Legacy. It’s a word that elicits both honor and dread, especially to those who aren’t ready to receive it. While today’s society values traits like independence and self-thought, there is still something worthy about lineage and being able to “stand on the shoulders of giants.”
So today in Deadliest Fiction, we will be pitting two legacy characters, who famously took up their family’s name, in a battle to the death.
Jack Knight: The retro Starman
vs
Jotaro Kujo: The brash and cool Jojo
Both came from badass lineages. Both grew to train new generations of badasses. And both have their name’s initials starting with J and K. Who is deadliest?!
Jack Knight[]
I am not a hero, not by training or inclination. And I do not have a hero's pristine morality.
Jack Knight is a superhero stationed in Opal City and one of the eponymous “Starmen” of the DC Universe. An antique dealer and amateur historian, Jack was the son of Ted Knight, the first superhero to call himself Starman. Their relationship would be strained as Jack grew up and found superheroes weird, where at one point, he even insulted his father’s costume which further affected the two. After becoming old and retiring, Ted would pass the torch to David Knight, Jack’s brother.
However, Ted’s archnemesis, the Mist, would launch a massive attack on the former, which would injure Ted and his son Jack, destroy his lab, and kill David Knight. In order to stop the Mist’s further rampage, Jack decided to become the new Starman. He donned a new more casual costume and his father’s cosmic staff, and managed to fight the Mist’s family and private gang successfully on his own. After making his father proud, and finding out that he was good at being a superhero, Jack continued serving Opal City. Throughout his adventures, he would meet up other people and beings who also donned the title of Starman over the years, before retiring and passing the torch to Courtney Whitmore, the girl who would become Stargirl.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Cosmic Staff: A powerful high-tech weapon invented by Ted Knight which could do a plethora of things to both the physical and the supernatural. Over the years, the Cosmic Staff had shown many feats, but was most dangerous in the hands of Jack Knight, whom unlike his father and other Starmen before and after him, didn’t shy away from killing his opponents when he needed to.
- Energy Manipulation: With the staff, Jack Knight can absorb, manipulate, and weaponize all forms of energy around him. With energy, he can use the staff as a melee and ranged weapon. The energy output that the staff can release is powerful enough to turn a man into a pile of bones, or create building-sized explosions. It can also hurt supernatural beings.
- Forcefield Creation: The staff can also be used for defense. Besides absorbing energy-based attacks, it can also create a wall of energy or a whole forcefield using energy. The defensive barriers the staff can create is powerful enough to protect Jack during the city-wide destruction the Shade wrought unto Opal City.
- Gravity Manipulation: Jack can use the cosmic staff to levitate any objects and people (even enemies) from afar. He can also use this ability of the cosmic staff to make himself fly at high speeds. Although the limit of the staff’s levitational strength is never known, do note that the gravity rod, an older and weaker version of the staff, was strong enough to lift an entire building.
- Attunement: The staff is attuned to Jack, and with a thought, he could summon the staff to him even if he's far away. This is helpful if Jack is ever disarmed of the staff or if he loses it.
- Unnatural Senses: A vague ability of Jack (which may have been noted by the fortune teller called Charity). Throughout his adventures, Jack had shown the ability to fight foes who could bend the laws of physics and do supernatural feats, with many of them being straight up intangible, invisible, and incorporeal, like the Mist, Shade, and the denizens of hell. Yet, Jack had no problems sensing and dealing with them.
Jotaro Kujo[]
Impossible? We did a lot of impossible things on this journey. I'm tired of hearing that things are impossible or useless.
Jotaro Kujo is the primary protagonist of Stardust Crusaders and the overarching protagonist of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series. At the age of 17, Jotaro was possessed by an "evil spirit" and after brutally injuring a gang of men who attacked him, he voluntarily handed himself over to the police and refused to leave his cell out of fear of what he might do. He would later learn from his grandfather, Joseph Joestar, that his "Evil Spirit" was in fact called a Stand, a manifestation of a person's life force which can be called upon in combat.
After inadvertently breaking out of his cell while defending himself from Magicians Red (the Stand of Joseph's friend Avdol in an attempt to get him out), he was informed by Joseph to go after DIO, a centuries-old vampire and arch-enemy of his great-great-grandfather Jonathan Joestar, and the reason why his Stand had manifested at that point. After his mother, Holly Kujo, also received a Stand, she fell deathly ill as she was not strong enough to control it and Jotaro, Joseph and Avdol set off on a journey to Egypt to stop DIO once and for all and save his mother. After DIO's defeat, Jotaro would continue fighting off new enemies, finding and training new Stand users, and creating a family.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Star Platinum: Star Platinum takes the appearance of a man with black wavy hair and has the same build as Jotaro and has purple skin. It is a close-range Stand, with a basic reach of only 2 meters from Jotaro's body, but with incredible strength, speed, and precision way beyond a human being.
