Jonathan Joestar
Jonathan Joestar is widely regarded as the purest and most naturally talented Hamon user in the entire JoJo series, embodying the ripple's noble spirit through his gentlemanly character and unwavering moral compass. Trained personally by Will A. Zeppeli on the streets of London and in the countryside of England, Jonathan masters the ripple in an incredibly short time frame of mere weeks, demonstrating prodigious natural talent that even Zeppeli remarks is extraordinary. His Hamon is characterized by raw power output and noble intent, channeled through his gentlemanly spirit that seeks to protect the innocent rather than dominate opponents. Jonathan's signature techniques include the Sunlight Yellow Overdrive, a devastating rapid-fire punch infused with concentrated Hamon energy that visually manifests as golden sunlight arcing from his fists, and the Metal Silver Overdrive delivered through bladed weapons that extends his reach while maintaining full ripple potency. His defining final act against Dio Brando on the burning ship uses every ounce of his Hamon in a Final Overdrive that destroys the vampire's body and ensures the Joestar mansion's tragedy does not claim more victims. Though Jonathan dies at sea from his injuries, his Hamon lives on through his bloodline descendants, and the ripple he started through his sacrifice never truly fades from the Joestar family destiny. His legacy as the first Hamon-using JoJo sets the standard of courage, nobility, and self-sacrifice that every subsequent member of the Joestar family measures themselves against, making Jonathan the moral foundation of the entire series.
Joseph Joestar
Joseph Joestar takes a radically different approach to Hamon from his grandfather Jonathan, substituting raw power and straightforward techniques with cunning improvisation and borderline trickster tactics that keep his opponents constantly off-balance. Where Jonathan uses Hamon with gentlemanly directness and noble restraint, Joseph applies the ripple with battlefield creativity and theatrical showmanship that turns every fight into a spectacle of unpredictable tactics. His most famous techniques include infusing Hamon into everyday objects like Tommy guns whose bullets become sunlight projectiles, his fedora becoming a bladed throwing weapon, and his signature clacker balls that create Hamon-charged distractions. This improvisational style creates attacks so unexpected that even the ancient pillar men, who have centuries of combat experience, cannot anticipate his next move. Joseph's Hamon also manifests through his Hermit Purple Stand in Part 3, which appears as thorny, Hamon-sensitive vines that he can channel ripple energy through for combined Stand-Hamon attacks. Despite having objectively less raw Hamon potential than Jonathan due to his more relaxed training attitude, Joseph's exceptional battlefield intelligence and ability to predict enemy movements through "your next line is" moments makes him far more dangerous in actual combat than his pure power level would suggest. His innate talent for setting elaborate traps and reading opponents compensates for any deficiency in raw ripple output, allowing him to defeat foes far more powerful than himself. In Stardust Crusaders, an elderly Joseph still uses residual Hamon to neutralize DIO's flesh bud implanted in his own body, proving that even significantly diminished Hamon remains valuable against the undead.
Caesar Zeppeli
Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli represents the absolute pinnacle of formal Hamon training in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, having been raised within the full Zeppeli family tradition from childhood rather than learning the ripple later in life like most practitioners. As the proud grandson of Will A. Zeppeli, Caesar inherits the complete Zeppeli family Hamon tradition, mastering techniques passed down through generations of dedicated training in European monasteries and secret dojos. His signature Bubble Launcher technique demonstrates incredible precision and technical refinement, creating Hamon-infused soap bubbles that can function simultaneously as cutting weapons, containment traps, blinding light displays, and floating explosives depending on his tactical needs. Caesar's bubble lens technique, which focuses sunlight through a precisely curved soap bubble into a concentrated beam of solar energy, shows the absolute highest level of Hamon refinement achieved by any practitioner in the series, requiring minute control of both breathing and bubble surface tension simultaneously. His initially antagonistic rivalry with Joseph evolves into genuine deep respect and brotherly affection as they train together under Lisa Lisa. Caesar's heartbreaking final sacrifice against the pillar man Wamuu becomes one of the most emotional and memorable moments in all of Battle Tendency, as he knowingly faces certain death to give Joseph a chance at victory. Caesar's last act, collecting his own blood into a Hamon-charged ring containing a dying message for Joseph, ensures the Zeppeli family legacy of heroic sacrifice continues into the next generation. His death is the emotional turning point of Battle Tendency, transforming Joseph from a carefree trickster who takes nothing seriously into a determined hero willing to sacrifice everything for the greater good.
Will A. Zeppeli
Will Anthonio Zeppeli is the master who introduces Hamon to Jonathan Joestar and sets the entire Joestar legacy in motion, serving as the catalyst that transforms a grieving young nobleman into a hero capable of facing supernatural evil. Zeppeli was rigorously trained by the legendary master Tonpetty in India and has spent his entire adult life hunting vampires and studying the ripple after his own father was killed by Dio Brando, giving him a deeply personal vendetta against the undead. His Hamon style, developed through years of practical combat experience rather than academic study, is unorthodox but brutally effective, incorporating unconventional techniques like the Zoom Punch that dislocates his own shoulder for extended range and the ability to walk on water by channeling Hamon through the surface tension of liquid. His most famous technique is the Sendou Ripple Overdrive, channeling Hamon through the ground beneath his feet to attack enemies from below with devastating surprise strikes that erupt directly under their position. Zeppeli's defining moment comes during his climactic fight with Dio Brando at the Joestar mansion, where he knowingly sacrifices his life to create an opening for Jonathan to land the decisive blow against the vampire. His dying words to Jonathan and his final transfer of his remaining Hamon energy to his student represent the absolute core of the Zeppeli family philosophy that defines the entire lineage: complete self-sacrifice for the greater good, passing both power and responsibility to the next generation in their final moments.
