Zeppeli Family

"This is the Zeppeli Family Spirit, from the past to the future! It's the human spirit!"

- Caesar Zeppeli,

The is a recurring family of native Italians, whose members are featured in Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency, and Steel Ball Run. Allied to the Joestar Family and fighting for the side of good, the Zeppeli are tied to the Ripple and its equivalent the Spin.

Description
In the first continuity, the Zeppeli family is introduced in Phantom Blood, their history being deeply connected to the Stone Mask. The Zeppeli are among the responsible for unearthing the Stone Mask Dio Brando would use and a then young Will Anthonio Zeppeli suffered firsthand the potential for carnage the mask and the monsters it produced.

Chasing after the Stone Mask and wishing to fight its spawns, Will learned the Ripple in Tibet under the tutelage of Tonpetty. Hearing about the Stone Mask, Will then allied with Jonathan Joestar, becoming his mentor in the ways of the Ripple. Will made a great contribution to the fight against the Stone Mask, a task which two of his descendants, his son and grandson Mario Zeppeli then Caesar Zeppeli collaborating with the Ripple masters, Caesar himself becoming a Ripple User and befriending Jonathan's grandson Joseph Joestar.

Not much is known about the Zeppeli family. During Will's generation, the Zeppeli were scholars but after Caesar and his siblings were abused by relatives, they fell on hard times. Caesar is known to have been raised in Rome.

However, after the menace of the Stone Mask and the Pillar Men has been neutralized, the Zeppeli never become relevant to the subsequent adventures of the Joestars.

Second Continuity
In Steel Ball Run, the Zeppeli are reintroduced as a well-off and respected family of Neapolitan doctors and executioners connected to Naples' court. Moreover, the Zeppeli now have a tradition of practicing the mystical art of the Spin for generations, which combined with their study of human anatomy, has elevated their practice of medicine and execution to a high level.

Against the wishes of his father Gregorio Zeppeli, Julius Caesar "Gyro" Zeppeli participates in the Steel Ball Run race to acquire glory and acquit a young boy. On the way, Gyro befriends Jonathan "Johnny" Joestar and teaches him the Spin. Battling the President of the United States, Gyro dies and his corpse is brought back to Naples by Johnny.

After Naples transitioning into a republic and overthrowing the king, the Zeppeli Family are said to have moved to an unknown country, and their whereabouts are unknown.

Trivia

 * The Zeppeli Family practices supernatural martial arts and crafts separated from Stand power, unlike the Joestar Family. In the original universe, they are proficient in the art of the Ripple, and in the Steel Ball Run universe, they practice the art of the Spin.
 * It is a recurring theme that a Zeppeli will sacrifice themselves to further their cause, usually while directly assisting a Joestar by giving them their power and knowledge.
 * Zeppeli may be a reference to a popular Italian dessert: zeppoli.