The character has also appeared in video games based on Ashita no Joe and has been portrayed in two live-action works by and Shōji Ishibashi and Tomohisa Yamashita.

The main idea behind Joe's characterization was that he was passionate about his love of boxing and thus would live to his full extent until his death.

Joe Yabuki was initially based on Sawada Jiro, who became the Oriental Lightweight Champion in his youth.

[4] In a 2001 interview, forensic pathologist Masahiko Ueno concluded that Joe had to be alive in the final panel to remain upright.

[5] Joe Yabuki, a young drifter, has a chance encounter with alcoholic former boxing trainer Danpei Tange while wandering through the San'ya slums.

The prison sets up a boxing tournament led by Danpei and funded by millionaire Mikinosuke Shiraki and his daughter Yoko.

Rikiishi knocks Joe out in the 8th round to win, but later dies from the combined effects of weight loss and a brain hemorrhage sustained during the fight.

Fearing that Joe has lost his fighting instincts, she forces him to face Malaysian fighter Harimau before he can challenge Mendoza.

Initially composed, Mendoza begins losing his mind as Joe continues to hold on no matter how much damage he takes.

During the manga's serialization, it was particularly popular with working-class people and college students who were involved in the New Left, who saw themselves likewise struggling against the system like Joe Yabuki did and revered him as an icon.

[6] An example of this New Left influence were the members of the Japanese Red Army who took part in the Yodogo hijacking in 1970 and compared themselves to Joe as they saw a revolutionary message in the manga.

The story of Joe's rise from nothing touched a chord with Japanese audiences, who were seeing their country prosper after a long period of postwar devastation.

[13] Joe was also a major influence in Kyo Kusanagi, the main character of SNK's fighting game series, The King of Fighters.

[14] Megalobox director Yo Moriyama stated Gearless Joe and Yuri were loosely based Jo Yabuki and Rikishi as a tribute to such manga, respectively, as he views that the rivalry of two boxers was the main event of Ashita no Joe which Megalobox adadpted.

[15] Manga.Tokyo positively compared Gearless Joe with Jo Yabuki as, despite the series being a tribute to Ashita no Joe with multiple similarities, he comes across as more likable character than the arrogant Jo describing him as a "much more down to earth, easy-going loveable rogue, kind of like Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop".

[16] Anime News Network praised Joe's character arc in the series as well as his rivalry with Rikishi, with the latter coming across as homoerotic tension.

Joe's fate caused a major impact in Japanese culture when the anime ended there was a 700-person funeral procession for him by Shūji Terayama.