Having been brought up by his grandmother Erina and family friend Speedwagon, he developed a coarser and more rebellious attitude than that of his gentlemanly grandfather, but the character still has a noble heart.

He initially uses a pair of Hamon-empowered clackers in battle, but relies more on mind games rather than brute strength in fights, employing his uncanny ability to predict his opponent's actions down to what they say.

He returns as a main character in Stardust Crusaders, set 50 years later, in which he has acquired the vine-like spiritual power (a "Stand") Hermit Purple (隠者の紫, Hāmitto Pāpuru).

He returns again as a supporting character in Diamond Is Unbreakable, where he meets his illegitimate son Josuke Higashikata and is shown to be physically and mentally weaker now due to old age.

Araki based Joseph on Jonathan visually in order to have some continuity, because it was unheard of to kill the main character in a Weekly Shōnen Jump manga at the time.

Critical response to Joseph's characterization and actions in the narratives of both Battle Tendency and Stardust Crusaders were mostly positive, with game designer Hiroshi Matsuyama regarding him as the best shōnen manga hero he has ever seen.

Because it was "unprecedented" to kill off the main character in a Weekly Shōnen Jump manga in 1987, author Hirohiko Araki purposely designed Joseph to look the same as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1's protagonist Jonathan.

He wanted Joseph to be a shōnen manga hero who bends the rules as he fights, like the protagonist of his earlier series Cool Shock B.T., winning by cunning and logic, instead of bravery and perseverance.

Although he is not a fan of bringing them back simply for nostalgia, he did not hesitate having Joseph return 50 years later in Stardust Crusaders to save his daughter because it is completely true to the character.

Written by Saori Kodama and composed by Toshiyuki O'mori, Jun Yamamoto of Billboard said that he felt that the horns and funky sound of the song complement the story of Joseph and his battle against the Pillar Men: Esidisi, Wamuu, and Kars; further mesmerizing him and drawing him into a "bizarre world.

Meanwhile, former thug turned oil baron Robert E. O. Speedwagon invites Straizo to Mexico to destroy a sleeping Pillar Man with Hamon.

Joseph and Speedwagon travel to Rome, where they meet Caesar Zeppeli, a young man who did Hamon training to continue the legacy of his father and grandfather.

He visits the Japanese town of Morioh where he meets Josuke and adopts a baby girl, whom he names Shizuka, and who appears invisible at all times as an effect of her Stand.

After the part's main antagonist, Yoshikage Kira, is killed by an ambulance, Joseph and Jotaro leave Morioh, but the former has his money stolen by Josuke.

The grandson of Steel Ball Run protagonist Johnny Joestar, Fumi has some similarities to his original counterpart along with a humanoid version of Hermit Purple as his Stand.

Opposed to brute strength, Joseph is highly skilled at mind games and stage magic techniques which he uses to disarm his opponents, such as slipping objects like live grenades on their person.

In its place he gains his Stand ability Hermit Purple, a vine-like spiritual power that can conduct Hamon and act as a weapon or armor.

[8] Similarly, Joel Loynds of The Linc enjoyed the distinct personalities of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure the contrast Joseph has with Jonathan and his successor, Jotaro.

[9] Hiroshi Matsuyama from CyberConnect2 selected Joseph as his favorite Jojo's Bizarre Adventure hero based on his Battle Tendency portrayal which he felt was the "epitome of shonen manga".

[10] The Fandom Post was harsher, stating that while Joseph has charisma, he is still too cocky in the narrative due to how he manages to convince the Pillar Men to let him train so that he fight in a stronger form.

[11] Comic Book Resources made an article centered solely on Joseph, pointing out multiple appealing traits from his character that do not make sense when taken seriously such as his ability to predict others' following line or surprising the actual narrator of the series who states he dies in Battle Tendency.

[12] The death of Caesar before Part 2's climax was noted to be forced to make Jojo's characterization develop and take a more mature compromise with his mission in contrast to his earlier appearances.

[14] Anime UK News stated that Joseph and Avdol share one of the most hilarious fights in Stardust Crusaders based on how they accidentally sexually harass each other when being attacked by a Stand User working for Dio.