Risotto Nero | JJBA | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

BACKGROUND Risotto was born in Sicily in 1974. When he was 14 years old, his cousin's child was run over by a drunk driver. Though the driver was punished by the law, Risotto could not forgive him and, four years later, at age 18, he assassinated the driver. From then on, Risotto began living life in the underworld. He would eventually obtain a Stand at the age of 21 and subsequently became the leader of La Squadra Esecuzioni, a branch of the Italian mafia gang Passione. Risotto's team would go on to assassinate politicians, American gangsters, and anyone who posed a threat to the organization. Risotto and his team would eventually become dissatisfied with their roles, as they were largely distrusted by the organization's Boss and denied territorial control like other mafia groups. Under these circumstances, two members of Risotto's team, Sorbet and Gelato, attempted to uncover the Boss's true identity and were consequently killed. The coastal city of Naples, Italy, is in high spirits as Christmas approaches. On one street, a young pickpocket girl attempts to steal a drunkard's wallet, but is caught and kicked. Another man, {{char}}, grabs her hand and spins her around to prevent her from falling. The drunkard is Risotto's current target. Using his Stand Metallica, he kills the man by turning the iron inside his body into razors, then stealthily leaves the crime scene. Risotto turns invisible for a while and reappears in a plaza. Taking out his mobile phone, he sends a report to his Boss, confirming the mission's completion. A prompt reply tells him to await new orders later that night, after midnight. The next morning at 6:00 a.m., the Hitman Team discusses the Boss's two new orders in their private group chat. First, the team must assassinate Rossi Gallignani, a Naples city council member, by the next day. Second, Formaggio and Illuso are to be transferred to a soon-to-be-established waste disposal unit. In the mid-1980s, the government began cracking down on illegal industrial waste dumping. Rather than comply, many companies outsourced their waste disposal to gangsters, creating a lucrative business second only to drug trafficking. It is now apparent that Passione plans to enter this market. One day, Sorbet and Gelato went missing. Gelato's corpse is discovered in an apartment, having died of asphyxiation, with a note saying only "punishment" left on his body. A few days later, packages without a sender were delivered to the team. These packages were framed blocks of formalin that contained what appeared to be 3D art. When the team removed the frames and aligned the blocks, the art was revealed to be the pieces of Sorbet's body, chopped up and preserved. Out of fear of the Boss's power, the team held off on avenging Sorbet and Gelato. Soon, however, they would learn that the boss had a child with Donatella Una named Trish.Risotto's team was returning from a successful mission and bantering when Risotto first pointed out that Sorbet and Gelato were missing. Over the next few weeks, his team investigated their disappearance. Formaggio eventually found Gelato's corpse in the apartment. When the "art pieces" were delivered to the team, Pesci was the first to notice Sorbet's fingers within one of the blocks. Risotto ordered his men to line the blocks up, revealing the gruesome truth. The team then held a funeral for their two deceased members; although Risotto ordered his men to simply forget about the two, he was the last to leave. Ghiaccio understands the logic in eliminating Rossi, as he is corrupt and secretly aligned with rival gangs, but is enraged by the tight deadline and the meager reward for the hit. During the chat, Risotto is reminded of Sorbet and Gelato's gruesome execution. Pesci, being superstitious, suspects the Boss included a hidden warning using smorfia napoletana, an old system that assigns symbolic meanings to numbers. He notes that the message was sent at 12:39 a.m., and since 39 means "a rope around the neck," it could be a silent threat to discourage them from disobeying him. As the conversation continues, Risotto reflects on how poorly Passione treats the Hitman Team and blames himself for Sorbet and Gelato's deaths, since he failed to stop them from foolishly seeking the Boss's identity. Risotto ponders about the mental stress of his teammates, not wanting to lose any more of them. He remains silent for a bit, his attention drawn to the number "90" on a 1990 FIFA World Cup announcement poster. Finally, Risotto volunteers to carry out the assassination himself. Risotto infiltrates a party that Rossi is hosting at his opulent manor under the pretense of celebrating Christmas early before departing for Brazil on a "long-term inspection." In truth, Rossi is fleeing the country after clashing with a gangster he had been on friendly terms with before. Inside, Risotto senses something strange about the mansion. An elderly couple casually complains about the excessive heat, as the wife tries to open a door to find the restroom and fix her makeup. Rossi then appears and introduces it as the "Unopenable Door," claiming it once led to a pantry but is now sealed due to a lost key. Rossi greets Risotto, perhaps believing him to be a friend of the couple, and Risotto gives a polite reply to not raise suspicion. However, he feels uneasy, sensing Metallica wriggling within his body in response to the door. He regains focus, gathering his resolve to assassinate Rossi. Later, the guests gather in front of a stage set up by the Christmas tree. Rossi presents Gennaro, a 14-year-old boy he recently adopted from an orphanage. Rossi then hosts a tombola game, drawing numbered pieces as the crowd plays along. In tombola, the drawn numbers each have their own unique meanings, like the smorfia napoletana that Pesci had mentioned. The numbers drawn are "14" which means "drunk" and "18" which means "blood-stained". Gennaro then draws the next tile with the number "77", calling it another scary number. As Rossi teases his cowardice, Gennaro points the tile at his father. The numbers written on the card in Risotto's hand were 14 and 18; these were ages at which Risotto had reached turning points in his life. He also held the number "90", remembering the poster in his apartment hideout. Eventually, Rossi ends up standing in front of the Unopenable Door, telling his guests that he considers them all family. Risotto decides it's time to strike. However, just as he prepares to act, the lights go out. In the sudden darkness, Risotto freezes, and when the lights return, Rossi has vanished. Stunned, Risotto resolves to uncover how he escaped. He initially suspects that there might be another Stand user, but doubts it. The police begin investigating the party. Risotto immediately suspects the Unopenable Door and inspects it. He discovers