The Wait is Almost Over
If you’ve been holding your breath for Steel Ball Run, the most legendary arc in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure history, you can finally exhale. The anime adaptation just dropped its second stage key visual today—and it’s stuing. But that’s not all. On July 3rd, 2026, at 4:00 PM PDT during a special panel at Anime Expo 2026, we’re getting brand new information about the second stage of the anime.
This is happening. Steel Ball Run is no longer a distant dream for JoJo fans—it’s a living, breathing anime project that’s about to hit full throttle.
What We Know So Far
The official Steel Ball Run anime account revealed the second stage key visual on June 26, 2026, exactly one month after teasing the Anime Expo panel. The visual showcases the iconic duo—Johy Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli—in their cross-country race across 1890s America, hunting for the Saint’s Corpse parts while battling Stand users, assassins, and the deadly terrain itself.
The anime is being produced by David Production, the studio behind every JoJo anime since Phantom Blood, so the pedigree is rock-solid. Composer Yugo Kao, who crafted the unforgettable soundtracks for previous JoJo parts, is returning to score Steel Ball Run. If you’ve ever felt chills during a JoJo fight scene, Kao is probably why.
Anime Expo 2026 Panel: What to Expect
On July 3, 2026, the Steel Ball Run team is hosting a major panel at Anime Expo in Los Angeles. Here’s who’s showing up:
- Yugo Kao – The legendary composer will perform live music from the series and participate in a talk session about his creative process.
- Daman Mills – English voice of Johy Joestar. Expect him to drop some behind-the-scenes stories about voicing one of the most complex protagonists in anime.
- Kaiji Tang – English voice of Gyro Zeppeli, the Italian cowboy with a heart of gold and a pocket full of spiing steel balls.
This panel is going to reveal new details about the second stage—possibly a release window, new character reveals, or even a full trailer. If you’re not already hyped, you should be.
Why Steel Ball Run is a Big Deal
For the uninitiated, Steel Ball Run isn’t just another JoJo arc. It’s widely considered the best arc in the entire franchise by fans and critics alike. Set in an alternate universe, it follows paraplegic jockey Johy Joestar and mysterious Italian executioner Gyro Zeppeli as they compete in the Steel Ball Run race—a brutal cross-country horse race from San Diego to New York with a $50 million prize.
But the race is a front. The real goal? Collecting the scattered parts of a holy corpse that grants miraculous Stand powers. Every rider has their own agenda, and the body count rises with every mile.
What makes Steel Ball Run special is its storytelling. It’s a western, a road trip, a body horror thriller, a buddy story, and a meditation on ambition, redemption, and the cost of victory—all rolled into one. The stands are creative, the fights are brutal, and the emotional stakes are sky-high.
Characters like Fuy Valentine, the President of the United States with one of the most terrifying Stands in JoJo history, and Diego Brando, the alternate universe version of Dio, are fan favorites for a reason. This is peak Araki.
The Voice Cast Bringing It to Life
While we don’t have the full Japanese cast yet, the English dub has already locked in two powerhouse actors:
Daman Mills as Johy Joestar brings the perfect mix of vulnerability and grit to a character who starts the story broken—both physically and emotionally—and slowly claws his way back to life. Johy isn’t a typical JoJo protagonist. He’s cynical, flawed, and desperate. Mills has to sell that complexity, and if his previous work is any indication, he’s going to nail it.
Kaiji Tang as Gyro Zeppeli is the emotional core of the story. Gyro is equal parts mentor, comedian, and tragic hero. His relationship with Johy is the heart of Steel Ball Run, and Tang’s energy is going to make every “Nyo-ho!” and “Lesson Five” moment iconic.
And then there’s Yugo Kao, whose music will elevate every tense standoff, every emotional breakdown, and every triumphant victory. If you’ve watched Golden Wind or Diamond is Unbreakable, you know what Kao is capable of. His live performance at Anime Expo is going to be legendary.
What Do You Think?
The second stage key visual is out. The Anime Expo panel is set. The hype is real. Steel Ball Run is finally becoming the anime it deserves to be, and we’re all here for the ride.
Are you ready to spin your way across America with Johy and Gyro? Will the anime do justice to the manga’s intricate art and storytelling? And more importantly—who’s your favorite Steel Ball Run character, and why is it Gyro?
Drop your thoughts below. July 3rd can’t come soon enough.
