Johnny Joestar/History
Johnny Joestar (ジョニィ・ジョースター, Jonyi Jōsutā), born Jonathan Joestar (ジョナサン・ジョースター, Jonasan Jōsutā), is one of the main protagonists of the seventh part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, Steel Ball Run, and the seventh JoJo of the series. He also appears in flashbacks in the eighth part, JoJolion.
A former jockey turned paraplegic, Johnny joins the Steel Ball Run race to find out the secret behind Gyro Zeppeli's Steel Balls as they're the only thing capable of healing his legs. Over the course of the race, Johnny becomes both a Spin user and a Stand user when he acquires Tusk.
Appearance
Johnny almost always wears a knit cap, printed with many small five-pointed stars. His hair sticks out of holes on either side of the top, taking a shape like short horns. A horseshoe hangs from the front, framing an image of the dark silhouette of the profile of a horse's reared head. While it is not seen, Johnny bears the Star Birthmark, as Lucy Steel is aware of it.[8]
Throughout the Steel Ball Run race, Johnny gradually changes into a more realistic appearance, with slightly wavy hair and a slightly fuller build. At the same time, he dons various outfits to suit the weather across America, each outfit retaining the star patterns of his hat and legs and the stripes on his torso.
As a paraplegic, before the beginning of the race, he is seen using a wheelchair; but during the race, he is usually mounted on his horse, Slow Dancer.
Color Schemes
Outfits
A sweater vest with a dress shirt and a tie and a plain knit cap.
A cropped hoodie with short sleeves, wristbands, a knit cap, and trousers with a belt.
A dark suit with a sweater vest, a dress shirt, and a tie worn by Johnny as a child. He has neatly combed back shoulder-length hair with spiked bangs.
A casual outfit from Johnny's youth consisting of a long-sleeved shirt with a hood, loose pants, another long-sleeve shirt tied around his waist, and a knit cap with a large star.
A long-sleeved shirt with a torso decorated with many small stars, trousers, socks, and another long-sleeved shirt tied around his waist. He wears a knit cap with a large star much like his casual outfit as a young boy.
A hoodie with short sleeves, trousers with boots attached, wristbands, and a knit cap that Johnny first wears in the race. This is the first outfit to feature his signature star-patterned knit cap. The hoodie features a horizontal stripe across the chest, a vertical stripe across the right shoulder connected to the horizontal one, and another stripe on the left shoulder that goes down to the bottom of the shirt. Two other small stripes connect the left shoulder stripe to the left sleeve. The pants are decorated with stars much like the knit cap, and the wristbands feature stars and stripes similar to the American flag.
A long-sleeved winter outfit with a design that is overall similar to his previous outfit. He retains his trademark knit cap, and the stripes and patterns on the torso and legs are the same. However, rather than a shirt and pants, Johnny wears a jumpsuit with a hood. The hood has a furry texture and multiple long feathers, each with a dot and a dark border at the tip, emerging from the back. The shoulders of the outfit each have a heart with a star pattern like his hat, and a stripe runs down the length of each arm with two perpendicular stripes at the end that circle half the wrist.
A noticeably thicker winter outfit resembling a parka with a similar design to his previous outfit. The hood of the jumpsuit is especially thicker and fluffier. Additionally, rather than his usual knit cap, he wears a shirt underneath the jumpsuit with a tight hood that resembles his cap. None of his hair sticks out of the hood except his usual hair "horns" on the sides of his head. There are also no feathers sticking out of the outfit.
Johnny's final outfit resembles his original outfit worn in the early parts of the race but as a jumpsuit and with star-patterned hearts on the shoulders like his winter outfits. A loose undershirt is also worn underneath the jumpsuit with a collar and short sleeves visible, and a single feather with a dark border and a dot in the middle sticks out of the back of the collar. Johnny also begins wearing spurs in chapter 76.
Personality
Johnny Joestar is introduced as a distant, depressive paraplegic man whose career as a horse jockey was ruined when he was shot in the spine after conceitedly antagonizing a passerby.[9] However, after he momentarily experiences the ability to stand on his feet after touching the Steel Balls of Gyro Zeppeli, he becomes determined to follow Gyro and, through his guidance, learn the Spin for himself.[10] Later, having his legs twitch due to the Corpse Parts, he additionally sets out to acquire them, despite the many other murderous pursuers of the same goal.
Johnny is resolute in following his intentions of pursuing the Saint's Corpse to further discover its abilities, stubbornly pressuring Gyro into joining him in his hunt, disregarding the risks or consequences, and putting his goal above anything else. Several times, Johnny endured severe wounds to reach his goals, notably trying to get on his horse Slow Dancer, which earned him many bruises and a wooden shard through the leg;[11] despite his repeated failures, his determination to participate in the race didn't waver. Inversely, Johnny has no qualms about being violent or killing his opponents to get the Corpse Parts. Gyro Zeppeli has mentioned that Johnny had, "dark determination" in his eyes, indicating a ruthlessness that would make Johnny kill in cold blood.[12] This amoral selfishness still extends to the interest of his loved ones and followed him during his whole life, demonstrated years after the Steel Ball Run, as when his wife Rina was struck with the Rock Disease, Johnny then stole the Corpse to beg it to transfer the disease away from her, not caring who would receive it and suffer in her stead.[13] Yet Johnny isn't completely amoral, for instance objecting to involve the defenseless Lucy Steel in their struggle for the Corpse [14] and ultimately taking the Rock Disease for himself to save his son.[15]
During the Steel Ball Run race, Johnny is burdened by depression and a subsequent lack of confidence. Notably calling himself a useless person, Johnny's bleak outlook on life stems from his youth. Johnny was a timid yet kind child during his childhood, adopting a wild mouse and calling it Danny. Though he was afraid of his harsh father George Joestar, he would try to live up to his expectations. Johnny idolized his older brother Nicholas. When Nicholas died after falling from a horse that was seemingly startled by Danny, Johnny became guilt-ridden, believing that his brother's death was his fault and that he should have died instead. He then believed throughout the years that fate itself was taking revenge on him for his crime and that every misfortune he received was deserved.[2] This results in his obsession with the blessing of the Corpse, which would reset his karma to a neutral state of "zero" instead of the "negative" state of his curse. It also explains Johnny's rampant lack of confidence and near-constant bouts of panic,[16][17] thinking that fate could take away his hope of acquiring the Corpse at any moment. When Johnny's father disowned him, Johnny shut himself off, creating a facade of conceitedness to hide the sadness this rejection caused him.[2]
Johnny's perspective improves greatly upon meeting Gyro Zeppeli. Having met someone who gives him hope and is genuinely nice to him, Johnny feels grateful[18] for meeting the Italian executioner and treasures this relationship, at one point being willing to abandon the Corpse Parts he has to save his friend.[19] Gyro repeatedly knocks Johnny out of his lack of confidence and helps him get the Corpse Parts, giving him assurance and optimism in life.