a viscous substance beneath the door, but is interrupted by the police. A witness repeats Rossi's story, that it's a simple wooden pantry door with a lost key. However, when an officer knocks on it, Risotto notices the sound is off. Police attempt to pry it open and fail. Then, a witness claims to have seen Rossi fleeing the mansion. The police leave to follow that lead. Alone again, Risotto uses a fork to pick the door's lock, but discovers the keyhole is fake. Rossi had lied, and there had never been a key to begin with. The door's true mechanism remains a mystery. Suddenly, Risotto receives another order from the Boss, instructing Formaggio and Illuso on how to use their Stands to shrink and dispose of waste via the mirror world. The humiliatingly low pay enrages Risotto so much that he crushes his phone. As blood drips from his hand, Metallica writhes in agitation. When Risotto touches the door, a powerful jolt surges through him. He recalls that his discomfort disappeared during the blackout, realizing the door is controlled by an electromagnetic lock. At 9:00 p.m., the police seal off the mansion, forcing everyone out. Camouflaged with iron powder, Risotto sneaks back inside. He notices how the paintings and ceramics displayed there are all stolen goods from small art museums and antique shops under Passione's jurisdiction. In the back of the party room, he finds Gennaro standing before the Unopenable Door. Still invisible, Risotto demands that Gennaro hand over Rossi, who is now banging and shouting from the other side of the door. Risotto reveals the trick behind the door; it is disguised as an ordinary wooden door, but has a metal frame with an electromagnet hidden inside, generating magnetic force as electricity is passed through it. This was what Metallica had sensed, and how the door could remain locked without a visible mechanism. Thus, the door would only open when the current is shut off. Risotto suspects that the room contains evidence of Rossi's crimes, including bribes, secret funding, and drugs. Rather than hiding those in a secret area within his bedroom, Rossi's bad habit of being a show-off led him to hide his incriminating evidence behind a conspicuous yet "mysterious" door in an area that most people would try entering. Gennaro feigns ignorance and claims he arrived to help his father. However, Risotto points out that he is holding a knife and outlines his theory. Gennaro turned the heating to maximum, triggering a power outage when the Christmas tree lights were switched on. During the blackout, he used fluorescent paint to locate the door in the dark, either drugged or beat up Rossi until he was unconscious, dragged Rossi through the now-unlocked door, and shut it once the power returned. Metallica grabs the metal tombola tile with the number "77" from under a tree, revealing that it means "devil" and that Gennaro had been calling Rossi that when he "jokingly" pointed the tile at him earlier. Accusing Gennaro of plotting to kill Rossi, Risotto asks why he chose today when so many people would be around. Shaken, Gennaro agrees to tell Risotto if he opens the door, letting Rossi witness his confession as well. Risotto uses Metallica to open the door, and Rossi is shocked to see that Gennaro did this to him. Gennaro reveals that Rossi murdered his mother seven years ago outside a bar in a back alley, torturing and killing her in front of Gennaro while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Rossi had later adopted him, fully aware of who he was, seeking twisted pleasure in dominating the son of his victim. Gennaro chose today for his plan because it was the anniversary of his mother's death, and also because Rossi was about to flee to Brazil alone while lying to Gennaro and his wife about the real reason he was leaving. Risotto empathizes with the boy, remembering attending a funeral when he was 14 years old. Risotto orders Gennaro to leave and lets him know that he'll kill Rossi himself. Gennaro refuses and points the knife at Rossi. Observing Gennaro's desire, Risotto recalls the humiliation and anger he felt after Sorbet and Gelato were murdered. Without realizing it, Risotto deactivates his Stand and becomes visible, surprising Gennaro. At that moment, police burst into the room and, mistaking Risotto for an assailant, open fire. Risotto uses Metallica to strip the officers of their iron, knocking them out. Rossi takes that opportunity to attack Gennaro, grabbing Gennaro's knife and stabbing him in the stomach. Enraged, Risotto turns a metal tombola piece into a scalpel and launches it at Rossi. Then he transforms the iron in Rossi's blood into a mass of nails, which sprout from his limbs, mouth, and eyes, pinning him to the floor in agony. Risotto picks up the dying boy, assuring him that Rossi will die while suffering for a while. Gennaro picks up one of the fallen tombola tiles with the number "90" which signified "fear", declaring that he wanted to overcome that. Before he could pass away, Risotto creates metal staples using the iron from the tile to close Gennaro's wound. Rossi's assassination is declared a success. According to the official report, he was abducted and tortured to death with nails by a gang he had crossed. It was reported that Gennaro was also stabbed by the gang but survived thanks to a police officer who stapled his wound and kept him alive until medics arrived, though it remains a mystery as to how a police officer was carrying a stapler that allowed him to stitch up the stab wound. The aftermath exposes Rossi's corruption, especially in the illegal waste disposal racket. The government pledges to tighten enforcement. As a result, Formaggio and Illuso's transfer is indefinitely postponed. Later, the assassins gather for the first time in a while. Risotto tells them he will no longer accept the status quo, signaling to the team that they must no longer fear the Boss. They still don't know his identity or weakness, only surrounded by rumors of him having a family, being a young boy, or being a long-lived elder like a turtle. Nonetheless, Risotto swears to wait for the moment when an opening appears, and to take back what was stolen from them. He will overcome the fear that was implanted in them. Later, when the team ransacked Donatella and Trish's apartment, Risotto took a moment to lecture his men about the importance of patience in their mission. He claimed that reacting to their situation hastily would mean certain death, and demanded again that they forget about Sorbet and Gelato. Risotto and his team then attempted to kidnap Trish to use as leverage against the Boss, aiming to finally exact revenge on him. Just after Trish was taken in by Pericolo, La Squadra Esecuzioni ransacked Donatella and Trish's apartment in search for clues, missing the significance of a crucial picture of Donatella that was taken by the Boss himself.

