Last week, I undertook the lengthy task of ranking all of the “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” openings, blissfully unaware that the vile word count would ruin my plans. I highly recommend reading that article before this one, as I covered all of the necessary context there.

I have six more songs to rank, so I’m going to get right into it. Araki knows I have plenty to say about all of them. 

6: OP 8 – “Fighting Gold” – Coda

Part five of the series starts off with one of the most visually interesting openings. As characters are shown, chains of different shapes and sizes are shown along with them, symbolizing the different struggles each of them will have to face.

As a song, “Fighting Gold” is solid. It starts with a suspenseful, punchy first verse that feels like it’s building up to something. It then pays off in the chorus, which makes me want to fight the power, stick it to the man and so on. 

Furthermore, there are plenty of Easter eggs for those who have seen the series. I won’t spoil any of them here, as some of them are quite substantial, but I feel like this is the OP that rewards eagle-eyed viewers more than any other. 

5: OP 5 – “Crazy Noisy Bizarre Town” – THE DU

This song is crazy, noisy and maybe even bizarre. But beyond all of those wonderful adjectives, it’s just fun. The opening instrumentation is loud and abrasive, immediately transitioning into a funky dance number.

The characters on screen seem to agree. The video is full of characters striking poses, dancing and looking dramatically at the camera. This song tells the audience that things are about to get more casual and goofy than they’re used to.

Just like the title promises, this song is irreverent and silly, marking a sharp turn from “Jojo’s” usually grim story-telling to a much more lighthearted tone to begin its fourth part. 

4: OP 10 – “Stone Ocean” – ichigo 

This is the entry on my list that surprised me more than any other. When I first watched part six, I actually didn’t like this song. But by the time I finished the series, “Stone Ocean” had really grown on me.

The song has a late 90s-early 2000s pop-punk feeling that makes me nostalgic. Jolyne’s strings lead us through Green Dolphin Street Prison with colors that can only be described as visually assaulting. And yet, it works in service to the aforementioned nostalgia. 

The high energy feeling of the song symbolizes Jolyne’s constant efforts to escape the prison and help her father despite all of the obstacles in her way. Part six is divisive among fans, including this song, but I think it’s an excellent beginning to the Stone Ocean arc.

3: OP 7 – “Great Days” – Karen Aoki

This is a song that makes the listener feel like they’re having a “breakdown, breakdown.” The show is following a rag-tag group of teenagers as they pursue a serial killer, and yet the song feels like it’s trying to instill the listener with hope. 

The happy-go-lucky feeling of the song feels like it should disgust the listener, given how dark the current events of the show are. Yet, all I can do is smile and sing along, allowing the song to tell me that Josuke and his friends will figure it out and be alright. 

This song caps off “JoJo’s” fourth part, showing us all of the faces we’ve come to know and love. It does an excellent job of telling the viewer to smile at hope in the face of despair and to “let the voice of love take you higher.” 

2: OP 1 – “JoJo Sono Chi No Sadame” – Hiroaki “TOMMY” Tominaga

Part one has its lovers and its haters. I am a public part one supporter. But even the most diehard “Phantom Blood” bashers can’t deny that it has one of the best openings in the franchise. 

The energy is immediately off the charts. It’s easy to forget that “JoJo” started as a show about a noble young man on a quest to defeat his brother who has spurned his humanity in favor of vampirism. Listening to this song for just a second reminds me of the series’ roots.

More than any other, this “JoJo” OP encapsulates the feeling of the part. “JoJo Sono Chi No Sadame” is the perfect track to accompany an epic battle between good and evil representative of the light and dark of humanity.

1: OP 2 – “Bloody Stream” – Coda

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Coda’s “Bloody Stream,” the best “JoJo” OP by a country mile. 

The horns at the start let the listener know that they’re off to the races, while the sharp colors grab the viewer’s attention. The singer dials it in, giving what feels like a low-key narration for the first verse.

The singing builds dramatic tension during the refrain, then hits a fever-pitch during the chorus. It feels like the verses are spent strategizing, the refrain is spent mentally preparing oneself and the chorus is a battle of epic proportions. 

In the interest of not rambling on, I’m going to stop there. Believe me when I say that this could have been two articles about how great “Bloody Stream” itself is. It’s so good, I know all of the words to it in Japanese and three different English fan-translations. 

This raises the question: will the OP of “Steel Ball Run” stand on its own two legs next to these bangers? Will it perhaps even surpass “Bloody Stream?” We will find out upon the anime’s release, whenever that may be. 

Tolbert can be contacted at [email protected]. Send him your favorite version of “Bloody Stream.”