Warning: contains spoilers for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Jojolion
After more than 10 years, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure part 8, Jojolion, ends by revealing a new take on an old fan-favorite character: Joseph Joestar.
Jojolion finished up with its two final chapters featuring an extended flashback to the “Radio Gaga incident” which took place in 1941. The date immediately raised some eyebrows amongst fans, as the 1940s are closely associated with Joseph Joestar, the protagonist of part 2 who continued to appear into parts 3 and 4. However, since Joseph’s father, Johnny, had taken a very different path through life in the alternate timeline shown in parts 7 and 8, it wasn’t clear what Joseph’s life was like. Chapter 109 introduced a new Jojo character referred to as “Fumi-kun,” an obvious nickname, who enters the service of the elderly Lucy Steel, representing the Speedwagon Foundation.
Now, Chapter 110, the final chapter of Jojolion, reveals that Fumi-kun’s real name is Joseph Joestar, rendered in Japanese as “Josefu” which in turn morphed into Fumi-kun. Joseph uses a number of his well-known tricks and abilities, such as his stand, Hermit Purple, and his signature clacker ball weapon which he used in part 2. Joseph saves Lucy’s life, but she’s injured, and he decides to follow her back to America to ensure she’s okay. Of course, World War 2 breaks out shortly thereafter, and Joseph isn’t able to return to Japan, instead living in New York City as his alternate self once did.
What’s interesting is that part 8’s protagonist Josuke is a fusion of two people: Josefumi Kujo and Yoshikage Kira. While this Kira is the child of Holly Joestar-Kira, making him Joseph’s grandchild, Josefumi Kujo’s relationship to the Joestar family was unclear, despite being shown to have the Joestar birthmark. Joseph’s time in Japan offers a potential explanation: before meeting Lucy, Joseph is shown to have a Japanese girlfriend. Since he never returns to Japan, it’s possible that this woman gave birth to Joseph’s child during the war, thus establishing a previously unknown branch of the Joestar family. This makes a convenient parallel to part 4, Diamond is Unbreakable, wherein it’s revealed that Joseph had a mistress in Japan who birthed an illegitimate son: Josuke Higashikata. Josefumi Kujo is also shown to closely resemble part 4’s Josuke’s design, further reinforcing the connection.
This theory has yet to be outright confirmed, although it’s possible it could come up in the recently announced part 9, Jojoland. Something similar was done in part 8, which flashed back to Johnny’s life after part 7 to help establish the already complex genealogy of the Higashikatas and Joestars. The differences between this Joseph and the original incarnation are substantial, though: there’s no indication that he has undergone the experiences with the Pillar Men shown in part 2, and his life as a part-Japanese man in 1940’s New York would be quite different than his European-descended counterpart. Joseph also seems to have learned to manifest his stand, Hermit Purple, far earlier than he did in the original timeline, as he only gained access to that ability in part 3.
It remains to be seen whether Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure part 9 will continue to feature this new incarnation of Joseph, or if these two chapters will be fans’ only glimpse at him in this timeline. Fortunately, with only a three-month break set between parts, fans won’t have to wait too long to find out.
