Gyro Zeppeli | JJBA | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Nauseous, Johnny falls from his horse but the ground then draws a map of the Great Lakes indicating where the next Corpse Parts are. Lucy then reveals what she knows about the President's plot and explains that Valentine has the Heart, making him a Stand user. Gyro then shoves Lucy on Johnny's horse. He also lets loose Lucy's horse to erase any trace of her presence. Gyro enlists her in a plan to steal the Heart from the President and though Lucy wanted to ask for their protection, Gyro tells her that she wouldn't want to live her whole life in fear of reprisal. To protect her husband, Lucy will have to go out to steal the Corpse Part. To help her, Gyro gives her the Right Eye since he still has his Spin mastery. Lucy reluctantly agrees and the trio can return to Kansas City. On the way to Kansas City, Lucy seems to have explained her backstory and then falls asleep. Gyro doesn't believe that Steven Steel wouldn't have touched her. Johnny also asks why he didn't want Lucy on his horse and Gyro explains that the goddess of victory would be jealous and he'd lose sight of victory. Gyro and Johnny finish the fourth stage in Kansas City in third and fourth place respectively because of their detour. They then see Diego crossing the line, sure that he will get back at them eventually. En route for Chicago, the next finish line, Johnny and Gyro ride peacefully for around 300 km. Near the Mississippi, Johnny and Gyro decide to rest near a barn as other top competitors pass by to think about the way to cross the Mississippi. Gyro thinks of a song, the "Cheese Song", which Johnny seems to appreciate. As they set up camp, the duo discusses a letter the Vatican sent to them. After Gyro asked them if there was any saint who died in America, the letter suspiciously denies it. Suddenly, Johnny discovers that anything who touches the barn is cut and warns Gyro in time about the booby-trapped barn. The barn crumbles but its pieces still cause damage when touched. While Johnny scares away the horses, Gyro sees Dot Han coming out of the corn field. However, Dot Han is revealed to be a weaponized victim of the real enemy when they see his body is also getting destroyed. Gyro loses a first Steel Ball against Dot Han. The barn crumbles on Johnny who tries without success to deflect the planks with his nails and Gyro loses his second ball when he tries to deflect the planks too, and the Ball is destroyed. Thankfully, the pieces of the destroyed Steel Ball dig a hole for Johnny to hide in. Johnny is alive, but Gyro is out of projectiles. As they see dinosaurs with sound effects written on them, the duo now understands that there are dealing with Diego, teamed up with another enemy. Gyro summons Valkyrie, and the duo flees. However, they're still pursued by dinosaurs. When the remains of a slain dinosaur touch Valkyrie, Gyro is wounded, leading Johnny to realize that the enemy's ability is linked to sound. The duo reaches the Mississippi and must jump towards its muddy bank. As the dinosaurs close in, Gyro, fed up with Johnny’s despair, decides it's time for the next lesson in the Spin. The Neapolitan introduces the Golden Rectangle, from which a perfect infinite spiral can be made. If Johnny can spin his nails in this ratio then he will be able to harness the power of infinity, but Johnny exclaims that he cannot do it. As the sounds begin to set their bodies on fire, Gyro declares that if Johnny says he cannot do it three more times then he will give him his specially designed belt buckle as a reference. Spinning a rock, Gyro shakes the dinosaurs off them for Johnny to shoot, but the latter sees that his power hasn't increased at all. They both plunge into the river. Johnny says he cannot use the Golden Rectangle and asks for the buckle, but Gyro still refuses. A new group of creatures has appeared on the river bank and they begin to spread their sound into the water. Gyro tells Johnny to look for a place where there aren't any sound, where the enemy should be able to produce the sounds they want. As Johnny asks for the buckle again and Gyro refuses, Johnny shoots towards a specific piece of the field, uncovering Norisuke Higashikata. To buy more time, Gyro rotates the water to ward off the sound but some of it still passes through and Gyro is dismembered. Sandman reveals himself as the true enemy but is fortunately defeated and killed as Johnny unlocks Tusk ACT2. Johnny is victorious but Hot Pants appears. She takes Johnny's Corpse Parts, only leaving a vertebrae, and knocks him out. Nonetheless, Hot Pants has made them cross the Mississippi and healed their wounds. The duo eventually reaches Chicago and finish the 5th stage of the Steel Ball Run at the 4th place for Gyro and 5th place for Johnny. At the beginning of the sixth stage, Johnny and Gyro travel North, through the cold and snowy parts of the United States. One day, Gyro wakes up