Jojo's Bizarre Adventure fans were elated by the recent news that the series' seventh installment, Steel Ball Run, will finally be receiving its long-awaited anime adaptation. Here's everything that's currently known about the series, including teasers, the latest news, character overviews, and more.

Steel Ball Run represents a reboot of the Jojo universe, starting over in the 1800s following Johnny Joestar, a parallel version of part 1's Jonathan Joestar. Johnny is a former jockey who was injured in an incident and became paralyzed. One day, he meets a mysterious man named Gyro Zeppeli, and by touching the balls on his belt, finds himself able to stand again. Johnny pursues Gyro and urges him to teach him about the mysterious force known only as "Spin," while they simultaneously take part in the Steel Ball Run, a massive transcontinental race across the US with a hidden purpose.

Steel Ball Run Latest News and Updates

The Anime Adaptation Was Announced in April 2025

The anime adaptation of Steel Ball Run was first announced on JOJODay, which was April 12, 2025. The announcement included a very brief teaser, along with some key art of Johnny on horseback, overlooking the desert of the American Southwest. Very few details were revealed about the project, which seems to be in the early stages still, but fans were overjoyed by the confirmation of the adaptation nonetheless. The announcement was celebrated by series creator Hirohiko Araki, who released new art of Johnny and Gyro immediately afterwards.

Steel Ball Run Teasers and Trailers

The Latest Teasers and Trailers Released

On April 12, 2025, a brief teaser trailer was released along with the initial announcement of Steel Ball Run's anime adaptation. The teaser covers the various periods of Jojo history, before rolling back the years and ending on 1890, the year in which Steel Ball Run is set. It then provides a glimpse of the key visual, revealing how Johnny and Gyro will look in anime form. At present, this is the only teaser or trailer to have been released.

The Characters of Steel Ball Run

As a Reboot, Steel Ball Run Features Many Parallel Characters

The main protagonist of Steel Ball Run is Johnny Joestar, a paraplegic jockey who is both arrogant and bitter about his condition when first introduced. Meeting Gyro gives Johnny some hope, and they embark together as part of the Steel Ball Run, a massive horseback race across the US with an astronomical prize reward, organized by Steven Steel, an eccentric and dramatic man. The race is extremely cutthroat, and this being Jojo, there are many Stand s taking part. Johnny, however, knows nothing of Stands, and must learn as the story progresses.

Gyro Zeppeli is Johnny's main ally in the race. Hailing from a fallen noble family in Italy, Zeppeli is a master of the ancient art of Spin. Gyro is a focused competitor, dead set on securing first place for reasons he keeps secret. He can be exceptionally rude and blunt, even to friends like Johnny. He's quick to use violence and has no qualms about killing should the situation merit that sort of response. He loves gags and puns, frequently making up bizarre bits to entertain himself and his companion. Gyro is a parallel to Will Zeppeli, seen in Jojo Part 1.

One of the biggest rivals and most dangerous competitors in the Steel Ball Run is Diego Brando, a parallel to the infamous villain Dio Brando. Diego is a brilliant young jockey from Great Britain and a favorite to win the Steel Ball Run. He has a ruthless personality and is only in it for himself, willing to do anything and everything to secure first place. Still, Diego isn't bloodthirsty; if a warning will suffice, he'll gladly give it. Diego is exceptionally ambitious due to an incident in his past, and hopes that winning the Steel Ball Run will secure him a future.

Steel Ball Run's Release Date is Unknown

There Has Been No Word on When to Expect Steel Ball Run to Release

The initial announcement of Steel Ball Run's anime provided no information as to when fans could expect the series to debut. In all likelihood, the series will release at least its first part in 2026, although it may take quite some time to finish the entire series. Based on the speed of previous adaptations, Steel Ball Run will likely require more than 50 episodes to tell the complete tale, which means the series is likely to be split into several cours.

Check back here for updates on Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run as they're made available.