#sbr analysis

Hello gyjoers welcome back to another edition of subtext analysis.

So, everyone knows this scene:

Chapter 52: Wrecking Ball (Part 2)

But did you remember that everything in Steel Ball Run is a conspiracy? Yes folks, it does indeed go deeper.

Let's go back to the beginning so we can understand the sheer unsubtlety of the gyjo love story.

Starting now:

Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar

At the beginning of Steel Ball Run, Johnny talks about an abstract sort of 'beauty' to be found in horse riding. Being able to ride a horse is a symbol of power:

Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar

Now already we have a relationship between nature, beauty, and power, with horses as the connecting link. You know what else is natural, beautiful, and powerful?

Yeah.

Chapter 43: A Silent Way (Part 4)

Let's break this down. Johnny begins the story already in tune with the beauty of humanity, enabled via the horse. That 'beauty' is taken from him after the shooting. He can still see it in everyone else - namely the other competitors - but that light is gone within himself.

Most importantly, he sees it in Gyro.

Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar

Later, during the 'Silent Way' arc, Johnny is able to bridge the gap from seeing beauty in mankind / horses to seeing it in the very foundation of the world around him. He's able to appreciate nature in a new way (but still not himself).

Chapter 43: A Silent Way (Part 4)

Looking at this way, we can see that Johnny's understanding of beauty and power transforms from mankind -> nature.

Meanwhile, Gyro has inherited this knowledge of what beauty is supposed to be; or, more precisely, he's inherited knowledge of this specific kind of beauty. Gyro says his ancestors knew how to see such beauty instinctively; were able to see it due to "expert sensibility".

Chapter 43: A Silent Way (Part 4)

Through Johnny's perspective, we can suddenly see the world (seemingly) as Gyro does.

Chapter 43: A Silent Way (Part 4)

It's a beautiful world. Logically, provably, perfect. But as we know, Gyro isn't exactly in tune with his humanity. In fact, most of his statements about others regard how much he doesn't like them.

Chapter 12: First Stage Disqualified from victory

Chapter 33: The True Man's World Part 1

Chapter 40: A Silent Way (Part 1)

So if Johnny's development was seeing the beauty in man to seeing the beauty in nature, then Gyro's should naturally contrast that, right?

Hence:

Chapter 52: Wrecking Ball (Part 2)

The only scene we get of what Gyro actually sees while using the rotation. Very, very late in the game. And, completing the parallel theorized above, he has learned to see the beauty in people: specifically, Gyro is able to see perfect beauty in an imperfect person.

Now able to embrace the beauty in nature and in man, Gyro is able to witness a miracle.

Chapter 54: Wrecking Ball (Part 4)

More than that, Johnny has also been using Gyro as his own point of reference for the rectangle.

Chapter 43: A Silent Way (Part 4)

Chapter 52: Wrecking Ball (Part 2)

At the end of Wrecking Ball, Gyro and Johnny have come full circle. They are able to see the beauty in the world around them and in each other. But that's not quite the end.

Chapter 72: Ticket to Ride (Part 2)

Gyro theorizes on the maximum potential for the golden rotation - created by combining the beauty / power of people and the beauty / power of nature (horses) - in order to achieve an 'infinite' rotation. It's Gyro's words here, his final attempt at grasping hope for Johnny, that finally restores Johnny's circle. Johnny has always seen the beauty in others and in horses, grew to see the beauty of nature, but was still missing that final critical link - accepting himself, and accepting that he can be a part of that natural perfection. As such, it's his crowning moment when he finally reaches the pinnacle of mathematical beauty and unlocks the infinite rotation.

Chapter 85: Ball Breaker (Part 3)

Gyro fails to reach this pinnacle. But only just. He was off by a sliver, recognized it the moment it happened - made a human mistake. His rotation was imperfect; but at end of it all he'd already learned that the mathematical beauty he'd always known wasn't all there was. By accepting Johnny as something beautiful, as something belonging in the perfect world of the golden rectangle, Gyro opened the path to understanding himself - and living his short, imperfect life to the fullest.

Chapter 89: Break My Heart, Break Your Heart (Part 2)

so anyway. gyjo real! I had some trouble stringing together coherency for this one, but I hope the general sentiment of my insanity comes through. I need everyone to understand how deep this fucking thing goes.

If you read this far, thank you!

after fighting oyecomova and mounting valkyrie to race him to the zombie horse, gyro tries to dissuade johnny from going:

Gyro’s wording is sly at first; his response is passive enough to be nice, but enough of a dismissal to make it clear he doesn’t want Johnny coming — but by obfuscating it through that niceness, it seems to come from a place of concern. Maybe it does. I think that although Gyro pitied Johnny at points, that pity has been fading since (I’d say) the beginning of the gist stage, into respect. Only more so after Johnny saved their asses from the Boomboom family with a use of Spin Gyro’s never seen.

