History Manga / JoJosBizarreAdventureSteelBallRun

* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler:After seemingly dying in the second leg of the race in ''Steel Ball Run'', Mountain Tim returns to save Miss Lucy Steel from certain death... only to get killed later in the chapter.]]

* JailBait: Lucy Steel is sexualized a lot for a 16 years old girl. May be {{Values Dissonance}} as this is seen as more acceptable in Japan than it is in some other areas of the world.

* GreyAndGrayMorality: [[BigBad Funny Valentine]]'s goal isn't exactly noble, but it at least comes from a place of altruism. Meanwhile, [[TheHero Johnny]]'s motivations are entirely selfish, and calling him a good person would be a massive stretch.

* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Part 7 is founded on this. While people like Gyro and Lucy are good people (Johnny eventually comes around as well, though he's much grayer than most heroes), none of the main villains are really ''evil'', per say. Diego wants to win because it's his job, and to fulfil his dream of being wealthy to avenge his mother. Funny Valentine, on the other hand [[spoiler: wants the parts because he feels that they are too dangerous for anyone else, and he wants to use them to further the gain of his country and make his citizens' lives better.]] When the main villain is a guy that [[spoiler: ''UsefulNotes/JesusChrist '''himself''''']] approves of, you know this trope is in full effect.

'''''Steel Ball Run''''' is the seventh part of the long-running ''Franchise/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' series. It is preceded by ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'' and followed by ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureJoJolion JoJolion]]''. While still published by Magazine/ShonenJump in 2004, the following year it transferred to the magazine's {{Seinen}} cousin, Ultra Jump, running there until 2011.

[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_volume_82.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349:[[ItHasBeenAnHonour It has, truly, been a roundabout path...]]]]

''Steel Ball Run'' marks an important transition for the franchise: it marks the series' jump to [[ContinuityReboot a new continuity]] (which the later ''[=JoJolion=]'' would continue), unrelated to the previous parts other than the iconic Stands and certain character namesakes. Moreover, during its run the franchise shifted from being published in ''Weekly Shounen Jump'' to ''Ultra Jump'', a monthly {{seinen}} magazine.

''Steel Ball Run'' marks an important transition for the franchise: it marks the series' jump to a new continuity (which the later ''[=JoJolion=]'' would continue), unrelated to the previous parts other than the iconic Stands and certain character namesakes. Moreover, during its run the franchise shifted from being published in ''Weekly Shounen Jump'' to ''Ultra Jump'', a monthly {{seinen}} magazine.

* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Part 7 is founded on this. While people like Gyro and Lucy are good people (Johnny eventually comes around as well, though he's much grayer than most heroes), none of the main villains are really ''evil'', per say. Diego wants to win because it's his job, and to fulfil his dream of being wealthy to avenge his mother. Funny Valentine, on the other hand [[spoiler: wants the parts because he feels that they are too dangerous for anyone else, and he wants to use them to further the gain of his country and make his citizens lives better.]] When the main villain is a guy that ''Jesus Christ '''himself''''' approves of, you know this trope is in full effect.

* DarkerAndEdgier: The franchise had gradually been getting more risque and ambitious in its storytelling and characterization for years, and part 7 officially transitioned to a franchise aimed at adults. It shows. Johnny is by far the most flawed, [[ByronicHero byronic]] Jojo with a backstory that has more in common with western TV dramas than mainstream manga and anime. The part in general takes itself more seriously than the previous parts, with a greater focus on the central narrative and the CharacterDevelopment of the cast. The greater freedom afforded to the seinen demographic also allowed Araki to go further than he did in the previous parts, with even a few cases of on-screen AttemptedRape.

* CanonWelding: ''Steel Ball Run'' started off as a spin-off of ''[=JoJo=]'', as there was no connection other than the names, but once the manga switched to Ultra Jump, the story officially became Part 7.

* RashomonStyle: The first time [=D4C=]'s power is disclosed, Johnny is shot by someone and we follow not less than four times the point of views of different characters (Johnny, Wekapipo, Diego and Valentine) in order to explain everything. It turns out that [[spoiler: all of their perspectives are accurate... but they took place in different universes.]]

* SendInTheClones: [[spoiler:Funny Valentine's Stand power makes him practically immortal, since when he dies, a parallel version of himself is brought in to take his place, and gets all his memories too.]]

* NotJustaTournament: To [[BigBad Valentine]], the Steel Ball Run is part of his plan to gather all of the Corpse Parts for himself [[WellIntentionedExtremist and for America]].

* WeirdWest: "Steel Ball Run". Cowboys? Check. Gunfights? Check. Weird stuff? Boatloads, like Stands, the mummified bodyparts of Jesus being powerful MacGuffins, and a hereditary execution technique centered around making things spin.

* FantasyGunControl: For once, {{averted}}. Since this is a SpaghettiWestern, both allies and villains regularly carry firearms, usually revolvers and the odd double-barrel shotgun; due to a suspicious deficiency this part has of traditional humanoid Stands that can deflect bullets, this means guns are actually quite effective here.
** That being said, once Johnny acquires the ability to shoot his nails with Tusk, he stops carrying around a pistol, despite the number of fights where one would be very useful.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: Despite being set in the 19th century, an era that wasn't very kind to non-Caucasians, Pocoloco, Sandman, and Norisuke are treated very respectfully by most of the cast, and none of the adversity they face is related to their race.

