Possessing a number of unique attributes that set it apart from the multitude of Stands in Hirohiko Araki's long-running series, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Stone Free is a string-based stand wielded by Jolyne Cujoh, the protagonist of the series' sixth part titled Stone Ocean, now airing on Netflix.
Named for the Jimi Hendrix Experience song of the same name, Stone Free is a humanoid Stand with a somewhat feminine design, embodying the characteristics of both its wielder, and that of her father, Jotaro Kujo. Playing a pivotal role throughout the course of Jolyne's exploits alongside her allies at Green Dolphin Prison and the world beyond it in Stone Ocean, Stone Free as a Stand is exceptionally versatile both in combat and reconnaissance applications.
Origins And Abilities
In a departure from the manner which other Joestars obtained their Stand abilties — usually by naturally awakening them— in preceding installments of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Jolyne first obtained Stone Free after being cut by an amulet. This item was later revealed to be a disguised Stand-creating arrowhead sent by Jotaro when his daughter was first incarcerated. Introduced gradually, first beginning with Jolyne's uncanny ability to eavesdrop on conversations from considerable distances, the true nature of Stone Free comes to light over the course of her confrontation with her cellmate Gwess.
On the surface, Stone Free is essentially a close-range Stand with incredible speed and strength, much like Jotaro's extremely powerful Stand Star Platinum, highlighted even further in the similarities between their respective punch rushes. However, where the two differ is in their auxiliary abilities. While Star Platinum materialises almost entirely when summoned, Jolyne first materialises Stone Free in the form of string, slowly building its full body as she gains more proficiency in manipulating it. For the most part, the string is shown to emanate from her fingertips, and is stored inside her body itself. This allows Jolyne to freely manipulate the string through the motion of her hands.
Appearance And Character Design
Boasting a stature, physique, and character comparable to Jolyne herself, Stone Free, in its full humanoid form adopts a blue and gray color scheme. Donning a pair of sunglasses whose coloration varies from green to gray or a range of other colors depending on variations in the anime's aesthetic palette, the Stand's face features four blade-like protrusions that run from its upper jaw to the back of its neck. A pair of cones with flattened tips cover the space around the ears. Overall, the Stand adopts a relatively stoic and composed demeanor, apart from the times it is deployed in combat.
Ellipsoidal shoulder pads, adorned with a python snakeskin pattern and hexagonal knee pads, resembling aquamarine gems provide reinforcement against enemy attacks while also staying true to the partially armored designs possessed by other close-range Stands. On its forearms, lower arms, fingers, and calves, lightly-colored patches reveal the true string-based structure of its body, with the fibers themselves wound horizontally. Finally, the Stand's entire body is replete with a number of lightly-colored bumps, always spaced evenly apart. On its knuckles, the bumps take on a more armored and well-defined appearance and are colored gold.
Unravelling The Threads Of Fate
Among the most impressive options granted by the Stand's string-based ability is the creation of constructs exhibiting a range of material properties, from sharp objects to elastic bands and surfaces. Furthermore, one of Jolyne's most effective defensive measures against the threat exerted by other Stands is through the creation of expansive nets which allow her to trap dangerous adversaries and track their movements as required. She can generate additional thread by unraveling parts of her body, create complex patterns to render images such as portraits, form barriers to halt projectiles such as bullets, and finally, listen in on conversations or events occurring at a distance by picking up vibrations.
However, one point of contradiction in the Stand's depiction throughout the anime stems from the strength and properties of the thread itself. At certain junctures, Stone Free's string is sharp enough to slice through flesh with the application of sufficient force, and at others, it is shown to be fairly pliant and weak, even snapping quite easily when pulled.
In some situations, Jolyne can even create tougher strings or constructs when necessary, by winding multiple strings together. Furthermore, the strings also extend and contract much like muscles themselves, permitting her to pick up objects or wind around them. Closing up wounds with stitches is another oft-used ability, since the strings are a part of Jolyne herself. This also allows her to interact directly with other Stands, and prevents her from taking any damage when other users snap her strings.
Like Father, Like Daughter
Manifesting Stone Free's full humanoid form takes place through a process where Jolyne gathers up a considerable quantity of string and meshes it all together. Although the Stand in this form is extremely powerful, boasting considerable speed and strength at a level that can dominate most opponents in close quarters combat, this limits its range considerablyto around 2 meters, where Stone Free's strings could reach distances over 15-20 meters. Despite this, some of the benefits afforded by this form are more than worth it, enhancing its speed to a degree where the Stand can effortlessly deflect bullets. This ability is a signature of Jotaro's Stand Star Platinum and Giorno Giovanna's Gold Experience, whose speed and expectional strength have allowed them to shield users from barrages of gunfire and melee attacks on a regular basis.
Besides all this, perhaps Stone Free's most iconic characteristic is its use of punch rushes, which are a signature of all Joestars and the series as a whole, as seen in the case of Star Platinum, Crazy Diamond, and even Gold Experience. Capable of effortlessly decimating virtually any opponent in a melee contest, these attacks, delivered in quick succession, at a frenzied pace, offer rival combatants virtually no time to react or even process the damage being dealt to them. Accompanied by Jolyne's own rendition of Jotaro's now iconic "ORA-ORA-ORA" Stand Cry, this weapon in Stone Free's arsenal is not to be trifled with, having been responsible for a considerable number of her triumphs in major fights throughout Stone Ocean.