Gyro’s next response is significantly more gruff. “Listen…” reads to me like the reluctant start to a sentence he doesn’t want to repeat; he’s having trouble with Johnny’s stubbornness, and is trying to find subtle and creative ways to dismiss him without being too terrible. Therefore, his more aggressive response, “That terrorist is running from us now, but I’m telling you, he’s still just as dangerous,” communicates between the lines that Gyro does not want Johnny around because it’s too dangerous while still conveying affection in a way that is gruff and manly enough not to be “odd.” Gyro learned to discard sentimentality from his father, not to care if a prisoner is “pale, beautiful, and small” or “old and sick,” and that they are criminals nonetheless, not to be noticed for their attributes or qualities, but as “people” (the bare version Gregorio believes in, which seem to fall into the following categories: criminals, to be executed swiftly and honourably; civilians, to be avoided, discarded, and not thought of with sentiment, lest it waver your heart; and your blood, to all of which you owe protection, training, care, and discipline.)

Johnny falls into category two: to be discarded, avoided, and thought of from a distance. It’s clear this is what his father would want for him, and those lessons run deep, like grooves in his trunk. When I say Gyro’s first sentence was a creative dismissal intended to be kind, I mean that is Gyro’s application of his father’s lessons. Rather than harsh denial, he participates in society, but pushes whenever someone gets too close. I think I can tell from this “kinder” approach to staying guarded, that Gyro is just adapting a belief system that doesn’t fit him to make it more manageable.

So his second dismissal is still subtle, but still obvious: Gyro wants Johnny out, and right now his reason is because it’s dangerous.

Johnny tramples all over him, not at all addressing the implication it’s too dangerous for him. “I want to see what it is” offers no real argument. He doesn’t address Gyro’s concerns, or give a reason as to why he should come — because for Johnny, “I want it” is a full sentence.

Though the next panel lets us in on his thoughts — “Could it fix that right leg of yours? How about my legs?”

Dangerous or not, Johnny doesn’t care. He’s too stubborn. Gyro’s clever attempts at deflections aren’t working, not because he’s executing them poorly, but because he’s talking to a brick wall. Having realized this, in the next panel, he says the quiet part aloud

first by trying to dismiss Johnny’s question about the zombie horse thread (personally, I don’t even think Gyro really believed the Spin could substantially help Johnny’s legs until maaaaybe the day before, when fighting Tomb of the Boom 123, when he first shot his nails, and he hasn’t exactly had the time to process that information) and temper his expectations. Gyro doesn’t want to give Johnny any false hope. He’s worried about what the come-down from that hope will be when Johnny doesn’t find a solution to paraplegia.

“And I’m saying that you’re in the way!” Is Gyro’s unsubtle way of telling Johnny to fuck off. Subtle or conspicuous, it doesn’t really matter, because Johnny blows right over him anyway. I interpret these three speech bubbles in total to basically mean “Fuck you, you’re in too deep to ditch me, I don’t need or want your condolences or help.” I wouldn’t say he means it all 100%, but he’s not lying. A lot of this conversation towards the end is padded with aggression, with “manliness” in their argument disguising what they actually want and are trying to achieve. It’s that kind of performative masculinity in dialogue (ex: “how are you?” “Fuck you, I don’t need anything”) that right now only seems to be a minor barrier in communication for them. I think it could grow. The conversation drops, and the next panel is of then riding to the river to fight Oyacomova.

Gyro can at least say he tried. What’s also important to me is an incredibly similar scene a few chapters back, with Mrs. Robinson

where Gyro is told to ditch Johnny for convenience in escaping, and he doesn’t.

As well as another “stay or go” moment earlier, after the first stage,

These three events lined up in sequence are intriguing for me. The “wanna get out of here” being the predecessor to their later shows of loyalty is interesting because it’s the first time Gyro initiates contact. All of their other interactions have been Johnny following him and bullshit. Other than maybe the help with getting onto and Slow Dancer and their brief interaction at the end of Stage 1, this marks Gyro’s first real reciprocation of Johnny’s efforts . I like that he looks so surprised in panels 2 and 3.

Since their relationship is now reciprocal, it operates under the assumed conditions of “what you do for me, I do for you.” Johnny refuses to leave not not only because he he wants a piece of the zombie horse; but because Gyro had refused to leave him in a previous chapter (bleeding from his eyes, prone on the ground) he reciprocates and is insistent about it. Gyro cannot change his mind, or maybe doesn’t want to try, so he gives in. They go off to fight Oyecomova, and, I think at the end of the volume, it has a panel of them riding off talking about being #1 and #2.

Hi anon!

It's not super explicit, but I think it's definitely implied that Joekid was something of a persona for Johnny. Here's the panels I pulled that idea from:

Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar

During his introduction, Johnny essentially tells us that when on horseback he feels powerful, and like a winner. Or at least, that's what he thought at five. But after Nicholas' death, who he is when he races is different internally and externally.

