Josuke Higashikata

Josuke Higashikata is a male anime and manga character who features in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Biography

Josuke Joestar Higashikata (Japanese: 東方 ジョースター 仗助, Hepburn: Higashikata Jōsutā Jōsuke) was the illegitimate son of Joseph Joestar who had an affair with young Japanese college student Tomoko Higashikata who was going to a college in Tokyo when she was 21 years old. As the 65 year old Joestar was married, they did not pursue a relationship and Tomoko did not tell him that she was pregnant with his son who was born in 1983 in the town of Moroih. She raised her son by herself with her father Ryohei Higashikata being present to help his daughter and grandson. In 1987, when he was 4 years old Josuke was struck with a fever due to an unknown cause where over the course of 50 days with no one knowing whether he would survive or not. In reality, this was because the boy had developed his own Stand power due to being of the Joestar bloodline. His mother attempted to take him to a doctor in the city but it was winter in that time and their car was trapped in the snow. It was then that they were approached by a mysterious young man who offered to help push the car which was freed from the snow and drove away. Both Josuke and his mother were incredibly grateful to the man but when they went to find him he was gone. Josuke was deeply affected by the kindness of the man that in his adult years he honoured him by modelling his hairstyle after his savior. In 1999, Jotaro Kujo travelled to Morioh after learning of Joseph's illegitimate child as the event had caused chaos in the Joestar Group over the matter of inheritance. However, a further issue was that Joseph Joestars Hermit Purple revealed the threat of other more malicious Stand users being present in Moroih with Kujo sent to warn Higashikata. Jotaro met with Josuke warning him of the threat of evil Stand users but Higashikata dismissed the threat as he believed it was none of his business. A Stand user by the name of Angelo was present in the town just as Joseph's spirit photograph had shown with this career criminal and murderer looking to kill Josuke but he managed to contain his foes Stand. He had the Stand contained at his house but his grandfather accidently opened the bottle containing the Stand which killed him. Despite Josuke's efforts, he was not able to heal his maternal grandfather who died as a result of Angelo's attack with him deciding to protect the people of the town in the place of his grand parent. He and Jotaro later prepared for Angelo's next attack after Josuke made sure his mother stayed at a friends place. After three days, there was no attack with the reason behind it being that Angelo waited for it to rain as his Stand was based on water and he sent it to kill the pair. Attempting to escape, Josuke entered into a room in the house where Angelo's Stand ambushed him and attempted to enter his body through his mouth. However, Higashikata had swallowed a plastic bag earlier and trapped the Stand inside of it whereupon Jotaro and him found Angelo hiding in the trees. They captured him with Josuke wounding his hand as they attempted to learn about his Stand power. From Angelo, they learnt that the criminal was not born a Stand user but rather was given them by a mysterious person in the uniform of a student who wielded a mystical Arrow that imparted the Stand powers on others. From the Speedwagon Foundations records, they found out that the Arrow had previously been used by the witch Enya and was used to keep Dio Brando his powers. The danger posed by this artefact meant that they sought to find and retrieve the Bow and Arrow before it could create more dangerous Stand users.

The next day, he and Koichi Hirose came to notice a suspicious house on their way to school which seemed wrecked and abandoned. In reality, the place was the residence of the brothers Okuyasu Nijimura and Keicho Nijimura both of whom were Stand users. This encounter led to a fight where Keicho shot Koichi with the Arrow whilst Josuke defeated Okuyasa leading to a fight with the elder Nijimura sibling. He deployed his own Stand Bad Company against Josuke whilst Koichi who recovered from the Arrow went to the attic in the building to discover the brothers father who had been turned into a hideous monster. It was then that the Nijimura's revealed that their father had worked for DIO and after his defeat he mutated into an immortal monster. They came to find the Stand-creating Arrow which they used to give themselves Stand powers and were responsible for imparting such abilities on people in the town in the hope of finding a power capable of ending their father's suffering. Josuke came to show the brothers though that their father was still sentient as he still was fixated on a picture of his wife and children with there possibly being a cure for him. Keicho though refused to listen to Josuke but then their confrontation was interrupted by another Stand user whose power Red Hot Chilli Pepper emerged from the electrical line. The Stand proceeded with capturing Keicho and dragging him into the electrical line thus stealing the Arrow in the process. Josuke, Koichi and Okuyasu later found Keicho's dead body trapped in the telephone lines leading to them trying to find Red Hot Chilli Pepper along with the Bow and Arrow.

