JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is one of the longest-running manga series of all time. Written by Hirohiko Araki, the manga is quite special as it is divided into different parts. While it may have been considered a risky decision, there is no denying that it has paid off immensely.
As a series with various parts, Araki had no choice but to make a new protagonist for every part. To stop the hero, Araki also needed to create new villains. So far, there have been seven different main villains in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. All of them are special in their own ways, but the names of DIO and Enrico Pucci stand out from the rest. Both of them are exceptional villains, but who is better between the two?
5 Power
One of the first things that are brought up in character debates is power levels, and considering both characters are main villains, this discussion is unavoidable. DIO is an amazing villain and he served as the main antagonist of two different parts. In Phantom Blood, DIO became a vampire, which made him stronger than normal humans. In Stardust Crusaders, DIO awakened The World. The Stand has the power to pummel opponents, and it can even stop time, giving DIO plenty of time to finish off his opponents.
Pucci is the main villain of Stone Ocean. His goal was to achieve "heaven," and he worked hard to ensure that he would have the power to set things in motion. Pucci's Made in Heaven is a borderline "broken" Stand as it lets him manipulate gravitational forces. Pucci is able to increase the flow of time, making the ability to stop time almost useless. It took an entire group of characters to put Pucci on the defensive, and even then, they had to rely on Emporio to pull the rabbit out of the hat. In terms of Stand power, Pucci is undeniably stronger.
4 Intelligence
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Pucci was an intelligent character, and he planned his every move carefully. With the help of Whitesnake (his original Stand), Pucci manipulated other prisoners as he held a position of power. He was able to sway DIO's biological sons as well, which is further proof of his manipulative abilities. Pucci was also very perceptive, and he could figure out the strengths and weaknesses of other Stand users easily. However, Pucci was also extremely arrogant, and it eventually proved to be his downfall against Emporio.
DIO appears to be a flashy villain with no cognitive abilities, but that couldn't be further from the truth. DIO intelligence is one of his strongest attributes. In Part 1, he managed to create an army of zombies within a short time, and he also came up with a counter to Hamon. In Part 3, DIO initiated his plan to rule over the world. He sent a horde of Stand users after Jotaro and co. so that he wouldn't have to use his own powers. Furthermore, DIO was also very knowledgeable of other Stands, so he could formulate counters accordingly. In terms of intellect, both are very close, but DIO barely edges Pucci.
3 Malevolence
DIO is easily among the most evil characters in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. More than anything, he loved to inflict pain on others. In Part 1, when a woman was begging DIO to spare her baby's life, he agreed not to harm it. However, he turned the woman into a vampire and watched her eat the baby. This was an unprecedented act of evil.
As a villain, Pucci also committed multiple monstrous acts, and he felt absolutely no remorse because he believed that there was nothing wrong with his ideology. Some fans believe that Pucci is more evil due to his lack of self-consciousness, but overall, DIO's actions were much more impactful. So, DIO takes this round ahead of Pucci.
2 Personality
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Pucci was a very calm and reserved individual, who barely let his emotions get the better of him. This helped him to make better decisions and formulate great strategies. He was, however, a fanatic who strongly believed in DIO's ideas.
For many fans, DIO's personality is his best attribute. He had a lot of charisma, which allowed him to overwhelm people mentally. He didn't even have to resort to physical threats to make sure that his orders were carried out. Another interesting thing about DIO's personality was his strong will, which is one of the main reasons why he managed to awaken such a powerful Stand. There is no question that DIO's personality is better than Pucci's.
1 Ambitions
DIO's upbringing had a major role to play in his mental development. After being abused by his father, and watching his mother fall prey to the same, DIO wanted to be more powerful than anyone else in the world. He could not stand the feeling of powerlessness, which is why he went to extremes to get a hold of power. DIO's aim was to get more power and rule over the entire world.
Pucci's goal was a bit nobler than DIO's, although it was inspired by the latter's ideology. Pucci's goal was to gain a powerful Stand that would allow him to achieve heaven. He used the power of Made in Heaven to increase the flow of time, and eventually, it reached a point where a brand-new universe was created. However, Pucci could not accomplish his goal entirely due to Emporio. Both the characters were driven by their desires, but Pucci's goal was a bit more "selfless."