Will Anthonio Zeppeli

Will Anthonio Zeppeli (ウィル・A・ツェペリ Wiru A Tseperi) is the ally and mentor to Jonathan Joestar featured in Part I: Phantom Blood. He is the first member of the Zeppeli family who would aid the protagonists.

Personality
As a master of the Ripple, Zeppeli is confident and brave, freely approaching an injured Jonathan and giving him the power of the ripple, without having met him previously. This personality also extends the majority of his battles, such as when he is teaching Jonathan to apply the ripple to his fight against Jack the Ripper, all the while calmly pouring and drinking wine. Even as he realizes he is about to die horribly in the future, he does not seem to be too fazed by this and acts very casually with regards to life.

History
Born to a scholar family, Zeppeli had been interested in researching the unknown since his youth. When he became of age, he joined the archaeological group at his father's university and was able to travel to various places around the world.

On one of his travels, the group went to Mexico to excavate an underground Aztec ruin. Amongst their finds was the Stone Mask.

On the voyage home, several of the crew began to die off, until they realized that someone had put on the mask. It turned out to be the leader of the group, Zeppeli's father. All 58 crew members were slaughtered, but Zeppeli managed to escape by jumping into the sea. His father was eradicated by the morning sun soon after. Zeppeli was eventually rescued several days later by a fishing boat.

Two years after this horrific event, Zeppeli travels the world in order to find a way to destroy the stone mask. In a town in India, he meets a strange man with the ability to heal even the most impossible injuries and sicknesses. The man directs Zeppeli to his master, Tonpetty, who teaches him to use the "ripple". However, during his training, Tonpetty foresees Zeppeli's death and warns him that should he complete his training he will surely die. Zeppeli accepts his fate and agrees to complete the training along with Dire.

Phantom Blood
After hearing that Jonathan Joestar defeated Dio Brando, the current owner of the Stone Mask, Zeppeli presents himself to Jonathan and volunteers to teach him the ripple. Zeppeli then accompanies Jonathan and Robert Edward O. Speedwagon on their quest to defeat Dio and destroy the Stone Mask, Zeppeli briefly fighting Jack the Ripper before giving this task to Jonathan in an attempt to teach him to use the ripple better. He also tries to help Speedwagon use the ripple, but makes a mistake and ends up hurting him instead.

Dio shows himself to the group and fights Zeppeli, who has his arm frozen in the battle, until Jonathan and Speedwagon save him. When Dio summons the Dark Knights Zeppeli and Speedwagon are unable to assist Jonathan in his fight against Bruford due to Tarukus's interference. After Bruford is defeated Zeppeli and Jonathan use their ripple on leaves to make a hang glider to escape Tarukus, who eventually manages to catch up. When Jonathan is struggling to defeat Tarukus Zeppeli enters the battle with Poco's help and it is then that he shares the fact that he is destined to die. Like the prophecy says, Zeppeli has his body torn apart by Tarukus's chains, but gives his power to Jonathan moments before dying. It is with his power that Jonathan is able to defeat Tarukus. It is latter revealed that Zeppeli had sent a letter to his master Tonpetty asking for help in destroying the Stone Mask, but he arrived too late to prevent Zeppeli's death.

Ripple
Having taught Jonathan himself, Zeppeli is an expert when it comes to using the Ripple. Aside from attacking, he is able to use it for other things such as jumping, standing on water, healing wounds, revive plants, foresight, etc.

Attacks

 * Zoom Punch (ズームパンチ): The attack involves a ripple breathing technique that stretches the joints in the arm. Due to the increased length, the strike is useful as a semi-ranged attack. Interestingly enough, the technique was originally taught to Jonathan, though Joseph is also capable of using it with it's proper name.
 * Ripple Cutter: Zeppeli fires liquid from his mouth. The ripple combined with the liquid makes it dense enough to cut through solid objects.
 * Sendo Wave Kick: A ripple-infused roundhouse kick. The ripple energy upon entering the bloodstream tears vampires apart.
 * Sunlight Yellow Overdrive (山き吹色波紋疾走): Using the power of sunlight, Zeppeli is able to transfer the ripple through his body into another being, causing burn damage to zombies and vampires alike. A quick simple jab is enough to cause a group of zombies to get blown away, and then eventually melt into nothing.
 * Life Magnetism Overdrive: An ability that allowed Zeppeli and Jonathan to gather forth all the leaves in the area. The leaves can be combined to create a much larger leaf which is used as a hang glider.
 * Tornado Overdrive: Zeppeli leaps into the air and points his legs towards his opponent. From here, he is able to move the ripple to his lower half, and essentially dive bomb the opponent in a spinning motion, much like a drill.
 * Supreme Deep Pass Overdrive: Zeppeli's last and most powerful ripple technique. Right before his death, he transfers all his life energy into Jonathan. Using this technique, Jonathan obtains all of Zeppeli's power, causing his strength, agility, and ripple technique to shoot up.

Trivia

 * Upon Zeppeli's death, his hat was worn by Speedwagon until the end of Part I.
 * Yuugi Hoshiguma from Touhou Project, who has learned to fight without spilling a drop of sake, is a confirmed reference to a scene from Part I where Zeppeli makes Jonathan fight without spilling a drop of wine.