‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’: Brothers in Arms, Dire & Strazio

British rock band Dire Straits also have a nod in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, not just as one but two characters – Dire and Strazio; Will A. Zeppeli’s friends and fellow Ripple users who trained under Ripple master Tonpetty. Zeppeli had requested the help of Tonpetty, Dire and Strazio to destroy the Stone Mask, unfortunately they arrive too late to save their friend. 

Through these fields of destruction/ Baptisms of fire

I’ve witnessed your suffering/ As the battle raged high

And though they did hurt me so bad/ In the fear and alarm

You did not desert me/ My brothers in arms

Dire Straits had played their first gig under the name Café Racers. However, they were broke at the time and in literal ‘dire straits’ and so Café Racers changed their name to Dire Straits. Dire and Strazio similarly find themselves in a perilous situation. Going against vampiric Dio and his army of zombies is not easy. It’s a fight where they may end up losing their lives. But neither one of them is prepared to desert their fallen brother in arms and swear to avenge Zeppeli.

While Strazio and Jonathan take on the Dio’s minions the zombies Page, Jones, Plant, and Bonham. Names sound familiar?

He’s a crazy lion, he’s a-howling for a fight

Dire challenges Dio to a duel. Deciding to use his ultimate attack on the powerful vampire, he uses the Thunder Cross Split Attack (a possible reference to the album cover of Love Over Gold, 1982). Dio isn’t deterred however; he literally freezes Dire on the spot and kills him.

“Lions” is the final track on the Dire Straits’ self-titled debut album (1978). Mark Knopfler had this to say on the song, “I wrote this just off Trafalgar Square in London. I also think of Ted Hughes’s poem comparing the idea of ‘Where are the lions?’ as opposed to these starlings, in terms of contemporary figures of strength who aren’t there, who used to be there.”

Strazio survives the battle against Dio along with Jonathan and Speedwagon. Cementing a friendship with Erina (Jonathan’s wife) and Speedwagon, he vows to keep the torch of the Ripple users burning, to rid the world of grave, bizarre threats. He ends up adopting the infant girl who along with Erina was the only other human survivor of the disaster at sea, one that claimed the life of Jonathan and everyone else on board. Strazio goes on to raise her to be a Ripple user.

When Speedwagon discovers a secret underground chamber inside a pyramid in Mexico filled with Stone Masks and a mysterious figure in a pillar, he calls Strazio for help in destroying the artifacts.

One day you got the glory, then you got none

One day you’re a diamond and then you’re a stone

Strazio had witnessed the full powers and capabilities of a vampire. He had seen how frail mortals were, how easily they could be broken, how they would grow old and die. He confesses he had admired the vampiric powers that Dio had – eternal youth and strength.

I can’t find the reasons for your actions/ Or I don’t much like the reasoning you use

Somehow your motives are impure/ Or somehow I can’t find the cure

Strazio then kills the men who had accompanied him and Speedwagon into the chamber, using the blood of one of his unfortunate victims to turn himself into a vampire via a Stone Mask. He then proceeds to dump the bodies of his victims in a nearby river, to prevent the blood from coming into contact with the figure in the pillar.

Well, I wonder where you are tonight/ You’re probably on the rampage somewhere

You have been known to take delight/ In getting in somebody’s hair

Strazio decides that he better tie up all his loose ends to eliminate any and all threats that would be able to take him down.  Knowing that Joseph Joestar (Jonathan’s grandson) is also trained in the way of the Ripple, and very adept at it as well, Strazio heads over to New York City, where Joesph and Erina are to finish him off.

Turning all the night time into the day/

And after all the violence and double talk

There’s just a song in all the trouble and the strife

What Joesph lacks in experience he makes up for with brains. When he notices Strazio, he pretends he hasn’t realized who he is. Ducking down and taking out a Tommy-Gun, Joseph tries to shoot the vampire and ties several grenades to Strazio’s Ripple-repelling scarf, blowing him up to bits.

I don’t know how it happened/ It was faster than the eye could flick

But all I can do is hand it to you/ And your latest trick

After he regenerates, Strazio kidnaps a reporter and intercepts Joseph at Brooklyn Bridge, where he threatens to kill the reporter if Joseph tries to run again. Straizo then uses his new technique – the Space Ripper Stinger Eyes – where a pressurized liquid shoots from his eyeballs that is powerful enough to penetrate human skin. Joseph deflects the beam by throwing ripple-infused shot glasses and knocks Strazio off the bridge. He then questions Strazio on Speedwagon’s whereabouts. Strazio after revealing the existence of the Pillar Man and the Stone Masks, uses the leftover Ripple stored in his body to self-destruct.

I’m a soldier of freedom in the army of the man

Ah we are the chosen, we’re the partisan alright

Well the cause it is noble and the cause it is just

We are ready to pay with our lives if we must

Gonna ride across the river deep and wide

Ride across the river to the other side

Now I’m a soldier of fortune, I’m a dog of war

And we don’t give a damn who the killing is for

Yeah it’s the same old story with a different name

Death or glory, it’s the killing game

Gonna ride across the river deep and wide

Ride across the river to the other side

Both Dire and Strazio started on the same path as brothers in arms.

One died fighting against the evil he vowed to vanquish while the other died turning into the very evil he swore to eradicate and relished every moment of being a vampire. The river is deep and wide, one often ends up switching beliefs when they land up on the other side.  

With that the curtains are drawn on Part One: Phantom Blood and the stage is set for Part Two: Battle Tendency.

Dire & Strazio’s Discography

“Brothers in Arms” (Album: Brothers in Arms, 1985)

“Lions”(Album: Dire Straits, 1978)

“The Bug” (Album: On Every Street, 1991)

“One World” (Album: Brothers in Arms, 1985)

“Fade to Black” (Album: On Every Street, 1991)

“Walk of Life” (Album: Brothers in Arms, 1985)

“Your Latest Trick” (Album: Brothers in Arms, 1985)

“Ride Across The River” (Album: Brothers in Arms, 1985)