Za warudo

Meaning

What does Za warudo mean?

Za Warudo is a reference to the famous manga/anime series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The phrase is derived from a scene in the series where the main antagonist, Dio Brando, uses his stand known as “The World” to stop time and gain an advantage over his opponent, Jotaro Kujo.
Due to the Japanese pronunciation of the English word “the world”, it sounded like “Za Warudo” and became a popular catchphrase among fans. The popularity of this phrase has even led to the creation of a popular “WRYYYY” meme with Pepe the Frog making reference to that same scene.

ZA WARUDO!

Origin

What's the origin of Za warudo?

The origin of “Za Warudo” can be traced back to the manga series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. In the 248th chapter of the manga, which was released in 1991, a character named Dio Brando uses a stand called “The World”. The stand’s name is written as “Za Warudo” in Japanese, which translates to “The World” in English.
The animated scene featuring Dio’s use of “Za Warudo” came later in the anime OVA adaptation called Stardust Crusaders. The anime ran between 1992-1994, and the fight scene where Dio uses his stand to stop time and attack the protagonist Jotaro Kujo aired at the end of 1994.
Since then, “Za Warudo” has become a popular meme among fans of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and internet culture as a whole. It’s often used in videos or images that depict someone freezing time or stopping something in its tracks.
In fact, there was even a tournament fighter game released that references this iconic fight scene. The game is called JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R and features playable characters from the series, including Dio with his infamous stand “Za Warudo”.

Spread & Usage

How did Za warudo spread?

Since the debut of the official JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders anime in 2014, “Za Warudo” has been gaining increased attention online. The phrase was featured in the final episodes of the show.

Since then, “Za Warudo” has spread like wildfire, appearing all over YouTube videos, image sharing sites like 9GAG and Reddit and in conversations between anime and manga fans and hardcore Otakus. Some have even gone as far as to create their own remixes or versions of the meme.

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