Pocoloco
Pocoloco (ポコロコ, Pokoroko) is a minor, neutral character appearing in Steel Ball Run.
Pocoloco joins the Steel Ball Run race inspired by the news given him by a fortune-teller of his peaking luck.
Appearance
Pocoloco is a black man of average to above-average height and slim or medium build. He wears a thin horseshoe moustache.
In light clothes, he wears a headpiece resembling a classic leather aviator helmet covered with distinctive elliptical pieces.
Personality
Pocoloco is cheerful and carefree. He is introduced in repose, counting clouds, before expressing his elation at the recent news of his peaking fortune, as told him by a local fortune teller. His elderly co-worker judges him idle and naive.
Pocoloco develops incredible faith in his luck, realizing it where acts that would have otherwise been unfortunate end up saving him, and lending him improbable advantages during the race. Thus, he often makes expressions of amazement and joy, including variations of the exclamation "UH OH!".
Abilities
Pocoloco's Stand, Hey Ya!, channels for him seemingly perfect luck, manifesting in an abundance of routes to success.
Synopsis
Steel Ball Run
Pocoloco was born in Georgia in 1869. Three days prior to the starting day of the Steel Ball Run race, he went down to the city to gamble. After losing, he met a fortune teller who greatly resembles Enya the Hag. This fortune teller told him that he would be at the highest point in his life for two months, so Pocoloco decided to take advantage of his newfound luck and enter the race.
Although he slept in on the morning of the race, he managed to catch up within a matter of minutes, due to the ground already having been pounded by the other racers. Manure was kicked up onto his face, making Pocoloco think that his luck had ran out, but a golden coin was inside the manure. Seconds later, a female racer wipes manure off her clothes in disgust, exposing her cleavage, and not long after, a wanted criminal wipes the manure off his face, unintentionally creating an impromptu beard that matches the wanted poster nearby. Pocoloco then follows a group of racers who were misled by Sandman to the edge of a ravine, but, believing in his luck, is undeterred and leaps across the ravine and onto the rock that Sandman was grabbing onto. Just as he is about to slip, Sandman advises him to use the rope at his waist to carry himself and his horse out of danger and Pocoloco is saved again.
This shortcut enables Pocoloco to easily reach the head of the group, where he rides neck to neck with Johnny Joestar, taking time to call his riding "lazy". When Gyro Zeppeli decides to head into the forest to cut down on his riding distance, Pocoloco follows suit, confidently shutting his eyes and riding straight into the forest, believing that his luck will carry him all the way.[3] Soon after Johnny passes him, however, Pocoloco is grazed by a tree branch, which forces him to open his eyes, gasp in fear at a large incoming branch and be slammed off his horse. Still, his luck remains strong, as Pocoloco is instead dragged by his horse, his left boot having been caught in its stirrup, and completely escapes the harm that the higher branches could have caused him. He is then bounced back onto the saddle by the trees that Gyro moved with his steel balls to clear a path and soon catches up to Gyro.[4]
Around the downhill dash segment of the first stage of the race, Pocoloco means to endure the slope and build up his energy. However, his Stand appears and criticizes his idealistic strategy, telling him to "remember the cow", have faith in his luck, and charge forward. Seeing the hand of his Stand sink into his own gives him confidence, and Pocoloco begins by taunting Gyro and charging forward in the downhill dash. However, soon after the downhill dash, he and his horse trip and tumble, though it is revealed that both had landed directly onto a dead cow's body and used it to slide downhill.[5]
JoJolion
It is mentioned in JoJolion that he was named winner of the Steel Ball Run race after the 2nd Diego Brando's death.
Race Stats
| Steel Ball Run Race Statistics | ||
| Stage | Placement | Points |
|---|---|---|
| First | 3rd | 40 |
| Second | 9th | 13 |
| Third | 5th | 30 |
| Fourth | 2nd | 50 |
| Fifth | 1st | 100 |
| Sixth | 3rd | 40 |
| Seventh | 3rd | 40 |
| Eighth | 4th | 35 |
| Ninth | 2nd | 50 |
Pocoloco finishes the race with a total of 398 points.
In Video Games
All-Star Battle (PS3)
Pocoloco appears as a random support character in Campaign Mode. He has an extremely low chance to appear after the player completes a fight; should he appear, he'll use his Stand, Hey Ya!, to share some of his luck with the player, restoring their energy gauge completely.
Trivia
- Pocoloco's racing number is A-777. This reflects his complete reliance on and victory through sheer luck throughout the race.
- Pocoloco shares a section of his name with Poco, a boy saved by Jonathan Joestar and Will A. Zeppeli in Phantom Blood.
- Pocoloco's Stand, Hey Ya!, is similar to Kenzou's Stand, Dragon's Dream; though Poco's indicates "lucky" circumstances only to its user.
- The exclamation "UH OH!" could be another reference to the song Hey Ya! The lead singer from outcast repeat OH! OH! during various parts of the song.
References
- ↑ SBR Chapter 6: The Dried-Up River; Diego Brando p.24
- ↑ SBR Chapter 12: First Stage: Disqualified from Victory
- ↑ SBR Chapter 7: Pocoloco and Sandman
- ↑ SBR Chapter 8: Crossing the Forest
- ↑ SBR Chapter 9: Long, Long Downhill