- Self-Preservation: Star Platinum possesses the awareness and reaction speed to protect Jotaro in many instances that he himself seems unaware; halting a bullet he experimentally shoots at his own head; protecting him while frozen by DIO's Time Stop; and reviving him from near-death by directly pumping his heart.
- Ora Ora Rush: Star Platinum's primary method of attack. It throws an extremely fast but precise barrage of powerful punches to pulverize an opponent or destroy objects.
- Star Finger: Star Platinum can suddenly and forcefully extend his middle and index fingers to a length of one or two meters, allowing it to perform sneak attacks and stab opponents from afar.
- Time Stop: Discovered during Jotaro's climactic battle with DIO, like The World, Star Platinum is able to stop time, with an absolute limit of five seconds. Jotaro describes the execution of this ability as exhausting, and he requires a varying length of rest before he may freeze time again.
- Enhanced Breath: Star Platinum inhales with superhuman power, capable of sucking in the entire fog stand Justice and holding it long enough for its user to suffocate.
X-Factors[]
Even though he was a geek prior to becoming Starman, Jack has shown superb athletic capabilities. Even without the staff, Jack can dodge both automatic fire and shots from point-black range. His punches and kicks are strong enough to knock even professional killers out, and with the staff, he is durable enough to take energy attacks. Physically, Jotaro has shown to be impressive as well. He can launch a guy off his feet with a punch, and shrug off a fan being embedded in his shoulder. However, his Star Platinum is a whole other beast, capable of catching bullets, throwing a jeep full of people, seeing through four kilometers of desert, and even punching through teeth said to be stronger than diamonds.
Jack is highly trained in martial arts, being a capable jujitsu fighter before becoming a superhero, and training high-class boxing as Starman with Wildcat. He would learn more about law enforcement through tips from his father, Ted Knight, and his police allies, the O'Dares. Jotaro Kujo, on the other hand, is more self-taught, and his combat style is mainly street-fighting. He probably learned a thing or two from his grandfather, Joseph Joestar, but that's only an assumption.
Both have shown a few feats in terms of cunning. Jack himself was able to outmaneuver opponents more powerful than him, and was able to lead his fellow heroes in some battles. He was the one who led Courtney into saving the JSA after they got turned into children. However, there were times where he was brash and would charge straight into a battle, especially when people's lives are at stake. Meanwhile, Jotaro has been known to be cool and calculating, a trait that many Jojos possess. A notable example is his fight against N'Doul where he used Iggy's stand to transport himself through the air to stop him detecting his presence, and even throw Iggy at him to distract him so he could get in close to use Star Platinum.
Throughout his superhero adventures, Jack has fought a wide variety of villains, from the Mist and his family, to supervillains and supernatural threats. He fought both in space and in hell, and assisted various superheroes like the Justice Society and Justice League. Some of the powerful enemies he’s fought include the immortal shadow-manipulating Shade, and the Lord of Chaos, Mordru. Jotaro Kujo has fought, and at times, defeated powerful foes himself, though his experience is lesser compared to Jack’s. He fought the cunning and dangerous DIO (and his goons), assisted in finding and defeating the serial killer Yoshikage Kira, and was present in the brutal universe-changing war with priest Enrico Pucci.
Notes[]
- Battle takes place in a large closed establishment with a lot of debris.
- This is Jack Knight and Jotaro Kujo at the end of their series.
- Rebuttals can lower or invalidate a vote. I decide whether a vote is acceptable or not. Voting ends when I get enough votes.
- Special thanks to Wassboss (you awesome, bro) and the JJBA wiki for information on Jotaro Kujo.
Battle[]
The once famous delinquent, Jotaro Kujo, stood on a grassy cemetery in Rome, Italy. He lingered in front of a grave, deep in thought, with somberness as his only companion. There were no gloomy clouds to comfort him. No stinging rain to cry with him. He was alone in his grief, he was alone in his weeping.
Buried in this grave was the man who helped him become who he was. The man who built him up to become the greatest he could ever be.
Joseph Joestar
1920 - 20XX
A Good And Loving Family Man
It had been years since his death, and he had quite the impact on the people who knew him. Joseph Joestar was not perfect; in fact, he had a ton of shortcomings and a lot of mistakes. But Jotaro could still remember the quips and the embarrassing yells. The wisdom and the cries of a senile old champ. The many adventures they had, as well as the dangers, the losses, and the tragedies that came with every success. It was not easy being a member of this family. Some might even consider it a curse. But with that old man, he felt like he was part of something. With him, he felt like a Jojo.
But the loss of the old man was one thing. Jotaro’s youth used to be full of coolness, charisma, and an entourage of amazing companions. His adulthood, however, was wrecked with nostalgia, painful knees, family problems and divorce.
