Paco Laburantes

Overview

Paco Laburantes is a key ally and Stand user in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 9: The JOJOLands. A nineteen-year-old high school student who has repeated a grade, he operates in the same Hawaiian criminal underworld as Jodio Joestar and Dragona Joestar. Utilizing a body-integrated Stand known as The Hustle, Paco serves as the muscular, physically imposing elder member of the crew during their clandestine assignments.

Appearance

Paco is a blue-eyed man with blonde, medium-length hair and an exceptionally muscular build, having transformed from a chubby physique two years prior. His left ear features a missing notch caused by fatherly domestic abuse, and his face bears stylized teardrop markings. He wears a baseball cap equipped with a metal plate reading "P∆CO", along with light-colored pants, dark boots, and a hooded top accented by double shoulder belts carrying an ice cream motif.

Personality

Paco exhibits habitual kleptomania, enjoying pickpocketing and theft as though it were a recreational game. He possesses a hot-tempered, confrontational edge and frequently threatens adversaries with physical force, though he retains enough self-control to merely restrain opponents rather than inflict gratuitous harm. While he attempts to assert leadership as the team's eldest, he often finds himself managed by Dragona Joestar. Initially hostile and distrustful toward newcomer Usagi Alohaoe, Paco gradually warms up to him, offering food and reassuring him during crisis situations.

Abilities

Paco commands the Stand ability known as The Hustle, which is bound directly to his physical anatomy. This power allows him to flex and manipulate his muscular tissue at will, enabling him to grab objects or people using muscles across any part of his body. Because the Stand relies on physical execution rather than separate manifestations, Paco relies on his formidable natural strength, allowing him to cling to ceilings while suspending adult men and overpower foes in close-quarters combat even with a disabled arm.

Background

Paco was raised by an alcoholic father whose physical violence left his left ear permanently scarred. Despite this abuse, Paco retained deep affection for his father and committed his first crime to assist him when his father was falsely accused of murder, resulting in Paco's first arrest. Formerly overweight, he later developed his current athletic frame. During a previous law enforcement bust, he was rescued from custody through Jodio Joestar's assistance, earning Paco's enduring gratitude. He currently attends high school alongside Jodio while carrying out tasks for their criminal organization.

Relationships

Paco feels deep gratitude and affection toward Jodio Joestar, who saved him from law enforcement during a drug raid. He works closely with Dragona Joestar, though he frequently ends up submitting to Dragona's authority despite being older. His bond with Usagi Alohaoe began with extreme friction and accusations of drug use, but Paco eventually developed a caring, protective demeanor toward him. Regarding his father, Paco harbored a complex sense of devotion, going so far as to commit crimes to defend him despite the domestic abuse he suffered.

Trivia

Paco's surname, Laburantes, derives from a Spanish word meaning worker, while his given name is believed to reference the fashion brand Paco Rabanne in line with series conventions. Creator Hirohiko Araki commented in Ultra Jump that Paco is his favorite character to draw in Part 9. When his character design was unveiled prior to serialization, fans speculated he might be an older Emporio Alniño from Part 6: Stone Ocean due to his baseball cap, though he ultimately proved to be an entirely original character.