As reflected in the multiple ACTs of his Stand Tusk, Johnny's improvement in his self-esteem is gradual. The key steps of his progress include Johnny discovering the Corpse (ACT1),[20] then standing up for himself against Soundman (ACT2),[21] symbolically cleansing himself of his guilt against Axl RO and being blessed by Jesus's apparition (ACT3)[22] and finally acquiring the Corpse and regaining the use of his legs (ACT4).[23] Although Gyro dies, Johnny cherishes the time they spent together. During the race, Johnny is uncaring of everyone else save himself and Gyro, only maintaining a polite but cold demeanor at best toward the people he meets. However, Gyro's influence makes Johnny slightly more friendly toward people, culminating in his marriage with Rina Higashikata.[24]
Johnny reveals to Gyro that he has a paraphilia for women with bug bites, which he is deeply embarrassed by and keeps secret.[25]
In JoJolion, a flashback shows that Johnny found happiness during his short life with Rina.
Abilities
Spin / Stand
Johnny first seeks Gyro Zeppeli's tutelage in the ways of the Spin in order to regain the use of his legs. Most often, Johnny channels the Spin by the use of his Stand, Tusk; developed first with the power of the Corpse's left hand, and further with Gyro's help. Its form varies, depending on the sort or style of Spin Johnny chooses to employ.
ACT1
Tusk ACT1 is awakened in the Devil's Palm when the corpse part combines itself with Johnny's left hand, manifesting his Stand with the ability to spin his nails and fire them akin to bullets, and regrowing his nails in seconds.
ACT2
Tusk ACT2 manifests when Johnny shoots a nail whilst incorporating the Golden Rectangle in a fight against Sandman. Despite the longer regrow time, the nails possess more power and a new ability that lets the holes of the bullets follow the target for a small amount of time.
ACT3
Tusk ACT3 is the final "base" form for Tusk and manifests when Johnny shoots himself with a Golden Rectangle-empowered nail, enabling him to transfer parts of his body through the holes to shoot from different directions. It was awakened by advice from Jesus in a fight against Axl RO.
ACT4
Tusk ACT4 manifests itself as a result of Johnny utilizing Slow Dancer's power combined with the golden rectangle, which enables Johnny to fire Golden Spin nail-bullets that have infinite rotation. ACT4 possesses the power to force open D4C Love Train's dimensional wall, and trap anyone hit by it to a single spot indefinitely.
Horseback Riding
Johnny Joestar has been described as a genius jockey, being one of the favorites of the Steel Ball Run race. His skill allows him to ride across many types of terrain, and challenge even fellow genius jockey Diego Brando. Johnny possesses great knowledge of his horse Slow Dancer, notably its abilities and limits, being able to gauge what Slow Dancer will be capable of at any moment.
Personal Skills
- Intelligence: Johnny Joestar proves himself a competent Stand user, being able to use Tusk's abilities to the fullest. Johnny Joestar has occasionally used the terrain and his enemies own power against them, and was perceptive enough to quickly deduce Alternate Diego's time stopping power.
- Marksmanship: When using Tusk, Johnny proves to possess great marksmanship, being able to hit little and/or moving targets, even if firing from odd angles and perspectives, such as when Tusk ACT3 separates his hand from his arm.
Relationships
Family
- George Joestar II: Johnny had a complex relationship with his father. In one hand Johnny always sought his father's affection and approval. On the other hand, when George wondered if "God had taken the wrong son", Johnny was deeply saddened and chose to abandon his love for his father, shutting his heart. Johnny confessed to Valentine that he could not think of his own father in the same admiring way Valentine thought of his. Towards the end of the Steel Ball Run race, however, George shows up in the crowd and shows Johnny Nicholas' boots, reconciling with his son at last. Johnny named his son after George.
- Nicholas Joestar: As his elder brother, Nicholas was a model to follow. Johnny admired him since his childhood and feels excessively guilty over his death, thinking that the Universe cursed him for it.
- Danny: While Jonathan and Danny the dog had a shared childhood, this mouse was only a temporary pet for Johnny. When Nicholas died, Johnny believed that Danny and thus him, were responsible for frightening the horse Nicholas was riding and causing his death. Johnny retains good memories of the mouse but also haunting ones, even summoning it when Civil War affects him.
- Rina Higashikata: Johnny and Rina's relationship began after the race and persisted for several years. Both fell in love with each other soon after meeting and they became married, living a happy life for a while. After she becomes ill, Johnny goes searching for the corpse parts as a cure. His love for Rina is so deep, he ends up sacrificing himself to save her and their son.
- George Joestar III: Johnny loved his son deeply. When the Rock Disease bounced into him, Johnny sacrificed himself to save George and confided that he was happy to have him in his life.
Friends
- Gyro Zeppeli: Johnny and Gyro are friends, partners in the Steel Ball Run, and also apprentice and master in the art of the Spin. At first, Johnny's determination got Gyro's interest, leading Gyro to assist Johnny in mounting Slow Dancer before the race. After the first stage, Johnny wins the respect of Gyro, leading to Gyro making him his apprentice in the Spin. Over the course of the Steel Ball Run, this apprenticeship grows into a partnership, and then a deep friendship. Despite their opposing personalities causing regular clashes as to how to take on a difficult situation, Gyro and Johnny ultimately get along well and share many moments of friendship. Gyro notably likes to jest with Johnny and tells him bad jokes or miscellaneous songs that Johnny usually appreciates. Due to their regular battles, Johnny and Gyro fight well together, and see each other as valuable allies. Their friendship is such that either one is willing to put himself in danger for the other, and Johnny notably abandoned his Corpse Parts to save Gyro's life. In turn, Gyro often uses life-or-death situations as opportunities to help Johnny master the fundamentals of the Spin and evolve his Stand, Tusk. After Gyro's death, Johnny was devastated, a fact Valentine attempts to use to goad him into sparing him and giving up the Holy Corpse. Gyro stands by Johnny in spirit even after his death, as Johnny returns his corpse to the Zeppeli family in Italy. Gyro's continuous support helped Johnny get out of his depression and enabled him to begin anew.
