Highlights
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure inspired Street Fighter characters like Guile, Dhalsim, and Rose.
- Juri Han and Seth from Street Fighter 4 were visually inspired by JoJo characters Jolyne Kujo and DIO Brando.
- Capcom’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future is considered the best game in the series.
Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a cultural phenomenon in Japan, and it has been for decades. Araki’s influence is felt throughout several anime, manga, and games in Japan, and recently in the West. One of these is CAPCOM’s Street Fighter, the acclaimed fighting game series. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure served as inspiration for several characters in the Street Fighter roster, as the developers at CAPCOM are massive fans of the series.
JoJo’s influence on Street Fighter is known to many fans of both series. However, the relationship between Araki and CAPCOM goes deeper than most think. Let’s explore all the connections between these two massive franchises.
The World Warriors and The Joestars
JoJo’s Influence From the Very Beginning
Street Fighter 2 essentially invented the fighting game genre. There were games with fighting and martial arts before, including Street Fighter 1, but the second entry established the formula we know now. The likes of Chun-Li, Guile, Dhalsim, and Zangief are now icons of gaming. Surprisingly enough, some of these came about the way they are thanks to CAPCOM’s love for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Guile’s hairdo and military motif are his most recognizable characteristics. Guile’s unique hairstyle was inspired by two characters from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. In early designs, Guile was given a vertical yet modest hairstyle, inspired by Stardust Crusaders’ Jean-Pierre Polnareff. However, during development, the top of his hair was extended to the sides, giving him Rudol Von Stroheim’s hair, from Battle Tendency. Guile’s name was derived from J. Geil, Polnareff’s rival from the first half of Part 3. Guile’s iconic Sonic Boom was inspired by Wamuu’s Divine Sandstorm, as a powerful gust of wind expelled from the user’s arms.
Dhalsim is known for his ability to stretch his limbs, his entire gameplay is based around it. This ability was inspired by the Zoom Punch used by Will Zeppeli and Jonathan Joestar in Phantom Blood.
In Street Fighter Alpha, the prequel game, a few fan-favorite characters make their debut, namely Charlie Nash and Rose. Nash is Guile’s best friend, and just like Guile’s hairstyle was inspired by Polnareff, Nash’s was inspired by Polnareff’s teammate, Noriaki Kakyoin. Rose’s influence, however, was much heavier than Nash’s. Her entire character was inspired by Battle Tendency’s Lisa Lisa. Rose is an Italian fortune-teller who uses her magical scarf to fight. Lisa Lisa’s influence is much more obvious in this case, even Rose’s stage, especially in Street Fighter V, is a direct reference to Lisa Lisa’s debut in Venice.
Taking It Further with an Icon
An Icon in Shonen Inspiring an Icon in Fighting Games
With the release of Street Fighter 4, CAPCOM revitalized the Fighting Game genre, saving it from death and spawning a new age for the genre that is now getting stronger than ever. Street Fighter 4 did a lot right, some not as much, but perhaps one of its biggest contributions was the creation of a character that would become one of the most popular characters in the entire series, Juri Han.
Juri is a sadistic tae kwon do master who always follows her agenda and revels in the pain of her enemies. Juri is known for her spider motif and her hairstyle. Black and purple hair parted on the sides of her face and fashioned as horns on the back of her head. To JoJo’s fans, this might seem familiar, but Juri’s visual design was directly inspired by Jolyne Kujo, the protagonist of Stone Ocean. Jolyne is one of the most famous female characters in Shōnen, making the fact she inspired one of the most famous female characters in fighting games all the more poetic.
Street Fighter 4 also debuted a new main villain, Seth. Seth is an android that was supposed to be a replacement body for M. Bison. However, their connection to JoJo’s would come from their redesign in Street Fighter V. Seth has a massive overhaul in their move set, most notably a new barrage of punches that is a direct reference to JoJo’s. Seth sports a very similar pose to DIO Brando while launching strikes at a curved angle and shouting “Ora, Ora, Ora!”, Jotaro Kujo’s characteristic Stand cry.
JoJo’s Best Game Was Made By CAPCOM
Heritage for the Future is a Classic
Back in the 90s, CAPCOM was tasked with making a fighting game adaptation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders. CAPCOM employed many of the staff members who worked on Darkstalkers to work on this game, resulting in animations filled with charisma that properly reflect JoJo’s larger-than-life appeal. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future is widely renowned as the best game the series has, surpassing All-Star Battle, also beloved by many.
Heritage for the Future also features Midler as a playable character. JoJo’s fans know that this character didn’t appear in the original manga. Midler battled the Crusaders using her Stand, High Priestess, but when she’s defeated, she’s not shown to the reader. CAPCOM wanted to have another female fighter besides Mariah, so they asked Hirohiko Araki to fully design Midler so they could have her playable in the game. Since then, Midler’s appearance in this game is widely considered to be her canon design.
CAPCOM’s connections with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure are massively important, as it was essential for the success of both Street Fighter and JoJo’s in some aspects. Some of Street Fighter‘s most famous characters were inspired by JoJo’s, while JoJo’s best game was made by CAPCOM. There is not one without the other.
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