Norio Wakamoto (CD drama)

Kaneto Shiozawa (RPG commercial)

Nobuo Tanaka (OVA)

Isshin Chiba (Part 3 video game)

(ザ・ワールド za wārudo)

Dio Brando (ディオ・ブランドー, Dio Burandō?) is a fictional character from the manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He is the primary antagonist of Parts 1 and 3, although he is also considered to be the main villain of the entire series, as his actions affect the JoJo universe long after his death. Dio's son, Giorno Giovana, is the protagonist of Part 5.

Dio's full name is a homage to both actor Marlon Brando and heavy metal icon Ronnie James Dio[citation needed].

Series 1 takes place in England, where Dio is the son of Dario Brando, an alcoholic and abusive father. Back when Dio was just a boy, he was brought into the household of George Joestar after the mysterious death of his father, so as to repay the debt he owed Dio's father for saving his life. But soon Dio's personality caused trouble for George's young son, Jonathan Joestar. Even more of a sociopath than his father, Dio was resolute to shatter Jonathan's spirit and take his place as the favored son, even going so far as to arrange for Jonathan's dog Danny to be burned to death.

Initially, Dio is able earn the trust of the patriarch of the Joestar family through deceit (and at Jonathan's expense). However, his plans of taking over the Joestar household were discovered by Jonathan when he discovered that not only had Dio poisoned his biological father to death, he was doing the same to his adoptive father, all to take the Joestar estate for his own.

Determined not to be stopped, and understanding the potential to enjoy power over all things instead of just the Joestar estate, Dio wears and activates the Stone Mask, becoming a nearly unstoppable vampire. His seemingly supernatural abilities are similar to the Mythical powers of the Mayan blood gods. He is able to walk on walls, and regenerate his body faster than fire can consume it. He is able to pressurize liquid in his eyeballs and then create small openings on pupils, eventually creating two fluid jets powerful enough to slice stone and kill living things. He is also able to vaporize his body fluid rapidly enough to freeze anything he touches. However, this is at the expense of having his body be sustained by sheer willpower alone, rather than vital energy. A sufficiently powerful vital force—specifically, sunlight or the Hamon force—will negate the sustaining force's presence and disintegrate the long-unliving body. Like all JoJo vampires, Dio sucks blood through tentacles in his fingers and has been seen at least once drinking blood from an unnamed girl.