Lisa Lisa
Lisa Lisa, whose real name is Elizabeth Joestar, is Joseph Joestar's mother and a master Hamon user in her own right who represents the often-overlooked power of female practitioners in the series. She trained under the same legendary master Tonpetty as Will A. Zeppeli and became one of the most powerful Hamon users of her entire generation, developing a refined style distinct from the male practitioners of her era. Lisa Lisa possessed the Red Stone of Aja before passing it to the Speedwagon Foundation, a crucial artifact in the fight against the pillar men that she protected at great personal risk. Her fighting style emphasizes elegance, precision, and economy of movement over raw power output, using sophisticated techniques like the Hamon Rope Trap where she transmits Hamon through threads to create invisible snares, and the Silk Heart technique that uses her scarf as both a weapon and Hamon conductor. She trains Joseph and Caesar at her secluded compound in Venice, subjecting them to grueling exercises that push both their physical limits and their ability to maintain Hamon concentration under extreme duress. Despite her relatively few direct combat appearances in the manga and anime, Lisa Lisa's fearsome reputation as a Hamon master is firmly established through her unshakeable calm demeanor, her always-visible strategic mind, and the profound respect she commands from every character who knows her reputation. She represents the vital continuity of Hamon knowledge across generations, personally trained by the same masters as the legendary Zeppeli and passing that accumulated wisdom to the next generation of Joestar warriors.
Tonpetty and Dire
Tonpetty is recognized as the grand master of Hamon, the most powerful and experienced Hamon user alive during the events of Phantom Blood, having dedicated his entire long life to mastering the ripple and training worthy successors. He personally trained Will A. Zeppeli and possessed such advanced Hamon abilities that he could foresee future events through his specialized breathing techniques, predicting Jonathan's fateful confrontation with Dio Brando and the tragic outcomes that would follow. Tonpetty's Hamon is so extraordinarily refined that his clairvoyant abilities work through the ripple itself, suggesting that Hamon at its highest levels can transcend mere physical combat and access higher states of consciousness. Dire is another of Tonpetty's most prominent students, a proud and capable warrior who fights alongside Zeppeli and Jonathan against Dio's forces. Dire's signature technique is the memorable Thunder Cross Split Attack, a powerful combo strike that channels concentrated Hamon through both arms simultaneously for a devastating pincer maneuver. Though Dire is killed relatively early in Phantom Blood during Dio's assault, his memorable techniques and his heroic sacrifice demonstrate the significant depth of Hamon mastery that exists beyond just the main characters. Tonpetty's existence as the ultimate Hamon authority establishes an important world-building point: Hamon is a complete, ancient martial art with its own established hierarchy of masters, students, schools of thought, and traditions that existed long before the Joestar family encountered it. The ripple is not merely a power-up for the protagonists but a fully realized discipline with its own internal politics and lineage.
Lesser-Known Hamon Practitioners
Beyond the main characters, several other Hamon users appear throughout JoJo's Bizarre Adventure who contribute to the world-building and demonstrate the ripple's broader impact. Straizo is a Hamon master trained alongside Will A. Zeppeli under Tonpetty who eventually betrays his sacred teachings and transforms himself into a vampire using a Stone Mask, tragically demonstrating that Hamon knowledge and training do not guarantee moral purity or immunity to the temptations of power. Loggins and Messina are two skilled Hamon masters who train Joseph and Caesar on Lisa Lisa's private island, each specializing in different aspects of Hamon combat — Loggins focuses on endurance and defensive applications while Messina emphasizes offensive techniques and precision strikes. The existence of these secondary practitioners shows that Hamon was once a widespread martial art with multiple established schools, regional traditions, and varied teaching methodologies across Europe and Asia. By the time of Stardust Crusaders in the late 1980s, most Hamon users have either died in battle against supernatural threats or retired from active duty, their traditional knowledge replaced by the new generation of Stand users who wield fundamentally different abilities. The decline of Hamon as a widespread combat practice mirrors the series' own narrative evolution toward Stands, but its profound influence on the Joestar bloodline's destiny remains absolutely permanent and irreplaceable. Every Joestar who follows carries the ripple's legacy within their blood, whether they consciously practice Hamon or not, establishing the foundation upon which the entire Joestar heroic tradition stands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the strongest Hamon user?
Tonpetty is considered the most powerful Hamon user, but among main characters, Jonathan Joestar has the greatest raw Hamon potential. Joseph Joestar is the most effective fighter despite having less pure power, using cunning and improvisation to overcome stronger opponents.
Can Hamon users develop Stands?
Yes. Joseph Joestar develops the Stand Hermit Purple in Part 3, which manifests as Hamon-sensitive thorny vines. DIO also develops a Stand after taking Jonathan's body, suggesting Hamon exposure may influence Stand evolution.
Who taught Jonathan Joestar Hamon?
Will A. Zeppeli taught Jonathan Joestar Hamon after being sent by the master Tonpetty. Zeppeli recognized Jonathan's potential and sacrificed much of his own Hamon energy to awaken Jonathan's abilities during their training.
Did Joseph Joestar lose his Hamon?
Joseph did not lose his Hamon entirely, but his output diminished significantly with age and lack of practice. In Stardust Crusaders, he can still use basic Hamon techniques to counter DIO's flesh buds and sense supernatural threats.
Are there female Hamon users?
Yes. Lisa Lisa (Elizabeth Joestar) is a master Hamon user who trains Joseph Joestar. She is one of the most powerful Hamon users of her generation and possesses the Red Stone of Aja.