Hearing information from Tamami Kobayashi, Josuke and Koichi investigate a 3rd year student from their high school, Toshikazu Hazamada. Hazamada's Stand Surface takes on the appearance of Josuke and sets off to assassinate Kujo Jotaro. With Koichi's help, the two manages to meet Jotaro before Hazamada and the false Josuke. While Surface briefly succeeded in gaining control of Josuke's body, Hazamada is attacked by two thugs he angered earlier, and soon knocked out by Josuke's fists. Josuke also destroys the wooden body Surface was using. After Yukako Yamagishi's intense declaration of love, Koichi confides his troubles with his friends Josuke and Okuyasu. They advise that in order to cause Yukako to lose interest in him, he has to convince her he is not worth her time. Josuke then tries spreading the rumor that Koichi is a petty thief and a cheat. Unfortunately, this causes the exact opposite of the intended effect, and Koichi is kidnapped by Yukako and taken to a mansion on the far end of Morioh. When Koichi is nowhere to be found the following morning, Josuke assumes something is wrong. He and Okuyasu track Koichi's desperate phone call and arrive just in time to witness him defeating Yukako with his new and improved Stand. One afternoon, Okuyasu and Josuke discover a new restaurant. Upon Okuyasu's insistence, the two head inside. The head chef and waiter Tonio Trussardi greets them, promising a very special Italian course to cure Okuyasu's sleep deprivation and other ailments. Josuke's suspicions grow as Okuyasu's dish causes various strange phenomenons throughout his body, and storms into the kitchen to confront Tonio. However, Tonio is revealed to be harmless and only cross with Josuke for entering the kitchen without washing his hands. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, Josuke and Okuyasu introduce themselves to Tonio as fellow Stand users. Though, Josuke was forced to clean Tonio's entire kitchen from top to bottom because he broke in without respecting proper hygiene.

One evening, the Stand Red Hot Chili Pepper appears from Josuke's television set and looks for a fight. Although Crazy Diamond is seemingly stronger and faster, Red Hot Chili Pepper manages to overpower it briefly and flees. The next day, Josuke, Koichi and Okuyasu learn from Jotaro that Josuke's father Joseph will come root out the Stand user, but Red Hot Chili Pepper eavesdrop on them and escapes. At the harbour, while Jotaro and Okuyasu go meet Joseph on his boat to bodyguard him, Josuke encounters Red Hot Chili Pepper's user Akira Otoishi. Although Red Hot Chili Pepper is the most powerful, Josuke manages to trap it in a tire then make it dissolve its electricity in the ocean, defeating it. Afterward, although Akira manages to approach Joseph, he is defeated by Okuyasu, and Josuke meets his estranged father. Josuke and Joseph's relationship is awkward, and Josuke initially wants Joseph to leave Morioh as soon as possible. They are distracted when they meet an invisible baby and have to take care of it. When the baby falls into a pond, Joseph slits his wrist and the blood allows Josuke to spot the invisible baby before she can drown, forcing Josuke's respect. He was upset when he found out about all the money Joseph spent on baby supplies. One day, Josuke and Okuyasu spot Koichi entering the house of a famous mangaka named Rohan Kishibe. Suspicious because Koichi is wounded, both break into the house but Rohan's Heaven's Door allows him to transform anyone who sees his artwork into a powerless book. However Rohan makes the mistake of insulting Josuke's hairstyle, causing him to be literally blind with rage and become immune to Heaven's Door, and Josuke sends Rohan to the hospital. Jotaro enlists Josuke on a rat hunt, as Akira Otoishi used the Arrow on a rat, which survived. Seeking to stop a potential swarm of rat Stand users, Jotaro and Josuke hunt what is revealed to be two rats, which can melt anyone with darts. One rat is killed rapidly but the second nearly kills Jotaro before Josuke can snipe it. One day, Josuke notices that his bank account is nearly empty because he spent his money frivolously. Desperate for money, he and Okuyasu meet the Stand user Shigekiyo Yangu, a middle schooler, whose swarm-like Harvest can go look for anything. Although Josuke and Okuyasu devise successful ploys to become rich thanks to Harvest, Shigekiyo's greed causes them to fight over 5,000,000 yen. Shigekiyo is eventually distracted by Josuke destroying the prize and foolishly sends Harvest away, leaving him defenseless to be beaten. The three eventually reconcile.