When he's "Joekid" and not Johnny, he gets what he "wants". But it's not fulfilling for him, because internally Johnny is never actually having those feelings of inadequacy and guilt soothed. For example, when he's talking about his races in the Silent Way arc, we see this panel:

Chapter 42: A Silent Way (Part 2)

Even when it seems like he's a playboy and on the top of the world (right), the story tells us that at the same time Johnny is always expecting he's going to lose whatever he has (left). Wins don't matter, because they'll never be good enough for his father. Girls don't matter, because everyone leaves him in the end. Even as he knows this subconsciously, he still he fucks around with "girlfriends" who make him a worse version of himself because he gets sex and validation out of it, even if he's not emotionally close to them. He uses the money he wins through racing to do stupid and expensive things for girls because the girls make him feel like he matters, at least for a little while. Meanwhile, his family problems are totally unresolved and at this point we can infer he's essentially cut contact with his father.

Chapter 42: A Silent Way (Part 2)

"I'll do fine on my own", he says. "I'm not going to trust anyone." So we know that Johnny didn't even trust any of the girls he hung around with with his actual feelings or past. In fact, he actively shuts out his past by "living in the present", so to speak, as Joekid. But Johnny is not a nonchalant king.

Chapter 42: A Silent Way (Part 2)

Poor kid is literally crying while he's racing. So essentially, at this point (at 16 years old) he's cut contact with his family, has unresolved trauma with his dead brother, and been told by his dad that George wishes he were dead. But the Johnny we see during the In A Silent Way flashback is really different from the one we see in Chapter 3. Hence, I believe that Chapter 3 is the Johnny he presented to the world during that time - a rich, talented playboy - while In A Silent Way is our first real glimpse behind the mask. In Chapter 3 he says, "I got everything I wanted" (when on horseback). Well, apparently not, lol. What he "wanted" (to act like his life was amazing) and what he wanted (George to apologize) were different things.

Johnny states it even more explicitly during Civil War:

Chapter 58: Civil War (Part 3)

He felt thrown away by his family, and specifically his father. I don't think he ever tells anyone about this trauma, not even Gyro, so I have a hard time believing Johnny would confide these feelings in any of the girls or girlfriends he had during his racing days.

Johnny says he'd have an "inch of hope, a moment of happiness" during those days before it would inevitably be taken from him. He was always chasing the high of winning in his races because it was the only thing that validated him. I think there's enough evidence to support the reading that the Joekid we see in the Chapter 3 flashbacks is pretty much a mask for Johnny to avoid being, well, Johnny.

But I also don't think the Joekid persona worked for him all the time. The lifestyle demanded by "Joekid" seemingly isn't one he really, like, enjoyed? Hence by continuing to commit to being "Joekid", he continues to "run away" from who Johnny Joestar is.

I actually think this kind of dichotomy is most evident in the shooting incident.

Chapter 3: Johnny Joestar

Johnny doesn't really think of doing things like throwing his money around or cutting in line without external influence. He didn't even want to see that play. Someone - in this case, a girlfriend who didn't really care about him - has to push him to keep up the act.

No one visited him in the hospital. Johnny was right - no one cared. He's been abused in many ways, which is why I think it's so hard for him to confront that past trauma and believe that he even deserves a better life. That's why he's stagnated and fallen into a depression since the shooting incident. He has no hope, is almost totally out of touch with any emotions besides bitterness, and still lacks the ability to deal with his trauma. Once the coping mechanisms were gone (validation through sex and praise), he had nothing to distract himself from those deep-seated feelings of depression and inadequacy.

I hope this breakdown sheds some light on what I meant in that post! Disclaimer that I made that post two years ago at this point, but I lowkey still stand by it lol. It's a joke, obviously, but having Johnny name his son George really is too much. And I do still wish Araki had kept the old Rina design, if he had to have Johnny and Rina get together on that boat. The timing just really doesn't sit right with me, and even if I'm not serious about JJL!Johnny being a different char I dislike decisions made about him.

So yeah, I do think he has a history of running away from his feelings, but whether or not that has anything to do with Rina is in headcanon territory. I'm not fond of her because I have no particular reason to be, given that she has zero lines and approximately seven panels, but I don't hate her. I just think the whole boat romance is something that really doesn't sit right with me. Genuinely, if Johnny had just ended up in Japan for whatever reason and met Rina a few years down the line it'd probably be an easier pill to swallow, but as it stands I do feel everything about Johnny and Rina is contrived to pave the way for Part 8.

its generally understood that gyjo is important to each other, but since sbr is from Johnny’s pov we get his thoughts on the ‘why’ more than gyro’s. Johnny’s side of things also tends to get more emphasis in fanon, which I just wanted to try and illustrate the development of their relationship from Gyro’s pov since I think that’s the part of gyjo that seems the most underexplored.