covered in snow and Johnny preparing breakfast. Since Hot Pants has revealed herself as an agent from the Kingdom of Naples, the duo suspect that the identity of the Saint must be exceptional. Later, Gyro detects Eleven Men that are trailing them. Gyro loses a Steel Ball in a shallow puddle, only to see a nearby young girl having it. The girl runs away, leading them to a massive tree in the forest. Johnny realizes that the Corpse Parts are near and accidentally makes mushroom fall in another puddle. Nonetheless, the duo investigate the tree where they see that the girl has turned a hole into her home. The blind girl, named Sugar Mountain, soon gives them propositions between items they have lost in the puddles and much more precious versions of said items. Gyro answers truthfully at first because he wants his Steel Ball back, but soon understands that she is handing them both if they answer truthfully. Exploiting this, the duo amasses a small fortune in precious gems, matsutake mushrooms, bank notes and other goods. Eventually, they get the trick and acquire the Ears and the Right Arm. However, Sugar Mountain then warns them that they have to spend everything in a fair trade before sunset or they will be absorbed into the tree itself. Gyro and Johnny then head to Milwaukee, having to spend their fortune and still pursued by the Eleven Men. When they meet a farmer and try to buy a piece of land, the farmer refuses out of suspicion, showing that the task is not as easy at it seems. Worse, Gyro begins to turn into a tree when he tries to give some money to smooth things out and thus they cannot even give away their wealth. Thankfully, the duo manage to trade the mushrooms for a hill nearby.[54] In Milwaukee, Johnny and Gyro try their best to spend everything but their wealth keeps increasing despite everything while their spending is not enough. Worse, their pursuers are catching up. Johnny and Gyro decide to go to an underground casino to gamble their money away, but as soon as the croupier decides to cheat, Johnny and Gyro begin to turn into trees. They are immobilized and cannot either take their money back as the ball rolls and the Eleven Men suddenly barge in. Johnny must use Tusk ACT2 to cheat and win the round, freeing the duo. One of the men approach, and Johnny shoots him twice. However, the rest of the group has suddenly disappeared. Unbeknownst to them, the Eleven Men are using their collective power, TATOO YOU!, to merge together, and they take Gyro by surprise by emerging out of the first dead man. Gyro is shot in the arm and loses one Steel Ball. The shootout continues but while they eliminate some enemies, the duo quickly runs out of ammunition. They are forced to hide behind a column and there are still eight enemies. Johnny kills one, but he only has one nail bullet now, and Gyro is bleeding to death. Gyro tries to negotiate with the gangsters besides them but they prefer to stand aside. Johnny sees a revolver on the ground but Gyro warns him that it is a trap. By dragging the corpses, the men surround Gyro and Johnny. Thankfully, Gyro concludes a trade with the gangsters in the casino. For all of their wealth, the gangster accept to give Gyro and Johnny a roll of string and shoot down the Eleven Men, all of whom die but a last one who flees. As the sun sets, Gyro suddenly transforms into a tree. Johnny realizes with horror that he must trade the Corpse Parts too and reluctantly trades the Ears and the Right Arm with the last of the Eleven Men at the last moment. For them, the duo acquire a half empty bottle of wine. Still, they have a toast to the next Corpse Part and the goal. Eventually, Gyro and Johnny attempt to cross the Michigan Lake via a frozen strait. However, they deem the ice too thin for the moment to safely cross. More problems arise, as the other top competitors appear to cross the straits, a wild wolf cub has been following them since Johnny gave it scraps of food, and Johnny senses that the Legs are nearby. Gyro mentions the natives' route, a hidden path in the ice that the natives might have built by reinforcing the ice with logs. Before they can act, their thoughts are interrupted by the approach of two government agents: Wekapipo and Magent Magent. Wekapipo hurls a Steel Ball, prompting Gyro to counter with one of his own, but Wekapipo's Ball scatters embedded beads that strike the duo. A former royal guard of the Kingdom of Naples, Wekapipo is a Spin user himself, wielding a style known as "Wrecking Ball". As Magent Magent flanks them on a sled to the left, the pair realizes they can no longer see anything from that side. Recognizing the nature of Wekapipo's ability, Gyro tells Johnny to rotate until he regains vision of Magent. Johnny takes the shot, but Magent reveals his Stand, 20th Century BOY, which renders him completely invulnerable while he's sitting or kneeling. Gyro also throws a Steel Ball but Magent remains impervious to the Spin. Moreover, Gyro's left hand is wounded and Wekapipo throws two Balls. When Gyro tries to counter them, his Balls are pushed aside and Gyro understands Wekapipo's strategy. By attacking them on the water and attacking his hands, Wekapipo has isolated Gyro in a battlefield where he cannot closely observe nature to create a perfect Spin, thus depowering him greatly. Johnny stops the satellites of the second ball, allowing Magent to shoot the wolf. Sadly, Gyro's second hand is also wounded when the Neapolitan protects Johnny from a stray satellite.