Dio, no matter what happens, live nobly and with pride. If you do that, you'll surely be able to go to Heaven.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Over Heaven, shortened to Over Heaven, is a Light Novel written by NisiOisiN of Bakemonogatari fame and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Released in 2012 as part of the Milestone Celebration "VS JOJO" projectnote , it is considered of dubious canonicity.
Over Heaven is presented as Dio Brando's long lost diary which gathers in chronological order his thoughts, commentaries about the current events of Stardust Crusaders and his own retrospective about his whole life, thus making it a Perspective Flip of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series. In the course of his writing, Dio mixes recollection and thoughts about his past and the events of Phantom Blood during which he developed a respect for his archenemy Jonathan Joestar, commentaries about the numerous defeats of his minions as Jotaro Kujo and his other enemies travel from Japan to Egypt, philosophical debates about the very nature of happiness. Driven by his mother's teachings and his evil nature, Dio thus begins to formulate a plan in order to go to a hypothetical Heaven and write it in his diary, hoping that in the case he dies, his allies will find it and complete his scheme.
The book is filled to the brim with Continuity Nods, but also offers an Alternative Character Interpretation of Dio Brando. While in the series, Dio Brando is a villain whose ambition drives his every action, the diary suggests that Even Dio Loves his Mother. Dio's own mother and several characters with Incorruptible Pure Pureness deeply influenced him and in a way, Dio tries to honor their memories by creating Heaven on earth.
Over Heaven provides examples of the following tropes:
- Abusive Parent: Dio remembers well how his father beat him and made him work to pay for booze. He also used to admire him for it before hating him.
- Accidental Misnaming: Dio's last name is technically "Joestar". However, everyone kept calling him Brando and he never bothered to correct them.
- Admiring the Abomination: The fictitious translator of the diary admits that his work is motivated by fascination for the monster Dio was, and wishes to understand him more through this diary.
- Apocalyptic Log: Dio has written his diary as his organization was steadily dismantled by the Joestars and his minions were defeated one by one. The last chapter has Dio prepare to battle the Joestars and plans to continue writing the next day.
- Because Destiny Says So: Dio has come to believe that everything that happened to him was fated.
- Berserk Button: Dio notes that any mention of his parents puts him off. He loves but looks down on his gentle mother, and hates his father. At one point he stops writing because he senses that writing about Dario too much is infuriating him. In his youth, he also notes that he's had the most trouble controlling himself when his parents were mentioned around him.
- Dio absolutely loathes the idea of "inheritors", people who never had to work or toil for what they've earned. It's also the one point of Jonathan that Dio cannot let go of and has no Villain Respect for.
- Avoiding pressing this is why Dio justifies not trying to assassinate Holly Kujo. Having learned from experience thanks to Johnathan's reaction to him stealing Erina's Sacred First Kiss, he realizes then rather than breaking the heroes' spirits like Enya believes, they would instead go on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
- Continuity Nod: As the diary of the Big Bad of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, of course, many references to the events of Parts 1, 3, and 6 are present (with some occasional references to events in parts 2, 4, and 5).
- Despotism Justifies the Means: Subverted. While Dio first wants to rule the world, he soon changes his goal and becomes a Heaven Seeker.
- Dramatic Irony: The book ends with Dio noticing that the Joestar Group has arrived and plans to continue his diary the next day. Of course, he is destined to lose to Jotaro and have his diary burned.
- Eat the Rich: In his younger years, Dio hated the rich because their fortunes were, for the most part, inherited, thus setting them apart from himself, a self-described "taker" who took everything he wanted from others, not just inherited their wealth.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Dio thinks of his mother as a holy figure. As unrepentant, Dio calls her foolish for being a nice person during Victorian Britain, but she is still one of the most influential figures of his life and he knows it.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Dio spends a lot of his time thinking on what motivated his saintly mother to act like she did in the sordid slums of Victorian London. This reflection then extends to any of the decent persons he's seen during his life. Through Insane Troll Logic, Dio decides to create Heaven on Earth because that's what his mother would have wished.
- Framing Device: An introductory chapter explains that the book was released by a Speedwagon Foundation agent who restored Dio's diary (albeit with some help from Josuke Higashkita) years after the events of Stardust Crusaders.
- The Good Guys Always Win: A fact noted by Dio, who was repeatedly defeated by Jonathan. Part of Dio's Character Development is to acknowledge that his failure wasn't due to luck, but The Power of Love.
- Good Is Dumb: Dio believes that when you want something, being restrained by morality is stupid. He also thought his mother was stupid for being charitable with fellow paupers like herself or sticking by her abusive husband.
- Hate at First Sight: Dio narrates that he hated Jonathan at first sight because he represented everything he resented about the nobles and the wealthy.