- Lucy Steel: Johnny and Lucy are allies against Valentine, but do not interact with each other much.
- Mountain Tim: Mountain Tim was first suspicious of Johnny as Benjamin Boomboom tricked him into believing Johnny was killing competitors in the race, but both later became allies in the fight against the Boomboom Family and Oyecomova. Tim notably taught Johnny about the Devil's Palm and Stands.
Rivals
- Diego Brando: Johnny considers Diego a rival in his quest for the Corpse Parts. Due to Diego's own ruthlessness, Johnny won't hesitate to kill him if he gets in his way. At one point, Diego allies with Valentine to kill Johnny and Gyro, but it doesn't last. While their relationship is more positive than that of their counterparts, Jonathan and Dio, they are enemies all the same.
- Hot Pants: Johnny considers Hot Pants a rival in his quest for the Corpse Parts. He realizes that she is a woman after Gyro kills Ringo Roadagain, but doesn't reveal her true gender to Gyro out of respect for her privacy. After Hot Pants steals Johnny's Corpse Part yet leaves him a small part of the Spine, he is curious about Hot Pants motivations for acquiring it.
- Sandman: Because Sandman didn't go after the Saint's Corpse and acted friendly with the duo, Johnny didn't see him as an enemy. Ultimately, Sandman allied with Valentine and tried to kill Johnny with Gyro and take the Corpse Parts, they thus became enemies. Still, Sandman was indifferent to Johnny, only seeing an internal struggle among the white men he considered enemies that he could exploit.
Enemies
- Funny Valentine: As both tried to gather the Saint's Corpse, Johnny and Valentine were enemies, but didn't interact much until their single fight. Because of his selfish motive, Valentine saw Johnny as unworthy of the Corpse and tried to kill him, though he treaded carefully with Johnny since Tusk was partly immune to his Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.
- Parallel World Diego: As this version of Diego was recruited by Funny Valentine to take the Saint's Corpse from Johnny, it was only natural that the two were enemies. Diego was wary of Tusk, which could move partially in his stopped time, and likewise, Johnny learned of THE WORLD's power and also was wary of it.
- Dr. Ferdinand: Dr. Ferdinand was an assassin and Stand-user hired by President Funny Valentine to murder Johnny and Gyro and gather the Corpse Parts. Using his Stand, Scary Monsters, Ferdinand attempts to transform Johnny and Gyro into dinosaurs bound to his will, and uses a similarly-transformed Diego Brando as a means to that end.
- The Boomboom Family: A family group of three Stand-users, Andre, Benjamin, and L.A. Boomboom, who use their talents to murder competitors in the Steel Ball Run, eventually targeting Johnny and Gyro as well. After a failed attempt to frame Johnny for the murder of several other competitors, they attempt to assassinate Johnny, Gyro, and Mountain Tim directly, failing when Johnny first develops his Stand, Tusk.
- Oyecomova: Oyecomova is a Neapolitan assassin and terrorist who once encountered Gyro Zeppeli before he developed his Stand, Boku no Rhythm wo Kiitekure. He attempted to use this ability to assassinate Gyro, and Johnny in the process, but proved no match for their combined skills in the Spin.
- Ringo Roadagain: A duelist working for Funny Valentine, Ringo Roadagain holds the philosophy that a true man must gamble his life against others in order to prove his worth. He notes that Johnny has the "dark determination" to kill if need be and thus would have a chance against him. Nevertheless, after incapacitating Johnny, he is defeated by Gyro.
Chapters
Manga Appearances- Steel Ball Run Chapter 2: Gyro Zeppeli
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 4: September 25, 1890 - 3 Hours to Start
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 5: 1st Stage: 15,000 Meters
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 6: The Dried-Up River; Diego Brando
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 7: Pocoloco and Sandman
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 8: Crossing the Forest
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 9: Long, Long Downhill
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 10: The Final Stretch: 2,000 Meters Left
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 11: The Final Stretch: 1,000 Meters Left
- Steel Ball Run Extra Chapter 1: ~How the Steel Ball Run Race Got Started~
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 12: 1st Stage: Disqualified from Victory
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 13: The Sheriff's Request to Mountain Tim
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 14: Across the Arizona Desert: Continuing Along the Shortest Route
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 15: The Desert Born Outlaws, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 16: The Desert Born Outlaws, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 17: The Desert Born Outlaws, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 18: The Devil's Palm, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 19: The Devil's Palm, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 20: Gyro Zeppeli's Mission, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 21: Gyro Zeppeli's Mission, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 22: The Terrorist from a Faraway Country, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 23: The Terrorist from a Faraway Country, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 24: Interlude
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 25: Tusk, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 26: Tusk, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 27: Tusk, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 28: Scary Monsters, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 29: Scary Monsters, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 30: Scary Monsters, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Extra Chapter 2: The Story of F. Valentine (Mentioned only)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 31: Scary Monsters, Part 4
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 32: 3rd Stage Goal: Cañon City
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 33: The World of Man, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 34: The World of Man, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 35: The World of Man, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 36: The Green Tomb, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 37: The Green Tomb, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 38: Catch the Rainbow (On a Stormy Night...), Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 39: Catch the Rainbow (On a Stormy Night...), Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 40: Silent Way, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 41: Silent Way, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 42: Silent Way, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Extra Chapter 3: Untitled Stand Chapter (Mentioned only)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 43: Silent Way, Part 4
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 44: Silent Way, Part 5
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 45: The Promised Land: Sugar Mountain, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 46: The Promised Land: Sugar Mountain, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 47: The Promised Land: Sugar Mountain, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 48: Tubular Bells, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 49: Tubular Bells, Part 2 (Mentioned only)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 50: Tubular Bells, Part 3 (Mentioned only)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 51: Wrecking Ball, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 52: Wrecking Ball, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 53: Wrecking Ball, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 54: Wrecking Ball, Part 4
