NOTE: This route is assuming Any% will include the Stone Ocean 2 page, which technically isn't required to reach the credits. An alternate route will be written up shortly in case the community decides to exclude that page.
Abbreviations used - PB = Phantom Blood = Part 1 BT = Battle Tendency = Part 2 SDC = Part 3 DIU = Part 4 GW = Part 5 SO = Part 6 SBR = Part 7 JJL = Part 8
And then the number after the abbreviation refers to which page it is for the parts with multiple pages, counting left to right - so, SDC1 would be the page with Nukesaku & Boingo stickers (and Jotaro vs DIO as the boss), while SDC3 would be the page with Mannish Boy and Hanged Man stickers (and Kakyoin vs DIO as the boss).
"All Items" refers to spending 3250 gold on three specific items to greatly speed up matches -
- Zeppeli's Soul (grants full super meter at the start of each round)
- Miasma of the Void (halves the opponent's health)
- Thankful Death (opponent's health lowers throughout the battle) If a specific different combination of items is required, that will be specified.
"No Items" means you should do that match without spending any gold on items :p
Secret Mission: Every panel has a special task that earns the player 1000 gold if performed during the match (there are also multiple tasks that DON'T earn the player 1000 gold, but don't worry about those). Each panel listed in the route will have its secret mission described (including inputs for some of them).
Command Inputs: If I'm describing a command input for a secret mission, I will use numpad notation - i.e., 236+Attack is a quarter circle forward.
Q: Why did you include [Panel X] in the route and not an easier one on the same page like [Panel Y]? A: Three possibilities -
- That panel was too slow (duh). Some "easier" opponents have higher health & defense than "harder" ones. Some of the characters you play as have poor burst damage.
- That panel didn't earn enough gold. Earning enough gold for items is the whole point of the route, so if two panels take equal time, the one with higher gold earned will be chosen.
- The secret mission wasn't good. Some secret missions are very inconsistent due to poor enemy AI - for instance, performing a Stylish Evade requires the enemy to hit you. Some secret missions, like "perform a taunt", just let the opponent get a free hit, while others, like using Yukako's "my precious hair" skill, require you to LOSE rounds intentionally. Compare to secret missions like "win without losing a round" - which you were planning on doing anyway.
Q: Why is it in this order? You can do the pages in any order, right? A: Technically yes, but notably the gold you earn from the final panel completed doesn't get used towards any items. So, the boss battle with the slowest/most inconsistent secret mission was chosen to be the end point of the run... which happens to be GW1, Giorno vs Diavolo, where the secret mission is "get the first attack". Why is that secret mission so bad, versus any of the other "get the first attack" bosses? The issue is that GW1's boss starts Giorno in Gold Experience Requiem form, which forces a cutscene to play at the start of each round. After that cutscene, Giorno is vulnerable for a few frames - you can't buffer an attack to be used instantly after your own cutscene. Additionally, Diavolo has a skill called Epitaph, which makes him auto-dodge all attacks for a short window - and the AI loves to use Epitaph right at the start of rounds. So you either get hit during the forced frames of vulnerability after your transformation, or Diavolo prevents all of your normals for a short time, making it very likely that he hits you first. Every other "Land the First Attack" mission included in the run at least lets you perform an attack (or buffer an attack) the instant the round starts.
Q: Why is [Panel X] a No-Items panel and not [Panel Y]? A: The biggest factor was time improvement. If a panel took basically the same amount of time regardless of what items you have, it's not worth it to spend gold on items. (Which is why the single-round missions were all No Items - items are literally half as effective when there's half as many rounds)
--The Route--
Navigate to the first Stone Ocean page before starting the timer.
SO1: Foo Fighters vs Kars No Items Secret Mission: Use the "I've overcome my weakness" style (Style button)
SO2: Foo Fighters vs Pucci No Items Secret Mission: Use an HHA
SO2: Anasui vs Pucci (Final) No Items Secret Mission: Do a normal attack with Stand on
SO2: Pucci (Final) vs Jotaro All Items (yes, use all items for this mission) Secret Mission: Win without losing any rounds
SO2: Jolyne vs Pucci (Final) [Boss] All Items (again, use all items for this mission) Secret Mission: Down your opponent
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Jolyne vs Made In Heaven]--
SBR: Johnny vs Diego No Items Secret Mission: Win without losing any rounds
SBR: Johnny vs Gyro No Items Secret Mission: Land a 5 hit combo
JJL: Jousuke 8 vs Jolyne No Items Secret Mission: Land the First Attack
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Jojolion No Items]--
Skip PB & BT1 for now!
