Yugioh vs JoJos: A Thematic Comparison

Two of my all-time favorite anime series are Yugioh, written by Kazuki Takahashi from 1996 to 2004, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, written by Hirohiko Araki and serialized in Shonen Jump from 1987 to 2004, and then in Ultra Jump from 2005 to the present day. 

Yugioh was arguably my biggest obsession and hyperfixation as a child. It single-handedly birthed an obsession with card games that still lingers to this day, as my family, friends and wallet can attest to. But more than the gripping, complex game of “Duel Monsters” at the center of its story; Yugioh had a loveable cast of characters that interacted with each other in compelling ways, a surprisingly compelling story, and rich lore that strengthened this narrative. 

My love extended beyond Takahashi’s 8-year run and the subsequent “Duel Monsters” anime adaptation. Everything Yugioh related was fair game. GX and 5Ds were my all-time favorite series growing up, Arc-V and VRAINS were my new obsessions throughout highschool, and Dark Side of the Dimensions is still my favorite anime movie of all time. 

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JoJos was a much more recent obsession. I first got into it in 2018, after a classmate of mine recommended it. We were discussing many of our all-time favorite anime series in homeroom one day: Soul Eater, Cowboy Bebop, and, yes, Yugioh were all thrown around, but out of the blue, he asked:

“Hey, have you ever watched JoJos Bizarre Adventure?”

My immediate answer was no. I knew very little of it, but what I did know turned me away. I’d read that it was a manga that had gone on for over 30 years, and despite the interesting powers and settings, I just didn’t want to get into it. My experiences with series like Naruto and One Piece had convinced me that all anime adapted from a long-running shonen were going to suffer from the same problems: filler, stretched out fights, and abysmal pacing. 

When I mentioned I didn’t have time to get into another 20-season long story, my classmate gave me a strange look. “What?” he asked. “No, dude, the anime just started a couple years ago. There are, like, 4 seasons.”

I raised an eyebrow. I was definitely intrigued at the thought of a series from the 80s getting an anime adaption in the 2010s, so I decided to give it a shot after I got home from school that night. 

Simply put: JoJos is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. 

From the first few minutes, I was completely hooked. The Victorian Era setting didn’t last long, but it definitely sold me on the show in those early episodes. The over-the-top, beefy character designs created a charm unlike anything else I’ve watched. It genuinely felt like a peek back into 80s Japanese pop culture, paired with David Pro’s gorgeous animation and some genuinely superb voice acting. 

JoJos has been an interesting experience, in that I genuinely knew so little, so everything was a surprise. I’d never heard of Stands, Jotaro Kujo, Dio Brando, The World, the original OVA or Heritage for the Future. Part 3--the defining part of JoJos--held absolutely no cultural significance to me when I dove in. I’d never even seen a JoJos meme. 

I’d genuinely never heard of phrases like “You Fell For It Fool!” , “It was me, Dio!” and “Yare Yare Daze.” I was blind going in, like a babe in the wilderness, and I loved it. 

The Comparison:

If I haven’t made it clear already, I hold both of these very close to my heart. 

Yugioh is the childhood hyperfixation, the series I can slip back into at any time as if I never left. JoJos is the more recent, weirder but captivating interest, the one with such diversity in characters, powers and genre that I always find something new to love. Simply put, Yugioh is nostalgic and familiar, but JoJos is crazy and new. 

Considering how close to my heart these are, it should come as no surprise that I found a lot of common ground between them. The Egyptian backdrop, references to deities like Anubis and Thoth, and the crazy mind games that characterized Stand Fights in Stardust Crusaders all reminded me of Yugioh...but where they just skipped the whole “childrens card game” and just fucking deck each other, I guessed. 

Finding these comparisons between the original Duel Monsters and Part 3, and then the subsequent Yugioh spin offs to other Parts of JoJo, inspired me to write this essay. 

Now, before I start, I want to make three things clear:

1. One. I am not saying that Yugioh copies JoJos. Even if there are similar aesthetics and designs, it goes without saying that Yugioh is its own story that clearly puts its own spin on things, so please don’t assume I’m trying to undermine the creative value of that series. Yugioh will forever be one of my biggest obsessions, and I have nothing but respect for Takahashi for creating this wonderful, original narrative. 

2. Two. I will not be spending the entire essay talking about just Part 3 and Duel Monsters. Sorry, but I will be expanding the scope of this analysis beyond those segments of each franchise. 

3. And three, I will be quite flexible in my use of dub vs sub names. For Yugioh, I watched the first four series dubbed, and everything else subbed. So you might hear me refer to Manjume as Chazz, but Reiji Akaba as Reiji and not Declan. 

Without further ado, let's begin. 

General Similarities and Comparisons Between Series:

First of all, the overall idea of Duel Monsters has some similarities to Stands. Obviously, the overall idea behind Duel Monsters was more based on Magic: The Gathering, but I want to specifically hone in on characters like Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba, Joey Wheeler, Jaden Yuki and Luna. Each of them have a specific “spirit partner,” and each of them can see each other’s spirit partners, as well as the spirits behind all Duel Monsters. This idea that only certain characters can see these spirits and interact with them is similar to how only Stand-users can see other Stands. 

