Manga

20 Years Later, JoJo's Most Acclaimed Arc Hits Shonen Jump

20 Years Later, JoJo's Most Acclaimed Arc Hits Shonen Jump
Image credit: Legion-Media

Over 20 years after it debuted in Japan, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run is finally getting a proper English-language rollout.

Viz Media quietly added Part 7 of the iconic manga to its Shonen Jump digital vault on June 24, marking the first full, official serialization of the arc in English.

Originally published in 2004, Steel Ball Run served as a soft reboot of the JoJo franchise. Set in the 1890s, it follows a high-stakes, cross-country horse race across America—with a $50 million prize, political conspiracies, and signature JoJo insanity along the way. The story introduces a new protagonist, Johnny Joestar, and one of the series' most beloved duos, pairing him with Gyro Zeppeli for a wild genre shift into surreal Americana and existential mayhem.

Critically, it's long been considered Hirohiko Araki's most ambitious work, but it's also been one of the hardest parts of JoJo to access officially in English—until now.

The release comes just months after the anime adaptation of Steel Ball Run was confirmed to be in development, with a teaser trailer and key visual dropping back in April. No release date has been announced, but the timing of this digital launch isn't random—Viz used a similar strategy for previous arcs, syncing up the manga's rollout with the anime hype cycle.

As of now, the first three chapters of Steel Ball Run are available to read for free through Viz's app and site, with 11 chapters live in total. The full series will continue to be published one chapter at a time, giving longtime fans—and new readers—a fresh way to experience one of the most celebrated entries in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure saga.

Over 20 years after it debuted in Japan, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run is finally getting a proper English-language rollout.

Viz Media quietly added Part 7 of the iconic manga to its Shonen Jump digital vault on June 24, marking the first full, official serialization of the arc in English.

Originally published in 2004, Steel Ball Run served as a soft reboot of the JoJo franchise. Set in the 1890s, it follows a high-stakes, cross-country horse race across America—with a $50 million prize, political conspiracies, and signature JoJo insanity along the way. The story introduces a new protagonist, Johnny Joestar, and one of the series' most beloved duos, pairing him with Gyro Zeppeli for a wild genre shift into surreal Americana and existential mayhem.

Critically, it's long been considered Hirohiko Araki's most ambitious work, but it's also been one of the hardest parts of JoJo to access officially in English—until now.

The release comes just months after the anime adaptation of Steel Ball Run was confirmed to be in development, with a teaser trailer and key visual dropping back in April. No release date has been announced, but the timing of this digital launch isn't random—Viz used a similar strategy for previous arcs, syncing up the manga's rollout with the anime hype cycle.

As of now, the first three chapters of Steel Ball Run are available to read for free through Viz's app and site, with 11 chapters live in total. The full series will continue to be published one chapter at a time, giving longtime fans—and new readers—a fresh way to experience one of the most celebrated entries in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure saga.