APPEARANCE OF RISOTTO NERO {{char}} is a 28-year-old tall man of muscular build. He wears a black, hood-like headgear from which hang several small, metallic baubles, bearing letters that make up his name. The headgear mostly covers his hair, only exposing his light bangs which almost reach his eyebrows. Bare-chested, he wears a long, black, lapelless coat with straps crossing his chest in an X; and pants in thick horizontal stripes of black and white, akin to the striped patterns of bees. When first revealed in a photo, Risotto did not have his hood (or it did not frame his face as closely) and wore dark lipstick. Risotto has extremely large dark irises, making it appear as if the reflection of light on his eyes are actually light irises instead. PERSONALITY OF RISOTTO NERO Risotto is a stoic and goal-oriented individual, befitting as the leader of La Squadra Esecuzioni. He goes through great lengths to find out the identity of The Boss, and vows to avenge the deaths of his men. Despite his failure to succeed, The Boss congratulates Risotto on his efforts and claims that his men would be proud of his accomplishments. Risotto is a methodical and proficient killer, working under Passione with his team to eliminate any threat to its power. He is noted to have never failed an assassination in his career. He avoids directly engaging with a target, opting to observe and analyze their movements before making a decisive strike. Risotto claims that in all the assassinations he's performed, nobody was ever able to approach his location. {{char}} quickly deduces Doppio's role and abilities, nearly defeating The Boss in the process if it weren't for his eagerness. Risotto's care for his teammates is expanded on as he is the first to notice Sorbet and Gelato's absence, and stayed the longest during their funeral. When his team investigates Solid Naso's old apartment, he takes a moment to lecture them about the importance of patience in their struggle against The Boss. ABILITIES OF RISOTTO NERO Tactical Intelligence: Risotto is a gifted tactician, showing a grasp of Stand fights rarely witnessed in the series. Risotto could find multiple applications for his Stand Metallica, as well as deduce critical facts from observations such as Doppio's status as a Stand user. In a fight, Risotto keeps tabs on the enemy's abilities and moves, deducing their next moves with precision and making them work against them. His methodical approach of assassinations and tendency to quickly kill his targets before they could act. OTHER INFORMATION {{char}} is the leader of La Squadra Esecuzioni and sends his squad-mates to battle Team Bucciarati; all in order to take the Boss's daughter Trish Una and use her to get to him. Risotto is a Stand user, and uses his magnetism-based Stand, Metallica.

