8 References to Jojo's Bizarre Adventure in Video Games

One of the most influential media franchises that continues to this day is Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. The series originated as a manga in the late 1980s, and its author Hirohiko Araki is still releasing new chapters. Part 9 of the series began in 2023.

The manga has been adapted into various anime adaptations, with the 2012 series also continuing. The iconic nature of the series, with its unmistakable style and eccentric characters, has been frequently referenced in the media, and video games have not been oblivious to this. So, which games feature the most iconic Jojo references?

8 Bayonetta

It comes as no surprise that a series like Bayonetta has referenced Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. The character Bayonetta is charismatic enough to be a Jojo character, and her poses further support this case. While Bayonetta's eccentricity alone could be seen as a reference, there is also a more specific allusion.

Bayonetta can summon various demons by using her climax attacks, and the little devils she can summon are a reference to Mista's Stand, Sex Pistols, from Part 5. Like Mista's Stand, the little demons are numbered, with one of the numbers missing as it is considered unlucky.

7 Bloodstained Ritual Of The Night

At first glance, there are no obvious references that one can immediately notice when playing Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. However, as you progress further and unlock some unique cosmetics, you realize that someone on the team was a big Jojo fan.

The most noticeable costumes are the Stone Mask, an iconic reference to the relic from Part 1, and the Hyperventilater, which resembles the training masks used by Joseph Joestar in Part 2. Additionally, there is a secret boss that grants you the ability to stop time, and the effects for this ability correspond to the effects used for Dio's ability, "The World," in Part 3.

6 Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is known for its vast array of customization options available to you during gameplay. While the character customization options given to you at the start may not directly reference Jojo, you will notice clear inspirations when unlocking the photo mode.

There are several poses in which you can place the main character V, including: V's Bizarre Pose, V's Bizarre Buongiorno, V's Bizarre Gesture, V's Bizarre Step, and V's Bizarre Pick-up Line, each representing poses performed by Jonathan, Giorno, Joseph, Josuke, and Jotaro, respectively.

5 Danganronpa

A common character trope in many Japanese media is the delinquent type, and when Araki released Part 4 in the late 90s, he added a twist to this trope that is often recognizable in delinquent characters later on. Josuke from Part 4 styles his hair into a pompadour and becomes incredibly angry when someone mocks this choice.

Since then, whenever a delinquent type in any form of media styles their hair similarly to Josuke and exhibits a similar reaction when mocked, it is regarded as a reference to Jojo. One of the most well-known examples of this is Mondo Owada from the first Danganronpa game. Mondo's motorcycle gang is even a direct reference to Josuke's Stand, known as Crazy Diamond.

4 Fortnite

Fortnite is known for its frequent anime crossover events, where skins for characters from Naruto, Dragon Ball, and Jujutsu Kaisen are available in the Battle Royale game. However, one of the most requested crossovers that has not yet taken place is a collaboration with Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

Despite not having been implemented yet, that hasn't stopped Fortnite from making references. During Chapter 4, Season 1 of Fortnite, which happened to coincide with the release of the anime adaptation of Part 6 of Jojo, the Hana skin was introduced. Hana strongly resembles Jolyne from Part 6 of Jojo and is often paired with the Keleritas skin, which in pose and appearance resembles DIO from Part 3 and a Stand.

3 Genshin Impact

Although the references to Jojo's Bizarre Adventure in Genshin Impact are relatively minor, they are still interesting to discover. The most obvious one is the pose that Fischl takes in her character announcement artwork, which is a direct reference to Jonathan's iconic pose.

Potentially even more interesting are the references that were removed. Prior to the first major update of Genshin Impact, the achievements now called Abyssal Crusader and Hilichurl Champion were once named Stardust Crusader and Gold Experience Requiem, both direct allusions to the title of Part 3 and Giorno's Stand from Part 5.

2 Hatsune Miku Project Mirai DX

Since the modern Jojo anime adaptation aired, Jojo memes have gained popularity and have become infamous within the fan community. One of the most well-known inside jokes in the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure fanbase is DIO's attack on Jotaro at the end of Part 3, where he throws a steamroller onto Jotaro.

In Hatsune Miku's cutest rhythm game on the 3DS, you can customize the rooms of various Vocaloids. One of the items you can add to the room is a reference to the epic battle, namely a miniature steamroller. When you interact with the decoration, you'll hear the lines "MUDA MUDA MUDA!" and "WRYYYYY!", both catchphrases of the iconic Jojo antagonist.

1 Street Fighter

The Street Fighter series has a history as long as Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, and its games have consistently included references to the long-running manga series. Just to name a few: Dhalsim's stretching arm attacks were inspired by Baron Zeppeli, the series veteran Guile is a combination of Polnareff and Stroheim, and Rose is a clear homage to Lisa Lisa, with her attacks also being inspired by the Hamon that she masters.

There are even references in newer Street Fighter characters, such as Juri, who is inspired by Jolyne, and Seth, who has moves that align with DIO and Star Platinum.