Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger greatly influenced Hirohiko Araki, the writer of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. This series is known for its unique art, references to Western music and fashion, and battles involving Stands, which are supernatural abilities.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the most well-known series due to its different approach to the genre and the vivid appearance of characters, along with a new yet amazing power system.
Although the mangaka drew inspiration from various sources, the most fascinating influence on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure came from two iconic Hollywood stars.
Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger Were Early Influences For Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
When Hirohiko Araki began creating JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, he was inspired by the trend of muscular Hollywood actors like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. This influence led to the muscular character designs in the first three volumes of his manga.
In 2006, Araki mentioned that these actors made him wonder who the strongest person in the world might be, sparking the idea for JoJo.
However, in Part 4 of the series, titled Diamond is Unbreakable, Araki shifted away from big muscles, giving his characters more slender appearances. This change resulted in significant differences in the appearances of returning characters, such as Jotaro Kujo.
Although Jotaro’s evolving look divided fans over the years, Araki openly acknowledged that he based Jotaro on Clint Eastwood, whom he met in 2012. Araki even gifted Eastwood an original Jotaro illustration, and Eastwood posed as the third JoJo for a photo.
Along With Hollywood, Hirohiko Araki was also influenced by Fist of the North Star
Manga artists, even the most famous ones, often find inspiration in older series they enjoyed during their youth. Hirohiko Araki, the creator of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, was no exception.
Besides the 1970s manga he read while a student, Araki drew influence from Tetsuo Hara’s and Buronson’s classic shonen manga Fist of the North Star.
The strong, hyper-masculine appearance of Fist of the North Star‘s heroes, like Kenshiro, clearly influenced the designs of characters like Jonathan Joestar, Joseph Joestar, and the antihero Jotaro Kujo in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
However, Araki shifted to more moderate character designs as the story progressed into the Diamond is Unbreakable arc. Keen-eyed fans may also notice a minor character in early Fist of the North Star chapters who resembles Robert E. O. Speedwagon in hindsight.