First thing to note, and something that’s pretty funny, is that Gyro is an asshole to everyone at the start of the race. Through the first stage hes basically this ‘lone rider’ character. Before the race starts, Gyro helps Johnny out by helping him get on the horse, but during the race itself he’s pretty brutal to his competitors. It’s Johnny who chooses to chase him, which Gyro didn’t ask for. But by the end of the stage Johnny’s proved his grit and Gyro allows him to accompany him. It’s cute how quickly he takes Johnny under his wing, especially since he’s still so hostile to everyone else.

Gyro presents himself as this very confident figure, and carries them through the attacks of Mrs. Robinson, Strohiem, and Oyecomova. The Boom-Boom family was more of a team effort between Gyro, Johnny and Tim, and they mostly won thanks to Tusk awakening. It isn’t until Pork Pie Hat Kid attacks and Gyro gets taken out of commission that Johnny is forced to be the one doing the quick thinking and rescuing. I think both Johnny being the one to rescue him and his newfound determination to collect the corpse tickles Gyro, similar to how he was interested in Johnny at the starting line because of Johnny’s stubbornness with Slow Dancer.

I think a big part of the reason Gyro is initially attracted to Johnny is because Johnny has the fortitude to go after what he really wants; unlike Gyro, who, as revealed in True Man’s World, remains to some extent paralyzed by his family’s traditions. So far the only thing Gyro has ever done to differentiate himself from his given role as executioner and eldest son is join the race, supposedly for Marco. Yet as demonstrated with his continued correspondence with Naples and their delivery of the Zombie Horse thread, Gyro did not cut himself off from his country and family entirely. He doesn’t know how to exist without it. Johnny meanwhile is fiercely independent; by contrast Gyro is still dependent on his tradition, country and family to guide his decisions. That’s why I think Marco was only an excuse / smaller factor in Gyro’s choice to join the race than what was initially presented. Gyro left to join the race because he’d never had a chance to develop himself as a person outside of his role as eldest son and executioner. That’s why his question about Marco’s death is about ‘consent’. Marco was supposed to be Gyro’s first solo execution. Marco was imprisoned as a traitor to the crown and by law would need to die. As a prisoner he has no consent to give, and Gyro knows that. The consent Gyro needs is his own. Gyro needs to understand, for himself, who he is and what his actual values are before he ‘consents’ to being the executioner.

In the Third Stage, Gyro admits to himself that “maybe the corpse hunt will help me grow a little.” Like I said, I think that to an extent Marco’s unjust execution was not necessarily the entire reason Gyro came to the race. Gyro may not have recognized it himself, but what he’s looking for is an opportunity to define himself outside of what he knows. Marco isnt what he’s thinking about when he loses the Third Stage; Gyro is thinking about how much he himself is pissed off by the loss. Unconsciously, Gyro recognizes that he’s not just racing for Marco, but to prove something to himself. Moreover, easily winning would prove that he’s fine as he is, and he can back to Naples, ignorant but having in a sense ‘gotten it out of his system’. But losing forces him to reflect, not just on the loss, but on what he’s racing for. That’s why Johnny’s advice is for him ‘to hunger’. Because Gyro still doesn’t really understand his own motivations for racing.

That’s why Ringo’s words about his being a conformist in True Man’s World bother him so badly. Because Gyro knows that, up until that point, he has been a conformist. He still relies on Naples for guidance and Gregorio’s teachings still echo in his head. But his friendship with Johnny is what allows him to break the first of the family traditions he’d so strictly adhered to, and give in to ‘sentimentality’. This is the first ‘new’ value he explicitly chooses to define himself by, and the first part of himself he discovers outside of his ‘conformity’. Gyro risks a lot by going back to confront Ringo. He’s challenging not just Ringo, but himself. Only a ‘true man’, or someone fighting for ‘something’ that they desire for themselves, would have the ‘dark determination’ necessary to beat Ringo. And Gyro finds it. Ringo welcomes him to the true man’s world because he recognizes that Gyro has found something to fight for.

In Catch the Rainbow, Gyro takes Johnny’s advice from the Third Stage and creates another value to define himself by - a hunger to win, for himself. That’s why he tells Diego to gtfo of the way; Gyro’s chasing himself on the Golden Path. Supposedly it’s a path for him alone. Ironically, it’s Johnny who interrupts Gyro and Diego’s battle on the Golden Path. Textually, Johnny realizes Diego is cheating but Gyro is so desperate to win that he doesn’t realize it. Metaphorically, Johnny interrupts to demonstrate that Gyro isn’t done growing yet, and is not yet ready to truly walk the ‘golden path’ of the True Man’s World. He doesn’t yet have the self-definition or subsequent selfish hunger necessary to do it. Only together are Gyro and Johnny able to defeat Diego and continue their pursuit of self-improvement (the corpse parts). However, afterwards Gyro lashes out at Johnny for interrupting, further demonstrating that in many areas he is still immature, childishly taking his feelings out on Johnny instead of waiting for an explanation of why Johnny interfered, and not really listening when he does.