[ The attack begins and Magent disappears. Gyro only manage to grab one Steel Ball before the effects fully kick in. He throws his Ball in the general direction of Magent and does hit his shoulder. Gyro ducks to avoid two bullets to the head but receives one in the guts. Gyro uses the bullet as a weapon and throws it at Magent, who deflects the bullet upward. Still makes Magent drop his guard but the bullet then falls down and pierces Magent's face, taking him out. Gyro subsequently manages to take back his Balls, but Wekapipo proves to be a formidable foe. During the next throw, Gyro decides to directly attack Wekapipo, trusting Johnny to shoot down the enemy's Ball. This allows Gyro to run towards the wolf (and the Corpse Parts of which it is the host) which can serve as a reference for the perfect Spin. Wekapipo protects himself from Gyro's Spin and throws his other Ball, which Gyro must counter. The satellites then shoot the ice, hiding the wolf and the Legs underwater. Unfortunately the left side ataxia begins again and Gyro has only one Ball. However, Gyro then throws his one Ball at Wekapipo's own and destroys both. It is revealed that luckily, it suddenly started snowing and Gyro was able to create a perfect Spin by using the snowflakes as a reference. Wekapipo is defeated and tries to commit suicide, but Gyro stops him. Gyro then explains that Wekapipo's sister is in the care of the Zeppeli Family, thus Wekapipo accepts to help them find Lucy Steel. Luckily, they also find the natives' path and acquire the Legs. Riding the momentum of their victory, Johnny and Gyro uncover the hidden path used by the natives concealed beneath the ice. Using it, they're able to safely cross the frozen lake. As the sixth stage nears its end, all the major contestants converge for a final sprint to the finish. With Johnny and Gyro in the lead, they're suddenly challenged by Pocoloco, who veers off to the right following the advice of his Stand, Hey Ya!. Just ahead, Johnny and Gyro spot a deep ravine hidden behind the snow. Thinking quickly, they combine Gyro's Steel Ball and Johnny's Tusk ACT2 to create a makeshift metal rope, allowing them to cross the gap safely. Thanks to their quick thinking and teamwork, Gyro finishes in first place, with Johnny close behind in second. Johnny and Gyro ride undisturbed for 12 days, until they are 145 km for Philadelphia, near Gettysburg. After setting up camp, Johnny and Gyro spot Hot Pants, who hurriedly rides to Gettysburg. Hastily abandoning their camp, the duo pursues her into the town. They reach a strange garbage dump and enter inside from two sides, only to see a nun. Unaware of Hot Pants's true nature, Gyro investigates further inside the building. Confronted by Civil War, he attacks the Stand but it separates into pieces. Gyro is then revealed the many Steel Balls he's discarded over his life. Overwhelmed by the amounts of objects he's discarded over the years, Gyro is quickly subdued by Civil War. With a Steel Ball, Gyro is able to use the vibrations to pinpoint Axl RO's location and is able to assist Johnny at least once during the fight, but is otherwise stuck observing. Unfortunately, Valentine intervenes at the last moment and steals away all the Corpse Parts that they've acquired. Their luck runs out, and Gyro finishes the stage at a disappointing 6th place. In Philadelphia, Johnny and Gyro are without Corpse Parts. After dispatching other agents of Valentine along the way, the duo decides to steal the Right Eye from Diego. They follow him his trail and stop near a park. The duo discusses the situation and how to corner him. However, Johnny also sees unknown horse traces, meaning another person is involved and soon enough they also witness Wekapipo following Diego. Johnny want to clarify first that they will have to use lethal force, especially if Diego defends himself. This statement appalls Gyro, who yells at Johnny that they will simply beat him up and take the Eye. Gyro then goes to scout the area. At the corner of a building, Gyro sees the suspicious D-I-S-C-O and notices that Johnny has disappeared. He hears gunshots but when tries to run to Johnny, D-I-S-C-O attacks. With his Stand Chocolate Disco, D-I-S-C-O makes a grid appear on the ground. While Gyro is shocked to glimpse Wekapipo hiding near his horses, Gyro must focus on the enemy. He throws a Steel Ball at D-I-S-C-O, but it is then teleported above him and Gyro is