacket, vest, and tie, ribbon, or suspenders complete the suit. As a nobleman, he sometimes replaced the tie with a ribbon, like his father. As a child, Jonathan was proud and mischievous, but also kind. Despite striving to be a "proper gentleman," Jonathan lacked manners and generally acted like a normal child. His mother died before he could remember, and his fellow boys, who ostracized him because of his status, left Jonathan somewhat lonely. Although Jonathan initially lacked such willpower, Dio unwittingly became the catalyst for her growth, pushing him to the brink and humiliating his friend, Erina Pendleton. However, he was kind and courageous enough to immediately spring to save Erina, whom he didn't even know, from two bullies bigger than himself. As a twenty-year-old adult, Jonathan is a tall (195 cm), incredibly muscular man with a gentlemanly bearing. His typical attire typically reflects his noble origins, characterized by stylized tunics over long-sleeved shirts. Recurring items of clothing include a tie, bow tie, thick shoes, and a vest.

Jonathan also possesses great moral strength and the drive to confront conflict, which Dio calls "explosive force." This drive, fueled by his love for his friends and family, has enabled him to overcome the most difficult situations, including saving his wife, Erina, when their boat was overrun by zombies and he was fatally shot in the throat. Jonathan fights for what he believes in, and once he's committed to something, he won't back down until it's done.

By slitting the throat of one while using the mask on the other, Dio unwittingly transforms one of the drunks into a vampire, who nearly killed him if not for a timely dawn that destroyed the attacker. Returning to the Joestar estate, Dio finds Jonathan waiting for him along with Robert E. O. Speedwagon and a squad of police officers to arrest him for attempted murder. Cornered, intending to kill Jonathan, he fatally stabs George and uses his blood to activate the Stone Mask. The police repeatedly shoot at Dio through a window, but he returns to life as a vampire and kills them. Distracting Dio from Speedwagon, Jonathan battles the vampire, setting his house on fire in the hopes that the fire will counteract Dio's regeneration. After a brief brawl on the roof, Jonathan pushes Dio into the inferno and manages to impale him with a statue of the goddess of love; the combination of such severe injury and the surrounding flames overpowers Dio, who seemingly burns to death. However, a few days later, when Wang Chen visits the charred remains of the house to find items to sell for profit, Dio emerges to the surface and drains his blood, swearing revenge on Jonathan. After recruiting Jack the Ripper, Dio moves to the rural village of Windknight's Lot, where he feeds on the populace to heal himself, raising an army of zombies with the intention of taking over London. After sending Wang Chen to kill the supposed, still-recovering Jonathan, Dio is surprised when Wang Chen returns wounded and learns of one thing besides sunlight that can destroy him: Ripple.

Dio was the son of Dario Brando, an alcoholic and abusive father whom he secretly despised—in part for hurting his mother. This prompted Dio to secretly murder his father with poison obtained from Wang Chan, after learning of George Joestar's debt from his dying father, while instructing him to take advantage of it and seize the Joestar fortune.

Once at the Joestar Mansion, Dio wasted no time posing as a model gentleman, tormenting his new adoptive brother Jonathan in various ways to break his spirit. But Dio's plan backfired when he forcibly kissed Erina Pendleton to disgrace her and deny Jonathan a relationship. When Jonathan learned of this, he beat Dio before George intervened. Although Dio retaliated by placing Jonathan's dog, Danny, in an incinerator, he realized he needed to change his plans slightly. Seven years later, both teenagers attend Hugh Hudson Academy, where Dio plans to pursue a law degree. During this seven-year period, he acted brotherly and friendly toward Jonathan, luring him into a false sense of security. As an adult, Dio decides to make a move and take the Joestar fortune, secretly poisoning George with the same poison he used to kill Dario. Jonathan realized Dio's plot after reading Dario's letter to his father, confirming Dio's intentions and leaving his father with trusted doctors while he searches for an antidote and concrete proof of Dio's crimes.

Determining not to stop, Dio plans to stealthily kill Jonathan by causing an accident with the Stone Mask. But upon learning that Jonathan had entered Ogre Street, Dio thought he wouldn't have to kill Jonathan himself. Wandering the streets of Liverpool, Dio encounters two drunks and decides to test the mask anyway.