In A Silent Way, Johnny is again what enables Gyro to find his second area of self-definition: mentorship. It’s heavily implied that Gyro is the first one to break Zeppeli tradition and teach the Golden Ratio to someone outside the family; however, he won’t teach Johnny any other way but the Zeppeli family way (‘I can’t do it’ four times), demonstrating his continued struggle between tradition and independence.

Sugar Mountain is iconic, but just as a refresh: at the end of the arc Gyro sees again how much Johnny is willing to give up for him. I think that this shapes his approach to Johnny afterwards; he’s much softer, and more protective. Because of Johnny’s actions in Sugar Mountain, he’s realized that finding his ‘golden path’ isn’t something he can do alone; and that he really does need Johnny as much as Johnny needs him. As noted before, Johnny gave up everything for Gyro. This is the impetus for Gyro to really embrace his role as friend and mentor, no longer afraid that his newly discovered ‘sentimentality’ is a weakness, but embracing Johnny as a trusted companion and deciding that he doesn’t need to be a ‘lone rider’ to win and find the independence and self-definition he’d been looking for. Johnny, not the race, is what pushes Gyro into reflection, soul-searching, and adaptation, embracing the world as it comes instead of adhering to everything he’s been taught.

Gyro defeats his narrative foil in Wekapipo. Wekapipo has abandoned his homeland entirely, and been abandoned by it. He hopes to find a new beginning in America. He too is looking to define himself anew. However, Gyro, now having reconciled what he’s been taught with what he’s learning with Johnny, is able to pull off a miracle. He doesn’t need to be someone new entirely or abandon who he was; he just needed to understand himself. Note that this is also the arc where he finds the golden rectangle in Johnny’s eyes - literally melding where he came from (Golden Ratio, Zeppeli traditions) with what he’s chasing now (self-improvement, alongside Johnny). That’s why Gyro’s allowed to win this stage, and he and Johnny get their one-two finish. Gyro earned his victory against Wekapipo and he earned first place in the stage, he and Johnny finding the best path forward (the golden path) by combining Tusk and a Steel Ball to create their own. Furthermore, Gyro reconnects Wekapipo with Naples by revealing his sister is still alive; thus Wekapipo too is allowed to live and try to reconcile where he came from with where he’s going, starting the journey Gyro now realizes he’s been on.

I've stated before that Johnny, Gyro, HP and Diego stand out as the four main-ish characters of SBR. But that's neglecting to mention the true third protagonist of the part: Lucy Steel. Lucy's character is used to explore a lot of the heavier and more complex themes of SBR, including the nature of power, fortune, and even free will (as well as misogyny, to a lesser extent). I hope to touch on and elaborate what I think the text is trying to demonstrate with Lucy's story. Unfortunately there was limit to the panels I could include, so if you'd like to double check my analysis please reference the referred chapters.

Content warning for reference to events in the Both Sides Now chapters as well as Valentine's general attitude towards Lucy.

To understand what Lucy represents, we've first got to understand Lucy. So, let's take a quick look at her backstory.

Chapter 61: Both Sides Now (Part 2)

Born into a poor family, even from a young age Lucy was forced / expected to pay for the sins of her father. In those days it's no surprise that the life of a son was seen as more valuable than that of a daughter. Lucy's father decides that Lucy must be the one to pay for the family's debt. It's implied that Lucy does not protest this decision and understands her father's reasoning (even if internally she may be more upset about it than she appears). Lucy's go-to mechanism for dealing with the stress of the people around her is to 'look after them'. She repeatedly puts on a brave face in order to comfort them first. Only when she's alone does she allow herself to express her true feelings. Even the inciting incident of the Steel Ball Run race itself - a young Lucy comforting a hopeless Stephen - is demonstrative of how she always looks after the people around her.

Lucy has always been forced to bear the responsibilities of others, as the second eldest and the eldest daughter.

Chapter 61: Both Sides Now (Part 2)

Her father was either naive or unwilling to accept the consequences of what he'd done to Lucy by essentially selling her to the mafia. Stephen forces Lucy's father to recognize the reality of the situation - and as such becomes the first person we know of to demonstrably care for Lucy's well being. In my opinion, one of the reasons Lucy doesn't ever seem put off by the 'marriage' between her and Stephen is because she knows that without Stephen she would literally be dead. It was Lucy's kindness to Stephen that would influence Stephen to return to her family and save her life. This is the first (chronological) example of Lucy's complex relationship with fate and fortune.

