Gyrom8
Smash Champion
Welcome to the Dio support thread!
POV: Dio has just knocked you off the stage
Who?
POV: Dio has just knocked you off the stage
Dio Brando (or just DIO, as he’s later known) is the most iconic antagonist from the long running manga series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. JoJo’s is a series divided into fairly self-contained story arcs, each with its own protagonist (the JoJo of the part) and antagonist. Dio, however, breaks this trend by being the main antagonist of two parts (Parts 1 and 3). Furthermore, his influence can be felt in almost all other parts, bar one.
As such, he's one of the most iconic characters from the franchise, alongside Part 3’s JoJo, Jotaro Kujo (see ‘But why not Jotaro?’, below). Dio’s flashiness, flamboyance and precedence of appearing in fighting games would all make him a great fit for MultiVersus.
Why (and is he even viable)?
Let’s be honest, Warner Bros is desperate to show off all the media properties it controls. Space Jam 2 was evidence of that, and they seem to be doing the same thing (though hopefully less cynically) in MultiVersus. While it’s one thing for them to show off the number of IPs at their disposal, they’ll also want to showcase the diversity. We can already see this in the roster, with a Game of Thrones character going head-to-head with classics of Western animation. I fully expect characters from Warner Bros’ classic live action films to turn up at some point, too.
So how better to showcase this variety of IPs by including characters from various anime series Warner Bros Japan has the rights to? And that so happens to include JJBA. This isn’t a connection that’s obscure or they wouldn’t be willing to draw attention to. In the recent first batch of episodes of Part 6 of JJBA (Stone Ocean) a reference to Mickey Mouse was replaced with a reference to Bugs Bunny. Who’s to say that this is the last time the two series might intersect, hmmmmm? Just you wait
Dio, and JJBA by extension, would also be a good fit for a fighting game. Prior to the anime airing in 2012, ways of accessing JJBA outside of Japan were limited. One of the few ways of doing so was via the classic fighting game JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future. This game would have been the first exposure of many to Dio, road rollers and WRRYYYYY. What was iconic in his previous moveset could be reworked into something for MultiVersus.
Completely anecdotal, but HftF was how I first heard of JoJo – not through playing it but by seeing people during Brawl speculation draw comparisons between Dio’s ZA WARUDO and Luigi’s then-Final Smash, Negative Zone. Smash truly brings everything together! Dio has also appeared more recently in Jump Force but uhhh the less said about that, the better.
Why not Jotaro?
A question you might have is, ‘but why not Jotaro?’ That’s completely fair, as while there is no ‘main character’ of JoJo due to its part-based structure, Jotaro is definitely the most famous JoJo and, in all honesty, the most likely choice if WB wanted JJBA in their platform fighter. Even if platform fighter crossovers don’t always go for the main character (cough min min cough).
Dio is hardly some deep cut or obscure pick in comparison to Jotaro, however. He’s just as iconic and the two are often included in things together, like Jump Force. Moreover, while probably not the most accurate measure of notoriety, it perhaps says something that Dio was the first JJBA character to have their own Wikipedia page, and for quite some time too.
But why Dio instead of Jotaro? Well the way I see it, Dio could bring with him a more varied, flashier moveset. Both characters have similar powers in some respects, but Dio could also lean on his various vampiric abilities and some of the moves iconic from his previous appearances in fighting games. This includes his knife spam attack. It also includes the legendary road roller. Can Jotaro drop construction equipment on people? No? Thought not.
How would he fight?
Dio’s main form of fighting would be through his stand, The World. This would attack via barrages of punches, but also by means of stopping time. Time stopping could of course be OP, but I’m sure there would be potential ways of balancing it with various restrictions.
As mentioned, there are various other options. These include the aforementioned knife spam, the road roller and Dio’s vampiric abilities (eye lasers, freezing grip etc.) from Part 1. While most of the latter don’t reappear in Part 3, who’s to say WB couldn’t make the composite Dio, eh?
What would his stage be?
There are various iconic locations in JoJo, but the one that makes the most sense for Dio (major spoilers for Part 3 ahead) is the roofs of Cairo from the end of Part 3, specifically by the clocktower where Kakyoin makes his last stand. Kakyoin and Hierophant Green’s barrier could make cameos in the background and we could have the animations in the background periodically pause as time is stopped.
What costumes could he bring?
MultiVersus has already shown us the potential of costumes. JJBA is no stranger to drip, and Dio is no exception, with the following as possible costumes:
- Part 3 Dio (default)
- Part 1 Dio
- Shadow Dio (i.e. the way you see him for most of Part 3)
- Various costumes from Part 1, before he becomes a vampire (like rugby Dio if you want a really deep cut)
- Diego
- For non-canon stuff, Heaven Ascension Dio from EoH
At some point, I’d like to update this post with various tracks Dio could potentially bring (assuming characters bring tracks). As mentioned, Warner Bros Japan is involved with the JJBA anime. As such, there shouldn’t be difficulties in procuring tracks from the anime’s OST.
It’s also worth considering various cosmetic features Dio, or a JJBA character in general could bring. For example, we’ve seen ‘That’s all folks’ when a character is KO’d in MultiVersus What if JJBA brought along something similar but with ‘RETIRED’ or, on the victory screen ‘TO BE CONTINUED’ in the famous arrow?
Anyways, these are just some random thoughts and I’m starting to ramble, so I’ll wrap up this post here. If you’re interested in becoming a supporter, then welcome aboard! Don't forget to stab yourself with that funny-looking arrow - you'll be needing that.
Stand users (aka supporters)
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