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 55: The Victor's Qualifications
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 56: Civil War, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 57: Civil War, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 58: Civil War, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 59: A Dream of Gettysburg
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 60: Both Sides Now, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 61: Both Sides Now, Part 2 (Flashback)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 62: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 63: Seven Days in a Week
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 64: Chocolate Disco, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 65: Chocolate Disco, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 66: D4C, Part 1 (Mentioned only)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 67: D4C, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 68: D4C, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 69: D4C, Part 4
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 70: D4C, Part 5
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 71: Ticket to Ride, Part 1 (Cover only)
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 72: Ticket to Ride, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 73: D4C, Part 6
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 74: D4C, Part 7
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 76: D4C, Part 9
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 77: D4C, Part 10
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 78: D4C, Part 11 -Love Train-
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 79: D4C, Part 12 -Love Train-
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 80: D4C, Part 13 -Love Train-
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 81: D4C, Part 14 -Love Train-
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 82: D4C, Part 15 -Love Train-
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 83: Ball Breaker, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 84: Ball Breaker, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 85: Ball Breaker, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 86: Ball Breaker, Part 4
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 87: Ball Breaker, Part 5
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 88: Break My Heart, Break Your Heart, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 89: Break My Heart, Break Your Heart, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 90: High Voltage, Part 1
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 91: High Voltage, Part 2
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 92: High Voltage, Part 3
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 93: High Voltage, Part 4
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 94: The World of Stars and Stripes
- Steel Ball Run Chapter 95: The World of Stars and Stripes - Outro
- JoJolion Chapter 11: Family Tree (Mentioned only)
- JoJolion Chapter 21: "Shakedown Road", Part 4 (Flashback) (Death)
- JoJolion Chapter 22: Morioh 1901 (Flashback) (Death)
- JoJolion Chapter 64: Mother and Child (Mentioned only)
- JoJolion Chapter 99: The Wonder of You, Part 16 (Flashback)
- JoJolion Chapter 109: The Radio Gaga Incident (1941) (Flashback)
- JoJolion Chapter 110: Higashikata Fruit Parlor (Flashback)
Novel Appearances- JORGE JOESTAR Chapter 16: Beyond II (Mentioned only)
Quotes
Quotes- “What is it?! What's all the noise?! You guys! What is it?! I can't see in front of me! Move it! Damn, I can't see! Jerks!”—Johnny Joestar's first line, Steel Ball Run Chapter 2: Gyro Zeppeli
- “Hey, you! What's with that Steel Ball?”—Johnny Joestar to Gyro Zeppeli, Steel Ball Run Chapter 2: Gyro Zeppeli
- “This story is the tale of me starting to walk. Not in the physical sense... but in an adolescence to adulthood sort of way... (この「物語」はぼくが歩き出す物語だ。肉体が…………という意味ではなく青春から大人という意味で……)”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 2: Gyro Zeppeli
- “There was a beauty that existed on this beach... a beauty within the darkness. I was drawn to something on this beach. Will there be a light called hope here...?”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar
- “The Spin... All hope... it's all in the Spin! I want to know more... more about the Steel Balls...”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 4: September 25, 1890 - 3 Hours to Start
- “You ran well. Old horse, you've gained a lot of experience from this race. Riding on the rough ground, going across that forest, and rushing downhill with no errors. And despite how much you've been sweating, you can still keep on going...! Your legs are in perfect shape! Your breathing is also in good spirits! We're only at 40-50 horse lengths away! But he dashed ahead too early! He'll be tired! Let's surprise this Gyro Zeppeli!”—Johnny Joestar to Slow Dancer, Steel Ball Run Chapter 10: The Final Stretch: 2,000 Meters Left
- “A race is a race... there's no reason for you to wait for me... I'll catch up with you after I wipe up my blood!”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 14: Across the Arizona Desert: Continuing Along the Shortest Route
- “This is why I signed up for this race... to know the secret of the Spin and to learn it myself. I'll do it! If I don't, everything will end here!”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 19: The Devil's Palm, Part 2
- “My nails just shot out from my lame feeeet!”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 26: Tusk, Part 2
- “I will never hand over this corpse! This has become my hope!”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 26: Tusk, Part 2
- “This ability has far surpassed a simple nail… it’s a Tusk. From now on I will call this Tusk. (これはもう爪を超えた………「牙」だ。これからは「
牙 」と呼ぶ！)”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 27: Tusk, Part 3 - “Gyro! What are you trying to make her do?! She's only 14!”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 40: Silent Way, Part 1
- “It wasn’t supposed to be my brother, it should have been me who was taken. I should have been the one to die… That’s why I had to pay the price. Someday, Fate would catch up with me.”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 42: Silent Way, Part 3
- “I understand now. I’ve realized! Where I should shoot my nail bullets…!”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 58: Civil War, Part 3
- “We’re going to go and corner Dio and take the Left Eye. But, of course… he’ll relatiate, using his Stand. If we ease up on him, he’ll kill us both. I just want to know what you’ll do when he starts fighting back… I’m prepared to shoot him, if need be.”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 64: Chocolate Disco, Part 1
- “Shit. Just a little more, dammit! I’m sure it’s just a little more! I want to get my hands on that corpse no matter what! I don’t care about living or dying or who’s just and who’s evil! I don’t even give a fuck about the corpse being a saint or whatever!! I’m still negative! I want to get up to zero! If I can get the corpse, I can get my negative back to zero!”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 72: Ticket to Ride, Part 2
- “Do you know what a fetish is? I’ve got a little fetish… This is… well, huh… with girls…. Do you know what a bug bite fetish is…? When girl’s arms or legs or something get bitten by a mosquito and their skin swells and gets a little red. That excites me! That’s all! Don’t tell anybody! Ah, I knew it, I take it back! I told you I’d wish I hadn’t said it!”—Johnny Joestar’s biggest secret, Steel Ball Run Chapter 76: D4C, Part 9
- “It’s truly, truly been… a very long roundabout path… (本当に本当に、なんて遠い廻り道…)”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 85: Ball Breaker, Part 3
- “The perfect rotation energy… and I still have one nail bullet left.”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 85: Ball Breaker, Part 3