Chapter 28: Scary Monsters (Part 1)

After witnessing Valentine's odd power in a previous scene she grows suspicious, and given the talk of murder at the time, likely worried for Stephen's safety. While attempting to assuage her suspicion she catches a glimpse of the corpse part Valentine possess, and from then on gets caught up in the larger machinations of the race. However, even this first encounter between Lucy and Valentine showcases what the dynamic will be between them as the part continues: Valentine, bombastic and ambitious, contrasted with Lucy. Lucy is meek, but her actions have an overt influence on the plot, even if none of the other characters realize her true importance until later. Her impact is subtle but pervasive, as she continually changes the entire course of the race despite never being acknowledged as a factor in play until the very end.

Chapter 36: The Green Tombstone (Part 1)

Lucy is a non-stand user, a normal person and a teenager at that, who realizes in this moment that her now peaceful life can be shattered again. Lucy is a normal person, but she is brave, and she is determined to protect the person she cares about at any cost.

Lucy clearly feels a lot of responsibility towards Stephen, and most of the time is quite a serious person. There's a lot happening internally that she can't or won't let others in on. In other scenes, we see that Steven often tells her to lighten up and act more her age, but Lucy can't let that sense of responsibility go. In the scene above, her serious nature is contrasted by her apparent flippancy towards her teacher. To avoid any questions on her intentions, she flips on the 'bored student / teenager' act - and it is just an act. As soon as she's alone, Lucy breaks down, because her strong face too is an act.

On a thematic level it's already clear that Lucy's character will be closely tied to the concept of 'fate' (most of the time represented through Valentine). Here, she is determined to avert what she suspects Stephen's ultimate 'fate' will be. She knows that she is not powerful, yet still she struggles against the overwhelming powers around her. Even with something as simple as learning lip reading, she's taking the initiative against Valentine, at a point when no other major character knows that it's Valentine they're up against. I also want to recognize her intelligence: she is totally overlooked by the President's staff (men) and uses that to her advantage to royally fuck up Valentine's plans.

Luck, or 'fortune', plays a notable role in enabling Lucy's escape from Valentine and Blackmore's pursuit. It's only by chance that Lucy is the one to look up and notice Blackmore first.

Chapter 37: The Green Tombstone (Part 2)

Lucy is forced to involve Mountain Tim in her escape - who just so happens to be in town and nearby the government building while all of this is going down.

Chapter 37: The Green Tombstone (Part 2)

We see here again Lucy's strong sense of responsbility, as well as her selflessness. Despite not knowing Mountain Tim very well, she worries for his safety. She takes burdens onto herself because she feels she must; she can't let anyone get hurt, because it's her responsibility to protect them.

However, the fickle nature of fortune is again evident in the next few scenes. As soon as Tim separates from Lucy, he's killed; meanwhile, Lucy has the good fortune of making it to the backbone before anyone else, as well as having the distance shortened for her. Even when Blackmore catches up to her, 'fortune' is again on Lucy's side, and she's able to take him by surprise and reclaim the corpse. Even this early on, the text seems to suggest that the corpse wants Lucy to posses it; in a sense it's manipulating even to ensure it's delivered (by her) to where it wants to go.

Chapter 38: Catch the Rainbow (Part 1)

Oh nothing, just Lucy being cool as fuck.

Chapter 39: Catch the Rainbow (Part 2)

Tim directed Lucy to Johnny and Gyro. They are the first people she ever asks for help (and politely, at that). Notice that Lucy isn't even necessarily asking them to help her. She's asking them, really, to help Stephen.

Chapter 39: Catch the Rainbow (Part 2) (Johnny already decided to protect Lucy <3)

Blackmore basically singles out Lucy to lecture her on 'sin' - which in this case is taking the initiative and daring to touch a corpse part.

Blackmore's monologue is based almost entirely on religious ideas, and we see again how misogyny ties into Lucy's character. Lucy is compared to an adult woman, 'Eve', and told she is the embodiment of 'sin' (often a metaphor for sexual temptation, and perhaps foreshadows Valentine's assault and views about Lucy as an object later in the part). Because she dared to do something about her situation and on her own initiative, Blackmore demands that she 'repent'.

Chapter 40: A Silent Way (Part 1) (Johnny: "Who'll come to her if she fails?" (you will mr. joestar)

Gyro, and to a lesser extent, Johnny, are unwilling to give up the race to chase after Valentine. Gyro asks Lucy plainly what she expects her life to be like if she runs away now, and if she will be happy to live the rest of her life in fear. Knowing that she will never be happy with such a life, Lucy agrees to put her life on the line and assumes the burden of stealing the corpse part from Valentine.

Chapter 48: Tubular Bells (Part 1) - as soon as Steven is out of sight she drops her brave face :(

Chapter 48: Tubular Bells (Part 1)

Lucy's intelligence is again demonstrated through her plan to get close to the President; namely, getting close to Scarlet first. It works, thanks to some outside help from HP (and I plan to do an analysis of their relationship in another analysis). However, during her conversation with HP, HP makes it clear that they are not helping her 'as a friend', but just as someone after the same goal. Lucy is, once again, on her own. HP's advice to her is to 'stiffen her resolve'.

