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It’s been four years since Stone Ocean, the sixth part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, aired its much-debated finale in 2022. While Hirohiko Araki’s beloved manga series features several characters who can disrupt the space-time continuum, Stone Ocean ends with the birth of a brand-new reality that alters the fates of our protagonists on a fundamental level. With the anime adaptation of part seven, Steel Ball Run, about to air on Netflix, Stone Ocean‘s complex finale could lead to some misunderstandings.
[Ed. note: This article contains spoilers for the Stone Ocean and Steel Ball Run arcs from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure].
During Stone Ocean‘s climax, part six’s overarching antagonist, Father Pucci, greatly accelerates time and reaches the end of the known universe with his Stand (the visual manifestation of one’s soul that possesses superhuman abilities), Made in Heaven. Long story short, Pucci resets the known Universe, but Emporio (Jolyne Cujoh’s only surviving ally) manages to kill him. This effectively resets the universe again, creating a reality (called Irene-verse, from Jolyne’s name in this world) in which Pucci never existed. Without Pucci’s machinations, our protagonists lead markedly different lives that are far removed from the tragic fates they had previously succumbed to.
The final chapter of Araki’s Stone Ocean manga was serialized in 2003, so when Steel Ball Run was officially announced as the seventh part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure in 2005, it caused some continuity-related confusion. The Steel Ball Run universe is not the one created at the end of part six (even if the issue remains murky and debated): it’s set in a separate continuity. It’s not a reboot in the traditional sense, as it doesn’t overwrite the wonderfully complex events of the first six parts, but draws heavily from cornerstone JoJo concepts and lore, including Stands and the Joestar family legacy. Araki’s core motivation behind Steel Ball Run was creative burnout at the end of part six, which pushed him towards the enhanced artistic freedom that comes with a clean slate.
Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Steel Ball Run, slated for a March 19 release, is poised to be a game-changer for several reasons. The manga, easily the best JoJo entry in terms of thematic richness and gorgeous art style, centers on paraplegic jockey Johnny Joestar’s participation in the intense North American cross-continental horse race, Steel Ball Run. There, he will discover the secret of the Spin (a new take on the Hamon power seen in parts one and two) and the power of Stands, while getting embroiled in a massive conspiracy.
Steel Ball Run opens a new chapter of the franchise, which will continue in parts eight and nine — JoJolion and The JoJoLands — set in the same universe. Being independent of what came before, Steel Ball Run has the luxury of making the most out of its 1890s setting, and it wears its Spaghetti Western influences on its sleeve. While knowledge of previous parts isn’t mandatory, it is encouraged for a deeper appreciation of the world of JoJo and the complex lore that makes it tick.
Araki struck gold by introducing Stands in Stardust Crusaders (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure part three), which plays out like a thrilling globe-trotting adventure that ends in an epic showdown in Cairo. Steel Ball Run draws from Stardust Crusaders’ best elements by embracing the reality of Stands from the get-go, and working within the framework of a massive horse-racing trail from San Diego to New York City. This is no brief adventure either, as the story’s geographical scope goes hand-in-hand with ambitious narrative elements. Combined with Johnny’s complex characterization, this allows the story to flit between grand and intimate stakes that end up merging towards the end.
Araki’s lifelong fascination with spiral rotation in art also manifests here. Back in Phantom Blood (part one), he had toyed with Hamon, an energy-based martial arts ability that uses the power of the Sun to combat supernatural entities. While Hamon served its purpose back then, Araki introduces its revamped counterpart, named Spin in Steel Ball Run, offering a more versatile and compelling explanation of this energy-based phenomenon. The brilliant Gyro Zeppeli, who becomes Johnny’s ally in the story, is a Spin user, allowing the creator to display complex concepts, including the golden ratio and golden spiral.
While any JoJo story has an instantly recognizable aesthetic, Araki drew Steel Ball Run with an evocative artstyle that is also symbolically dense. It is a far cry from the slightly skewed (but charming) anatomy of Phantom Blood, as it embraces a more mature lens to flesh out a delightfully bizarre world. While Johnny is muscular, he doesn’t tower over others like Jonathan Joestar or Jotaro Kujo, and his facial expressions are often delicate, conveying hidden vulnerability, following the artistic tendencies that were on full display in Golden Wind and Stone Ocean.
Johnny’s interiority is fleshed out through his eccentric clothing and zany JoJo-isms, while the American setting is used to recontextualize his hopes and dreams. Araki also uses massive racetracks and ghost towns to underline the story’s Western elements, with horseback chase scenes and tense shootouts exemplifying the Wild West.
If Netflix’s Steel Ball Run can faithfully capture everything that makes Araki’s sweeping saga stand out, it has the potential to become a landmark anime for first-time JoJo viewers and longtime fans alike. Despite its foundational connections to the previous continuity, Steel Ball Run functions well enough as a standalone tale that can invite curiosity into (and renewed appreciation for) JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. There’s also ample time to explore Araki’s world before the anime premieres and gear up for the unforgettable characters who will participate in the intense race that is life.
Steel Ball Run premieres on March 19 on Netflix.