Jotaro knelt down and placed a bouquet of roses. There were other bouquets laid on the grave; no doubt from other family members like the old man’s son. It was kind of Josuke to fly here for his father’s death anniversary. Strong family ties, after all, was the strongest trait in his bloodline. Jotaro wished the kid could have known more about the old man. But then again, Josuke was young. He still had family members to love, friends to enjoy, and new people to meet. Jotaro, however, was far from his prime. In his current life, he only had a few friends and loved ones left.
“Gramps… Kakyoin… Polnareff… Avdol… Iggy…”
Jotaro ended his visit with a silent prayer for Joseph Joestar and all other loved ones he had lost, as well as a prayer for a good life for those who remained. He decided to head back to Josuke, and maybe have a little sight-seeing along the way. He had heard that his family had a history in this city, and Joseph himself may still have living relatives. As he left, a wind blew to sweep and clean some of the leaves off Joseph’s grave. It also cleaned the grave next to it, which had a tombstone that said:
Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli
1920 - 1939
A Great Hero and Brother
“Would you believe it? That I just fought the ghost of Trajan himself?” the superhero, Jack Knight, said before chugging down a bottle of cold beer. It was already afternoon inside the cabin-like resort somewhere outside of Rome. The resort was indeed huge, two stories tall, with a large ground floor to play craps on, a bar to serve drinks, and a gigantic swimming pool outside. Yet, even in this big resort, Jack sat lonesome and in near silence as one of its few customers.
“Wish we have more of you guys here, signore” the bartender said as he handed Jack another bottle. “You yankees are lucky. You have a lot of metahumans who give a helping hand. My country’s supes are either assassins, vigilantes, or mad cult killers—“
Jack took a sip but didn’t swallow, letting the bitterness of the beer to stung his palate. A reminder for him that every sweetness in life came with painful challenges. “I admit, I only became a superhero because of my father,” replied Jack. “But I also confess that I do enjoy it. It feels good to help out. To make sure people are safe so that you’ll know that they will live on to continue doing great things.”
“But the job isn’t easy, right signore?”
“No, it’s not. I love being a superhero, no matter how corny that sounds. But at the same time, I dislike getting hurt. Or getting my loved ones hurt. Or disappointing them. But those are only the minor troubles.”
“Anything worse than those?”
“Well, I certainly don’t like fighting demons or aliens above my weight. Or failing people and watching them die. I myself don’t wanna die. And I don’t like being raped too…”
“Madonna santa…”
“Indeed. You ever heard the expression of ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’? That is true. Every good thing that you do as a superhero collects all unwanted villains and miseries that make up your own hell.”
The bartender apologized before giving Jack another bottle on the house. Jack wasn’t always this talkative, especially when it came to these things. But he didn’t know anymore, nor did he care. It was good to let those things out — the memories of the many hellish experiences he went through, and the realization that while he loved being a superhero, he didn’t want to remain one forever.
“I’m sorry dad”, Jack said to himself. “I keep failing you, do I? I wish I was like you. Be more qualified. All smart and brave and can find solutions to every problem, including this. Of all the Starmen in history, I have got to be worst. David… David would have been a better Starman than me…”
The door of the resort opened and the little silver bells chimed. Along came Jotaro Kujo who went straight to the bar. With his hands in his coat, Jotaro walked with seemingly no interest in the world around him. Yet, as he sat down, he had scanned the whole floor, taking in everyone who was present.
Jack noticed the man who walked in; a man with a cold and mysterious atmosphere. The Starman had enough experience to discern between a egotistical fool made of hubris and swagger, and a dangerous man who knew how to hide his capabilities and agenda. But even as his nerves flared, Jack went back to his drink. He’s a superhero after all. Nothing more than a glorified cop who wouldn’t make a move when there’s no danger.
The bartender was nowhere to be found, and Jotaro didn't like to wait. He jumped over the bar and went into the beverage machine, where he poured himself a mug of iced tea. He then returned to his chair and consumed it with four straight gulps. Jack saw what he did, and such disrespect plucked the superhero’s sense of justice.
“You gonna pay for that?” Jack asked with a stern look.
“私は彼に会ったらこの場所を所有している人に私の給料をあげます (I will the moment the person who owns this joint appears),” responded Jotaro.
But the foreign words fell meaningless. Jack’s Japanese wasn’t good, and he could only understand little of what the former delinquent said. Nonetheless, Jack was sure that stealing was an offense to every culture. Especially to countries who suffered previous wars and hunger.
“You put that down right now, sir,” Jack warned. He got up from his seat and attempted to grab the mug from Jotaro. But as his hand got closer, a strong force suddenly pushed Jack away. He flew a few feet, landing on his butt with a large thud. Although stunned, Jack quickly looked up to see what hit him. There, he could see an almost transparent silhouette of a large being, standing and floating behind Jotaro.
