DIO's sons
They are criminally underappreciated, and because of that I will now talk about them exclusively.
The Florida boys are a really heartbreaking bunch to me tbh. I always say how the popular ‘mudad’ AU is a very uncharacteristic portrayal of what DIO and Giorno’s relationship would be like and that the two are better off separated, but with the Florida boys… well, they needed DIO. Desperately. Not because he’d be a good dad (he wouldn’t be lmao), but because he’d give them the same thing he gave his minions to make them revere him so much: Purpose.
The Florida sons were fated to have incredibly unlucky, miserable lives.
They were born as lost souls and with DIO not being an option for them, that was the only path they were ever meant to walk until Pucci, DIO’s replacement, entered the picture.
The Florida boys are a really heartbreaking bunch to me tbh. I always say how the popular ‘mudad’ AU is a very uncharacteristic portrayal of what DIO and Giorno’s relationship would be like and that the two are better off separated, but with the Florida boys… well, they needed DIO. Desperately. Not because he’d be a good dad (he wouldn’t be lmao), but because he’d give them the same thing he gave his minions to make them revere him so much: Purpose.
The Florida sons were fated to have incredibly unlucky, miserable lives.
They were born as lost souls and with DIO not being an option for them, that was the only path they were ever meant to walk until Pucci, DIO’s replacement, entered the picture.
Fate - Gravity - is a real force in the JoJo universe. It’s a higher power that directs the events which occur in the story, and fate decided that Ungalo, Rikiel, and Donatello Versus are not going to be happy.
THE SONS:
Versus is the clearest example of this, as his life is pretty much a series of unfortunate events. It seems like at every step of life, misfortune followed him and made him be judged for crimes he didn’t commit.
It’s easy to understand why such a continuously unfair life would eventually turn Versus into a cold and bitter person, and why he would feel entitled to DIO’s legacy over Pucci - to him, it was just another thing that was being unfairly taken away from him.
THE SONS:
Versus is the clearest example of this, as his life is pretty much a series of unfortunate events. It seems like at every step of life, misfortune followed him and made him be judged for crimes he didn’t commit.
It’s easy to understand why such a continuously unfair life would eventually turn Versus into a cold and bitter person, and why he would feel entitled to DIO’s legacy over Pucci - to him, it was just another thing that was being unfairly taken away from him.
I also think that Versus was the one to turn against Pucci and felt the most entitled to DIO’s legacy because he was the one son who actively had everything taken from him at every turn. Rikiel and Ungalo were happy to accept Pucci’s guidance as a chance at better life, while Versus , at this point likely always expecting the worst from people, was suspicious from the start.
Rikiel was probably the son with the most ‘normal’ life of all, being the one who made it to college, but he suffers from severe anxiety that he has no idea how to handle. He doesn’t understand what is happening to him when an anxiety attack strikes, which only increases his panic, making him break down completely.
This has been continuously messing up his life, and making it hard for him to advance - he dropped out of school because of it and can’t drive without getting into an accident.
Rikiel was probably the son with the most ‘normal’ life of all, being the one who made it to college, but he suffers from severe anxiety that he has no idea how to handle. He doesn’t understand what is happening to him when an anxiety attack strikes, which only increases his panic, making him break down completely.
This has been continuously messing up his life, and making it hard for him to advance - he dropped out of school because of it and can’t drive without getting into an accident.
Rikiel saw Pucci’s goal as sort of a coping mechanism, even being able to compose himself during his fight with Jolyne and Hermes despite almost slipping into another panic attack. Pucci also helped him reveal his stand, which served as another coping mechanism for Rikiel. Out of all three sons, Rikiel was the most willing to truly put his life on the line for Pucci, because he truly believed that Pucci had helped him overcome the one thing that constantly dragged him down throughout his life.
And lastly there’s Ungalo who we sadly know the least about, but we can make some decent assumptions. Because of Araki’s style it’s hard to tell if he’s supposed to be ugly or deformed, but personally, I always assumed it was the latter, as it would go well with the fate theory. One could assume that he was likely treated poorly for it - for something he couldn’t control - which eventually led him to drugs and violence. Ungalo clearly led a very troubled life because once he gets a taste of success, a taste of PURPOSE, the thought of having to fail again and go back to how he used to be is so horrifying to him that he literally just dies.
And lastly there’s Ungalo who we sadly know the least about, but we can make some decent assumptions. Because of Araki’s style it’s hard to tell if he’s supposed to be ugly or deformed, but personally, I always assumed it was the latter, as it would go well with the fate theory. One could assume that he was likely treated poorly for it - for something he couldn’t control - which eventually led him to drugs and violence. Ungalo clearly led a very troubled life because once he gets a taste of success, a taste of PURPOSE, the thought of having to fail again and go back to how he used to be is so horrifying to him that he literally just dies.
I’ve seen people mock this and joke about it but to me, this is honestly one of THE most heartbreaking deaths in JoJo due to its implication about Ungalo’s life.
CONCLUSION:
What Pucci brought these men was essentially the same thing that DIO would bring them.
The three brothers felt like their lives were going absolutely nowhere, and that they will never amount to anything, only for this mysterious charismatic priest to come into their lives, reveal the truth about their incredible father and his plan, and make them believe that becoming a part of the plan will lead them to greatness.
He convinced them that this was their purpose in life, and having no better future in sight, they happily accepted it.
I really wish people didn’t just brush these three off as undeveloped minor villains, because they are characters with such upsetting backstories. I think the most tragic part of all is that they weren’t bad people by nature or choice.
Most other villains chose that life; DIO’s followers are fully aware that they are evil and many revel in it. La Squadra chose to be assassins. Minor villains in Part 4 agreed to help Kira’s father. DIO’s younger sons, however, were forced into that role by a cruel fate.
CONCLUSION:
What Pucci brought these men was essentially the same thing that DIO would bring them.
The three brothers felt like their lives were going absolutely nowhere, and that they will never amount to anything, only for this mysterious charismatic priest to come into their lives, reveal the truth about their incredible father and his plan, and make them believe that becoming a part of the plan will lead them to greatness.
He convinced them that this was their purpose in life, and having no better future in sight, they happily accepted it.
I really wish people didn’t just brush these three off as undeveloped minor villains, because they are characters with such upsetting backstories. I think the most tragic part of all is that they weren’t bad people by nature or choice.
Most other villains chose that life; DIO’s followers are fully aware that they are evil and many revel in it. La Squadra chose to be assassins. Minor villains in Part 4 agreed to help Kira’s father. DIO’s younger sons, however, were forced into that role by a cruel fate.