JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1 Phantom Blood: All Manga Volumes
Phantom Blood Is Complete in 3 English Manga Volumes
Here’s the quick answer: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 1–Phantom Blood is fully collected in 3 deluxe hardcover volumes published by VIZ Media, an American company that specializes in translating and publishing Japanese manga for English-speaking readers. That’s the complete story — beginning, middle, and end. No waiting for future releases, no tracking down out-of-print editions.
Phantom Blood was created by Hirohiko Araki and originally ran chapter by chapter in Weekly Shonen Jump, a popular Japanese manga anthology magazine published by Shueisha (one of Japan’s largest publishers). In Japan, those magazine chapters were later collected into 5 tankobon — standard-sized Japanese paperback volumes, roughly the size of a small paperback novel. When VIZ brought the series to English readers, they condensed that material into 3 larger hardcover books — more on why the count differs in a moment.
A quick note before you shop: The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure franchise is divided into multiple self-contained stories called “parts,” each following a different protagonist. Phantom Blood is Part 1. When searching online, always look for “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1 Phantom Blood” specifically — otherwise you might accidentally end up looking at a completely different part of the series. Using a book’s ISBN or product ID is the most reliable way to confirm you’re getting the right volume.
This first part of JoJo is set in Victorian-era England and tells the story of gentleman Jonathan Joestar and his bitter, escalating rivalry with the ambitious and ruthless Dio Brando. Their conflict sets the stage for everything that follows across the later parts of JoJo — including the supernatural fighting powers called Stands that appear in later arcs, the multi-generational Joestar bloodline, and the globe-trotting adventures. It all starts here.
And because Phantom Blood is a completed story, you get a full narrative with a definitive ending. Jonathan’s battle against Dio reaches a genuine conclusion in these 3 volumes. If you’ve ever been burned by jumping into a manga that’s still running with no end in sight, this is refreshingly compact.
Already seen the anime? The manga is still worth owning. Araki’s original artwork has a raw, detailed energy that the anime adapts but can’t fully replicate, and the hardcover format showcases his linework beautifully. The story beats are largely the same, but experiencing them on the page — at your own pace, with Araki’s panel compositions guiding the eye — is a different and rewarding experience.
All 3 Volumes at a Glance
Each English hardcover volume is a hefty read, collecting roughly 1.5 to 2 Japanese tankobon worth of chapters per book. The volumes are simply titled Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3 under the “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Part 1–Phantom Blood” banner — no special subtitles to worry about. Here’s a general look at what each one covers.
Volume 1
The story opens in late 19th-century England. Jonathan Joestar is the kind-hearted son of a wealthy nobleman. His life gets turned upside down when Dio Brando — the son of a man Jonathan’s father believed had once saved his life — is adopted into the Joestar household. What follows is a slow, deliberate escalation of cruelty and manipulation as Dio systematically tries to ruin Jonathan’s life and claim the Joestar fortune for himself.
Volume 1 establishes the core dynamic that drives all of Phantom Blood: Jonathan’s decency against Dio’s ruthless ambition. It also introduces the mysterious Stone Mask, an ancient artifact that becomes central to the plot. Araki’s art in these early chapters has a distinctly muscular, 1980s aesthetic that’s very different from his later, more fashion-forward style — and it fits the Victorian setting perfectly.
Volume 2
The stakes jump dramatically here. Without spoiling the specifics, supernatural elements come to the forefront, and Jonathan begins training in Hamon (also called Ripple) — a breathing-based combat technique that becomes his primary weapon. New allies enter the picture, including some wonderfully eccentric characters that show off Araki’s gift for creating memorable side cast members.
Volume 2 is where the action really picks up. The confrontations get bigger, the powers get stranger, and Jonathan transforms from a grieving young man into a capable fighter. If Volume 1 is a slow-burn character drama, Volume 2 is where Phantom Blood shifts into full battle-manga mode.
Volume 3
Everything comes to a head. The final battle between Jonathan and Dio is dramatic, emotional, and surprisingly moving for a story that involves so much over-the-top action. This volume wraps up every major thread and delivers an ending that longtime JoJo fans consider one of the most impactful in the entire franchise.
Without saying too much, the conclusion of Phantom Blood carries real weight. It’s the kind of ending that makes you understand why Araki’s storytelling has resonated with readers for decades. And it sets the stage beautifully for Part 2: Battle Tendency — the next self-contained story in the JoJo saga, which follows a new Joestar protagonist — if you want to keep going.
