The Steel Ball Run anime premiered in March 2026 on Netflix and is set for a fall 2026 second stage release, with merchandise rolling out through Bandai Namco, Medicom Entertainment, and Bandai Spirits.
The Steel Ball Run anime, the adaptation of Hirohiko Araki's manga part 7, premiered on Netflix in March 2026. The first episode introduces paraplegic jockey Johnny Joestar, who enters the cross-country Steel Ball Run race to understand the secrets of Gyro Zeppeli's steel balls rather than for the $50 million prize. A review from Anime Feminist examined the series' depiction of 1890s America, its romanticized manifest destiny and Wild West flavor, and the racial and gender dynamics of its cast, noting that the only named woman so far is Lucy, a race-runner's wife, and that non-white characters include Sandman and Pocoloco.
Production is progressing toward a fall 2026 release window for the second stage. The official X account released a second key visual on June 25 and announced that new information about the second stage would be revealed on July 4. A special panel with composer Yugo Kanno is scheduled for Anime Expo 2026 on July 3.
Merchandise has been rolling out steadily. Bandai Namco opened pre-orders for a leather accessory line in May 2026, with Johnny and Gyro models including key cases, wallets, and coin cases. Bandai Spirits launched the first full Ichiban Kuji lottery set for Steel Ball Run on June 27, 2026, with MASTERLISE figures of Johnny Joestar, Gyro Zeppeli, Slow Dancer, and Lucy Steel as top prizes, plus a Last One Diego figure. Medicom Entertainment announced a Chozo Art Collection figure set of Johnny Joestar and his horse Slow Dancer, standing 300mm tall and 305mm wide, priced at 28,600 yen, shipping in December 2026. The Steel Ball Run manga volume also appeared on Circana BookScan's Top 20 adult graphic novels list for May 2026.
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The second and third stages of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run will stream worldwide on Netflix starting September 25, 2026. New cast members include Tomokazu Sugita as President Funny Valentine, Yoko Hikasa as Hot Pants, and Tomoaki Maeno as Mountain Tim. A second promotional video was also released.
Warner Bros. Japan announced during its Anime Expo panel that the second stage of the Steel Ball Run anime will begin on September 25, with new episodes streaming weekly on Fridays. The second and third stages together will have 11 episodes. New characters Mountain Tim, Funny Valentine, and Hot Pants were introduced.
Medicom Entertainment is releasing a Chozo Art Collection figure set of Johnny Joestar and his horse Slow Dancer from the anime Steel Ball Run JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The set stands 300mm tall and 305mm wide, priced at 28,600 yen, and ships in December 2026. Pre-orders open July 3 at the Medicom online shop and other retailers.
The Ichiban Kuji for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run will be released June 27, 2026. The lineup includes MASTERLISE figures of Johnny Joestar, Gyro Zeppeli, Slow Dancer, and Lucy Steel as top prizes, plus a Last One Diego figure. Other prizes include a yo-yo, storage case, charms, notebooks, and stickers. Tickets cost 850 yen each.
The official X account for the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime series released the second key visual for Steel Ball Run on June 25. It also announced new information about the '2nd STAGE,' which is set for a fall 2026 release, will be revealed on July 4. A special panel with composer Yugo Kanno is scheduled for Anime Expo 2026 on July 3.
Circana BookScan's Top 20 adult graphic novels list for May 2026 features 15 manga volumes, with Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen volume 30 at #1. Other ranked titles include Witch Hat Atelier, Gachiakuta, Kagurabachi, One Piece, Steel Ball Run, The Summer Hikaru Died, and Demon Slayer.
Bandai Spirits announced the full prize lineup for the Ichiban Kuji lottery based on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run. Prizes include MASTERLISE figures of Johnny Joestar, Gyro Zeppeli, Slow Dancer, and Lucy Steel, plus a Stephen Steel small items case, a Gyro's Steel Ball toy in collaboration with HYPER YOYO ACCEL, and other collectibles. The lottery launches in Japanese stores on June 27, 2026, with online sales starting July 21.
Anime Feminist published a review of the first episode of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, the anime adaptation of Hirohiko Araki's manga part 7. The episode introduces paraplegic jockey Johnny Joestar, who enters the cross-country Steel Ball Run race not for the $50 million prize but to understand the secrets of Gyro Zeppeli's steel balls. The review, written by Chiaki Mitama, focuses on the series' depiction of 1890s America, its romanticized manifest destiny and Wild West flavor, and the racial and gender dynamics of its cast. The only named woman so far is Lucy, a race-runner's wife. Non-white characters include Sandman, a Native American runner whose skill is attributed to "the natives' unknown power," and Pocoloco, a lazy comic relief character with supernatural luck. The reviewer notes the violence typical of JoJo, with body contortion and blood, but praises the race sequence as well-paced and engaging. The review is presented as a "carte blanche" perspective from a critic not deeply familiar with the franchise.
Bandai Namco has opened pre-orders for a leather accessory line based on the Steel Ball Run anime. The Johnny and Gyro models include key cases, wallets, and coin cases, each featuring character-specific emblems and color schemes. Orders close September 27, 2026, with shipments in October.