Movies News Talk
While Jolyne Cujoh in "Stone Ocean" is celebrated as the first female Stand user in Jojo Bizarre Adventure, creator Hirohiko Araki revealed that he initially planned to feature a female hero much earlier, in the "Stardust Crusaders" arc. This female character would be Anne, a young girl who joined Jotaro’s group, and Araki was ready to develop her into a Stand user.
Anne, as originally envisioned, had the potential to wield a powerful Stand. In a 2021 interview, Araki mentioned that he could have easily given her a Stand, regardless of her young age. Araki had thoughts of a Stand that could have been supportive, offensive, or even a combination of the two, providing Jotaro’s group with an unexpected ally.
The “Stardust Crusaders” arc features a limited number of female characters. It mostly includes antagonists like Enya the Hag. Anne was initially a side character and was eventually removed from the story. Araki’s intention to make her a Stand User never came to fruition due to pressure to appeal to the male-dominated shonen manga demographic.
Hirohiko Araki’s intent to feature a female hero in "Stardust Crusaders" highlights a common struggle in Shonen Manga. There has been an ongoing push to feature female characters more, not only as antagonists or damsels in distress. Stone Ocean, by featuring a female protagonist, became a groundbreaking moment in the series.
While Stardust Crusaders lacked a female hero, other arcs like "Stone Ocean" have proven the series is capable of developing complex, impactful, and capable female characters. In "Stardust Crusaders," Holy Kujo and Mariah serve as more prominent examples of female figures. However, Anne’s potential story could have added another level of complexity and representation to this iconic arc.
The “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure" franchise has always pushed boundaries and broke tradition, but in its earlier stages, it felt some constraints of the Shonen Manga format, which focused on strong male protagonists. This changed with the inclusion of female protagonists in the series' later arcs, showcasing a greater awareness of gender representation and its impact on the story.