One day, Josuke sees a disintegrating Harvest giving him a jacket button, although Shigekiyo was alive and well not five minutes after. The ghost Reimi Sugimoto confirms that the mysterious killer who has been preying on the women of Morioh is responsible for Shigekiyo's death, and every ally of Josuke begin a hunt for the killer. Josuke is eventually called by Koichi, who has encountered the killer's Stand, and Josuke arrives in time to corner the murderer, Yoshikage Kira. However, Kira manages to flee and change his face by using the local beautician Aya Tsuji's power. One day, Josuke and Okuyasu meet the self-proclaimed alien Nu Mikitakazo Nshi. Although skeptical at first, Josuke becomes convinced that Nu is an alien because he cannot see Stands despite having shape-shifting powers. Since his mother froze his bank account, Josuke is again desperate for money and devises another plan with Nu's cooperation. Josuke sets up a game of cee-lo with Rohan in which the dice are secretly Nu, but Nu's unfamiliarity with the rules almost gets Josuke caught. The game finishes with Rohan's house burning while Josuke gets away, and the grudge between the two increases. The next day, Josuke sees Nu with his mother, but while Mikitata insists he's hypnotized her, the mother also mentions that Mikitaka believes he's an alien, confusing Josuke. One day, Josuke meets Rohan on the bus. Rohan still has a grudge, but when the Stand Highway Star traps Rohan in a tunnel and almost traps Josuke, Rohan frees Josuke at his expenses, and Josuke must now find Highway Star's user while being pursued by it. Calling Koichi for help, Josuke manages to ride Rohan's motorcycle from the tunnel to the hospital where Yuya Fungami is being hospitalized. Josuke beats him up and frees Rohan. One day, Josuke, Okuyasu and Mikitaka discover a disconnected electric tower in which lives Toyohiro Kanedaichi, a man who lives in autarcy inside the tower. Josuke is trapped inside the tower, revealed to be the Stand Super Fly, but Josuke cooperates with Mikitaka to battle Toyohiro, who eventually apologizes and reveals that Koichi was attacked by another Stand user.

They track down and fight several Stand users in order to retrieve the Bow and Arrow, the object that creates Stand users. But eventually they learn of a serial killer Stand user, and after he kills one of their friends, vow to find him.

When they do find Yoshikage Kira a fight ensues, however he is able to flee and, using another person's Stand, changes his face and assumes someone else's identity. They eventually find him again and are able to kill him.

Overview

Personality and attributes

In appearance, Josuke Higashikata (東方 仗助, Higashikata Jōsuke) was a young brunette-haired Japanese youth with an elaborate hairstyle and typically seen in his school uniform.

One of his main traits was his overall kindness that was said to be reflected in his Stand as it had the power to repair and heal. Part of this stemmed from his childhood when a random bystander helped save a feverish Josuke out of kindness. Upon being confronted with his heritage as a Joestar, he came to apologise to Jotaro for the troubles he had caused to the Joestars and disregarded any claim to any inheritance with him only wanting to reassure his biological father that he was doing fine.

Josuke had a crafty personality and an affinity for money which was shown several times. First was when he met Shigechi and came up with a plan to get money and other things from all over Morioh Cho. Second was when he met the "alien" Mikitaka and used his shape-shifting power to cheat money from Rohan. Finally was at the end when he used Crazy Diamond to 'restore' a piece of a picture his father gave him to steal his wallet. Josuke has an outdated pompadour hairdo, which several people point out and make fun of him for. However, when they do he mercilessly pummels them, as he wears it to honor a man with that hairstyle who saved both his mother and him in his youth.

He was not above cheating in games such as arranging a match with Rohan so that he could get money from him. However, in fights, he was shown to hold a line in terms of beating his foes as he did not fight injured enemies. However, he did heal their injuries with his Stand in order to beat them up.

