This article contains spoilers for JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Parts 6 and 7.

Summary

Part 7 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure introduces a new universe, starting the series over.
The new universe in Steel Ball Run parallels the original one from Phantom Blood.
Changing the universe allowed Part 7 to be more creative and less restricted.

As a series, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has always had an interesting structure. While most action-adventure series tend to follow one specific protagonist and primary group of characters, JoJo’s tends to hop from story to story, changing not only characters, but settings, tone, and genre as well. Although it was always kept in a consistent world, following the Joestar family throughout the generations, anything could happen between JoJo’s parts.

However, after the end of Part 6: Stone Ocean, Part 7 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure did something the series has never done before. Instead of continuing in the future of the current timeline, Steel Ball Run introduces an entirely new universe, starting the series over again from the very beginning. While this may seem like an odd decision at first, the new universe for Steel Ball Run not only makes perfect sense but naturally leads to the creation of JoJo’s best part.

picture: johnny joestar in the cover of steel ball run volume 16.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Who Is Johnny Joestar In Part 7, Explained

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7 starts a new timeline in the story. But who exactly is Johnny Joestar, the main character?

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By Laura Gassert

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7 Started An Entirely New Universe

This New Universe Parallels The Original One

At the end of Part 6, after the defeat of Pucci and the death of Jolyne and most of her allies, the universe was completely reset through the time acceleration powers of Made in Heaven. Although this created an entirely new timeline, this strange new world of JoJo’s, surprisingly, has nothing to do with what comes after in Part 7. However, it seems as if the idea of creating new timelines and parallel characters was on Araki’s mind at this point in the series.

Starting now, you can only say the words, 'There is no way I can do this!' Four times, and four times only. Alright? Four times. That's what my father taught me when I was a kid. - Gyro

After this event, with the old universe being at a difficult place to continue further into the future of the series, Araki instead makes the setting of Steel Ball Run in an alternate universe that echoes the timeline of Part 1: Phantom Blood. Additionally, this arc includes characters like Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli, who echo previous characters like Jonathan and Will Zeppeli respectively. Outside the parallel characters and some references to earlier parts, the new universe is completely separate, providing a completely new setting for the foreseeable future of JoJo’s.

Changing The Universe Allows Part 7 To Be More Creative

Steel Ball Run Doesn't Need To Rely On Previous Parts

Changing The Universe Helped Steel Ball Run Be Less Restricted
This Part Didn't Need Jotaro Or Dio To Be Special

Although this may seem like something most fans will hate, as it seemingly abandons the original timeline of the series, many fans regard Steel Ball Run to be the best part. Though many fans may consider the change in-universe as a setback to an otherwise amazing part, in reality, it was the change of universe that allowed Steel Ball Run to be so successful. Overall, by changing the universe, Steel Ball Run allowed Araki to explore the full extent of his creativity without being restricted by the ties of a connected universe.

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There have been quite a few humiliating moments throughout JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. These examples tend to stand out.

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By Ritwik Mitra

As a series, compared to other shows like One Piece that prioritize massive amounts of detail and world-building, JoJo’s frequently prioritizes things that are cool and enjoyable for the audience over anything else. However, with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 6 containing so many plot lines that were relevant to characters like Dio, Jotaro, and more, the world of the series was starting to feel as if it was becoming a bit too big for its own good. Although for many other series, destroying this established world in moving on would be a major setback, for JoJo’s, creating a new world allowed the series to thrive, letting Araki once again continue writing without the relevance of any other part setting him back.

Finding A Setting In The Original Universe May Have Been Difficult

Resetting The Universe Was An Easier Choice

Steel Ball Run Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli together

Additionally, with the timeline of JoJo’s catching up to the modern era, setting a JoJo’s part in the future, or making another modern plotline that makes sense in terms of the series may not have been great choices. Instead, restarting the timeline of the series back to the 1800s would give Araki an interesting setting for his story, without making the series feel like it’s reaching for new JoJos to be the next protagonist. Plus, with many fans being fans of the period and the characters of Part 1, Steel Ball Run gave JoJo’s another chance to make this part again.

The shortest route was a detour. It was the detour that was our shortest path. - Gyro

In the end, although some may view the change of universe as a setback to the success of Steel Ball Run, overall it may be a big reason why it was able to succeed. Mostly, the change in the universe allowed Part 7 to be completely free to do whatever it pleases without the constraints of previous parts holding it back. If Part 7 took place in the original JoJo’s universe, who knows what the series would look like?

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