Netflix released the fifth Steel Ball Run episode on October 16, 2026, advancing the race across North America as Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli face a dangerous assassin in the Rocky Mountains [3]. The new chapter adapts Gyro’s backstory in the Kingdom of Naples while pitting the riders against Oyecomova, a Stand user who turns touched objects into timed explosives [1]. David Production delivered the installment as part of the weekly broadcast for the story’s second stage, confirming how personal motives drive both jockeys through the desert [4].
Gyro’s Past in Steel Ball Run Episode 5
Gyro Zeppeli’s past takes center stage as the story reveals his background in the Kingdom of Naples. The anime moves his full history into a single continuous flashback rather than spreading details between different moments as the original manga did. His father, Gregorio Zeppeli, served as the personal physician and executioner for the Neapolitan crown [1].
The Zeppeli family carried out judicial executions for hundreds of years, treating the steel balls as surgical and disciplinary tools. Gyro trained to inherit his father’s royal post at age 25, which promised wealth and social standing until he received orders to execute Marco, an innocent child caught up in a treason trial. The boy had simply worked as a shoe-shiner for a rebellious nobleman, yet state law sentenced him to death alongside his employer. Young Gyro admired his father’s medical knowledge, but he couldn’t stomach the thought of executing a blameless child. His refusal pushed him to rebel against his father’s expectations and enter the transcontinental race. Winning the competition offered a royal petition that could secure Marco’s pardon and overturn the death sentence [1].
In a review for Anime News Network, Lucas DeRuyter called Gyro’s rebellion touching because the transcontinental ride became a moral quest to save Marco rather than a race for prize money. During his childhood training, Gyro even gnawed on his father’s arm during a dispute over a small steel ball. DeRuyter wrote that the story explores “a journey to prove that he is worthy of his father’s respect on his own terms” [1].
The Duel Against Oyecomova
After crossing the dry plains with Mountain Tim, the riders arrive at a small checkpoint town where a new pursuer ambushes them [4]. Oyecomova, a bomb-throwing terrorist who previously tried to assassinate the King of Naples, infiltrates their quarters to search Gyro’s baggage for private correspondence [3]. The confrontation begins when Mountain Tim discovers the intruder, who retaliates by turning ordinary objects into timed explosives using his supernatural power [4]. Mountain Tim survives the blast only by unravelling his flesh with rope techniques, though he suffers painful wounds that remove him from active combat [5]. He urged Gyro and Johnny to flee before the bomber planted further traps [6].
The pacing of this Steel Ball Run episode accelerates when the battle shifts from the hotel rooms to the open canyon, where Oyecomova flees to find a healing item called the Zombie Horse [6]. Writing for Soapcentral, Nisarga Kakade explained that Oyecomova raised the danger by turning cigarette smoke into explosive clouds that drifted toward his pursuers [5]. Vanessa Maki of But Why Tho? noted that this trap created “plenty of peril for fellow Stand users” because the airborne smoke hid incoming attacks [6]. Gyro relies on his mastery of the Spin rather than a Stand of his own, hurling steel balls to neutralize Oyecomova before another blast catches them [4].
Stand Powers and Devil’s Palm
Johnny Joestar continues to discover the strange effects of the Devil’s Palm, the moving geological hazard that granted him supernatural gifts during their earlier clash with the Boomboom family. While Gyro relies on physical discipline and rotational physics, Johnny learns to fire his spinning fingernails as high-speed projectiles from his emerging Stand ability (Tusk) [3]. He refuses to leave Gyro behind during the hunt for Oyecomova, showing that his desire to regain mobility has turned into genuine loyalty toward his partner [6]. Their combined tactics give them the narrow opening needed to stop Oyecomova from escaping with the Zombie Horse [5].
The discovery of a bounty on Gyro confirms that the cross-country race involves political schemes reaching far beyond athletic prestige. When 3,852 jockeys started in San Diego for the 50 million dollar grand prize, few anticipated that assassins would stalk contestants through the desert. Ordinary racers now face armed killers who wield unseen Stand powers. The race turned into survival [3].
