Pretty much everyone is familiar with the third part of JoJo at this point, and for good reason. This part is when Hirohiko Araki really found his niche, what with the introduction of "stand" abilities, something that would be present in every part from here on out. In the later parts, we're introduced to crazy abilities like being able to erase time, travel between dimensions, and uhhh... make zippers and stuff, but in Stardust Crusaders, it's nice and simple. You got fire, fists, a sword, emeralds, and some vines that read technology or something, I don't know. Things are simpler in part 3, but that doesn't mean it all makes sense.
Including Joseph in this part was a brilliant move, really helping to connect part 2 to part 3. For the first time ever, JoJo was in the modern day (late 80s at the time of publication), and with the change in formula that stand abilities bring, Joseph keeps it from being too jarring. He serves as both a mentor figure and a comic relief character in part 3 and both those roles are perfect for him. Speaking of comic relief, the comedy is what really carries this part. Polnareff and Joseph are just such goofballs, balanced out by the more straight edge Jotaro and Avdol, with Kakyoin lying somewhere in between quirky and boring. There's plenty of great side characters too, like Hol Horse, Oingo, Boingo, and the D'Arby brothers. While some fights definitely feel unnecessary (to the point where you could skip many of them without impacting the story too much) you'll be missing out in the long run if you don't read them all. The many ridiculous fights and comedic moments just make the final confrontation with Dio all the more meaningful. Araki shifts the the tones between fights seemlessly, where during one arc we're laughing at the gang forcing a baby to eat his own poop, and the next we're watching Polnareff try to avenge his sister, or mourn the death of a friend he blames himself for.
Jotaro may technically be the main character, but Polnareff is the real star, and genuinely one of my all time favorite characters. Jotaro is both a little too calm and a little too powerful for his own good, meaning that he's not always that intriguing of a character. I still love him, but for the sake of the story I think it's good that he takes the back seat a lot of the time. Araki quickly discovered that Avdol's fire abilities don't have much versatility, same with Kakyoin's emerald splash, which means that Polnareff and his sword are front and center for what feels like the majority of arcs. Some of the best arcs are the ones that go beyond normal stand battles though. A couple of my favorites are the arcs involving characters I mentioned earlier, those being brothers Oingo and Boingo, and the other pair of brothers D'Arby #1 and D'Arby #2. Oingo and Boingo bring us some of the funniest moments in the series, while the D'Arbys provide a mental mindgame giving Jotaro some time to shine.
I don't wanna talk about the final fight too much, but let me just say the buildup definitely has a payoff. Right from the start we learn that Dio is the guy we're after, and even though we don't actually encounter him until the very last arc, it's all worthwhile. Mystery, suspense, death, steam rollers, plot twists, you name it; the finale has it. Jotaro vs. Dio could very well be my favorite finale in the series.
This review has mostly been me rambling, but the point is that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure part 3: Stardust Crusaders is one of a kind. There's so much I didn't talk about, because frankly, there's too much. I couldn't possibly talk about everything I love about part 3 because there's something memorable in nearly every arc. With the fun globe trotting, the variety of fights, and the comedy that only Araki can do, there's just so much to love.
