The Comic Origin of Steel Ball Run

Steel Ball Run is back on Netflix, and the real story starts on the page.

Netflix reversed course after fan backlash to a single-episode March 2026 drop and is now streaming 11 weekly episodes of Steel Ball Run's 2nd & 3rd Stages — the 2004 manga that introduced Funny Valentine as the sitting U.S. President in Hirohiko Araki's alternate-history Western. If you are only here for the horseback race and the show's neon-soaked insanity, you are missing the part that made all of it possible: a manga that launched as something else entirely.

The Origin

Steel Ball Run first appeared in Weekly Shōnen Jump #1769 (Issue 8, 2004), with a cover date of February 2, 2004. The issue hit newsstands on January 19, 2004, carrying a 53-page lead color chapter. The creator was Hirohiko Araki, who both wrote and drew the series. The publisher was Shueisha in Japan, with Viz Media handling the English release.

The backstory matters here because it explains why the series feels different from everything around it. After finishing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 6 (Stone Ocean) in 2003, Araki wanted to create a new story set in the same era as Part 1 — late 19th century America — to explore themes of "seeking satisfaction" and "an affirmation that humanity is wonderful." He was inspired by the transcontinental race concept from the film The Cannonball Run and conceived a horseback race across America as a standalone work.

That decision shaped everything. The manga was initially serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump under the name "Steel Ball Run" without the JoJo branding. It ran as a 53-page lead color chapter in Issue #8. When the series moved to Shueisha's monthly seinen magazine Ultra Jump on March 19, 2005, it was officially announced as Part 7 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Araki chose the monthly schedule for more creative freedom and larger chapters, describing the work as "both a new work and an extension of JoJo."

The story follows Johnny Joestar, a paraplegic former jockey, and Gyro Zeppeli, a mysterious rider wielding spinning steel balls, as they compete in a cross-continental race that hides a conspiracy involving the U.S. President and a holy corpse.

How It Grew

1987 — JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 1 (Phantom Blood) debuts in Weekly Shōnen Jump #940, January 1, 1987 (cover date), created by Hirohiko Araki, published by Shueisha, launching the franchise.
2004 — Steel Ball Run begins serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump #1769 (Issue 8), cover date February 2, 2004, initially as a standalone racing manga with no JoJo branding.
2005 — Series moves to Ultra Jump (March 19, 2005), officially announced as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7; Araki gains creative freedom with monthly schedule and larger chapters.
2011 — Steel Ball Run concludes after 95 chapters (April 19, 2011), collected in 24 tankōbon volumes (volumes 81–104 of the series), with 24 Japanese editions published by Shueisha.
2012 — David Production's JoJo anime adaptation begins on Tokyo MX (October 6, 2012), adapting Parts 1–2 (Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency) in 26 episodes, marking the first TV anime of the series.
2026 — Netflix premieres Steel Ball Run anime: 1st Stage (47-minute single episode, March 19, 2026), followed by 11 weekly episodes covering 2nd & 3rd Stages starting September 25, 2026, introducing characters including Funny Valentine.

On Screen

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has a long and uneven screen history that makes the new Netflix entry the most ambitious yet.

1993–2002: Stardust Crusaders OVA (13 episodes) by Studio APPP, adapting Part 3 — the first anime adaptation of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, released on VHS/Laserdisc in Japan and DVD in North America.

2007: Phantom Blood live-action film directed by Takashi Miike, theatrical release in Japan (February 17, 2007), adapting Part 1 with a cast including Kamenashi Kazuya and Mukai Osamu.

2012–2023: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure TV anime by David Production — 6 seasons, 191 episodes, adapting Parts 1–6 (through Stone Ocean), airing on Tokyo MX, MBS, BS11, Animax, and Netflix (Parts 5–6), with English dub by Viz Media and broadcast on Adult Swim's Toonami block.

2026: Steel Ball Run anime on Netflix (Season 6) — directed by Yasuhiro Kimura and Hideya Takahashi, series composition by Yasuko Kobayashi, character designs by Daisuke Tsumagari, music by Yugo Kanno, premiered March 19, 2026 with 2nd & 3rd Stages streaming weekly from September 25, 2026.

The Netflix reversal is the latest chapter in a series that has spent more than two decades figuring out how to bring Araki's panels to motion. The good news: when the source material is this rich, the screen version has a lot to work with.

Start Reading Here

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7--Steel Ball Run, Vol. 1 (Viz Media, May 27, 2025) — Deluxe hardcover, 2-in-1 format, collects Japanese vols. 1–2 (394 pages). The first English release of Part 7 introduces Johnny Joestar, Gyro Zeppeli, Diego Brando, Sandman, and Pocoloco, and covers the setup and 1st Stage of the Steel Ball Run race. Essential starting point for new readers.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7--Steel Ball Run, Vol. 2 (Viz Media, July 22, 2025) — Deluxe hardcover, 2-in-1 format, collects Japanese vols. 3–4 (394 pages). Covers the 2nd Stage desert crossing through the Arizona wilderness, introduces Mountain Tim, and deepens the mystery behind the race. Available now in English.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7--Steel Ball Run, Vol. 3 — Deluxe hardcover, 2-in-1 format, collects Japanese vols. 5–6 (400 pages). The Holy Corpse conspiracy begins to unravel; introduces key antagonists and the true stakes of the race. Part of the ongoing 12-volume 2-in-1 English hardcover series collecting all 24 Japanese tankōbon.

Pick up your first 10 comics here.

Sources

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The Comic Origin of Steel Ball Run

Steel Ball Run is back on Netflix, and the real story starts on the page.

The Origin

How It Grew

On Screen

Start Reading Here

Sources

Get the books

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