- “Gyro, for this reason… this was the reason for “lesson 5”. Thank you… Thank you, Gyro. I truly… truly… thank you… I can’t find any other words to express it.”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 86: Ball Breaker, Part 4
- “Tusk ACT4. The sacrifice, President Valentine! Which do you think it will really be? Ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora ora oraaaah!!!!!!”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 86: Ball Breaker, Part 4
- “Just try picking it up, President Valentine. (拾ってみろバレンタイン大統領)”—Steel Ball Run Chapter 89: Break My Heart, Break Your Heart, Part 2
- “Gyro… I’m sorry… I’m really sorry… I wanted to believe… I really wanted to believe the President… Goodbye. Gyro… goodbye. (ジャイロ…すまない...すまなかった…本当に...さようなら...ジャイロ…信じたかった…本当に…大統領を信じたかった…さようならジャイロ…さようなら。)”—Johnny Joestar's final farewell to Gyro Zeppeli, Steel Ball Run Chapter 89: Break My Heart, Break Your Heart, Part 2
- “Who knows that the Corpse is really important…? Who understands the Corpse? In this world, it is I alone, Johnny Joestar. There’s no way I’ll hand it over to anyone… the only one with the right to end this is me!”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 90: High Voltage, Part 1
- “In this situation… I wanna say something tough… like Gyro would. (この状況…ジャイロのように……タフなセリフを吐きたい。)”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 92: High Voltage, Part 3
- “This is a story of revival… How I was literally able to start walking again… and thinking back, I was constantly praying the whole journey… even this cross-continental race by horse was a journey of prayer. Praying for the weather tomorrow. Praying that when when we wake up the next day there would be a road on the land. Praying that we would have food and a place to sleep. Praying that our campfire would light. And while these common things would repeat, prayer that my friend and the horses would be okay. And we crossed each river one by one. Now… I have crossed the final river.”—Johnny Joestar’s last narration, Steel Ball Run Chapter 95: The World of Stars and Stripes - Outro
- “Why don’t we pray… that we have a safe voyage… crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and getting you back home… home. Let’s go home. (「祈って」おこうかな………航海の無事を………この大西洋を渡って家に帰ろう………家に…帰ろう…)”—Johnny Joestar, Steel Ball Run Chapter 95: The World of Stars and Stripes - Outro
Quotes- “Why did it have to be the person I loved...? Why did the disease have to choose her...? Just one time... just this once... please, forgive me. Can't you just give it to someone I don't know in her place...? As long as my wife is spared, I'm okay with that... just this once.”—Johnny Joestar, JoJolion Chapter 22: Morioh 1901
- “I won't use the Holy Corpse anymore. It will bring misfortune to someone somewhere. George Joestar, I'm glad I was able to meet you... that is enough for me.... I couldn't exchange that for anything. I have found a happiness... that cannot be replaced.”—Johnny Joestar, JoJolion Chapter 22: Morioh 1901
- “[The disease] will be exchanged for something of equivalent value. But I have something here I couldn't exchange for anything.”—Johnny Joestar's last words, JoJolion Chapter 22: Morioh 1901
Creation and Development
Going into Steel Ball Run, Hirohiko Araki sought to write a protagonist who would be taught how to mature by being forced to overcome hardships thrown at him by nature.[26] He did not initially conceive the idea of Johnny's disability, instead focusing on portraying his growth foremost. The disability came about from Araki's desire to portray this growth both mentally and physically, particularly in the setting of a race where Johnny would have to rely on other people as well as horses.[27] Additionally, Araki was interested in exploring the idea of the right and wrong paths in life and how to distinguish between the two, placing Johnny as well as Gyro in this conundrum during the race.[28][29]
Araki also wanted to revisit the student-teacher relationship between Jonathan Joestar and Will Anthonio Zeppeli from Phantom Blood with slightly more in-depth writing although with a much smaller age difference and a friendlier relationship, akin to Joseph Joestar and Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli's relationship. He enjoyed writing their casual and more pointless conversations, wishing to convey a deeper connection between the two.[30]
Johnny's fetish for bug bites was modeled after Araki, who found making X marks on mosquito bites erotic when he was younger.[31]
Trivia
- In the first chapter, his name is written in Japanese as "Jonī" (ジョニー), whereas from the second chapter on, it is written as "Jonyi" (ジョニィ). Both have the same pronunciation, however.
- Johnny's voice actor in All-Star Battle and Eyes of Heaven, Yuki Kaji, also voices Koichi Hirose in the Part 4 TV Anime.
Notes
- ↑ In Steel Ball Run Chapter 30: Scary Monsters, Part 3, Gyro says a line to Johnny similarly to the song's chorus.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Steel Ball Run Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Steel Ball Run Chapter 42: Silent Way, Part 3
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 64: Chocolate Disco, Part 1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 JoJolion Chapter 21: "Shakedown Road", Part 4 pp.28-30
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 12: 1st Stage: Disqualified from Victory
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 21: "Shakedown Road", Part 4 - Johnny moved to Japan after marrying Rina.
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 21: "Shakedown Road", Part 4
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 110: Higashikata Fruit Parlor
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar, p.7-10
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar, p.31
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 4: September 25, 1890 - 3 Hours to Start, p.10
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 64: Chocolate Disco, Part 1, p.14
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 22: Morioh 1901, p.5
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 40: Silent Way, Part 1, p.33
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 22: Morioh 1901, p.11-12
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 43: Silent Way, Part 4, p.10
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 79: D4C, Part 12 -Love Train-, p.39-41
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 86: Ball Breaker, Part 4, p.2
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 48: Tubular Bells, Part 1, p.14
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 20: Gyro Zeppeli's Mission, Part 1
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 43: Silent Way, Part 4, p.50
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 59: A Dream of Gettysburg, p6
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 85: Ball Breaker, Part 3, p.52
- ↑ JoJolion Chapter 21: "Shakedown Road", Part 4, p.44
- ↑ Steel Ball Run Chapter 76: D4C, Part 9
- ↑ Stone Ocean Paperback Vol. 11 (February 2009)
- ↑ Anime News Network (June 2017)
- ↑ SBR Volume 7 Author's Note
- ↑ SBR Volume 8 Author's Note
- ↑ Eureka (November 2007)
- ↑ UOMO Magazine (August 2018)
Early Years
Johnny "Joe Kid" Joestar was born in a family of former aristocrats in Danville, Kentucky – his father then a wealthy owner of several farms and an acclaimed horse trainer who had won the Triple Crown seven times. He was successful enough for the family to live comfortably in England for several years.[1]
Johnny was five when he first rode a horse. His father, upon seeing Johnny observe the motions of the horse, considered him "a horse riding genius", which Johnny himself would also believe.[2] However, Mr. Joestar was strict towards Johnny and always seemed to favor his older brother Nicholas.
When young Johnny took out his pet mouse Danny and secretly fed it under the table during dinner, his father, upon discovering it, ordered Johnny to drown the animal as punishment. Heartbroken, Johnny was unable to bring himself to do the deed, and followed Nicholas' suggestion to set Danny free into the woods instead.