BT2: Joseph vs Caesar No Items Secret Mission: Execute a taunt
SDC1: Iggy vs Pet Shop No Items Secret Mission: Use the "Sand Dome" special (4 + Style)
SDC1: Jotaro vs Avdol No Items Secret Mission: Turn your Stand on
SDC1: Jotaro vs DIO [Boss] All Items (yes, all items again) Secret Mission: Land the First Attack
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Jotaro vs DIO]--
SDC2: Avdol vs Mariah No Items Secret Mission: Use a GHA
SDC2: Jotaro vs Kakyoin No Items Secret Mission: Attack the opponent's Stand
SDC3: Avdol vs Polnareff No Items Secret Mission: Turn your Stand on
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Stardust Crusaders No Items]--
Skip DIU1 for now!
DIU2: Rohan vs Koichi No Items Secret Mission: Land the First Attack
Skip GW1 for now!
GW2: Mista vs Ghiaccio No Items Secret Mission: Call 1 Assist in a single round
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [No Items Done]--
Congratulations, you have passed the slow part of the run! Now, let's speed things up a bit...
GW2: Diavolo vs Rohan All Items Secret Mission: Use an HHA
GW2: Narancia vs Joseph All Items Secret Mission: Win without losing any rounds
GW2: Bruno vs Prosciutto All Items Secret Mission: Land the First Attack
GW2: Trish vs Diavolo [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Attack the opponent's Stand
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Trish vs Diavolo]--
SO1: Pucci vs DIO All Items Secret Mission: Win without losing any rounds
SO1: Jolyne vs Pucci [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Attack the opponent's Stand
Skip SO2, you already beat it!
SBR: Gyro vs Valentine All Items Secret Mission: Land the First Attack
SBR: Johnny vs Valentine [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Win without losing any rounds
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Johnny vs Valentine]--
JJL: Jousuke 8 vs Jotaro All Items Secret Mission: Land a 10 hit combo
JJL: Jousuke 8 vs Johnny All Items Secret Mission: Win without losing any rounds
JJL: Jousuke 8 vs Baoh [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Win without losing any rounds
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Jousuke vs Baoh]--
PB: Dio vs DIO All Items Secret Mission: Land a 5 hit combo
PB: Speedwagon vs Old Joseph All Items Secret Mission: Down your opponent
PB: Jonathan vs Speedwagon All Items Secret Mission: Land the First Attack
PB: Jonathan vs Dio [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Land the First Attack
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Jonathan vs Dio]--
BT1: Joseph vs Josuke 4 All Items Secret Mission: Execute a taunt
BT1: Lisa Lisa vs Joseph All Items Secret Mission: Win without losing any rounds
BT1: Joseph vs Esidisi All Items Secret Mission: Down your opponent
BT1: Joseph vs Kars [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Use the "I'm so outta here!" special (dash away, 4+4 - only counts after the fight starts!)
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Joseph vs Kars]--
BT2: Kars vs Valentine All Items Secret Mission: Use the "Brilliant Bone Blades" style (2+2+Style)
BT2: Lisa Lisa vs Speedwagon All Items Secret Mission: Win without losing any rounds
BT2: Joseph vs Wamuu All Items Secret Mission: Land the "Time to bring down the hammer!" skill (2+2+Attack, on downed opponent)
BT2: Caesar vs Wamuu [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Use the "Hamon Breathing" style (Style button)
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Caesar vs Wamuu]--
Skip SDC1, you already beat it!
SDC2: Iggy vs Koichi All Items Secret Mission: Down your opponent
SDC2: Polnareff vs Ice [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Call 1 Assist in a single round
SDC3: Hol Horse vs Valentine All Items Secret Mission: Execute a taunt
SDC3: Old Joseph vs Mariah All Items Secret Mission: Call 1 Assist in a single round
SDC3: Kakyoin vs DIO [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Land the First Attack
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Kakyoin vs DIO]--
DIU1: Kira vs Valentine All Items Secret Mission: Use the "Anything can be a bomb" skill (214 + Attack)
DIU1: Shigechi vs Okuyasu All Items Secret Mission: Do a normal attack with Stand on
DIU1: Josuke 4 vs Kosaku [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Attack the opponent's Stand
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Josuke vs Kosaku]--
DIU2: Koichi vs Johnny All Items Secret Mission: Use the "Sizzle!" skill (214 + Attack)
DIU2: Akira vs Okuyasu All Items Secret Mission: Use the "Charge" special (2+2+Style)
DIU2: Okuyasu vs Ice All Items Secret Mission: Land the "I'll scrape you away!" skill (Stand on, then 2+2+Attack)
DIU2: Jotaro 4 vs Kira [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: Use the "Star Platinum, The World!" style (2+2+Style)
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Jotaro vs Kira]--
GW1: Giorno vs Okuyasu All Items Secret Mission: Attack the opponent's Stand
GW1: Trish vs Akira All Items Secret Mission: Use the "I MADE IT SOFTER!" skill (Stand on, then 2+2+Attack)
GW1: Giorno vs Diavolo [Boss] All Items Secret Mission: None! You don't need any more gold!
--RECOMMENDED SPLIT [Giorno vs Diavolo]--
