Steel Ball Run is the seventh story arc of the Japanese manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, set in 1890 in the United States. The story follows Johnny Joestar, a paraplegic former jockey, and Gyro Zeppeli, a disgraced former executioner, as they compete in a cross-country horse race for a $50 million grand prize. They discover the race's sponsor's hidden agenda and are targeted.
The series was initially serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump, but was officially announced as the seventh arc in 2005. The manga has been acclaimed for its art, characters, and story. Its
95 chapters have been combined into 24 tankōbon volumes, and some chapters have been adapted into a "vomic" series with voice actors acting over the manga pages. In this article, we'll explore more about Steel Ball Run.
The Story and Charcters of Steel Ball Run
In September 1890, racing jockeys from around the world competed in the Steel Ball Run, a cross-country horse race from San Diego to New York City. Johnny Joestar, a paraplegic, entered the race to learn about Gyro Zeppeli's Spin ability, which temporarily restored his mobility. They became friends as they fought off various competitors and were organized by oil tycoon Steven Steel. However, President Funny Valentine engineered the race to collect pieces of the Holy Corpse, a 1900-year-old corpse believed to be the body of Jesus Christ.
Johnny and Gyro encountered the Holy Corpse and developed the evolving Stand Tusk, allowing him to fend off one of Valentine's subordinates. They met the ambitious racer Diego Brando, who gained one of the Corpse's eyes while Gyro gained the other. They continued the race, encountering other racers, gaining and losing Corpse parts, and enhancing their Spin techniques.
Vincent's wife Lucy tries to foil Valentine's plan, but she is captured after fusion with the Corpse and becoming pregnant with its head. Diego and Hot Pants ally against Valentine, but are overpowered and killed by the president. Lucy merges with the completed Corpse, enhancing Valentine's Stand with a new misfortune-redirecting ability known as D4C Love Train. Johnny kills Valentine, avenging his companion but ending any hope of his return.
The Holy Corpse is stolen by an unknown antagonist, and Johnny defeats Diego Brando with his own attack, taking first place in the race. The race ends with Pocoloco winning first place, and Valentine's death is covered up as retirement from public life. Johnny returns Gyro's body to his family and marries Norisuke Higashikata's daughter Rina, leading to the events of Part 8, JoJolion.
Characters
Steel Ball Run is a story about Johnny Joestar, a retired horseback jockey who discovers a mysterious power called Spin. He joins the race, a race across America, where he meets bizarre characters like Diego Brando, Lucy Steel, and President Funny Valentine.
Johnny Joestar, a paralyzed former horse racer, participates in the Steel Ball Run to use his Spin technique to regain his legs.
Gyro Zeppeli, a disgraced magistrate, uses the Spin technique to free a wrongfully convicted boy.
Lucy Steel, a fourteen-year-old girl married to promoter Steven Steel, allies herself with Johnny and Gyro to end the president's ambitions. She obtains the Stand Ticket to Ride, which allows her tears to take solid form and alter the luck of whatever they touch.
Diego Brando, a fierce Steel Ball Run participant from the UK, is one of Johnny and Gyro's fiercest rivals. He inherited the ability by seizing the Holy Corpse's left eye and uses Scary Monsters more directly than his predecessor.
Funny Valentine, 23rd President of the United States, uses Stand Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap to travel between alternate dimensions and D4C Love Train to redirect attacks to different worlds, causing them to merge and be destroyed.
There are
many more characters in the story, but the ones above are some of the main characters I specifically wanted to highlight. If you'd like to learn about additional characters from Steel Ball Run, feel free to check the
Wikipedia page.
The Steel Ball Runs arrives in 2025
Steel Ball Run debuted in 2004 and ran for more than seven years before coming to a conclusion in 2011. The plot, which combines intense Stand combat with a race that takes place throughout North American countryside, is regarded as one of Araki's best. The manga's two subsequent storylines, JoJolion and The JOJOLands, would carry on the Joestars' quest after Steel Ball Run. Although there is no set date for the next publication, we may anticipate the manga to be available in the summer of the next year.
Why is Steel Ball Run Anime is taking Too Long?
The gap between part 6 and part 7 of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is longer than any other parts, with 2 years between parts 4 and 5. Fans expected part 7 to take longer to animate due to the number of horses involved. However, it is unclear if this is true or if Steel Ball Run is currently being worked on. David Production, responsible for previous adaptations, may be slowing down production due to Fire Force season 3 launching in April 2025, Undead Unluck and Urusei Yatsura! in 2022 and 2023, and Steel Ball Run being a long project.
Recent Steel Ball Run News
David Productions has not confirmed whether another season of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure will be produced. In April 2024, an animation director posted an image of a woman on horseback, relating to Steel Ball Run, which fans took as a hint of the series being working on. However, the director clarified that this was not a hint and that it would be a while before part 7 is animated. On October 4, 2024, it was confirmed that the manga of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run would receive an official English-language release from Viz Media in summer 2025. This is the first time fans will have access to the manga, but it is not an indication of the anime.
Final Thoughts
Steel Ball Run is the seventh story arc of the Japanese manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, set in 1890 in the United States. The series follows Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli as they compete in a cross-country horse race for a $50 million grand prize. The race is engineered by President Funny Valentine to collect pieces of the Holy Corpse, a 1900-year-old corpse believed to be the body of Jesus Christ. The manga has been acclaimed for its art, characters, and story. The manga is expected to be available in 2025, with the next publication expected in the summer. David Productions has not confirmed whether another season will be produced.
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