SBR 2nd Stage Is Coming: How Stone Ocean Created a New JoJo

With Steel Ball Run 2nd Stage finally here, let's discover how the mind-bending ending of Stone Ocean paved the way for a brand-new JoJo's Bizarre Adventure universe.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, also known as JoJo SBR, is going to release its Second Stage this September, actually, it is almost here! I believe those who watched the first stage are very excited for the airing. And for those who haven't watched it yet, you might be wondering whether you should give this title a try.

Let me first share my opinion: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run is definitely a title you must give a try. It is incredibly interesting, and the journey of Johnny Joestar is absolutely amazing. In this article, I am not going to dive deep into a review of Steel Ball Run itself; instead, I will focus on how this new Steel Ball Run universe was created.

Source: 「ジョジョの奇妙な冒険」アニメーションシリーズ公式Official X account

Enrico Pucci and Made in Heaven: The important keys for the new universe

Before diving deep into this article, please be aware that, unlike most posts, this one will contain a lot of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure spoilers. I am assuming everyone reading has at least watched until the end of Jolyne's journey in Stone Ocean. So, for those who haven't watched it yet and don't want any spoilers, please stop reading and leave now!

Most people fail to realize that the seventh part of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is not a direct continuation of the previous part, Stone Ocean. Instead, it is actually an alternate universe. Although the timeline itself still connects conceptually, everything related to the Joestars has been completely reset.

What do I mean by saying the Joestars have been completely reset? Steel Ball Run actually takes place under a different history than the other seasons. This is why you will notice a lot of similar names in Steel Ball Run, and why the Stand system is reintroduced. To put it simply, while JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Parts 1 to 6 (or Seasons 1 to 5 in anime terms) are connected in both history and timeline, Steel Ball Run only shares the overall timeline concept. The history and characters are completely different, sharing no connection with the previous works.

You may ask, why does such a bizarre phenomenon happen? It is all because of one important character and their Stand: Enrico Pucci and his final Stand, Made in Heaven. He used an unbelievable ability to create a massive alternate universe, and from that point on, a brand-new story began. From this point on, everything is different from what you know, even the types of Stands. There are no more easily understood yet powerful Stands; instead, almost every Stand is complex and difficult to understand, yet they are surprisingly strong too!

Source: 「ジョジョの奇妙な冒険」アニメーションシリーズ公式Official X account

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The Acceleration of Time: The Unbelievable Power of Made in Heaven

What exactly did Made in Heaven do to create a whole new universe? Pucci's Stand evolved through different forms and abilities, with Made in Heaven possessing the ultimate power to accelerate time. In terms of sheer ability, this is even stronger than Kujo Jotaro and DIO's The World. In the final battle, Jotaro's Star Platinum couldn't do anything against Pucci because the acceleration of time was just too overwhelming.

Once Pucci understood the true capability of Made in Heaven, he began accelerating time from that point forward. Why did he do that? You might think it was because he wanted to defeat Jotaro's team, but the truth is, it was already incredibly easy for him to defeat or even kill all of them. He didn't actually need to keep accelerating time just to win the fight.

The reason Pucci kept accelerating time was that he and DIO had figured out a way to create a peaceful new world. They believed that by infinitely accelerating time, humanity would be able to witness all kinds of futures. By allowing people to peek into their own destinies, they could choose the best, safest, or most peaceful future for themselves. It might sound like it doesn't make sense, but in fact, the only survivor, Alniño Emporio, was able to witness these different possibilities, which made him feel like he was looking at illusions.

Originally, Pucci planned to accelerate time until the birth of an endless universe, but in the end, he failed to achieve it for a simple reason: he was killed by Emporio. Because Pucci couldn't complete his plan before dying, it resulted in a universe where Emporio meets Jolyne again, and most of the characters are still alive. For Emporio, the universe he entered is unquestionably a better future, and at the same time, this ultimate reset sets the stage for the beginning of Steel Ball Run.

Source: 「ジョジョの奇妙な冒険」アニメーションシリーズ公式Official X account

Weather Report and Made in Heaven: The Iconic Defeat of Pucci

Logically, if you are able to infinitely accelerate time, you should become the most powerful person in the world, as no one could even lay a finger on you. After DIO died and Jotaro completely mastered the ability of The World, Jotaro became the strongest character based on sheer ability and fighting spirit. Yet, even he failed to defeat Pucci.

