Creating stories is a complex process. Most famous stories take years to fully develop in the minds of their creators, and even more time to ever see the light. Over the course of a long process from conception to completion, millions of small decisions forever change the course of the final product.
For several decades, very few manga series have attracted as much public attention as “The Incredible Adventures of Jojo”. During all this time, the paths of the series could have diverged in countless ways. Although most of them will never be known, there are several alternative versions of Jojo, the remains of which can still be seen today.
Alternative adaptation
While the anime “The Incredible Adventures of Jojo” is a cultural mainstay these days, it took a surprisingly long time for the series to get an official adaptation. The current anime series was launched in 2012, and the anime studio David Productions used its love of the franchise and technical knowledge to achieve the success it is now. However, considering that Jojo was first released in 1986, it took the cult manga 26 years to get an adaptation, despite the fact that some manga, such as My Hero Academia, received adaptations after only 2 years.
It’s not clear why the anime was not given Jojo for so long, but it probably has something to do with creative differences behind the scenes. In 1993, an attempt was made to create an anime Jojo through a heavily abbreviated OVA (right in the video) adaptation of the 3rd part of the series, “Stardust Crusaders”. Given that Part 3 has the most iconic scenes from the series, it made sense to focus on this section of the story, but the OVA series offered newcomers little context, skipping most of the material in the manga.
The studio that animated it also later made a film based on JOJO, Part 1 in 2007. Unfortunately, this movie has become almost inaccessible for viewing, so it is difficult to find any information about its quality. These two animated attempts to recreate Jojo’s story came to nothing, but if they were more accurate and high-quality adaptations, the Jojo anime broadcast today could look completely different, with a completely different tone and voice acting.
Alternative forces of sand
The stands are the power system that sets Jojo apart. From their wildly diverse designs to their quirky abilities, they have become a symbol of Jojo as a franchise. As in any action movie, the abilities of individual characters can have a huge impact on the development of the plot. For example, the version of Dio Brando from part 3 is known to be able to stop time with the help of his stand “Mir”.
However, attentive viewers may notice that Dio also has some unexplained abilities. Most importantly, there are scenes that show him using an ability similar to Joseph Jostar’s stand, Hermit Purple. Fans have long speculated that this could be a stand belonging to Jonathan Jostar, whose body Dio stole before the events of Part 3. However, another rumor says that in the early stages of the story’s development, Dio should have had the ability of a copycat, allowing him to use the stands of any other character in the story.
If that were the case, the events of the final battle of Part 3 could take a completely different form when Dio would throw every stand the heroes have faced so far at them. Since it turns out that Jotaro’s Star Platinum has the same abilities as The World, he could also develop this copycat ability. While this would certainly have led to a bombastic final clash, it’s pretty obvious why it didn’t happen, as the power levels in the series would have been blown off course. At this point, it seems that Dio’s other ability could just be a plot hole.
Alternative character relationships
Continuing part 3, there is another alternative story that seems to have become closer to reality. During the battle with the villains Hal Horse and J. Gaylom Mohammed Avdol was famously killed, sending the main characters into a period of mourning and introspection. However, later in the story it turns out that Avdol was alive all this time, hiding on the island while his injuries were healing. There’s nothing new about fake deaths, but there’s always been something a little off about it.
Many speculate that initially Avdol’s death was supposed to allow Hal Horse to join the main group as his replacement, which eventually led to his sacrifice to redeem his character. There are certain hints to this, including the art of Araki depicting the Hol Horse with the main group, as well as the absence of Avdol’s participation in later battles. This was never confirmed, but many fans began to treat it as a fact.
Finally, right up to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, the first appearance of Anasui’s character in the manga portrays him in a completely different way. In particular, he seems to have been a female character at first, and then became a man in all other manifestations.