Johnny and Gyro survive because they adapt quickly, turning what began as a fragile rivalry into an effective alliance against hidden conspirators. Arpita Samaddar of Leisurebyte noted that Johnny refused to leave Gyro alone in the desert with Oyecomova, demonstrating how their partnership anchors the narrative. Gyro proves that he doesn’t need a Stand to overcome dangerous enemies, using calculating throws and rotational physics to defeat opponents who possess mystical powers. Their mutual trust prepares them for the harsher terrain awaiting them in subsequent race stages [4].
David Production Staff on Steel Ball Run Episode
To maintain visual continuity for each Steel Ball Run episode, David Production assembled experienced veterans from earlier seasons to bring Hirohiko Araki’s manga to television screens. Series director Toshiyuki Kato oversees the project with co-directors Yasuhiro Kimura and Hideya Takahashi, who previously guided Golden Wind. Yasuko Kobayashi returned to supervise series composition. Daisuke Tsumagari designed the character models, while Yugo Kanno composed the background music [3].
The production team relied on specialized talent for Episode 5, assigning Shūgo Tsuneoka to direct the episode from a storyboard drafted by Yoriyasu Kogawa and a screenplay written by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu [3]. The visual direction balances bright color palettes against dusty canyon terrain, capturing Araki’s signature style while sustaining clean character motion during fast-paced horse chases [6]. In reporting on the Tokyo announcement, Oricon News noted that Araki’s manga series has printed over 120 million copies, building its story around the overarching theme of a translated “human hymn” that celebrates courage when facing danger [7]. Color shifts punctuate each duel [6].
The soundtrack features the opening theme song ‘Spin’, where Kroi performs the Steel Ball Run anime opening to introduce each race stage. Meanwhile, the ending theme song “Shinu ka Ikiru ka” (To Die or Live) by Yuki Chiba serves as the first original closer in the franchise not drawn from Western rock catalogs. The song drew mixed reactions online from viewers who missed classic rock tracks [3].
Broadcast Schedule and Streaming Details
Netflix distributes the series internationally, releasing new chapters weekly following their domestic Japanese broadcast. The current broadcast block consists of 11 episodes that cover the second and third stages of the race, leading into a planned mid-season break before the remaining story airs [3]. Hamza Ahmad of Game Rant reported that the full adaptation could reach between 45 and 50 episodes across multiple cours to cover more than 100 manga chapters. That extended production plan gives the creative team sufficient room to portray major future figures such as Funny Valentine, the 25th President of the United States [2].
The weekly release features parallel Japanese and English voice tracks with experienced actors in lead roles. Shogo Sakata voices Johnny Joestar alongside Yōhei Azakami as Gyro Zeppeli in the Japanese cast, while Daman Mills and Kaiji Tang perform the characters for the English dub. Taliesin Jaffe provides the English voice for Oyecomova, with Joshua David King playing Mountain Tim and Dan Woren returning as Fritz von Stroheim [3]. With Oyecomova defeated and the Rocky Mountains ahead, Johnny and Gyro ride forward into the next stage of the transcontinental race as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure continues its western journey [6].
- ONLINE NEWS DeRuyter, L. (2026, October 24). STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure ‒ Episode 5. Anime News Network. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Ahmad, H. (2026, October 23). Steel Ball Run Is Officially Revealing The Best Villain In The Series. Game Rant. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE Wikimedia Foundation. (2026, February 20). Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Wikipedia. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Samaddar, A. (2026, October 16). Steel Ball Run JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Episode 5 Review: Gyro Just Got a Whole Lot Cooler. Leisurebyte. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Kakade, N. (2026, October 16). STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Episode 5: Gyro and Johnny face Oyecomova. Soapcentral. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Maki, V. (2026, October 16). Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Episode 5 Review. But Why Tho?. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Oricon News. (2025, April 12). 『ジョジョ』第7部アニメ化決定 『スティール・ボール・ラン』映像＆キャラビジュアル公開. Oricon. [Article Link]
