….I’m as confused as you are with this one. Ever since Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure started airing in 2012 with the Phantom Blood arc, fans have been obsessed with Jonathan Joestar’s companion, Robert Speedwagon. And this being the internet age, things just rapidly devolve into memehood. This leaves many non-fans confused, asking the same question: Why is everyone calling this buff, blonde dude their ultimate waifu?!

Okay, I think we need to backtrack here. I’m sure most of you reading probably know what a waifu is but let me help out the newcomers. A waifu is a character in an anime or manga that enthusiasts would love to be committed to. This character is their ideal combination of beauty and brains and whatever other quirk they hold dear. You can have sweet innocent waifus or maybe you prefer one that can beat you in hand-to-hand combat. It doesn’t matter, because a waifu is highly specific to many.

Therefore, let me get this out of the way: No, newbies, Robert Speedwagon is not a girl. But yes, he is considered a waifu. Because waifus can be of any gender. For example, you don’t have to choose between Loid Forger and Yor Forger, both can be your waifus if you wish. That’s the beauty of the waifu culture: we don’t judge!

So why Speedwagon, of all people? I mean, it’s not like the JBA fandom is lacking in cool female characters for them to idolize and fangirl over. Hell, we even have a female JoJo protagonist now, Jolyne Cujoh, who is worthy of the top waifu title. But for some reason, despite all these years of popularity, none have ever been as beloved as Robert Speedwagon.

So, let’s do a deep dive into the man himself and how bromance defines JoJo fans.

Who Is Robert Speedwagon?

We can’t start this character analysis without a breakdown of the man’s origins! Truth is, Speedwagon didn’t have a great start. He was introduced initially as a minor villain, but it was all to kickstart Jonathan Joestar’s eventual journey.

We meet Robert E.O. Speedwagon as part of a gang that ambushed Jonathan on Ogre Street. And with his flashy moves and a top hat that was used as a frisbee with blades, he stood out. Jonathan stood his ground though, beating him and his cohorts. Speedwagon realized what was happening here and backed off.

He had grown up on Ogre Street, which is not an easy thing to do. Through it, he met all sorts of unsavory fellows and had to steal and lie to survive. All of this gave him a great sense of character judgment, where he could discern a good person from a bad one, simply by their scent. And that’s how he was able to see that Jonathan was a man worth his metal, impressed by his bravery and guts.

Robert E. O. Speedwagon: Best JoBro™

The term ‘JoBro’ refers to the companions that often act as advisors or friends to the JoJo protagonists. Every Joestar descendant has a JoBro like Jotaro Kujo had Noriaki Kakyoin during Stardust Crusaders. It’s just a thing that gives the Joestars an ally when starting.

And Robert is probably the best of them all. He accompanied Jonathan, dropping everything to support him as a friend and brother in his endeavors against Dio Brando. Speedwagon didn’t even have a Stand, but he fought alongside Jonathan valiantly, without any fear for his own wellbeing.

Hell, the man started an entire foundation for future Joestars to fall back on lest they needed anything. He could’ve just dipped when he became an oil baron, he really didn’t have to do any of it. But he did. Because that’s what being a good bro is all about.

Being a JoBro means keeping your bestie’s future kids safe from harm and helping them prepare to fight their weirdly flamboyant vampire uncle. And Speedwagon was the one to start it all.

JoJo’s Bizarre Memes

Look, at this point, the JoJo fandom sustains itself on memes that no one else outside of the fandom can even fathom understanding. It’s a close-knit community for a reason and one that deserves applause for its creativity.

Speedwagon is universally adored thanks to his loud and outrageous nature. His commentary during fight scenes is peak perfection, proving him to be as entertaining as he is endearing. And don’t even get me started on his devotion to the Joestars. He is emotionally invested in his friends and loved ones, crying if any harm comes to them. Also, it’s no coincidence that despite hitting it big with the oil industry, Speedwagon never married. Which JoJo fans took as a sign that Speedwagon and Joestar were a true bromance, thus transcending him as the ultimate waifu.

Of course, a lot of this fandom thrives on exaggerated memes. So, the waifu thing is likely more comedic than it is serious. But we can admit that the affection JoJo fans hold for Speedwagon is very genuine. He isn’t just a gag to them, but a man with a heart of gold worth more than a thousand waifus.