Japanese vs. English Editions — Why the Volume Count Differs
If you’ve seen references to “5 volumes” of Phantom Blood and then looked at the English edition and only found 3, you’re not losing your mind. The numbers are different because the editions are physically different formats.
Japanese edition: Part 1 was collected in 5 tankobon (standard Japanese paperback volumes, typically around 5 × 7.5 inches) as part of the original JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure numbering by Shueisha. These are compact, lightweight books — the standard format for manga sold in Japan.
English edition: VIZ Media’s release uses a deluxe hardcover format — 3 volumes total. Each book has a larger trim size (roughly 7 × 10 inches), with more chapters packed into each volume. The result is a set of three chunky, satisfying hardcovers.
The larger format isn’t just about page count, though. Araki’s art benefits enormously from the bigger page size. His detailed linework, dramatic poses, and elaborate panel compositions have more room to breathe. Small details that might get lost in a smaller paperback — the texture of the Stone Mask, the anatomy of a Hamon-charged punch — are much more visible and striking in the hardcover format.
It’s also worth noting that this VIZ hardcover line is the only widely available English-language edition of Part 1. There’s no competing English paperback or omnibus (a collected edition that bundles multiple volumes into one book) to get confused about. If you’re buying Phantom Blood in English, you’re buying these 3 hardcovers.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Feature | Japanese Tankobon | English Hardcover |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Volumes | 5 | 3 |
| Format | Standard paperback (~5 × 7.5 in.) | Deluxe hardcover (~7 × 10 in.) |
| Publisher | Shueisha | VIZ Media |
| Status | Complete | Complete |
What a Complete Set Costs
With only 3 volumes to collect, Phantom Blood is one of the most affordable complete manga sets you can buy. Compare that to later JoJo parts that run much longer, or to other popular manga series that span dozens of volumes — three books is incredibly manageable for your wallet and your shelf space.
Each hardcover volume carries a list price in the range typical of deluxe-format manga — around $25.00 per volume at list price. These aren’t cheap pocket paperbacks, but they’re not premium art books either. For the full 3-volume set, you’re looking at a total that’s comparable to what you might spend on a single video game or a couple of movie tickets with snacks.
If you’re buying all 3 at once, it’s worth checking whether any retailer is running a promotion or bundle deal. Since the set is only 3 volumes, buying them together isn’t a huge commitment, and some retailers offer minor savings when you purchase multiple volumes in a series.
Digital is also an option. If you prefer reading on a screen or want to sample before committing to the physical hardcovers, the Phantom Blood volumes are available digitally through platforms like the VIZ Manga app, Kindle, and other digital manga storefronts. Digital editions typically cost less than physical hardcovers, making them a budget-friendly way to test whether the series is for you.
One nice thing about Phantom Blood’s small volume count: scarcity isn’t really an issue. Long-running manga series sometimes have individual volumes that go out of print and become hard to find, driving up secondhand prices. With only 3 books and steady demand from the JoJo fanbase, all three Phantom Blood volumes remain readily available at standard retail pricing. You shouldn’t need to hunt for them or pay inflated prices.
For manga newcomers, this is genuinely one of the easiest entry points into collecting. Three books, a complete story, no stress about tracking down rare volumes. That’s hard to beat.
Where to Buy the Full Set
Finding all 3 volumes of Phantom Blood is straightforward. Here are the main options.
Online retailers are the most convenient route. Amazon carries the full VIZ hardcover line, and Barnes & Noble and other major online bookstores stock them as well.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 1–Phantom Blood, Vol. 3 (final volume)
Manga-focused online shops like the Crunchyroll Store (which absorbed the former RightStuf anime and manga retailer) carry the VIZ hardcovers and sometimes group JoJo volumes together, making it easy to grab all three at once.
Local comic shops and bookstores are also a solid option. The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure hardcover line is popular enough that many brick-and-mortar stores keep it in stock. If your local shop doesn’t have all 3 volumes on the shelf, they can usually order them for you quickly.
Libraries are an underrated option, especially if you want to read before you buy. A 3-volume set is easy for libraries to acquire and shelve, and many public library systems have added the VIZ JoJo hardcovers to their manga collections. Check your local library catalog — you might be pleasantly surprised.
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Phantom Blood is where one of manga’s wildest rides begins. At just 3 volumes, it’s a quick read with a complete, satisfying story — and it’s the gateway to an enormous franchise if it hooks you. Jonathan Joestar’s battle against Dio Brando is dramatic, heartfelt, and packed with the kind of bizarre creativity that only Hirohiko Araki can deliver. Grab Volume 1 and see for yourself.