He was shown to be extremely protective of his hair and did not tolerate anyone insulting it. This was because the hairdo was chosen to honor a man with the exact same hairstyle who saved his mother and himself during his youth. As such, he deemed anyone that made fun or insulted his hair style being an insult to the man that saved him. Josuke commented that he had no choice but to react regardless of whether the person was a friend or foe. On such occasions, he brutally and violently punished the person for saying the offending remarks despite him being polite before the fight. In one case, he attacked Jotaro for making fun of his hair and this required Kujo to knock him out to calm Higashikata down. In another case, he was so blinded by rage when Rohan insulted his hairstyle that he charged him and completely ignored his Stand that operated on visual sight of his Manga notes. Higashikata was then so overwhelmed with anger at the insult given to his savior that he had not noticed that his foe was trapped under a bookcase and was still looking for him in order to beat him up.

The death of his maternal grandfather led to him making it a goal of his to protect the town of Morioh from any Stand menace.

Josuke lived with his mom and did not know his father, Joseph Joestar. When they finally met, he did not want to have anything to do with him. But when he saw that Joseph was willing to give up his own life to save a baby he just found, Josuke's attitude changed. Higashikata for a time held a deep sense of resentment towards his biological father. This was because he felt that Joseph Joestar had abandoned both him and his mother for sixteen years. Josuke initially manifested this resentment with his reluctance to meet with Joseph. He later refused to call him father as he felt that it was odd to call someone his dad when he had not met them much of his life. This later became an issue in Morioh City when a baby that developed Stand powers caused herself to become invisible. During this time, Joseph attempted to save the child only to put the girl in even greater harm with this angering Josuke who believed that this symbolised how Joestar had hurt others. However, Josuke later came to accept his father more so in time with initially this appearing as a desire to save his life and later seeing the sacrifice Joseph was going to make for the baby Stand user that he grew to acknowledge him.

Powers and abilities

Josuke Higashikata was a human born with the power of a Stand (スタンド Sutando) that was the manifestation of his life force. As a Stand User (スタンド使い Sutando Tsukai), he was able to form his own Stand power that took a humanoid form called Crazy Diamond (クレイジー・ダイヤモンド Kureijī Daiyamondo). This Stand was a melee fighter with a short range of 3 meters but it could throw punches at a speed of 60km/h though the closer the target then it could potentially go 300 km/h. Jotaro Kujo came to note that Crazy Diamond possessed speed and power enough to match his ow Stand Star Platinum.

In addition, Josuke's Stand had its own unique ability that was called restoration where it could repair damage or heal injuries. This took the form of reversing the time state of the object or person to the time before the damage. However, he was not able to reverse restore his own injuries so bruises to himself he could not heal and attacks from Stands that entered into his body he could not reverse. He also could not bring back people that were killed though he could restore their bodies to the time prior to the injuries but it could not resurrect the individual. This ability went as far as allowing him to rescue his captured allies if their limbs were severed as Crazy Diamond healed the person by returning them to their lost limb. In another case, he used his power to heal the severed hand of Kira which sought out its owner after he fled the scene. Josuke was able to use his Stand in interesting ways such as breaking walls and then restoring them to prevent his enemies from following him or using the time manipulation ability to seal people into rocks as he did with Angelo. In another case, he deflected and destroyed an enemy Stand that took the form of missiles only to use restoration to re-forge them where their redirected course sent them back at the enemy. In another battle, he threw a bottle at his foe knowing it would be shattered but then used his Stand's power to reconstruct the bottle over the hand of his foe thus destroying the limb. In other cases, he was able to shatter the ground and re-assemble the debris to create barriers to protect himself against attack. Josuke was able to also use his power to maintain control over his surroundings such as using his Stand to destroy his bike so that it would not crash into a bystander then reassembled it past her.

It was able to restore an item to its raw materials such as turning a table back into timbers. This ability allowed Crazy Diamond to perform a range of interesting feats including trapping the enemy by restoring pieces of a broken crate around the target. He could also use it to track his foe by restoring a torn piece of clothing so that it would seek out what it came from and reattach.

Notes

• Josuke Higashikata was created by Hirohiko Araki where he featured in the setting of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure universe during the Diamond is Unbreakable arc.
• His stand's name was a reference to Pink Floyd's song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".
• Josuke's Stand was referred to as Shining Diamond in the translations though the dialogue calls it Crazy Diamond.

In other media

Video games

• In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle, Josuke Higashikata appeared as a playable character in the fighting video game where he was voiced by actor Wataru Hatano.
• In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven, Josuke Higashikata appeared as a playable character in the fighting video game where he was voiced by actor Wataru Hatano.

Appearances

• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable:

External Links

• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Wiki Entry

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