The Pillar Man, Santana (story arc)

'The Pillar Man: Santana' (「柱の男・サンタナ」) is the third story arc in Battle Tendency.

Summary
Stroheim takes Speedwagon under the hacienda they live in, where a secret laboratory has been built to experiment on the soon to be awoken Pillar Man, to Speedwagon's horror. When the Pillar Man wakes up, Stroheim dubs him Santana and sends in a Vampire who is promptly killed by simply being digested through mere physical contact.

Joseph arrives in Mexico, and after defeating the assassin Donovan, is led to the hacienda Stroheim lives. Joseph arrives at the hacienda and infiltrates it disguised as a soldier.

Meanwhile Stroheim and his sicentists are taken aback since Santana has disappeared from the cell he was kept in, they soon realize that Santana got out by folding himself into a small ar vent. Santana enters the control room and kills several soldiers. However one soldier manages to protect Speedwagon and Stroheim with the Ripple. Joseph reveals himself, and tries to talk to the Pillar Man. However Santana is disinterested by Joseph and tries to use the Ripple on him, which proves unable to pierce his skin. Santana sends him flying, and intrigued by the Ripple, aggresses Speedwagon to experiment further on it. This move angers Joseph and a proper fight begins. Santana physically overwhelms Joseph and absorbs him, only for Joseph to use his Ripple directly inside Santana. Santana is cut in two by the Ripple and bound by chains. Joseph then tries to drag him to the surface to kill Santana, but he is tired and cannot reach the door. Stroheim intervenes, and manages to open the door and bathe Santana in sunlight, but Santana enters Stroheim's body through a wound, forcing the Nazi to blow himself in the middle of the courtyard. However, before dying, Stroheim reveals the existence of three other Pillar Men in Rome and asks Joseph to meet one of his and Speedwagon's acquaintance here. Santana is fully exposed to the sunlight and tries to jump down a well to protect himself, however Joseph delays Santana until it is exactly noon and the sun reflects on the bottom of the well, transforming Santana into stone before he can hide.

Santana is subsequently brought into the Speedwagon Foundation facility were he is kept under sunlight constantly. Meanwhile the scientists here uncover a prophecy predicting the awakening of the three Roman Pillar Men this very year, and Speedwagon sends Joseph to Rome, where he meets Caesar Zeppeli, who is also a Ripple user.

Chapters

 * 010 (054). 'The Pillar Man: Santana' (1)
 * 011 (055). 'The Pillar Man: Santana' (2)
 * 012 (056). 'The Pillar Man: Santana' (3)
 * 013 (057). 'The Pillar Man: Santana' (4)
 * 014 (058). 'The Pillar Man: Santana' (5)
 * 015 (059). 'The Pillar Man: Santana' (6)
 * 016 (060). 'The Pillar Man: Santana' (7)
 * 017 (061). 'The Pillar Man: Santana' (8)
 * 018 (062). 'The Pillar Man: Santana' (9)

Volumes

 * 02 (06). JoJo vs. the Ultimate Life-Form
 * 03 (07). The Red Stone of Aja

Anime Episodes

 * 03 (12). The Pillar Man
 * 04 (13). JoJo vs. the Ultimate Life-Form
 * 05 (14). Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times