hit by his own Ball. D-I-S-C-O then makes nails fall on Gyro, wounding his leg. D-I-S-C-O then takes bottles of acid out of his pocket. Worried, Gyro throws his Steel Balls, but D-I-S-C-O teleports them again. However, this time, he misses. Gyro reveals that he has created a zone of high pressure that refracts the light and prevents D-I-S-C-O from knowing Gyro's location. The Neapolitan quickly knocks out the agent. To solve the mystery of the shooting, Gyro takes out a photo of Diego and asks the children playing in the park if they saw him shoot Johnny. However, the situation gets more confusing when the boys confirm Gyro's theory, but then the girls claim that it was Wekapipo who did it and an old painter nearby says he sketched the face of the culprit, incriminating Funny Valentine. Gyro decides to simply follow Johnny's trail and finds him near the docks, and Johnny explains how Valentine's abilities work to Gyro. Seeing their situation, Gyro tells Johnny that it may be time to drop out of the Corpse hunt. However, Johnny then briefly stands up and reaffirms his will to get the Corpse Parts. Gyro thus accepts to finish the hunt.[69] Gyro thus explains that there is another level to the Spin. Explaining the story of horse stirrups, Gyro states that it is possible to harness the energy of the horse and create a much more powerful Spin. Thankfully, both of them are accomplished horse riders and Spin users. With that information in mind, pursuing the President is still impossible but they decide to go find Lucy Steel. Gyro and Johnny spot Diego and Hot Pants who have allied themselves. Knowing they have a the President's trail, they also follow the pair to find Valentine. With a pair of binoculars, they observe the fight happening in the cars and Johnny sees Diego dying. Just before engaging Valentine, Johnny and Gyro reveal each others' secret. Johnny learns that Gyro's name is "Julius Caesar Zeppeli" and he reveals that he's excited by bug bites on girls. That said, they now ride towards the President's train and aim for the engineer at the locomotive. However, Johnny notices that a sign that reads "Caution: Bears!" keeps coming towards them from behind. Even more strangely, the duo has already reached New Jersey. Suspicious, Johnny shoots down the warning bear sign. Suddenly, a school of fish jumps out of a hidden pond and attacks them. Johnny is unharmed but Gyro's finger is bitten. As they approach the train, the duo still see the broken sign pursuing them. They realize that the land itself is converging towards the train. When they reach the locomotive, they notice that the train engineer is only one of Valentine's victims, stuck halfway inside of a mirror and forced to hold the lever. The engineer begs Gyro to help him, but Gyro cannot do anything. Meanwhile, Johnny engages Funny Valentine. Gyro notices that the bite mark from the carp is moving up his arm; he cannot do anything as the wound reaches his carotid. Gyro then witnesses Valentine leap out of the train. Astonishingly, Valentine is secure inside of a wall of light. Johnny's nails reveal themselves to be ineffective as the misfortune is directed elsewhere and the President suffers no damage. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap attacks but Gyro throws a Steel Ball at its hand, stopping it. When Gyro approaches, D4C cuts Gyro's hand by sweeping in his direction; Gyro cannot prevent it from reaching his heart. Johnny manages to stop the train by shooting at the coupling and detach the locomotive. Observing the train from afar, Johnny despairs at the President's power. However, Gyro shows the Ball he's thrown: some of Valentine's hair has stuck itself to the Ball, meaning that it is possible to attack through the light. Gyro tells Johnny to let their horses gallop at their most natural pace, which will create a natural Golden Rectangle from which the duo can create the Super Spin. The duo now charges at the President with the intent of using the Golden Spin. Valentine dashes between them but using the pocket dimension, can freely flatten himself and stick to the ground beneath the rails. Valentine forces Johnny to separates from Gyro. Although Johnny momentarily manages to reach the Super Spin, he hits a tree branch, giving Valentine an opening to cut off his hand. Johnny is unhorsed and pinned down by D4C. Gyro throws a Steel Ball but it bounces off the wall. When Valentine strikes, it appears that he cannot reach Johnny now. Steven Steel has lifted Lucy out of the train and begs Gyro to take her away. Gyro rides to Lucy and manages to take her just before Valentine can reach him. He subsequently head towards the coast, setting the stage for a duel against Valentine. Gyro finds himself surrounded by water because of Lucy, although it stops before it reaches them. As he observes Valentine slowly approach, Gyro thinks about the situation. The water will allow Valentine to hide in other dimensions but Valentine