- Hard Work Hardly Works: Dio dislikes the fact that "Inheritors" like Johnathan merely pick up what they're given and work with that, rather than actually having to earn it or take it, like Dio would. It also happens to be one of the easiest ways to anger him.DIO: He himself never moved, he was merely "given" and "inherited" these things. Jonathan Joestar lived his life lazily.
- Heaven Seeker: Dio seeks to reach Heaven, but he has his own twisted vision of what Heaven should look like.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: Dio narrates his efforts to seek a friend. Which means someone he can trust to fulfill his own ends for him, since for Dio, It's All About Me.
- Mad Scientist: Dio spends time researching esoteric knowledge and experimenting on it to improve his Stand.
- Magical Incantation: Dio writes in his diary and engraves on his Stand a password that will allow even a piece of himself to recognize a friend, as the soul itself will memorize it. He uses random meaningless words to ensure no one can simply guess the password.DIO: Spiral Staircase, Rhinoceros Beetle, Ghost Town, Fig Tart, Rhinoceros Beetle, Via Dolorosa, Rhinoceros Beetle, Singularity, Giotto, Angel, Hydrangea, Rhinoceros Beetle, Singularity, Secret Emperor.
- Never Recycle Your Schemes: Dio lampshades that his failures can be traced back to his stupid idea of using the same poison to kill George and Dario, allowing Jonathan to recognize a pattern and suspect Dio.
- Older and Wiser: The current DIO calls himself foolish in the past for not having the insight that he has now.
- Only Friend: Enrico Pucci is the only person Dio can call a friend and wholeheartedly trusts.
- The Only One I Trust: Dio plans to disintegrate his own Stand temporarily, thus he needs someone he absolutely trusts to help him get it back. He deems Pucci to be that person.
- Orcus on His Throne: Defied by Dio, who hides that he is researching a way to upgrade his Stand and bring about The End of the World as We Know It and pretends he is laying in his mansion.
- Patricide: Dio holds his patricide in special regards as the first time he killed someone to further himself.
- Perspective Flip: Over Heaven is essentially a retelling of Part 1 and 3 of the series, but from Dio's point of view instead.
- The Power of Love: Dio takes note of the fact that attachment with others, such as a loved one or a friend, makes people more determined to fight, and thus more likely to win. He decides to not underestimate it the next time he has to fight.
- Save the Villain: Dio reveals that it was Erina who placed Jonathan's corpse and his unconscious head in the sealed chest. She then probably proceeded with an underwater burial. But even Dio says his memory from this moment is hazy and that it is highly improbable that she could even if she wanted to.
- Secret Diary: Dio kept his diary's existence a secret to even his most trusted subordinates. He only revealed it to his friend Pucci.
- Soul Power: Dio notes that the ability to manipulate souls is the greatest tool to reach Heaven, whereas Time Stop only makes him invincible in a fight.
- Sufficiently Advanced Magic: In multiple chapters, Dio attempts to figure out the exact mechanism of how Stand powers work in order to reach Heaven, and how he would evolve his Stand to do so. He consults with multiple Stand users on the subject, and devotes a great deal of thought as to how it would be done.
- That Was the Last Entry: The diary ends shortly before the final battle of Stardust Crusaders, with Dio noting that the heroes are at his doorstep and that it's high time he finishes the Joestar bloodline off once and for all, promising to continue writing tomorrow.
- Unreliable Narrator: The Speedwagon Foundation agent who published the diary tells the reader to take everything Dio says to the Nth degree, as he may very well lie to them.
- Villain Respect: While not immediately apparent due to his hate of Jonathan's morality and supposed weakness of heart, Dio considers Jonathan's willpower highly enough that he bears no disgust or hate when stating that the descendants of the Joestars inherited his will despite his usual hatred of those who have "inherited" things.
- Virtue Is Weakness: Dio believes that lack of morality makes people more powerful, as they are ready to do anything to get whatever they want.
- We Can Rule Together: Dio momentarily considers offering a truce with the Joestars. He then dismisses the idea as ridiculous considering the grief he's caused to the family over the course of a century.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Enya suggests that she has Holly Kujo assassinated to completely break the Joestars' spirit, but Dio knows better than pushing their Berserk Button and risking a Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
- Worf Had the Flu: According to DIO himself, having a flesh-bud causes the Stand user to be slightly weakened and not be as effective as they normally would be such as Kakyoin, Polneraff, and Enya.
- Worthy Opponent: Dio considers the whole Joestar bloodline to be his Archenemy. After thinking briefly that maybe Jonathan's descendants wouldn't be worthy of his legacy, Jotaro and Joseph's victories make him realize that the Joestars' determination and fierceness is still as dangerous to him then as it was 100 years ago, thus Dio chooses to tread carefully with the Joestars.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Dio is already planning on getting rid of Enya, who is stuck thinking about mere world domination whereas Dio has become a Heaven Seeker. Her becoming mad from rage at losing her son is the final straw for Enya.