The bottom line is that Lucy must take absolutely insane risks to get the happiness and peace she desires, and though she falters she does not stop.

Chapter 49: Tubular Bells (Part 2) - she wants out of this subplot

At the end of Tubular Bells, Lucy literally kills Scarlet (power move) and HP takes the fall for her. However, this leaves Lucy is a very precarious situation. It's during this section of the story that Lucy's connection to fate, fortune, and karma become most evident. It's through her character that the flaws of Valentine, in both his character and his philosophy, are brought to light.

Chapter 61: Both Sides Now (Part 2)

In Valentine's view, the one who acts decisively and 'takes the first napkin' is the one who will influence in the rest of the world. It's a one-way perspective; power goes outward. The one who takes the napkin determines the flow of fortune for everyone else; hence why he absolutely must be the first to take it.

Y'all know what happens in this section, so I won't go into detail. All you need to know is that this situation clarifies to Lucy is exact nature of the power she's up against, and how powerless she is in comparison. On the surface, she loses hope of 'changing fate' - though she doesn't stop fighting.

Chapter 62: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

After Lucy manages to briefly get away, she thinks to herself that Valentine is the 'Devil' - and yet despite that, ascribes the fault of the situation to herself, for her 'sin' in Kansas City (the 'sin' ascribed to her by Blackmore). While Lucy, like Johnny, thinks that Valentine might be unstoppable, she doesn't attribute that to the corpse (and thus fate / fortune) choosing Valentine; she attributes it to Valentine having evil incarnate on his side (and in a sense, he does, being gifted with a stand like D4C).

Lucy ends up captured, but in the process is 'chosen' by the corpse. Valentine takes this to mean that, because he was the one who collected the corpse, it has therefore chosen him - and that Lucy, as it's chosen host, must succumb to Valentine's interpretation of the corpse's decision. He takes away her agency and attempts to convince her that 'this is the way things are supposed to be'. Master manipulator and gaslighter. Lucy is a vessel for him to exercise his power on, via the corpse.

Chapter 71: Ticket to Ride (Part 1)

Allow me to briefly digress to talk about Tear Cutter as a stand. Some people joke that Tear Cutter is a useless stand, but the point is not that it can cut things - it's that whatever is cut is inflicted with karma. It's this 'karma' that represents Lucy's resistance to Valentine's 'napkin philosophy'.

Chapter 73: D4C (Part 6)

Valentine asserts that Lucy's only choice is to surrender herself to the 'flow'. To him, and to powers greater than herself (fate / 'the flow'). That is, Valentine's belief of what the 'flow' is. Basically, let him do what he wants and accept that she never had agency (because fate has always chosen Valentine, and it's her destiny to serve him through the corpse). This is Valentine's mistake: he sees power / fortune as a one-way flow, and believes that because he has 'taken the first napkin', he will not be subject to the power of anyone / anything else (including fate itself - because Valentine now controls fate, obviously).

Chapter 79: D4C (Part 12) - Love Train

Valentine insists that the corpse will allow him to turn even 'bad luck' into his ally - that is, to overcome the forces of karma. He's talking about karma and 'balancing things to zero', but he's still envisioning himself as someone in control of that power, and therefore as someone not subject to its laws. Through 'taking the first napkin', Valentine views himself as the one now in control of the world and puts himself in the position of God. The corpse does appear to 'ally' itself with him by incapacitating Lucy and manifesting Love Train; but is that really what's happening? Or is the truth that Valentine is just as despotic as the people he claims to hate, and has usurped her power for himself?

But as before, Lucy's resistance to the Powers that Be is subtle but impactful. But, although subtly, Lucy's 'good karma' overcomes Valentine's malintent. Her use of Tear Cutter on her skirt allows for Diego and HP, and consequently Johnny and Gyro to find her.

Chapter 73: D4C (Part 6)

Chapter 79: D4C (Part 12) - Love Train

I want to again point out the parallel between Lucy and Johnny here. Lucy too questions whether Valentine is the one that is 'just' - despite having herself called Valentine the 'devil' - because Valentine appears to be the one 'chosen' by the corpse. However, I'd like to note something: everyone in the race was after the corpse because they believed that, when completed, it would grant them the power to do whatever they wanted to accomplish. Personally, I think that perspective is the most accurate interpretation of the corpse's power. Everything Valentine says about being 'chosen' are his own delusions of grandeur.

Throughout the final act, Lucy is reduced to what Valentine sees her as: a vessel for his will, whether that be to carry his children or house the corpse. His will being imposed on her - though he claims it to be the will of the corpse - quite literally begins to tear her apart.

Chapter 72: Ticket to Ride (Part 2)

Chapter 74: D4C (Part 7)

However, although she has suffered immensely under the burden placed on her by Valentine and the Corpse, the 'good' that Lucy put out into the world (via her attempts to save Stephen) come back as 'good fortune' for her. Stephen manages to save Johnny's life by pulling Valentine away, and begs for Gyro to save Lucy from Valentine. Stephen recognizes the situation for what it is - should Lucy truly 'accept the flow' and surrender herself to Valentine, she will die in every way that's important. Karma, in the broadest sense, is again working against Valentine (though he believes himself above it).

