Born to an abusive alcoholic father, Dario Brando, in Northeast London, Dio Brando poisoned his father then exploited a debt to secure adoption by George Joestar I around 1880. Arriving at the Joestar mansion, Dio immediately savagely kicked Jonathan Joestar's dog Danny, marking the start of his relentless campaign of psychological and physical torment against his adoptive brother. This cruelty extended to forcibly kissing Jonathan's girlfriend, Erina Pendleton, and orchestrating Danny's incineration. For seven years, Dio maintained a deceptive friendship while secretly poisoning George Joestar to claim the fortune. Exposed by Jonathan, Dio tested an ancient Stone Mask on a London bystander, accidentally creating a vampire. Cornered at the mansion by Jonathan and authorities, Dio activated the mask with George's blood, transforming into a vampire. He gained superhuman strength, regeneration, ice-based attacks, and the Space Ripper Stingy Eyes technique. Surviving the mansion's destruction by fire, Dio fled to Windknight's Lot. There, he built an army of zombies—Jack the Ripper, Bruford, and Tarkus—by injecting his essence into corpses and attempted to transform Poco's sister into a vampire. Trained in Ripple (Hamon) energy by Will A. Zeppeli, Jonathan confronted him. Dio was dismembered in battle, seemingly destroyed, yet his severed head survived with minion Wang Chan's aid. In 1889, Dio ambushed Jonathan and Erina on their honeymoon voyage. He fatally wounded Jonathan but was caught in an explosion after Jonathan sabotaged the ship. To survive, Dio grafted his head onto Jonathan's body before sealing himself in a coffin that sank to the ocean floor. The 2007 film adaptation condensed or omitted events like the rugby match, Speedwagon's involvement, and Jonathan obtaining the sword Luck & Pluck. It depicted Dio's freezing technique without explaining its mechanics and relocated the final ship confrontation to the Pacific Ocean. Across all portrayals, Dio consistently exhibits a profound lack of empathy, manipulative charisma, and grandiosity, viewing others solely as tools, evident in his treatment of women and minions. His driving ambition leads him to pursue power through any means, including rejecting his humanity, displaying innate psychopathic cruelty. In fighting game adaptations, his moveset reflects vampiric abilities like health-draining attacks and ice-based special moves.