Part 2: Battle Tendency

The second part of JoJo’s takes place in late 1930’s, starting in New York City. Joseph Joestar, Jonathan’s grandson, and the protagonist of part 2, Battle Tendency, is a sharp contrast to Jonathan’s gentlemanly demeanor. Joseph is rude, loud, and quick to anger, but also shows the loyalty, protectiveness, and sense of justice as his predecessor. When not involved in situations that bring him to anger, Joseph is generally laid-back and somewhat goofy, sometimes even openly taunting his opponent, or making cheeky comments as a joke. His catchphrase is a great example of this, as Joseph confidently declares “Your next line is…”, before accurately predicting his opponents upcoming words, and deftly demonstrating how he has outsmarted them.

Another divergence between the two is the way they fight. Jonathan’s combat had a focus on his constant improvement, but Joseph fights with trickery and tactics some might call underhanded. This adds an extra layer of strategy, and greatly increases the entertainment value. Compared to Joseph’s clever schemes, Jonathan’s fighting is almost as disappointing as Mayweather vs Pacquiao.

Similar to the first part, a large part of the appeal in Battle Tendency is found in one relationship, this time with Joseph’s rival Caesar Zepelli, grandson of William Zepelli, rather than the main antagonist. Caesar is what Tv Tropes would refer to as “The Lancer”, a direct foil to Joseph, but at the same time his closest ally. Whereas Joseph is belligerent and somewhat disagreeable, Caesar is cool and collected. Caesar is a suave and romantic ladies man, while Joseph is blunt and tactless in his interactions with women. Caesar gets his combat skills from years of disciplined training, contrasting against Joseph, a natural genius of Hamon who tends to rely on intuition, and fly by the seat of his pants.

Where the two unite is in their passion for battle, and great respect for each others abilities. While their initial meeting shows them butting heads, upon seeing the other’s commendable talents they begin to hold each other in high regard, and grow closer as the part goes on. Joseph begins to rely on Caesar’s cool head and honed instincts, and Caesar comes to trust Joseph’s quick wit, and understand his scattered thought process.

The supporting cast shows the return of Speedwagon, whom Joseph views as his uncle, and introduces Rudol von Stroheim and Lisa Lisa. Stroheim is a Nazi scientist who helped unearth the main antagonists of this part, and now seeks to destroy them in order to atone for his mistakes. Despite his job title, Stroheim earns the respect of the other characters for his self-sacrifice and adamant nature. Lisa Lisa plays the role of mentor in this part, tutoring Joseph and Caesar with a harsh but effective routine. Compared to William Zepelli from Phantom Blood, Lisa Lisa takes a much more active role in training Joseph and Caesar, as well as taking part in more battles along the way. William Zepelli you are told is strong, Lisa Lisa proves her power many times over.

The primary antagonists of part 2 are the ancient and mystifying Pillar Men, the remains of a race of bygone super-humans. The four Pillar Men that appear directly all have superior strength, speed, and intelligence compared to humans, and have various special abilities. The leader of the Pillar Men is Kars, a ruthless and intelligent foe, who was the original creator of the stone mask from part one. Kars has a 6 inch blade protruding from each wrist, which he uses for combat. His compatriots Wamuu and Esidesi control wind, and fire, respectively. Esidesi is a determined and loyal ally to his fellow Pillar Men, a trait which Joseph respects, and Wamuu is exceptionally honorable and moral, with a code of honor resembling that of a knight, earning Joseph’s admiration.

The Pillar Men seek the “Red Stone of Aja”, a jewel that amplifies energy, and would allow them to unleash their true power. Conversely, Joseph and Caesar seek to stop the Pillar Men and destroy them before they become even more fearsome.

Part 2 is miles above the first part, primarily due to Joseph Joestar. Compared to Jonathan, Joseph is much more lively, and is much more of a force of personality. His relationship with Caesar also adds a great deal of weight to his character. The primary antagonists are less strong characters than Dio was, but the part makes up for it with their increased presence. The minor villains in part 2 take up much less of the spotlight, allowing the Pillar Men room to assert their dominance, whereas Dio had relatively little screen-time. The battles of the second part come alive due to Joseph’s clever maneuvering, which has become a standard of the series. The supporting cast adds a lot more to this part than the first part’s, which mostly stood on the sidelines and just reacted.