Episode 6 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run finally explains why Gyro Zeppeli is risking everything on this race, and the answer is a boy named Marco.
The last few episodes kept throwing killers at Gyro, from the Andrew Family in Episode 4 to Oyecomova in Episode 5. By the end of Episode 6, Johnny is asking what we have been wondering all season: why does everyone want Gyro dead? “Gyro Zeppeli’s Destiny” answers a different question first, which is why Gyro entered the race at all.
The episode opens right where Episode 5 left off, with Gyro and Johnny racing to find the Zombie Horse the King of Naples sent Gyro. Gyro stitches the massive wound on his right leg all by himself, and the episode eases from that scene straight into his past. That is where we meet Marco.
He is a nine-year-old boy sentenced to execution in the Kingdom of Naples after serving a baron who was arrested for treason. Because authorities assumed Marco was part of the political plot, he was scheduled to be Gyro’s very first official execution as a royal executioner.
While Gyro strongly objects to the severe sentence, his professional position exposes the strict limits of his legal influence and authority. His family serves Naples in that role, and the Spin he channels through his steel balls was passed down by his father, Gregorio Zeppeli.
At 25, Gyro inherited the ability to perform those duties, but not the authority to rewrite the rules governing them. With a boy’s life who he feels is innocent on the line, the family legacy ultimately functions more like a curse than an honor.
How Does Gyro Plan to Save Marco Through the Steel Ball Run?
A counselor familiar with Gyro proposed the cross-country race as a viable alternative solution to secure the boy’s freedom.
Winning the prestigious competition could potentially pressure the King of Naples into granting a general amnesty for the condemned child. If that political route fails, the substantial prize money could be used to independently finance a legal appeal for Marco.
Back in the present timeline, Germany’s Fritz Von Stroheim ambushes them with a gun built into his right hand, though Gyro successfully defeats him.
When Johnny questions the endless wave of assassins hunting them down, the episode closes on a shocking cliffhanger as Johnny’s left arm is ripped from the inside as a corpse part spills out, setting the stage for Episode 7 on Netflix.
Do Marco and Gyro’s Names Hide Callbacks?
Marco’s name sounds a lot like Mark, the young German soldier and friend of Caesar Zeppeli who dies in Battle Tendency when the Pillar Man Wamuu walks through him. Since Steel Ball Run starts a separate continuity, I think Marco might have been a deliberate echo.
I also think Gyro’s name nods to giro, the Italian word for turn, which fits the Spin, though Araki has confirmed neither of the two things.
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