Years later, Nicholas grew into a promising jockey-to-be, much admired by Johnny. One day, Nicholas' horse stumbled from something on the ground, costing Nicholas his life. Johnny saw a white mouse run from the commotion into the woods – a mouse he believed to be Danny.[1]
Seven years later, it was Johnny who rose to fame as a racing prodigy. He was pampered greatly: people would bring him riches, politicians and royalty would visit him, and rich girls would sleep with him. His father still did not acknowledge him and his feats, possibly because Johnny never managed to beat Diego at racing. In a violent fight between them, Johnny's father uttered that "God had taken the wrong son" before finally throwing Johnny out of the household. Still, this did not deter Johnny, and he would go on to win the Kentucky Derby at a tender age of sixteen.[3]
At one point, while waiting in line for a play, the girl he was with convinced him to cut to the front of the line and bribed the bouncers to throw out the youth in the front of the line - who had been waiting through the night. The youth shot Johnny in the spine, paralyzing him from the waist down and sending him to a hospital where he was physically abused. Having lost all the friends and respect he had earned as a jockey, no one visited him during his stay in the hospital.[4]
Pre-Race
Johnny first appears among the crowd who witness the confrontation between Gyro and a pickpocket who had stolen money from him. Afterward, when Johnny follows and touches the steel ball Gyro had used, which was still spinning, his legs moved enough to allow him to stand. Johnny chases after Gyro, who compliments his upper body strength, but denies that the steel ball can enable him to walk again. However, Johnny is not deterred; he decides to chase down Gyro by entering the race to learn more about the steel balls and starts by trying to ride a horse.
Johnny's initial attempts are unsuccessful, the experienced horse dragging him by the saddle in the dirt, causing his leg to be pierced by a piece of wood, and even trampling him through an entire day's attempt at trying to tame it. Johnny also made sure not to be interrupted in his attempts to tame him, threatening the men who introduced him to the horse that he would set himself on fire and commit suicide if he is forced out of the pen.
Johnny enters the race, Slow Dancer dragging him along the stirrup. However, it becomes evident that Johnny has tamed the horse, as it is seen licking his cheek and obeying Johnny's command to lick him again. Johnny, after taking Gyro's hint to use the spin, rolls back over Slow Dancer's neck and onto the saddle, right as the Steel Ball Run starts.[5]
First Stage
During the first stage, Johnny steadily follows Gyro, determined to impress him during this stage. When Gyro decides to cross a dense forest to take shortcut, he decides to dash in too, clashing with Pocoloco briefly. While Johnny has superior skill, Pocoloco's luck sends him to the second position nonetheless.
Until the final 1,000 meters, Johnny remains unchallenged until Diego comes behind him. Nonetheless, Johnny finishes at the fifth place. Still determined to follow the Neapolitan rider, Johnny impresses Gyro enough for him to give him a second lesson in the Spin. Telling him that the secret resides in the rotation, Gyro gives Johnny a crok to rotate and forms a partnership with him.[6]
Second Stage
At the start of the second stage, Johnny counsels Gyro to follow the advised route linking all the possible wells during the crossing of the desert. However when Gyro decides to cut through 150km of desert, Johnny has no choice but to follow him.
Johnny and Gyro are attacked by one fellow competitor, Mrs. Robinson, who manages to blind and unhorse Johnny, but Gyro manages to save him and defeat Mrs. Robinson.
At night, they are again attacked, this time by the Boom Boom Family, whose magnetic power disable Gyro's Steel Balls and Johnny's pistol. The duo opt to flee, but Benjamin Boom Boom the patriarch lures bounty hunter Mountain Tim toward thinking Johnny has been assassinating his competitors. When Mountain Tim, Johnny and Gyro meet, the magnetic power of Tomb of the Boom immobilizes the three of them. When Benjamin moves to kill Johnny, the later acquire the ability to rotate his fingernails. He shoots the nails, killing Benjamin and crippling L.A. with his newfound power, which Mountain Tim explains as a Stand. Since the true assassins were dealt with, Johnny and Gyro resume their race, but L.A. grimly warns Gyro that he will never finish the race as other people are after his head.[7][8]
Johnny pushses Gyro to reveal his past as a Neapolitan executioner, whose effort to win the Steel Ball Run are undermined by enemies of his kingdom. One such enemies reveals himself as another Stand user. Oyecomova, a Neapolitan terrorist, battles Gyro and Johnny but both cooperate in order to take him down.
Even as he has to deal with the threat of terroritsts, Johnny discovers that a mummified Left Arm has entered his own body. Another enemy different from the terrorists makes his entry. The Pork Pie Hat Kid, a Stand user at the service of the President of the United States disables Gyro and tries to kill Johnny. During the fight, Johnny witnesses his Stand making his legs move, and realizes how precious those Corpse Parts can be to him. Johnny and Gyro's concerted efforts manage to prevail against the Pork Pie Hat Kid; Gyro though interested in the Corpse Parts, has nothing to do with them.[9]
Johnny and Gyro peacefully finish the second stage, Johnny ending up in second place as he spots in the newspaper a clue to the next Corpse Part.
Third Stage
In the Rocky Mountains, Johnny and Gyro meet with an unhorsed and visibly hurt Diego. Johnny advocates leaving Diego, but the British jockey soon regains his vitality and acts strange. The three of them decide to spend the night in a village to avoid the cougars, but Johnny and Gyro soon have to deal with Diego, who transformed into a feral dinosaur.
Both escape, but have been scratched by the dinosaur and slowly begin their own transformation. Noticing that Johnny's metamorphosis into a dinosaur is slowed by the Corpse Part, the duo try to reach the new Corpse Part on a nearby peak. However both are stopped at the last moment by Diego and the horde of dinosaurs, which was commanded by Dr. Ferdinand, another US agent. Johnny, immobilized, relinquishes his Left Arm in order to transform and use his newfound mobility to give Gyro one of the Eyes. Gyro, now immune to Dr. Ferdinand's power, manages to defeat the doctor while Diego flees with the other eye.[10]
Johnny and Gyro then ride safely toward the end of the third stage. As every competitor races to finish first, Gyro uses yet another dangerous shortcut, but Johnny admonishes him, criticising his lack of real, selfish drive he needs to come out on top. At first, Gyro is angry at Johnny and criticizes him, but after being defeated in the race by Diego, decides to listen to Johnny's words.
Fourth Stage
The fourth stage begins for Johnny and Gyro. They ride peacefully for about 600 km.
