Netflix Starts the Countdown as ‘Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ Gets Ready for Its Desert Return
Few anime adaptations have tested fan patience quite like ‘Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’. It is the sixth season of the ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure‘ anime, produced by David Production and adapting the seventh part of Hirohiko Araki’s manga. For a story about a grueling race, the road to the screen has been just as bumpy.
The story is set in the 19th-century United States and follows Johnny Joestar, a former jockey who lost the use of his legs in a freak accident. That unusual hook helped make the adaptation one of the most anticipated anime projects in recent memory, and it is why the wait has stung so much.
The 47-minute first stage episode premiered on Netflix on March 19, 2026. Then came a long stretch of quiet. After fan backlash and protests over the lack of information, Netflix announced on April 6 that the next stage would arrive in fall in a split-cour format, with episodes airing weekly.
That brings us to the latest update from the official Netflix Anime account on X. The post, shared on September 20, tells fans there are only five days left to “mentally prepare” for the 2nd and 3rd Stage, and it asks if they are ready. It confirms that new episodes will arrive weekly on Netflix from September 25, and it comes with an animated countdown GIF of a rider sprinting across a sunbaked desert canyon under the words “5 Days to Go!”
The countdown is a small gesture, but it lands differently after months of uncertainty. The 2nd and 3rd Stages will run for 11 episodes in total, releasing on a weekly basis on Fridays. It is a rollout fans have been asking for.
The schedule also marks a shift in how Netflix handles the franchise. The 11 new episodes will air weekly, rather than repeating the multi-episode batch release model previously used for the series, such as with Stone Ocean. It also brings back “JoJo Fridays” for the first time since Golden Wind.
The story itself is about to get tougher. Johnny and Gyro Zeppeli must tackle a roughly 750-mile desert crossing, with the route passing through the mysterious Devil’s Palm. That fits the imagery in the countdown clip, which puts the desert front and center.
New faces are joining the race too. The latest trailer reveals three new characters: Mountain Tim, Hot Pants, and Funny Valentine. On the Japanese side, Tomoaki Maeno voices Mountain Time, Tomokazu Sugita voices Funny Valentine, and Yoko Hikasa voices Hot Pants. Funny Valentine in particular carries a lot of weight for readers of the manga, so his arrival should spark plenty of discussion.
For anyone new to the story, the setup is simple and gripping. Set in the United States in 1890, it follows a massive cross-continental horse race from San Diego to New York City with a $50 million grand prize. The 2nd and 3rd Stages push that race deeper into hostile territory.
The release date first came into focus over the summer. The date was announced at Anime Expo 2026 in July. The anime will stream with both English and Japanese audio tracks, as it did at its premiere.
With the countdown now down to days, the mood among fans is a mix of relief and impatience. After a spring premiere that left many wanting more, the weekly Friday format finally gives ‘Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ the momentum its story has always promised. By September 25, Johnny and Gyro will be back on the trail.