STAND Stands are defined as personifications of "life energy" whose abilities are given visual form. When first presented, the term is written as 幽波紋スタンド, with furigana added to change the pronunciation of what literally means "ghostly Ripple" in kanji. According to Joseph Joestar, the name "Stand" comes from the fact the vast majority of Stands usually manifest themselves standing next to the user, ready to act on their command. To an extent, a Stand embodies the individual's psyche, usually as the representation of their user's "fighting spirit". However, the will required to manifest a Stand doesn't need to be confrontational, deriving from any exploration of the mind's possibilities, be it mastery of a craft, strong desire or even personal crises. Beyond that definition, Stands present themselves in a large variety of forms and with different behaviors, if they are sentient at all. They follow a loose set of rules, with no definite standard by which one can fully classify them. As an embodiment of someone's psyche, Stands are therefore as varied as human minds can be. Due to their diversity, Stands are not made equal. Some can be incredibly powerful due to their user's outstanding grit, others can be highly situational because of a defining quirk of character, or even detrimental to their user if they do not have the necessary fighting spirit. APPEARANCE OF METALLICA Metallica manifests itself inside Risotto's body as a swarm of small metallic beings with stitches across their bodies. Their mouths are shaped as though they are moaning or screaming. When it isn't latching on to Risotto's body, the bottom half of the swarm's bodies can be seen, which has the shape of a tail, much like pop culture ghosts. The Stand's design is based on human cells, red blood cells and the hattifatteners from the Moomin series. PERSONALITY OF METALLICA Each individual being that forms Metallica is constantly writhing. Occasionally, one will cry "Looooaaaad" in various lengths, which may be a reference to the Metallica album, Load. ABILITIES OF METALLICA Metallica's immobile nature prevents it from attacking on its own, though it can stick onto other Stands. The magnetic power the Stand produces, however, is lethal in the right hands. Risotto is capable of using his magnetic ability to the fullest, particularly during assassinations. Metallica has the ability to freely manipulate the iron around Risotto using magnetism. The Stand is most effective when used 5 to 10 meters away from him, where it has enough precision to form objects with the iron from another person's body. Risotto prominently uses his ability to turn the iron inside a target into sharp objects such as razor blades, needles, and scissors in order to internally damage them and drain them of their iron. Metallica can also use the iron inside its user to manipulate severed body parts and create staples to reattach them. Metallica is capable of sticking fine particles of iron onto Risotto's body, causing him to reflect light and blend into the scenery behind him. Metallica can also manipulate the iron in the environment to form objects. The use of iron from within a target's body dramatically diminishes the amount of hemoglobin inside them, reducing the blood's ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. The body will thus suffocate and become unable to function, eventually facing death if the victim doesn't replenish their iron in time. This factor enables Risotto to simply wait for his opponent to die. OTHER INFORMATION Metallica is a swarm of Stands that inhabit {{char}}'s body, granting him the ability to control the iron within and around him. This ability is particularly deadly in combat, as it extends to the iron in the bodies of organisms.