Chapter 81: D4C (Part 14)

Stephen's actions seem to hint towards the truth - the farther Lucy is from Valentine, the healthier she gets, and the weaker Valentine becomes. What the narrative is showing is that the corpse is not a force meant to be owned by anyone. It literally kills the person it (allegedly) chooses as a host. Valentine exercising his will and power over Lucy via the corpse erased her identity and allows him to cheat, but the narrative proves that by doing so, he is committing evil and condemning an innocent girl (among many other innocents) to death.

Gyro's death is yet another example of the cycle of luck. He saved Johnny and cornered Valentine by allowing Lucy to ride his corpse, but at the same time essentially sealed his fate (because Lucy was on his horse). His fortune ran out as the corpse cycled it, taking away his 'goddess of victory'. I think this solidifies that, ultimately, there is no real way to sway fate and fortune to your side. Gyro and Valentine make up thinks like 'goddesses' because they want to believe they have some control over the outcome of events, when the truth is that the karmic cycle will affect everyone equally.

When Valentine is defeated, the corpse begins to separate from Lucy. Since we're shown that it can obviously exist without a host, this is, I think, another piece of evidence that it was Valentine's desire that caused the corpse to 'chose' Lucy. Valentine told Lucy to give in to him / the corpse several times; but Lucy's perseverance and determination won out, and Valentine's bad karma finally caught up to him.

The narrative concludes with Valentine's defeat, and tells us, without room for debate, that Valentine's belief in the 'napkin philosophy' is incorrect - because it is a philosophy that makes the assumption that an inequality of karma exists. The 'first napkin' is taken at a round table - i.e. the cycle of karma. The bad you put into the world will come back to you. If you do harm unto others, then you will inevitably have harm done unto yourself. It's the second part of the statement that Valentine rejects, and the second part of the statement that the narrative enforces by having Love Train ('one-way power') fail in the end, to the power of infinity (or, if you want to think of it another way, an infinite cycle...)

And in the end, separated from the corpse and wrapping up the last of Valentine's machinations, Lucy is able to take back control of her narrative.

Chapter 95: World of Stars and Stripes

This scene is not just Lucy reclaiming her independence and power, but the final emphasis on the nature of 'karma' and fortune (and fate). Because base!Diego pursued Lucy and the corpse, he died to Valentine. Because Valentine didn't want to lose, he brought AU!Diego to the base world. Because base!Diego died to Valentine in pursuit of Lucy, Lucy has the means to defeat AU!Diego. In a way, Valentine karmically inflicted this ending on himself, and I think Lucy understands that.

Chapter 95: World of Stars and Stripes

Please remember that AU!Diego never turns the key to the vault. Lucy does. Lucy echoes' Steven's theory, that someone need be 'qualified' to own the corpse. In my reading, I believe that the conclusion that Lucy came to was that no one can be 'qualified' to 'own' the corpse. No matter who owns the corpse, their 'good fortune' will run out - because karma finds everyone in the end. Lucy understands that the corpse cannot truly be an ally to anyone, because the corpse itself is a principle - the principle of karma. She's the one to lock away the corpse, and, almost as if in thanks for the good such an unselfish action will do for the world, Lucy finally gets her happy ending.

In conclusion: Lucy empowers herself to find happiness with her own hands. Even without a Stand, even without being chosen as an 'ally' to the corpse (and instead being designated as its vessel), Lucy succeeded. Maybe she wasn't 'qualified' - she demands no respect when she walks in a room, she doesn't exert her will onto others - but she realizes that she doesn't need to be 'qualified' to deserve a happy ending.

Chapter 37: The Green Tombstone (Part 2)

Girl of Steel ^_^

Hi anon! You're all good, I haven't actually done a SM!Diego and AU!Diego breakdown yet. So thanks for the excuse hehe!

I think that while they do have similarities they are ultimately operating from different perspectives / frameworks of understanding; hence, it would be mostly correct to say that they are 'different people'. Probably the key difference between them is that AU!Diego does not seem to have the same grounding in reality as SM!Diego. While SM!Diego is a misanthrope and doesn't care when he has to discard people, he still understands that the people he betrays and sacrifices are people. AU!Diego appears to see other people as tools for his own ends, even more so than SM!Diego. While SM!Diego is certainly ambitious and ruthless, I don't think it would be correct to classify him as a megalomaniac, whereas AU!Diego can more easily be described as such.

That SM!Diego and AU!Diego ended up with entirely different stands also points to the idea that their modus operandi is different enough to think of them as different people.

What explanation besides misogyny is there that I have never seen a jojotuber talk about her. I've got u girl