Firstly, as soon as I saw Hol Horse on the chapter cover it hit me that he didn’t have to be fodder. In fact, as formulaic as this part can be, one thing Jojo does not ever do is waste plot elements. That has been the case since day 1. Hol Horse being here would totally have another role. It makes absolute sense he could turn his stand off, drawing blood but not being fatal. He ultimately saved Polnareff here, as he has no qualms with who he’s working with, he just wants to do what’s best for him. The greatest #2 in the world, the charming Hol Horse, most definitely the most endearing of the villains so far, for me at least.
As for Polnareff, him comforting Enya was already funny in itself and it made me wonder if, with this noble son she thought she had, she would actually find herself begrudgingly appreciating Polnareff. However, she didn’t, in fact, the amount he talked about her son just made her lose her mind, the poor woman. The man she hates most in this world, her son’s murderer, is being so kind to her. His dialogue was another thing I found interesting. The way he spoke about a family made me think he may want a family down the line. And, assuming his remark about losing his mother when he was young is true, it adds even more sadness to his character. If he lost his mother, was very close with his sister because of this and then lost her to rape and murder, and then lost his friend Abdul, his life has been plagued with losing people. It gives more to illuminate his line “It’s so damn annoying… for him to die before my eyes… so damn annoying!”
As for Enya, she is blood Doflamingo from One Piece, the uncanny behavior of the villagers was because everyone was already dead and is being controlled by Justice. That is horrifying and awesome. This arc is definitely the next high point since the Emperor and the Hanged man! It’s super creative, creepy, hilarious, it builds on characters we love like Polnareff, it uses assets that have been built up to have weight like Enya and Hol Horse. And the way it all ties together from the initial questions we had is just some great stuff. Looking forward to seeing how it comes to a close.