In a forest, Johnny and Gyro meet Hot Pants, a competitor who won the previous stage. Hot Pants attacks them both with his Stand Cream Starter, believing they stole one of his stash of food. Fortunately, Johnny defuses the fight by demonstrating they couldn't have stolen it. Johnny, Gyro and Hot Pants are still on bad terms but have to cooperate as a gunslinger named Ringo Roadagain blocks their way out of the woods.
Hot Pants and Johnny are wounded, Johnny receiving a bullet to the head, but the near inconcscious Johnny manages to signal to Gyro that he's still alive. Lying near Ringo, he witnesses the gunslinger scribing a message and give it to a messenger pigeon. Gyro comes challenging Ringo to a gunfight, and prevails. Then healed by Cream Starter, Johnny warns Gyro about Ringo's message, which contained the coordinates of the next Corpse Part. Also checking on Hot Pants, Johnny sees that Hot Pants is secretly a woman. Deeming her gender irrelevant, Johnny choses not to discloses this to his partner.[11]
Near Kansas City, Johnny and Gyro meet Sandman who warns them of an incoming tempest. Yet, when Sandman informs them of Diego's route, they decide to run after him. After a tough battle, Johnny and Gyro manage to outpace him, and Diego's Silver Bullet is injured, putting him temporarily out of the race. [12] However they are surprised to meet Lucy Steel, who had discovered Valentine's schemes and is now pursued by Blackmore. After Blackmore is killed, Lucy gives them the Spine and asks for their protection. Instead, Gyro wants Lucy to go steal the Heart from Valentine, exploiting that Lucy's involvement was known only to Blackmore. Despite Johnny's protests at sending her, she accepts.[13]
Johnny and Gyro finish the fourth stage in Kansas City, then see Diego crossing the line, sure that he will get back at them eventually.
Fifth Stage
En route for Chicago, the next finish line, Johnny and Gyro ride peacefully for around 300 km.
Near the Mississipi, they are attacked by two unknown opponents. Johnny's nails are too weak while Gyro's Steel Balls are destroyed, thus they opt to flee to the river. They soon discover that Diego and Sandman are cooperating, and while Diego has gone, Sandman has cornered them in the middle of the river. As they fight, Johnny reminisces how life was harsh to him, and is driven to despair. However, Gyro refuses to give in and teaches Johnny about the Golden Scale. Showing Johnny his belt buckle as a scale, Gyro nonetheless refuses to give it to him. In the middle of the Mississipi, as Gyro's leg is chopped off, and Johhny is on the brink of despair, the latter finally understand that the Golden Scale is omnipresent in the surrounding nature. Tusk evolves into a new ACT, which enables him to create enduring holes. Although it isn't enough to kill Sandman, Johnny uses Gyro's belt buckle as an extra projectile to kill him. Johnny is victorious, but in his weakened state, he cannot stop Hot Pants from stealing the Corpse Parts; still Hot Pants left him a Vertebrae and helped the duo cross the Mississipi.[14]
Sixth Stage
At the beginning of the sixth stage, Johnny and Gyro meet with Sugar Mountain, a young girl acting as the guardian of a giant tree in a forest. Soon the duo has to face strange propositions between two versions of various objects they dumped in the nearby ponds, the real items and a much more precious version of them. They answer honestly and get both, until Gyro and Johnny manage to obtain the Ears and the Right Arm. However Sugar Mountain also tells them to trade everything they have by sunset fairly otherwise they will be absorbed into the tree.
In a nearby city, Johnny and Gyro have trouble spending everything they have, moreover Eleven Men stalk them in order to assassinate them both. Gyro decides to go to an underground casino in which they try to gamble away the money. They are interrupted by the Eleven Men, and a shootout ensues. Overwhelmed by numbers, Gyro manage to convince the gangster to kill the Eleven Men in exchange for all their goods. All but one die, the last having fled.[15]
As the sun sets, Gyro suddenly transforms into a tree, to Johnny's surprise. He realizes with horror that he must trade the Corpse Parts, but as Gyro transforms and begs Johnny to trade them away. Johnny clings to the Corpse Parts who means the potential use of his legs. Still, at the last moment, Johnny trades the Ears and the Right Arm with the last of the Eleven Men, crying as he asks for a half empty bottle of wine in exchange for the Corpse Parts. Having saved Gyro, Johnny share the bottle with him and has a toast to the next Corpse Part and the goal.
When Johnny and Gyro attempt to cross the Michigan Lake via a frozen strait, they notice a wolf following them, but also two other agents of the government: Wekapipo and Magent Magent. Wekapipo's expertise in the Spin proves problematic, but Johnny and Gyro manage to prevail. When Gyro reveals that his family is taking care of Wekapipo's blind sister, the latter allies with them and accepts to go look for Lucy. Moreover, Johnny obtains the Legs from the wolf.[16]
Being in a victorious stroke, Johnny and Gyro finish the stage at the second and first place respectively.
Seventh Stage
Johnny and Gyro ride undisturbed for 12 days, until they are 145 km for Philadelphia.
Johnny and Gyro spot Hot Pants, and follow her in order to get the Corpse Parts she stole back. When she enters a garbage dump, Johnny and Gyro separate themselves to surround her, but Hot Pants manage to warn Johnny about the new enemy's power, who lured Johnny and Gyro into his Stand. Civil War summoning copies of whatever and whoever the victims left behind, but weak to water, Johnny manages to escape it and goes back into the dump to save Gyro. Seeing visions of Jesus, Johnny's Stand evolves further into ACT 3, and though Axl RO takes all the Corpse Parts, Johnny manages to return his power against him.[17]
However, Valentine, who has been observing the fight, intervenes at the last moment and successfully steals all the Corpse Parts.[18]
Defeated, Johnny and Gyro finish the sixth stage at the sixth and seventh place.
Eighth Stage
In Philadelphia, Johnny and Gyro have no Corpse Parts anymore and decide to steal the Right Eye from Diego, following him up to a park.
However, Valentine manages to shoot Johnny, forcing him to escape into the sewers while his Stand, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, causes confusion among Gyro, Diego and Wekapipo. Valentine manages to escape with Diego's Eye, but Johnny now knows Valentine's power.[19]
Despite Gyro's reluctance at continuing a seemingly lost fight, Johnny briefly stands up, showing that he's this close to regaining the use of his legs. Thus Gyro accepts to follow Johhny, mentioning another level of Spin which could defeat the President.