Second of all, both are epic, intergenerational stories divided into many parts. While every part of Yugioh is focused on Duel Monsters and almost every part of JoJos focuses on Stands, each arc has its own setting and its own protagonists, who all share a common two-letter syllable. All of the Joestars have “Jo” somewhere in their first name, and all Yugioh protagonists have “Yu” in their first or last name. 

Using an intergenerational format, both series will establish common archetypes and tropes for that archetype, and then play with that archetype throughout each generation. 

For example, every JoJo series has a “JoBro,” as fans call them. This is the best friend of the protagonist, who is often an early antagonist before quickly becoming an invaluable, supporting and cheerful ally. However, the exact nature of the “JoBro” varies between generations: Speedwagon cheers Jonathan on from the sidelines, Caesar competes with Joseph, and Gyro is such a major player he overshadows Johnny in the first part of SBR. 

• JoBros include: Speedwagon, Caesar, Kakyoin, Okuyasu, Mista, Hermes, Gyro and Yasuho. 

Meanwhile, Yugioh always has a consistent “Rival.” The Rival is generally a duelist close in skill level to the player who reluctantly works with them. They tend to be a bit older than the protagonist, self-sufficient intelligent loners, and with only one exception (Reiji Akaba) they all have dragons as their main spirits. Their role varies between each series: Kaiba is an early antagonist and a catalyst for several arcs in the original series, Chazz is a recurring gag character who gets swept up in Jaden’s adventures, and Reiji is a charismatic leader. 

• Rivals include: Kaiba, Chazz, Jack, Kite, Reiji and Revolver. 

Third, using that intergenerational format, both series explore lots of genres, but in completely different ways. 

The many Parts of JoJos are inspired by Hollywood movies. Araki is a huge film buff, and it shows in his work. Part 2 is an Indiana Jones-inspired adventure story in WWII, Part 4 is a Twin Peaks-esque murdery mystery, Part 5 focuses on the Italian mafia, Part 6 is a Jailbreak story, and Part 7 is a Western. 

On the Yugioh side of things, the spinoffs began exploring different facets of the science fiction genre, such as interdimensional warfare, dystopian societies, virtual realities, and borderline space opera were all fair game starting with the third season of GX. 

Finally, if I may argue, both JoJos and Yugioh are divided into trilogies. 

• In JoJos, Parts 1-3 tell the story of Dio and the Stone Mask; Parts 4-6 focus on the children of the previous protagonists, and tell the story of the Stand Arrow; and Parts 7-9 (presumably) focus on a new universe. 

• I’ve discussed this in another essay but the first three Yugioh series are a sort of loose trilogy united by common elements. The 4th, 5th and 6th spin-offs are all set in their own continuities but they form a sort of second trilogy, connected by common themes and paralleling the first trilogy. 

SDC vs Duel Monsters:

As I mentioned earlier, the idea of Stand-users only seeing other Stands could have inspired the ability to see Duel Spirits. However, I want to add something to this: I would argue that the idea of Yami Yugi, Yami Bakura and Yami Marik---these strange, dark spirits with supernatural powers---might have also been inspired by the idea of Stand powers. 

To reiterate what I said earlier, Kazuki Takahashi has obviously written a beautiful, complex and deeply original story. But given that he was a huge fan of JoJos, I don’t think it’s far-fetched to say the original manga series was inspired by the general aesthetic of Stardust Crusaders, which had been published seven years before Yugioh began publishing. 

Yugioh’s main plot elements involve spirits and artifacts from Ancient Egypt. Similarly, the second half of Part 3 is set in Egypt, with the main characters hunting down DIO. Also, Yami Yugi’s confidence, personality and outfit---a leather jacket and modified school uniform---could have easily been inspired by similar traits and fashion in Jotaro Kujo. 

Compared to other combat-based shonen series like Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto and Bleach; Yugioh and JoJos have a much bigger emphasis on psychological warfare, strategy and figuring out the opponent’s next move. And all that began in early Yugioh and with Part 3 of JoJos. 

But, a lot of these similarities I’ve been mentioning are surface level and visual. I want to move on to the sequels to both series: Diamond is Unbreakable and Yugioh GX. 

DiU vs GX:

Ah, yes. My personal favorites of both series. 

Diamond is Unbreakable, as well as Yugioh GX, are two of the goofiest, outright hilarious slice-of-life stories I’ve ever experienced, yet both are also some of the most compelling narratives I’ve ever experienced in shonen anime as well. 

The school setting is used to great effect here, but in completely different ways. After the buckwild events of Stardust Crusaders and the original Yugioh series, a change of pace was necessary to keep both universes fresh. 

Diamond is Unbreakable is amazing, in my own viewing of the series, because it allows us to simultaneously get crazy awesome Stand fights in the middle of small-town shenanigans. Some of the highlights include an egotistical manga artist who licks spiders, a maybe alien, and a serial killer with a hand fetish. 