Pucci was just that strong, strong enough to become the new god of the world. However, a countermeasure against him had actually existed from the very beginning: Weather Report. Not only was Weather Report Pucci's twin brother, but his Stand was also incredibly powerful. For those who have watched Stone Ocean, you definitely know who Weather Report is, but you might not have noticed that they actually share a highly ironic relationship.

Pucci knew that his twin brother, Weather Report and his stand will become his threat, so he had used all kinds of methods to stay far away from them, or even think of ways to kill them. Indeed, Pucci managed to defeat and kill Weather Report, and from that point, he truly thought that he had cleared all of his threat, and no one could stop him from becoming the new god.

Pucci's plan and Made in Heaven's ability were almost perfect, but no one can escape fate in Araki Hirohiko's universe. Even though Pucci killed Weather Report, Weather Report didn't truly disappear; instead, he appeared in front of Pucci once again with the help of Emporio. Weather Report was destined to defeat Made in Heaven. No matter what kind of accomplishments Pucci achieved, Weather Report would always be there to stop his crazy dream.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

Weather Report and Emporio: The Beautiful Victory of the Joestar Spirit

Although Pucci killed his own twin brother, Weather Report's Stand still remained in the world, ultimately facing Pucci alongside Emporio. Logically, this happened because the Stand disc had been extracted by Whitesnake beforehand, allowing it to endure. However, I truly believe this entire sibling rivalry carries a much deeper meaning.

Even though Weather Report didn't share the Joestar name, he and Emporio definitely inherited the Joestar Spirit, a determination to never forgive evil. In Araki Hirohiko's universe, even the deceased can make miracles happen if they possess that amazing Golden Spirit. A prime example of this is Bruno Bucciarati from Golden Wind. Bucciarati showed us that even if the body dies, as long as the Golden Spirit remains, people can always make miracles happen.

Another fascinating rule in Araki Hirohiko's universe is that as long as you possess a brave heart, you can defeat a powerful Stand user even without having a Stand of your own, just like Hayato Kawajiri. Although Hayato wasn't a Stand user, he pulled off an absolute miracle in Diamond Is Unbreakable. In Stone Ocean, Emporio showed us a similar miracle fueled by that same courage. On his own, Emporio couldn't do anything; in fact, he spent most of the anime crying. However, the moment he unlocked his inner bravery, everything changed instantly.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

While there are fans who aren't particularly fond of Stone Ocean, I personally think the sequence where Emporio uses Weather Report's Stand to kill Pucci is brilliant. You might ask: why did Weather Report himself fail, while Emporio succeeded? This is just my own theory, but I believe the main reason comes down to knowledge.

Weather Report was undoubtedly a stronger Stand user compared to Emporio, but he lacked crucial information and was entirely consumed by hatred when he faced Pucci. Emporio was completely different. He had read a vast number of books, knew all kinds of obscure facts, and more importantly, when he decided to face Pucci, he was actually in a perfectly calm state. This calm mindset ultimately allowed him to come up with a brilliant strategy that Weather Report never could have pulled off.

In Araki Hirohiko's universe, when you combine the Golden Spirit with a brave heart and true wisdom, you become capable of making miracles happen. This might be a minor spoiler for anime-only viewers eagerly waiting for Steel Ball Run, but in Part 7, we are able to witness this exact miracle manifest once again.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

Conclusion:

Thank you for reading this post! I hope it helped you better understand the backstory behind the Steel Ball Run universe. As a massive fan of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series who has already read the original Steel Ball Run manga, I can confidently tell you all, the upcoming stories are absolutely worth the wait!

Once the second stage of Steel Ball Run officially airs, I will be publishing a full, proper review, so please stay tuned! If you found this post helpful, feel free to bookmark it so you can refer back to it whenever you need. Currently, the second stage is set to premiere on September 25, 2026. While you wait, remember to keep sharing your own reviews right here on AnimeOshi, the platform has some really exciting events lined up for us very soon!

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.