Foil: Jotaro's spiritual Zeppeli

The spotlighted character of Stardust Crusaders, Kujo Jotaro is Noriaki's polar opposite. Whereas Noriaki dons the mantle of a relatively ordinary, upstanding honor student; Jotaro is a self-proclaimed delinquent of few words and an iron will, and a veritable tree with his monstrous height. Their dynamic as foils emphasizes their differences and highlights their individuality, as Araki designed Noriaki and Jotaro with the intention of making them contrasting characters.

Zodiac: Aquarius
Height: 195 cm
Blood type: B

In spite of Noriaki's edge as a veteran Stand user, it is Jotaro whose sense of purpose prevails between them. Once Jotaro decides to set out for his mother's sake, Noriaki tags along with the truthful answer that he isn't sure why – only that Jotaro has "opened [his] eyes." Jotaro is clear, but Noriaki is vague and almost seems to find the former's decisiveness inspirational.

In a manner of speaking, Noriaki and Jotaro are different cuts from the same cloth. They're both analytic and emotional, to say nothing of their similar backgrounds as Japanese high school students; however, their approach to their feelings is where they depart from one another. Propelled by a damaged pride from his meeting with DIO, as well as the selfless desire to help his friends at the cost of his own safety, Noriaki endeavors to make the rational choice without letting his fear cloud his judgment, making him the superior analyzer of the crusaders. On the other hand, the majority of Jotaro's actions are fueled by his anger, which transforms him into an undefeated powerhouse. Essentially, emotions hinder Noriaki but empower Jotaro.

The honor student and the delinquent

Araki has stated that, if not for their common ground as Stand users, Noriaki and Jotaro would probably not be friends due to their contrasting personalities. Because the special commonality exists, Noriaki deeply cherishes Jotaro's companionship and makes the visible effort to befriend him by striking a conversation when they make eye contact.

As the crusaders edge closer toward Egypt, Noriaki and Jotaro's relationship deepens from circumstantial acquaintanceship to earnest camaraderie. Although they wouldn't call themselves close friends, they bond over the course of their journey as fellow students and Stand users with tangible milestones: A significant example is Noriaki's shift in pronouns from the formal "watashi" to the informal "boku" after Jotaro initiates a brief exchange, when prior to it had always been Noriaki engaging first.