* RealityEnsues: The race is cool and all, with all the racers using their unique traits to get ahead, like Sandman running on foot or Diego taking advantage of his refined horse racing expertise, but after the first race, Gyro takes a penalty for apparently attempting to disrupt Sandman with a thrown steel ball[[note]]In reality, he was trying to get Pocoloco's horse to trip, but that would have incurred a penalty as well[[/note]].

** Lucy showing up with [[spoiler: Diego's head.]] To be fair, Diego allows himself to be consumed with rage and tries to kill Lucy instead of running away.

** Granted, two of the characters that lust after her are blatant villains, while her husband is [[spoiler: only a close friend.]]

* NotAsYouKnowThem: Stands get somewhat downgraded in importance for this part. For the past four parts, Stands are the go-to offensive tool for the heroes, with the vast majority of the combat between Stand users being done by their actual Stands. In ''Steel Ball Run'', Stands are more like "objects" or "tools" for the characters to use rather than "punch-ghosts" exemplified by the likes of Star Platinum, The World, and more. For example, Johnny's stand Tusk allows him to fire his nails like bullets, but he still has to aim and shoot them himself, and it manifests itself as a small elephant creature. Diego's Stand Scary Monsters lets him turn people into dinosaurs under his will, but otherwise has no physical manifestation. Characters like Ringo Roadagain and Blackmore physically use their Stands as wearable objects, and D-I-S-C-O takes this UpToEleven by having his Stand only be a keyboard system and "playing field", with no other properties to it. Instead, most of the importance is placed on the actual Users of each Stand and how they use their abilities in an effective way, which is likely done to give Gyro a fighting chance in battle with his Steel Balls. Notably, there are two major examples of traditional humanoid Stands in this part, [[spoiler: those being D4C and Tusk Act 4, and the only RapidFireFisticuffs beatdown in the ''whole part'' is delivered right at the end.]]

* PlatonicLifePartners: Stephen Steel and his wife Lucy have this dynamic, although everyone mistakes it as a DirtyOldMan having a TrophyWife. When Lucy was sold to the mafia because of her family's debt, Stephen saved her by pretending he'd already had her virginity and married her. He then privately shut of the possibility of any RelationshipUpgrade with her, wishing her to life her life and be happy. Nonetheless, the two are very close and risk their lives trying to save the other. The narration itself recognizes that their relationship cannot be classified as either romance of friendship.

* WeirdWest: "Steel Ball Run". Cowboys? Check. Gunfights? Check.(kinda) Weird stuff? Oh yes.

* HandicappedBadass: Our protagonist, Johnny, is a paraplegic, and lost any feeling from the waist down. Amazingly, this doesn't him from participating in a horse race that spans ''the entire continental United States.''

Johnny Joestar is a cynical and bitter young paraplegic, an ex-jockey who has lost himself ever since the accident that took the use of his legs. Upon meeting race participant Gyro Zeppeli, a boisterous and charismatic Italian, he discovers that Gyro's mysterious weapons, a pair of steel balls, are able to make him temporarily walk. Johnny, desperate to understand the secret of Gyro's technique, opts to join the race and learn Gyro's tricks firsthand.

Set in 1890 in an alternate universe from the previous parts, the eponymous Steel Ball Run, a cross-country race the likes of which the United States has never seen before is about to begin, spanning thousands of miles and riders from all across the world hoping to win 50 million dollars. Its founder, Stephen Steel, hopes that the race will rekindle the country's pioneering spirit.

Meanwhile, Johnny Joestar is a cynical and bitter young paraplegic, an ex-horse jockey who's lost himself ever since the accident that took the use of his legs. Upon meeting participant Gyro Zeppeli, a boisterous and charismatic foreigner, he discovers that Gyro's mysterious weapons, the "steel balls", are able to make him temporarily walk. Johnny, desperate to understand the secret of Gyro's technique, opts to join the race and learn Gyro's tricks firsthand.

Unfortunately, there is a lot more going on in the race than either Johnny or Gyro first imagine. As the race goes on they find themselves in constant conflict with cutthroat racers, and gradually uncover a huge conspiracy involving a set of mysterious corpse parts from an old age and the President of the United States.

''Steel Ball Run'' marks an important transition for the franchise is that it marks the series' jump to a new continuity, completely unrelated to the previous parts save shared characteristics like characters bearing the same name and the Stands (said continuity would develop into ''[=JoJolion=]''). Moreover during its run the franchise shifted from being published in Weekly Shounen Jump to Ultra Jump, a monthly {{seinen}} magazine.

->''”This'' story ''relates how I got up on my feet. Not in the physical term, [[ComingOfAgeStory but how I went from adolescence to]]'' '''''[[ComingOfAgeStory adulthood]].'''''

->''”This'' story ''relates how I got up on my feet. Not in the physical term, but how I went from adolescence to'' '''''adulthood.'''''

''Steel Ball Run'' marks an important transition for the franchise is that it marks the series' jump to a new continuity, completely unrelated to the previous parts save shared characteristics like characters bearing the same name and the Stands (said continuite would develop into ''[=JoJolion=]''). Moreover during its run the franchise shifted from being published in Weekly Shounen Jump to Ultra Jump, a monthly {{seinen}} magazine.