Phantom Blood - Characters

Characters

Jonathan Joestar (ジョナサン・ジョースター, Jonasan Jōsutā?)

Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu, Hideyuki Tanaka (PS2 Game)

The main protagonist of this arc.

George Joestar I (ジョージ・ジョースターI世, Jōji Jōsutā Issei?)

Voiced by: Masashi Sugawara, Tsutomu Isobe (PS2 Game)

George Joestar is Jonathan's father. He lost his wife in a carriage accident where he met Dario Brando. After Dario's death, Dio went to live with George and Jonathan at the Joestar Estate (because George thinks Dario saved his life so he takes in Dio as thanks, when in actuality George knew this was not true but still took Dio in). Eight years later George falls ill from unknown causes. After Jonathan returned from Ogre Street, Dio attacked Jonathan with a knife, which George blocked and got stabbed in the back. George's blood lands on Dio, who is wearing the Stone Mask, turning Dio into a vampire as he dies.

Danny (ダニー, Danī?)

Danny is Jonathan's pet dog, bought by his father while still a puppy when Jonathan was five years old. Jonathan and Danny didn't get along for a while, which caused Danny to bite Jonathan. Jonathan, in turn, attacked Danny by throwing stones at him. One day, while swimming in a river, Jonathan started drowning and was saved by Danny, which made them the best of friends. When Dio arrived, he kneed Danny in the jaw and later put him into a box, planning to incinerate the dog. Danny was burned to death and buried in the backyard of the Joestar Estate.

Erina Pendolton (エリナ・ペンドルトン, Erina Pendoruton?)

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi, Aya Hisakawa (PS2 Game)

Erina Pendolton first appears as a small girl, with Jonathan rescuing her from bullies. When she appears again, she and Jonathan are dating, and eventually fall in love. However, after Dio forcefully seizes, kisses, and then brutally beats her, she is humiliated and stays away from Jonathan for a long time. She did not appear again until after Dio's first near-defeat, when she nursed Jonathan back to health. After Jonathan finally defeated Dio using the Ripple, they subsequently renewed their relationship and got married. They took a ship to go on their honeymoon to America, but the voyage was cut short by the appearance of Dio. When the ship sinks, Jonathan stays behind, trying to kill Dio. Erina saves an orphaned infant and escapes. Years later, she and her grandson Joseph Joestar are the last of the Joestar family, and they travel to New York on the invitation of Speedwagon, which sets off the events of the second story arc Battle Tendency.

Robert E. O. Speedwagon (ロバート・E・O・スピードワゴン, Robāto Ī Ō Supīdowagon?)

Voiced by: Yoji Ueda, Masaya Onosaka (PS2 Game)

Robert E. O. Speedwagon first appears as an Ogre Street thug boss attacking Jonathan, but soon realized the young man's worthiness and dedication, becoming his good friend. He helps uncover Dio's plot to poison George Joestar, and from that point onward remains by Jonathan's side, helping in whatever way he could to defeat Dio. By the 1930s he is the head of the Speedwagon Foundation, a giant oil company, which assists the Joestar family a great deal in story arcs 2-6. In 1952 he dies of a heart attack at age 89. Speedwagon's first three initials are R.E.O; REO Speedwagon is the name of an American rock band of the 1970s and 80s.

Will A. Zeppeli (ウィル・A・ツェペリ, Wiru Ē Tseperi?)

Voiced by: Yoku Shioya, Rikiya Koyama (PS2 Game)

Will A. Zeppeli was on a ship with a crew studying Aztec ruins when he was younger, when his father put on the mask and killed everyone in the crew but his son. After this horrific event, Zeppeli travels the world in order to destroy the mask, and sees a man cure someone using the Ripple. Zeppeli is then directed to his master Tonpetty, who teaches him to use the Ripple. However, Tonpetty foresees Zeppeli's death during his training, warning him that should he complete his training he will surely die. Zeppeli doesn't share this fact until the fight with Tarukus, where he afterwards gives his power to Jonathan, whom he trained after the Joestar's house burns down. His grandson, Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli, is a major companion in part 2 Battle Tendency. His name is derived from the latter half of Led Zeppelin.

Tonpetty (トンペティ, Tonpeti?)

Voiced by: Tamio Ōki, Osamu Saka (PS2 Game)

Named after Tom Petty, Tonpetty is a Ripple master who trained Zeppeli, as well as others. He trained the then 25-year-old Zeppeli in the ways of Ripple and eventually revealed to him that he would face a gruesome death. The only other known Ripple students of Tonpetty are Dire and Straizo, both who accompanied him to Dio's town. However, they did not meet with Jonathan and Speedwagon until after Zeppeli had died. During the final battle between Jonathan and Dio, Dire is killed, and Tonpetty and Straizo help kill Dio's remaining zombies. After the battle, Tonpetty is last seen at the docks (together with Straizo, Speedwagon, and others) to say farewell to Jonathan and Erina as they go on their honeymoon.

Dire (ダイアー, Daiā?)

Voiced by: Taketora, Yukitoshi Hori (PS2 Game)

Dire is a Ripple user and a student of Ripple master Tonpetty. He first properly introduced himself after a short match against Jonathan. Before Dio and Jonathan had their last fight, Dire fought Dio to avenge Zeppeli. However, even Dire's best attack, the Thunder Split Attack, didn't stand a chance against Dio's Freezing Attack, which completely turned his body into ice and then shattered it. Dire, now only a head, was able to use his last ounce of Ripple energy to shoot a rose into Dio's eye. For that, Dire's head was turned into ice as well and destroyed.