Yet the characters of Part 4 also date, try their hand at getting rich quick schemes, and get in trouble with their parents. Josuke Higashikata is simultaneously a larger-than-life and deeply relatable individual: he has psychic ghost powers, hunts serial killers, and is the illegitimate son of a real estate tycoon; but also plays video games, slacks off, and goofs off with friends. 

GX is similar in its concept. Here, the setting itself is buckwild: Duel Academy spans an entire island in the middle of nowhere, with a school dedicated to a children’s card game, all funded by an 18-year old Seto Kaiba with a stupid, bonkers amount of money. 

But once again, the actual situations are hilariously relatable. Roommates, unrequited crushes, mean teachers, detention, we’ve all been there and that’s why it’s great. 

For GX, these facets of the narrative are augmented by--quite frankly--one of the best, funniest dubs I’ve heard in my entire life. Early GX is, essentially, abridging itself at every possible turn, and for anyone who doesn’t watch dubs too often, I cannot recommend enough watching this one. Same goes for DIU’s fantastic dub. Some of my favorites include Matthew Mercer, who continues to kill it as a calmer, more leveled out Jotaro; Billy Kametz, who nails Josuke’s entire emotional spectrum; and Allegra Clark, who brings life to the OG yandere, Yukako. 

GX and Diamond is Unbreakable also have two of my favorite overarching narratives in anime, but once again, in ways that don’t even feel like overarching narratives. 

Like other Yugioh series, GX is divided into several seasons with their own conflicts and antagonists, but plot elements are prone to reappearing and making a huge impact. Notably, the Sacred Beasts--the evil counterpart to the Egyptian Gods, based around different card types--play a huge role in Season 3; and after making a cameo in the pilot, Yami Yugi reappears at the very end of the series to teach Jaden the true joy of dueling. 

Like in GX, the seemingly “filler” episodes of Diamond is Unbreakable all contribute to the finale in some way, big or small. Like puzzle pieces all coming together, the final episodes of Part 4 create a sense of completion and closure that made me audibly say “Of course!” every 5 minutes. Stray Cat, the Stand Arrow, Hayato, Jotaro’s time-stop, even Okuyasu having a vision of his late brother, it all comes together in one of the most satisfying finales you’ll ever experience. 

Even beyond the organization and structure of both narratives, with frequent use of Chekhov's Gun and callbacks, I would also argue that both series take a similar approach to character arcs. 

Not necessarily in their main characters--Jaden’s increasingly jaded nature doesn’t really resemble Josuke’s more consistent characterization--but in their supporting cast. 

In particular, Syrus’ evolution from the bottom of the totem pole into a competent duelist that surpasses his prodigy brother is a well-done character arc that’s a part of every season of the show. It’s so similar to Koichi’s own evolution from shy, timid high-schooler into a competent and intelligent Stand user that I can’t help but think Syrus’ character arc was directly inspired. 

Other Comparisons:

There are a few other comparisons I wanted to bring up between these series, but that didn’t feel right having their own section. 

As both Yugioh and JoJos go on, they both rebooted their continuities. Starting with Part 7, all of JoJos takes place in another universe, and after 5Ds, the Yugioh spin-offs started making very distinct continuities from one-another. 

The reason I bring this up is that, post-reboot, both series started making some really interesting storytelling decisions, as their new protagonists paralleled old protagonists, but with some kind of twist on the character. Yusaku, Yuya, Yuma and Astral mirror Yusei, Jaden, Yugi and Atem. 

Similarly, Part 8’s Josuke has obvious parallels to Part 4’s Josuke; and Johnny Joestar is clearly the alternate universe counterpart of Jonathan Joestar. 

Both series also have a willingness to explore morally gray protagonists in their later arcs.  The Josuke Higashikata of Part 8 (aka Gappy) and Johnny Joestar are especially emblematic of this newfound pattern, both of which have a ruthless, brutal side that’s more prominent than any previous JoJo. 

Being that I was reading JoJolion around the same time as watching VRAINS, I couldn’t help but notice similarities between both of these characters to Yusaku Fujiki. His revenge-driven mindset and cold rage reminded me a lot of Johnny’s “Dark Determination.” 

I love watching these otherwise optimistic, goofy shonen series evolve with new, morally-ambiguous characters. It’s a fresh twist that attracts a new audience while remaining intriguing to the older audience. 

Conclusion:

I’ve always loved stories that combine and explore lots of different genres, so it's no surprise that I love both of these stories. They’re unique, strategic, epic, generational sagas that combine a multitude of different genres. In JoJos, that’s mainly different flavors of horror, mystery and fantasy. Yugioh encompasses much the same in the initial series, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction in the later genres. 

There’s no experience quite like watching JoJos, and there’s no experience quite like watching Yugioh. Even watching one won’t prepare you for the other. But I think there’s a lot to be learned by analyzing these two. 

What do you guys think? Are there any similarities I might have missed? Differences? Feel free to post a comment and we can discuss this. But for now, I am signing off.