Phantom Blood Saga

Lore & Background

The Stone Mask is an ancient device that transforms its user into a vampire when blood is applied. In this saga, Dio Brando uses the mask to become a vampire after his schemes to usurp Jonathan's inheritance fail. The Hamon (Ripple) technique is introduced as a martial art that allows its user to focus bodily energy into sunlight via controlled breathing. Jonathan masters Hamon under the guidance of allies to combat Dio. The narrative establishes the generational conflict stemming from the rivalry between Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando, a theme that carries through the first six parts of the series.

In Their Own Story

In late 19th-century England, Jonathan Joestar meets his new adopted brother, Dio Brando, who loathes him and plans to usurp Jonathan's position as heir to the Joestar family. When Dio's attempts are thwarted, he transforms himself into a vampire using an ancient Stone Mask and destroys the Joestar estate. Jonathan embarks on a journey, meets new allies, and masters the Hamon (Ripple) martial arts technique to stop Dio, who has made world domination his new goal. The saga concludes with Jonathan's sacrifice aboard a ship, ensuring Dio cannot reach the new world, though Dio's legacy persists.

Reader's Guide

The saga begins when George Joestar adopts Dio Brando after his father's death. Despite Jonathan's kindness, Dio resents his brother and seeks power through forbidden artifacts. He encounters a Stone Mask which transforms him into a vampire when he attempts to use its energy. To defeat this new threat, Jonathan trains under Will A. Zeppeli to master the Ripple, a breathing technique that channels solar energy through the body. The conflict escalates as Dio gathers followers and hunts the Joestars for their bloodline's unique vitality. After a brutal confrontation at the Joestar estate, Jonathan defeats Dio but refuses to kill him until he is forced to act. In the final battle aboard a ship bound for America, Jonathan sacrifices his life to ensure Dio cannot reach the new world. This arc concludes with the apparent death of both combatants, though Dio's legacy persists through the centuries. The events establish the Ripple as a crucial defense against vampiric enemies and set the stage for future generations to face the consequences of this ancient rivalry.

Did You Know?

• Phantom Blood was originally serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1987.
• The saga's chapters are collected in volumes 1–5, totaling 44 chapters.
• A.P.P.P. produced an anime film adapting Phantom Blood, released in theaters in Japan in February 2007.
• The Stone Mask is an ancient device that transforms its user into a vampire when blood is applied.
• Jonathan Joestar's sacrifice aboard a ship ensures Dio cannot reach the new world, though Dio's legacy persists.