Straizo (ストレイツォ, Sutoreitso?)

Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita, Hiroaki Miura (PS2 Game)

Straizo is another of Tonpetty's followers. He aids Jonathan in the fight against Dio and his minions. However, in the 1930s during part 2 Battle Tendency, he betrays Speedwagon and puts on one of the newly discovered Stone Masks. He explained that he had always envied Dio's strength and beauty and, as a result, desired to stop his aging process. He dies after battling and losing to Joseph Joestar in New York City, overloading his own vampire body with Ripple energy. He is also the adoptive father of Lisa Lisa. He, along with Dire, were named after the band Dire Straits.

Poco (ポコ, Poko?)

Voiced by: Yumiko Kobayashi, Daisuke Sakaguchi (PS2 Game)

Poco is a young boy who lives in the village of Windknights. He fell in with the heroes after unsuccessfully trying to steal from them. His chief contribution was crawling through a narrow hole into the room where Tarukus and Jonathan Joestar were having their "chain match", so that the door could be opened and Zeppeli could help Jonathan. Dio Brando later captured his sister and Jonathan rescued her from Doobie. He is named after the 70s rock group Poco, which was formed from ex-members of Buffalo Springfield.

Dario Brando (ダリオ・ブランドー, Dario Burandō?)

Voiced by: Tadashi Miyazawa, Kōji Yada (PS2 Game)

Dario Brando is Dio's abusive and alcoholic father. One day, Dario notices a carriage accident and tries to steal from the corpses inside. There he met George Joestar, who thought that Dario had come to save him instead, at which point George made a debt to Dario for saving his life. He beat Dio and worked his wife to death. Dio then went to Ogre Street and bought oriental poison from a Chinese man named Wang Chan. On his death bed, he then had Dio go to the Joestar Estate to repay the debt.

Dio Brando (ディオ・ブランドー, Dio Burandō?)

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu, Hikaru Midorikawa (PS2 Game)

The antagonist of this arc. Named for Ronnie James Dio and Marlon Brando

Wang Chan (ワンチェン, Wan Chen?)

Voiced by: Hiroshi Naka, Kazumi Tanaka (PS2 Game)

Wang Chan is a mysterious apothecary who provides Dio with the poison to kill George Joestar, the same kind he used to kill his own father Dario years ago. Later, he gets brought back to the Joestar Estate and narrowly escapes the flames. As Wang Chan searches for the Stone Mask in the rubble, Dio emerges and turns him into his zombie servant. He serves loyally, and after Dio's penultimate defeat, he takes his master's head onboard the ship carrying Jonathan and Erina, where he meets his end. Wang Chan is named after 80s pop duo Wang Chung.

Jack the Ripper (切り裂きジャック（ジャック・ザ・リパー）, Jakku Za Ripā?)

Voiced by: Naomi Kusumi, Hisao Egawa (PS2 Game)

A renowned serial killer in London, who later becomes one of Dio Brando's servants as a zombie. He confronted Jonathan and his group while they were on their way to the Windknights City in a cave. At first, Zeppeli fights him, overwhelming Jack with his many Ripple techniques (as well as teaching Jonathan different battle tactics on how to defeat zombies). After Zeppeli deals a blow to the head, Jack attempts to escape but Jonathan pursues him, finishing him off with a Ripple overdrive.

Bruford (ブラフォード, Burafōdo?) and Tarukus (タルカス, Tarukasu?)

Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda, Nobutoshi Canna (PS2 Game)

Voiced by: Tetsu Inada, Daisuke Gōri (PS2 Game)

Bruford and Tarukus are zombies resurrected by Dio to fight Jonathan, Zeppeli, and Speedwagon. Centuries before, they were followers of Mary Stuart, and were beheaded for attempting to rise against and kill Elizabeth I. Bruford is able, as a zombie, to use his hair to attack or entangle foes using his Danse Macabre Hair attack. He is, despite being haunted by revenge, a noble soul, and finally Jonathan is able to awaken this nobility. When his soul returns to him, he disintegrates peacefully. Tarukus, however, is not, and is more ruthless in his fight with Jonathan, even going so far as to nearly strangle the young man to death in a tethered match, as Tarukus easily outweighs him. It is only after Zeppeli's interference and his passing on his life force to Jonathan in a Final Ripple (after Tarukus dismembers his body) is Jonathan able to defeat the bruting Tarukus. Bruford gets his name from Bill Bruford, member of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (ABWH), who were integral members of the 70s band Yes. Tarukus is named after the album Tarkus, by 70s progressive rock group Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Doobie (怪人ドゥービー, Kaijin Dūbī?)

Voiced by: Yuichi Ishigami

Doobie is a zombie who serves Dio Brando. His head is infested with snakes. Dio leaves Poco's sister to his tender mercies, but Jonathan takes care of him before he has a chance to do any real harm. Musical reference is the Doobie Brothers.

Page (ペイジ, Peiji?), Jones (ジョーンズ, Jōnzu?), Plant (プラント, Puranto?), and Bornnam (ボーンナム, Bōnnamu?)

Page, Jones, Plant, and Bornnam are four zombies Dio conjures in an effort to defeat Straizo. They are named after Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones, from the band Led Zeppelin.