Steel Ball Run 2nd Stage Gets September Release

The Steel Ball Run anime is finally moving forward.

Netflix has confirmed that the 2nd STAGE of STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure will begin streaming on September 25, 2026, with a new episode released every Friday.

The new stage will contain 11 episodes and continues the long-awaited adaptation of Part 7 of Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

The Race Is Getting More Dangerous

The first stage introduced Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli and established the enormous Steel Ball Run horse race across 1890s America.

Now the race is moving into a much more dangerous section.

Johnny and Gyro will face the Devils' Palm, a brutal 750-mile desert stretch where survival is just as important as finishing the race.

The new trailer shows the two continuing their journey while encountering several important characters from the next part of the story.

Three Major Characters Get Their Anime Debuts

The latest trailer also introduces three characters that fans of the manga have been waiting to see animated:

• Mountain Tim
• Hot Pants
• Funny Valentine

Their appearances are significant because all three become important to the increasingly complicated conflict surrounding the race.

Mountain Tim is an experienced cowboy with a unique ability, while Hot Pants is another mysterious competitor whose motives aren't immediately obvious.

Then there's Funny Valentine.

His presence is particularly important because his role goes far beyond simply being another participant in the race.

Funny Valentine Changes the Story

Without spoiling the major developments ahead, Funny Valentine is one of the most important characters introduced during Steel Ball Run.

His involvement expands the story beyond the race itself and begins connecting the competition to much larger political and supernatural conflicts.

That means the 2nd STAGE isn't simply about Johnny trying to finish ahead of everyone else.

The stakes surrounding the race are about to become considerably bigger.

Weekly Releases This Time

One of the biggest changes for fans is the release format.

The 2nd STAGE will release weekly, beginning September 25, rather than dropping the entire batch at once.

Netflix has confirmed that the 11 episodes will be released every Friday.

This should also give the community much more time to discuss individual episodes, character introductions and the increasingly unpredictable Stand battles.

What Happened in the First Stage?

The first STAGE consisted of a single 47-minute episode and introduced Johnny, Gyro and the basic rules of the Steel Ball Run race.

Johnny, a former jockey who is paralyzed from the waist down, becomes fascinated by Gyro's mysterious Steel Balls.

His meeting with Gyro eventually changes the direction of his life and gives him a reason to enter the race.

But Steel Ball Run is far more than an ordinary horse race.

As the competitors travel across America, they begin encountering strange abilities, dangerous opponents and secrets surrounding the real purpose of the competition.

Why Fans Are Watching Closely

Steel Ball Run is frequently regarded as one of the most popular parts of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, so expectations for the anime adaptation are extremely high.

The 2nd STAGE is where the story begins introducing even more of the elements that made the manga so memorable.

The combination of horse racing, supernatural abilities, bizarre competitors and a gradually expanding conspiracy makes Steel Ball Run very different from the previous JoJo parts.

And with Funny Valentine now entering the picture, the story is about to become much bigger than Johnny's personal journey.

When Does Steel Ball Run 2nd STAGE Start?

STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure 2nd STAGE premieres on Netflix on September 25, 2026.

There will be 11 episodes, released weekly on Fridays.

The first STAGE is already available to watch, so there's still time to catch up before Johnny and Gyro's journey continues.

Watch Steel Ball Run

You can watch the latest JoJo's Bizarre Adventure episodes and catch up with Steel Ball Run on OtakuNaija.

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