STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is heading back to screens this fall, and the wait is almost over. Warner Bros. Japan confirmed the news during a recent Anime Expo panel, giving racing enthusiasts a firm date to circle on their calendars.
The 2nd STAGE of STEEL BALL RUN will be available to stream on Netflix on September 25. From that day forward, new episodes will be added weekly, providing an orderly yet regular release pattern for these 11 episodes, covering both the 2nd and 3rd stages of the race.
A new trailer has been released for STEEL BALL RUN, revealing two brand new racing stages as well as new racers, harsher terrain, and increased stakes for Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli. Since the series quietly debuted earlier this year, this latest update has provided the story with a lot of momentum now going forward.
STEEL BALL RUN adapts the seventh part of Hirohiko Araki’s manga series. Johnny is paralysed due to a racing incident and joins the violent race across America during the 1890s. The violent race is filled with secrets that make it much more complex than just winning prize money. Johnny meets Gyro, a flamboyant and skilful showman, who may just hold the key to lifting his paralysis through Gyro’s unique skills.
What Happens in the 2nd STAGE of STEEL BALL RUN
This new run of anime will be made up of eleven episodes and will cover both the 2nd and 3rd STAGE of the nine-stage journey. The official synopsis indicates that the next stretch of the race takes Johnny and Gyro through a rough and brutal desert trek of approximately 750 miles.
This span of land includes one of the most feared areas of the desert called the “Devil’s Palm.” As the racers proceed further into this stage of the race, strange and disturbing occurrences happen around them, indicating that there could be something much larger than a race happening all around them.
Production Team and New Cast Additions
Yasuhiro Kimura and Hideya Takahashi are the directors of STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and both have experience working on previous JoJo parts. Toshiyuki Kato is the chief director, Yasuko Kobayashi is the scriptwriter, and the character designer is Daisuke Tsumagari. The soundtrack for STEEL BALL RUN will be scored by returning composer Yugo Kanno. The production team for David Production remains the same as before, maintaining consistency in the visual style of the franchise.
As far as new cast members go, Tomoaki Maeno is playing Mountain Tim, Tomokazu Sugita is voicing Funny Valentine, and Yoko Hikasa will be portraying Hot Pants. Each of these new characters is also likely to change how things are done on the racecourse and to provide the race with additional complications.
A Long Wait Finally Comes to an End
The first episode of the show debuted on March 6, 2026. It was 47 minutes long and set up the story. Since then, there has been little information on when the second episode will air or what the continuing timeline will be.
We do know now that the second episode will air in September. This new arc in the Johnny and Gyro saga is going to be major and will push further into a mystery that goes far beyond horse racing. They will encounter hidden motives amongst their fellow competitors, causing alliances to break down and adding more tension with each passing mile.
With a firm release date, a new trailer, and additional cast reveals now confirmed, STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is shaping up to deliver a bigger, more intense chapter than its opening episode. September 25 marks the beginning of a demanding new stretch for Johnny and Gyro, and the countdown to the race’s next leg has officially begun.
Edited by Akihito Chakma