The bartender heard the commotion, but when he went out to investigate, he immediately went out the back door screaming for help. Bar fights made by average folks were bad enough. But a superpowered barfight? It was like staring straight into armageddon.
“飲み物代を払うと言った (I told you, I will pay),” said Jotaro. “今私を放っておいて (Now leave me alone you)—“
The cosmic staff suddenly flew towards Jack’s hand. With it, Jack telekinetically grabbed a wooden chair and flung it at Jotaro. But the silhouette, a Stand named Star Platinum, punched it into a million pieces. Jack hastily flew into the air, and continued raining down furniture on Jotaro. The delinquent dodged and rolled a few, while the rest was pulverized by Star Platinum.
“Stay still!” Jack yelled.
“試してみてください! (Keep trying!)” snarked Jotaro.
It’d been a while since Jotaro participated in such an adrenaline-fueled fight, and it's good to know that he still got it. Having had enough being on the defensive, Jotaro decided to take this fight to the American. Star Platinum dashed towards Jack with blinding speed, before letting out a million straight punches in overdrive. “Ora! Ora! Ora! Ora! Oraaaaaa!!!!” Star Platinum screamed as it punched.
But Jack managed to block the barrage of punches by summoning a force field. Although protected, the sheer force of Star Platinum’s attack was pushing Jack back. To make him stop, Jack pummeled Star Platinum in the head with his cosmic staff. But the attack was ineffective and the Stand was unhurt. So unhurt that it quickly countered with a hook that sent Jack crashing on a wall.
“降伏しますか? (Give up?)” Jotaro asked with a smirk.
“Fuck you!” yelled Jack.
The Starman twirled his cosmic staff before aiming its headpiece at Jotaro. In an instant, a beam of light shot out of the staff. Star Platinum managed to block the beam but the impact caused a small explosion that sent the Stand and the Jojo crashing unto a few chairs and tables. Jotaro felt that crash; a few of his ribs seemed broken by the energy attack. Seeing how effective it was, Jack relentlessly began spamming beams at Jotaro, but Star Platinum took Jotaro, leaping into the air and taking cover behind the bar.
“Time to finish this, you punk!” Jack yelled. He then flew away through the ceiling, leaving a giant hole. As he hovered above the establishment, he used the cosmic staff to telekinetically lift the whole resort off the ground. Although it was heavy, the cosmic staff’s gravity manipulation allowed Jack to carry it like it was a football. And like a football, Jack slammed the building unto the ground, completely destroying it.
“You… left me no choice…” an exhausted Jack said as he landed back to the ground.
“M-My… resort! My home!” cried the bartender.
“Don’t worry. I can rebuild it,” explained Jack.
But as he rested, someone from behind him made a sarcastic cough. As Jack looked back, he was surprised to see his opponent, Jotaro, alive and well, with Star Platinum still floating behind him.
“私はあなたが次に何を言おうとしているのか知っています (I know what you’re going to say next),” Jotaro said. “あなたは言うつもりです, なぜあなたはまだ生きているのですか" (Your next line will be ‘how are you still alive?!)”
“How are you still alive?!” replied Jack.
Jotaro closed his eyes and smiled. He did it. He did what his grandfather was famous for. Although his attempt was mere elementary and unimpressive, he still managed to do it in the midst of battle. If that geezer was here, Jotaro hoped that it would have made him smile too.
It wouldn’t be long before Jack snapped out of it. He again aimed his staff, this time deciding to use his gravity manipulation on Jotaro himself. But before he could so, Jotaro tipped his cap and murmured, “世界... (Za warudo...)”
Time then stopped in its tracks completely, leaving Jack in an almost perpetual frozen state. Before time would revert back to normal, Jotaro finally unleashed his coup de grace.
“スターフィンガー... (Sutā Fingā...)”
With a yell, Star Platinum jabbed his fingers through Jack’s body, penetrating through in a spray of blood and organs. Time then went back to normal and Jack’s dead body fell on the ground, his face still having that same look of fear and desperation.
The bartender ran away screaming, but Jotaro would only gaze down upon his dead enemy. He scoffed, then shook his head, before tiredness finally set in. Back then, he would have said something witty and cool, probably mentioning a receipt since this took place in a resort after all. But Jotaro was an old man now. He didn’t have the energy and motivation anymore to say any banter or one-liner.
Adjusting his cap, Jotaro could only utter, “Yare yare daze…” before finally walking away.
Expert's Opinion[]
Experts believed Jotaro Kujo won this fight because of his ability to time stop, which Jack has no defense against, and would nullify every power the latter has, allowing Jotaro to dictate and control the battle. Jotaro is also more tactical and calculative than the brash Jack Knight.