Johnny and Gyro follow Diego and Hot Pants who have allied themselves, and observe the two racers battle Valentine on board a train from afar. When Diego dies, they decide to intervene and stop the train from the locomotive. However, they also notice that the landscape is converging toward the train. A brief shootout ensues between Valentine and Johnny, but Valentine discovers the blessing of the Corpse, a pocket dimension on which "harm" itself bounces away. Valentine almost kills Johnny but Gyro throws a Steel Ball at the wall, making the President retreat momentarily while Johnny and Gyro manage to stop the train and take a respite. Gyro's Ball has managed to momentarily cross the wall; the Super Spin, a level of Spin reached only when a horserider manages to ride within the Golden Scale, seems to be able to cross over dimensions. The duo now charges at the President with the intent of using the Super Spin, and Valentine dashes between them, forcing Johnny to separates from Gyro. Although he momentarily manages to reach the Golden Scale, Johnny hits a tree branch, giving Valentine the occasion of cutting off his hand. However, a combination of Gyro throwing one of his Steel Balls and Steven Steel entrusting Lucy with the Neapolitan distracts Valentine away from Johnny.
While Gyro and Valentine duel, Johnny recomposes himself. As he tries to join the fight, Gyro shouts to Johnny his last lesson: "The shortest route was a detour; it was the detour that was our shortest path". Gyro then dies by Valentine's hands. Heartbroken and enraged, Johnny charges Valentine, but the President manages to slit Slow Dancer's throat and unhorse Johnny. As Valentine approaches him to deal the last blow, Johnny understands Gyro's message, and uses the Steel Ball on Slow Dancer's hind leg. Kicked into the air, Johnny absorbs the Golden Scale into himself and unlocks Tusk ACT 4, and shoots his last nail toward Valentine. Valentine is hit, and disappears momentarily.
Johnny waits for the President's eventual return, growing back the nails of his only hand. When Valentine does come back, he tries to sway Johnny into releasing him from the infinite rotation caused by Tusk, promising to bring back Gyro and leave them be, also making an elaborate speech about his goals and giving an alternate Cream Starter as insurance. Almost convinced, Johnny nonetheless tosses Valentine's old revolver his double discarded earlier, exposing Valentine as treacherous. A small duel ensues, during which Johnny kills Valentine, and sees Gyro's spirit giving him a last goodbye.
Ninth Stage and Final Duel against Dio
After Johnny finally kills Valentine, he is surprised to see that the Corpse Parts have gone missing again. He pursues the thief, only to discover it is none other than Diego Brando (or rather, a Diego from an alternate world). Johnny is at first surprised by the appearance of Diego's new stand The World, but still manages to discover the nature of its power after a few attacks. This time, however, Diego has the advantage of already knowing Tusk's powers and the super spin technique, predicting Johnny's actions and using his own fangirls as human shields. In his final attack, Diego uses his "5 seconds" to create a pincer move: he fires a gun from the front while The World attacks Johnny's back. Johnny is badly hurt again and falls from his horse, unable to use his new attack.
| Steel Ball Run Race Statistics | ||
| Stage | Placement | Points |
|---|---|---|
| First | 5th | 30 |
| Second | 2nd | 50 |
| Third | 2nd | 50 |
| Fourth | 4th | 35 |
| Fifth | 5th | 30 |
| Sixth | 2nd | 50 |
| Seventh | 7th | 20 |
| Eighth | 5th | 30 |
However, he had accumulated enough spin to make one final attack, sending Tusk Act 4 climbing up Diego's leg. Diego then remembers what Valentine had told him about the Super Spin technique and how to overcome it. Cutting his leg off and throwing it at Johnny, Diego manages to beat the Spin User with his own technique. He then remounts his horse and leaves Johnny to die. Having lost the race, the corpse and now dying as a result of his own attack, Johnny nearly sinks into despair. However, before his life can come to an end, Stephen Steel appears. With Mr. Steel's help (riding his horse to do the spin), Johnny performs Tusk Act 4's infinite spin power on himself to reverse its effects. Johnny is never seen completing the ninth and final stage of the race and ends with a total of 295 points.
Post Steel Ball Run
After the race, Johnny travels by ship to Naples in order to return Gyro's corpse to his family, intending to honor him one last time. On the ship, he meets Norisuke and his daughter Rina and begins a romantic relationship with her. It is revealed in the aftermath that the monarchy is overthrown and Marco is granted amnesty, though he dies of a cold later.[20]
Last years in Japan
According to family tree left in the 1987 edition of Norisuke Higashikata's record of the Steel Ball Run race, Johnny had married Norisuke's daughter Rina Higashikata in 1892 and had a son and daughter with her.[21] Johnny and Rina first lived in a farm, then Johnny came to Japan by request of the Japanese government to teach horsemanship, and also contributed to the importation of foreign fruits.[22] According to the old man on Extortion Road, about nine years after the marriage, Rina was stricken with an incurable disease that gave her on-and-off amnesia and origami-like folded skin. Johnny thus brought back Rina to Morioh so that she lived in her native town.
After agonizing over his wife's condition Johnny turned to stealing the Corpse from the vault and brought it back to Morioh to cure her. The American government reacted from having the Corpse taken and pursued Johnny, but by taking advantage of a certain privilege and sneaking aboard a ship crossing the Atlantic and Indian oceans, he narrowly evaded them into the Pacific.With the government pursuers still following, Johnny took the Corpse and hid it at the roots of the Meditation Pine by the coast of Morioh and then fetched Rina and their infant son, George Joestar II, by carriage. Using the Holy Corpse's power to cure disease (more accurately described as a power to remove), the curse was removed from Rina, but was unfortunately forced upon George instead. Having promised not to use the Corpse anymore, but willing to use it again to cure his son, Johnny mounted his horse and placed his child atop the case containing the Corpse. After gaining a certain amount of velocity, Johnny activated the Super Spin and shot his son and the Corpse at the same time using Tusk Act 4. He took the curse upon himself and was shot in the head by his own Stand. After falling to the ground, the Stand Les Feuilles manifests itself for the first time and transfers a large boulder on Johnny's head, crushing his skull. Thus Johnny Joestar's life ends at the age of 29, in the evening of November 12th 1901. However, these details remain a rumor.[23].png)
His body is discovered the next morning by Rina next to George and the case containing the Corpse. Due to the lack of witnesses, everyone believed Johnny had been murdered and the prime suspect was his wife, Rina Higashikata, who was released later when the incident was classified as an accident. Six months later, a Jizou statue was erected in memory of Johnny Joestar and he was buried in Morioh.
References
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