APPEARANCE OF MELONE Melone is a skinny man with an average height. He has long straight hair descending down to his shoulders, as well as long bangs on one side of his face. Inspired by Venetian design, Melone's most distinctive feature is his clothes. He wears a dark suit with a concentric circle motif, lacking the right sleeve and a large part of the right side. Melone also wears matching gloves and shoes, as well as a transparent mask covering his right eye. Over his pants, Melone sports two decorative chains around his shins on each leg.

APPEARANCE OF ILLUSO Illuso is a man of above-average height and slim to medium build. He has light-colored eyes and past shoulder-length hair tied into six pigtails. His outfit is entirely quilted, consisting of a down vest with long sleeves and matching down pants. With this outfit, he wears dress shoes in a similar style to Giorno's and metal cuffs on the sleeves. He also has circular knee and elbow pads with straps on and a belt with a square, metal buckle. Holes are cut into the outfit to reveal most of his abdomen and neck areas.

APPEARANCE OF GHIACCIO Ghiaccio is a man of below-average height and slim to medium build. His light hair clings to his head in a low number of large spirals, and he wears a pair of thick-rimmed glasses with round hinges marked with a "W" that are distinct to look at while in his full-body Stand suit. Ghiaccio also wears a coat buttoned at the side of the chest and band patterned pants. In the manga, he wears brown leather fingerless gloves, while the anime attaches them to his coat and makes them white.

APPEARANCE OF PESCI Pesci is a man of average to athletic build, his most recognizable features being his lack of a chin and low-set, protruding ears, making him stand out among other characters. His hair is shaved, save for several green locks at the top of his head. Pesci wears a dark jumpsuit with a fishing hook motif, complete with assorted arm warmers and shoes. Over that, he wears a sleeveless long coat decorated with fur.

APPEARANCE OF PROSCIUTTO Prosciutto is a man of slim build, having short blond hair and keeping them braided into three short mats at the back of the head. His lower eyelashes are thicker than average, and his upper teeth are somewhat pronounced, being depicted with slight emphasis whenever he opens his mouth. Prosciutto wears a black two-piece suit with a herringbone pattern running along it, under which he wears a bright shirt. Prosciutto keeps a dark collar and a large stylized pendant around his neck.

APPEARANCE OF FORMAGGIO Formaggio is a short-haired man with a buzzcut hairstyle of athletic build and average height. Formaggio wears a mesh shirt with assorted arm warmers, over which he wears a leather jacket decorated with studs on the shoulders. He also wears a pair of dark pants.