In a Silent Way
In a Silent Way (イン・ア・サイレント・ウェイ, In A Sairento Wei) is the Stand of Sandman, featured in Steel Ball Run.
Appearance
In a Silent Way is a humanoid Stand, decorated in an assortment of references to art of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, including a war bonnet and a head/face resembling the Mosaic mask of Tezcatlipoca.[1] Its arms and torso bear small, evenly spaced studs/bumps, and it wears two columns of two or three roses on its chest.
The Stand's design comes from Native American wall art and paintings, with roses on its chest in order to create a mismatch.[2]
In a Silent Way is yellow and brown in the colored manga.
Abilities
In a Silent Way fights through indirect means such as planting sound hazards like traps or remotely piloting constructs. It never shows any form of combat ability.
The nature and versatility of In a Silent Way's sound power enables Sandman to attack enemies from afar in various ways. As a result, it is subpar at close range, which proves fatal against a point-blank shot from Johnny Joestar.
Sound Storage
In a Silent Way's basic ability is to store sounds in objects[3] or even people.[3]
By affecting an object with a characteristic action, like stabbing it, Sandman stores the corresponding sound in the object.[4] If someone touches said object, the sound is released as a hazard characteristic of that same sound (e.g. "burning", "cutting", "stabbing") affecting the thing it has touched.[4] For instance, if a cutting sound is stored inside a ladder, anyone or anything touching the ladder would be cut to pieces.[3]
It allows Sandman to ambush enemies with environmental hazards while hiding.
Sound Construct
If he needs to direct his attacks, Sandman can create and manipulate artificial constructs out of sounds and the environment.[4]
If he affects an object, he can mold it into either an independent creature on which the corresponding sound effect is engraved, or even three-dimensional sound effects similar in appearance to kana.
Those constructs are able to move around and, with the right form, can fly to a target to attack them. Unlike the sound storage, sound constructs can selectively affect the object they touch, and like sound make the hazard either go through objects to affect a chosen target directly, bounce against obstacles, or create a constructive interference with several sounds to strengthen the attack. Depending on the material, the sound attacks can be dampened or enhanced. A "fire" sound going through mud will be weakened, and it is said that water is the best medium through which he can send sounds.[5][6][7]
To defend himself, Sandman can swing his knife, materializing the "whoosh" sound the knife makes and create a shield that deflects projectiles.[8]
In conjunction with Diego Brando's Scary Monsters, constructs can even be turned into dinosaurs that track targets while charged with destructive sound.[3]
Gallery
- Silent guy.png
Trivia
- His Sound Construct ability is very similar to Echoes ACT2's Sound Maker ACT2 power.
- The power of In a Silent Way may be a reference to Jojo's stylised katakana sound effects.
References
- ↑ Mosaic mask of Tezcatlipoca, The British Museum
- ↑ JOJOVELLER: STANDS - Comments by Hirohiko Araki[1]
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 SBR Chapter 41
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 SBR Chapter 40
- ↑ SBR Volume 11, in-between Stand description, SBR Chapter 43
- ↑ SBR Chapter 42
- ↑ SBR Chapter 43
- ↑ SBR Chapter 44
