Steel Ball Run Anime Continues to Push the Limits with Oddities in Jojo's Series
The world of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is gearing up for a new adventure, as the seventh main arc, Steel Ball Run, is set to be adapted into an anime. Announced in April 2025, the production of the Steel Ball Run anime is underway, with expectations that it will not debut before 2026[1].
The story unfolds in the year 1890, two years after the first series, Phantom Blood & Battle Tendency. The protagonist of Steel Ball Run is Johnny, a paraplegic ex-jockey in the United States. In a remarkable turn of events, Johnny's paralysis is briefly restored by Gyro Zeppeli, a fellow racer and former Neapolitan executioner, who bestows upon Johnny his legendary Steel Balls[2].
Johnny finds himself participating in a cross-country horse race from San Diego to New York, with a staggering $50 million prize at stake. The race serves as a platform for Johnny to learn more about Gyro Zeppeli, as they both find themselves on the run from other racers, ordered to eliminate them by the race's sponsor, Steven Steel[3].
Fans of the manga series will be thrilled to know that an exhibition featuring monochrome originals and colored reproductions of Steel Ball Run's artwork, the transcript of its first chapter, and merchandise based on it and its two sequel series is set to begin in Shibuya from April 13-24, and will travel to other locations across Japan[4].
For those eagerly awaiting the anime, a major update is scheduled for September 23, 2025, where new official information about the anime will be revealed[2]. As of now, the actual release date for the Steel Ball Run anime is still unknown, but anticipated to be sometime in or after 2026[1][2].
Steel Ball Run marks a new continuity in the Jojo's saga, and the return of the series is sure to excite fans both old and new. The Steel Ball Run manga is currently available in North American stores, with the first volume of the English-language version available on May 27[5].
Stay tuned for more updates on the Steel Ball Run anime, as we eagerly await the official release date.
[1] Anime News Network. (2025, April 12). JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run Anime in Production. Retrieved from https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2025-04-12/jojos-bizarre-adventure-steel-ball-run-anime-in-production/.
[2] Anime News Network. (2025, September 1). JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run Anime Details, Staff Revealed. Retrieved from https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2025/09/01/jojos-bizarre-adventure-steel-ball-run-anime-details-staff-revealed/.
[3] Araki, Hirohiko. (2004-2011). Steel Ball Run. Shueisha.
[4] Anime News Network. (2025, April 15). JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run Exhibition Announced. Retrieved from https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2025/04/15/jojos-bizarre-adventure-steel-ball-run-exhibition-announced/.
[5] Viz Media. (2025). Steel Ball Run. Retrieved from https://www.viz.com/jojo-s-bizarre-adventure-steel-ball-run.
Technology, with the digital age in full swing, will undoubtedly play a significant role in the upcoming adaptation of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure's Steel Ball Run arc. Expectations are high that the television screen will bring the future world of 1890, complete with steam-powered machinery and horse racing, to life vividly. With Gizmodo and io9 giving their insights into this exciting development in entertainment and movies-and-tv, fans can eagerly anticipate the synergy of technology and storytelling.
