Steel Ball Run
Originally thought to be a "standalone alternative universe", Steel Ball Run (スティール・ボール・ラン) has been officially declared a part of the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure series starting from volume 5 – incidentally also the same volume the series underwent the change of moving it's serialization from Weekly Shounen Jump to Ultra Jump, a seinen magazine. Aside from the chapters being longer in page count, the switch from a weekly magazine to a monthly one had a noticable impact on the art, as Araki seems to go for a more detailed, "naturalistic" look for his characters – the shift in style can be seen starting from volume 7-8.
Many familiar faces seen in the previous parts of the JJBA can be found in Steel Ball Run right from the start – characters such as Abdul from Part 3 have their own alternate universe counterpart appearing in the story.
Plot Summary
After Pucci is Killed by Emporio, The Universe's full transformation was halted and as a result became surprisingly similar to it's "Original self". The story this time around begins in 1890, the new universe. The series stars Gyro Zeppeli, who uses a set of steel balls that spin incredibly fast, and Johnny Joestar, an alternate universe Jonathan Joestar, a former hot-shot jockey who was crippled by an angry (most likely nervous) man who shot him. They race, along with others, in a mad-dash across America for 50 million dollars and possibly something else...
Characters and Stands in Steel Ball Run
| Character name | Stand name | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Gyro Zeppeli | Scan | Protagonist |
| Johnny Joestar | Tusk | Protagonist |
| Lucy Steel | None | Ally |
| Stephen Steel | None | Neutral |
| Hot Pants | Cream Starter | Ally |
| Mountain Tim | Oh! Lonesome Me | Ally |
| Poco Loco | Buckethead | Neutral |
| Mrs. Robinson | None | Villain |
| Wekapipo | None | Villain |
| Pork Pie Hat Kid | Wired | Villain |
| Ringo Roadagain | Mandom | Neutral |
| Blackmore | Catch the Rainbow | Villain |
| Mike O. | Tubular Bells | Villain |
| Diego Brando | Scary Monster | Villain |
| Oyecomova | Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds | Villain |
| Boomboom Family | Unknown | Villain |
| Sandman | In a Silent Way | Villain |
| Dr. Ferdinand | Scary Monsters | Villain |
| Axl Ro | Civil War | Villain |
| Funny Valentine | Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap |
Main Antagonist |
