Steel Ball Run

Steel Ball Run (スティール・ボール・ラン) is the seventh part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2004 and in Ultra Jump between 2005 and 2011.

Set in the U.S. in 1890, the story follows Johnny Joestar, a paraplegic ex-jockey, and Gyro Zeppeli, master in a mystic art named the Spin, as they compete with a vast number of others in the Steel Ball Run race: A mad-dash across America for a grand prize of 50 million dollars.

The Steel Ball Run Universe
Steel Ball Run describes a new continuity apart from that detailed in Parts I-VI of the series.

On top of core features to JoJo such as Stands, the story is marked by many references to the original series.

Transition to Ultra Jump
The story originally described as a "standalone alternative universe", after Chapter 23, Steel Ball Run transferred publication from Weekly Shonen Jump to seinen magazine Ultra Jump, upon which it was declared part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure canon.

In the monthly Ultra Jump, chapters are much longer. Perhaps coincidentally, between those chapters included in Volumes 7 – 8, Araki's style takes on greater realism.

Press Conference
The Steel Ball Run: Press Conference

For keeping English literature, Sandman is forced to flee his tribe. Momentarily outrunning pursuing horsemen; whilst escaping, another hand is seen separating from his right.

Away, in conversation with his sister, he indicates a multitude of perfectly hemispherical hand-sized depressions in a rock face; evidence of an impossible horseback leap; and the tool with which it is suggested that a white man made them.

He shows his sister a newspaper headline regarding the imminent Steel Ball Run race, with a grand prize of $50,000,000; as Steven Steel holds a press conference, giving the race's basic rules.

Corroborating several substantial cash prizes; starting September 25th 1890, there, on the Pacific San Diego beach; the race's goal is New York, in a distance of ~6000km, and a projected duration of ~70 days. The rules include that changing horses is not allowed; and though crime is not, weapons may be kept.

Gyro Zeppeli is introduced as he registers his entry. A man reaches and touches a Steel Ball at Gyro's waist before he is somehow forced to the ground, and it is revealed that he had taken $20 from Gyro's entry fee.

Gyro Zeppeli
Pocoloco is introduced as he notices the news of the race.

While he is being arrested, the thief continues to harass Gyro. Gyro offers a duel; and after striking his shoulder with a Steel Ball, when the thief attempts still to shoot him, his arm twists, and he shoots himself dead.

A man in a wheelchair observes that, incredibly, the Steel Ball was spinning throughout the event; and as he reaches and touches the same, still spinning Ball in Gyro's holster, he is raised to his feet.

In narration, the man introduces himself as Johnny Joestar; continuing, "This story is the tale of my beginning to walk"; or his growing into maturity.

Johnny Joestar
Johnny reflects on his reason for coming to the race start line, and on his youth as a new horse-racing talent.

An episode is recounted when he takes a date to see a play, and he cuts to the front of the queue. The man there protests, and after Johnny bribes the doormen to remove him, he reapproaches to shoot Johnny in the back.

Johnny awakens in a dark hospital, and after crying out, an orderly beats him; revealing that his legs are paralyzed, and that no one has visited, as the end of his fame.

In the present; Johnny is amazed as he stands and then falls back into his wheelchair. Gyro leaves, and Johnny desperately pursues, demanding explanation. Gyro tells him that it was a simple reflex; but, reaching out, just before or just as Johnny again touches a Steel Ball, his arm twists, and he is hung at his fingers on a nearby rafter.

Johnny resolves to discover the truth of this "Spin", and to enter the race in Gyro's pursuit.

3 Hours to Start
September 25, 1890 - 3 Hours to Start

Several hours before the beginning of the race, Gyro finishes to prepare his backpack. Going out of his tent, he witnesses Johnny trying without success to mount a horse he bought. Despite being hurt and battered, he persists, picking Gyro's interest.

Gyro then meets Sandman and indicates him where to go to subscribe to the race. Sandman participates to the Steel Ball Run claiming he win will the race by the strength of his legs alone.

The last preparations for the race begin. Steven Steel presents to the crowd the Steel Ball Run trophy, and all the 3,652 riders align at the start line.

Two minutes before the start of the race, Gyro sees Johnny's horse aproaching him, Johnny dragged off on the ground. Impressed by his determination, Gyro then gives Johnny a hint to mount his horse without legs, Johnny makes Slow Dancer lower his head, and does a backflip along its neck. Just as the announcer declares the start of the race, Johnny is now properly mounting Slow Dancer.

First Stage: 15,000 Meters
At 10 A.M., September 25th 1890 the transamerican horse race Steel Ball Run begins.

Steel invites his special guests to follow the first stage of the race in a specially prepared train. As the racers begin to move, Steel explains the particular rules of the race: the Steel Ball Run is divided into nine stages, separated by checkpoint cities, where the staff can record the order at which the horseriders arrive, and for illegal activity during the race; the first racer to finish a stage is granted a bonus in cash an a time bonus of one hour which he can use at the final stage, rewarding their skill during that stage.

Gyro quickly jumps ahead of the group, following him closely are Diego Brando and Urm Abdul, the latter of which confronts him physically with his camel, trying to push Gyro's horse Valkyrie down. Gyro throws one of his steel balls and lures Abdul into a cluster of cacti, causing him to fall off his camel and be disqualified of the race. Johnny watches the steel ball and see that it revealed the cacti to Gyro well ahead, allowing Gyro to use them to his advantage.

The Final Stretch
2,000 Meters Left

1,000 Meters Left

(Bonus) How the Race Got Started
~How the Steel Ball Run Race Got Started~

Disqualified from Victory
First Stage: Disqualified from Victory

Sheriff's Request to Mountain Tim
The Sheriff's Request to Mountain Tim

Across the Arizona Desert
Across the Arizona Desert: Continuing Along the Shortest Route

Catch the Rainbow
Catch the Rainbow (On a Stormy Night...)

Sugar Mountain
The Land of Promises: Sugar Mountain

D4C (Part 1)

 * SBR Chapter 66, SBR Chapter 67, SBR Chapter 68, SBR Chapter 69, SBR Chapter 70

D4C (Part 2)

 * SBR Chapter 73, SBR Chapter 74, SBR Chapter 75, SBR Chapter 76, SBR Chapter 77

D4C -Love Train-

 * SBR Chapter 78, SBR Chapter 79, SBR Chapter 80, SBR Chapter 81, SBR Chapter 82

Stars and Stripes - Outro
After being disqualified from the Steel Ball Run following his fight with Dio from Another Universe, Johnny Joestar boards a boat where he meets his future wife Rina Higashikata

Minor Characters

 * See also Minor Characters § Part VII: Steel Ball Run and Unnamed Characters § Part VII: Steel Ball Run

Chapters
Steel Ball Run consists of 95 chapters, compiled into Volumes 1 to 24 of the Jump Comics collected editions. The left column consists of the titles from the volumes. The right column consists of the titles from the Weekly Shonen Jump release of Part VII until Chapter 24, when it switches over to Ultra Jump.

Trivia

 * Part VII marks the first time since Part II: Battle Tendency that a Zeppeli is featured, and the first in which a character besides a JoJo is purported to be the main protagonist.
 * This arrangement changes when Part VII is revealed to stand within the JoJo continuity and Johnny Joestar's role expands.


 * Steel Ball Run (and its eponymous race) appears to be named after the film The Cannonball Run; also characterized by an American cross-country race populated by eccentrics.