Summary
Female characters in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure were initially avoided due to concerns about audience appeal. Anne in Stardust Crusaders could have been the series' first female Stand user, had Araki stuck to his plan. The inclusion of Anne as a Stand user could have drastically changed the dynamics and outcome of the story.
IN Jojo's Bizarre AdventureThe sixth installment, Stone Ocean, was praised for its decision to feature a female Stand user as the main character, in the form of Jolyne Cujoh, a first for the series despite its long run. However, a much earlier installment in the epic, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, almost took the title of being first, but series creator Hirohiko Araki changed his plans at the last minute.
It is known that Araki wanted a female hero for Jojo for quite some time before Stone Ocean, and his editors were against the idea, feeling that a female hero would not appeal to the male demographic of shonen manga. There was an idea that it was still inappropriate to see a woman fight, and that men should fight in her place, which prevented female characters from being used much in the series, at least until Stone Ocean was planned.
Female characters are considered villains at best, and damsels in distress at worst.
Araki reveals the hero was almost from Stardust Crusaders
A young girl reappears who may be the first woman to use a Stand.
In an interview with Billboard Japan in August 2021, translated and maintained by user Jojowiki, Araki stated, “In Part 3, I really wanted to include a girl. And I did, for a while…” The interviewer clarified, asking if he was talking about the young girl discovered stowing away on a ship Jotaro and his friends were on, whom the anime eventually named Anne (she was not named in the manga). Anne briefly became a relatively important character, needing to be rescued by Jotaro and developing feelings for him. Anne would continue to follow Jotaro's group for a while, before they decided it was too dangerous and sent her home to Hong Kong.
In the interview, Araki further explained, “I brought her in, but then I retired her. At the time, I really liked the idea of having a girl around, but it wasn't meant to be.” When the confused interviewer pointed out that Anne wasn't a Stand user, Araki had an answer for that as well: “I can let her develop one. That doesn't really matter at this point. Even the smallest person can have a powerful Stand.“This suggests that he fully intended for Anne to be a Stand user, and she may be the first (actual) female Stand user to appear in the series, depending on exactly when her Stand developed.
In Stardust Crusaders when it was finally released, there were very few female characters. There was Holy Kujo, Joseph's daughter and Jotaro's mother, whose Stand illness fueled their journey to defeat Dio, and the witch Enya the Hag, who was the main female antagonist, along with a few minor female antagonists like Mariah (who wielded the Bastet Stand) and Nena (who wielded the Empress Stand). Having a female hero would have helped balance the scales a bit more and featured a female character with motivations other than evil.
How Anne's Holdout Could Change Stardust Crusaders
Anne's presence might have changed everything that happened next.
Anne is already a rather rough character, a courageous “orphan” who isn’t afraid to threaten people, so it’s not too hard to imagine her as a Stand user. Araki said he wanted “all kinds of people” to be members of Jotaro's group, and Anne fit in quite well with the group's dynamics, which were still being established at a relatively early stage.. She would definitely stand out in the group, being younger than Jotaro and Kakyoin, the youngest members of the group. It's possible that Anne's age had something to do with her being eliminated in the first place.
It's unknown what kind of Stand abilities Araki might have given Anne if she had stayed. As a group, the Joestars and their allies could certainly benefit from having someone with a support ability around, be it healing, or detecting enemies, or empowering others. It's also possible, though seemingly less likely, that Anne could have an all-out offensive Stand, since the group already has a full complement of those abilities. Anne's presence will definitely change the final chapters of Stardust Crusaders significantly.and depending on her abilities, she can even save fallen allies like Kakyoin or Iggy.
It's a shame that the social notions surrounding shonen manga prevented Anne from becoming a larger character in Stardust Crusaders, as Araki seemed very interested in having female characters play larger roles. It wasn't until Trish Una in Part 5 that a Jojo's Bizarre Adventure The woman will develop a stance and fight on the side of the heroes, and that can't wait any longer.