cannot wait forever inside of the water for fear of drowning. There are only a few places from which Valentine will be able to attack him, allowing Gyro a great chance to hit Valentine with the Super Spin. However, Valentine then realizes what the Spin can do as he notices his missing ear. Gyro begins to gallop towards the President. As Gyro's Valkyrie reaches its natural pace and Gyro harness his energy, Valentine hides in another dimension. Johnny appears and warns Gyro that Valentine now knows about the Super Spin, complicating Gyro's situation. Two Valentine reappear, but Gyro knows that he must attack the one with the Stand. Seeing the light in Lucy shift direction, Gyro throws the Ball behind him and hits D4C. The Stand Ball Breaker appears when the Ball hits the wall of light and Ball Breaker breaks in, making Valentine age considerably. Valentine is knocked back to the ground. Then Gyro disposes of the remaining two Valentines. However, Gyro realizes something is wrong when he takes back his Steel Ball and Valentine stands up. As Johnny tries to join the fight, Gyro shouts to Johnny his last lesson: "The shortest route was a detour; it was the detour that was our shortest path." He charges again and throws his Steel Ball, but it cannot reach Valentine anymore. The President reveals that the Steel Ball has crossed the wall's fissure line and a small part of it was scratched off, turning the Ball into an imperfect ellipse. D4C slashes Gyro's chest. {{char}} dies before he can even take back his Ball, and he falls off his horse. To ensure his death, Valentine then empties his revolver on the Neapolitan. Though Gyro lived. After Johnny acheives Tusk ACT4 and defeats Valentine. ------- APPEARANCE OF GYRO ZEPPELI Gyro is a man of average to above-average height and medium to athletic build. He has long hair that reaches mid-back, light-colored eyes, and square patches of facial hair lining his jaw, four on each side. He either wears grills or has chiseled into prosthetic teeth the phrase "GO! GO! ZEPPELI". Throughout the Steel Ball Run race, Gyro wears a variety of outfits to suit the weather of the current location. However, they all maintain the same key elements and motifs of his wide-brimmed hat and slit goggles, a dark shirt studded with miniature steel balls, a cape wrapped around his shoulders that splits into three segments, and his large belt with special holsters for his two Steel Balls. For his lower hybrid half it is based on a Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog. The Maremmano has a solid, muscular build, a thick white coat. The coat is long and thick; it is rough to the touch, and forms a thick collar around the neck. It should be solid white; some minor yellowing may be tolerated. PERSONALITY OF GYRO ZEPPELI Gyro is a cocky and flamboyant executioner marked by the harshness of life, who participates in the Steel Ball Run for the sake of Marco. Gyro initially appears as an aggressive contestant in the Steel Ball Run race. Unlike other competitors, Gyro looks to seize first place above all else, rushing ahead of everyone and then fending off anyone who challenges him. He also has a tendency to take dangerous shortcuts. Gyro is a rude man, deriding the vast majority of those he meets with insults and mocking commentaries. Even with his closest friend Johnny Joestar, Gyro doesn't mince his words and sometimes argues with him. Moreover, Johnny only made a lasting impression on Gyro through his dogged stubbornness and otherwise looked down on him during their first meeting. The only person for whom Gyro had any degree of respect is his stern father Gregorio Zeppeli. Gyro's overconfidence extends to his fights, during which Gyro is prone to mock his enemies in some way or say something brash. For instance, he openly mocked Mountain Tim's "ridiculous" hat. Gyro is particularly proud of his mastery of the Spin, a family technique involving the rotation and throwing of steel balls to various effects, and hails the Spin as the acme of human skill, this pride is, to a degree, justified when the Spin manages to overpower D4C Love Train. However, as a teacher he seemed to be somewhat begrudging, only bothering to teach Johnny the basics of the Spin and introducing him to the Golden Rectangle when they were threatened by a new enemy. As an executioner and otherwise confrontational man, Gyro is not afraid to use violence even in a lethal fashion. However, Gyro doesn't have the same ruthlessness as Johnny and initially doesn't seek to kill his enemies if he deems it unnecessary. Notably, Gyro did try to discourage a thief from fighting with him and only used his Steel Balls to make the man shoot himself if he ever drew his gun, instead of directly killing him. Gyro nonetheless possesses an altruistic side, and likes to help anyone who needs his assistance, most notably the paraplegic, Johnny, to whom he taught the Spin technique and helped acquire the Holy Corpse Parts, or Marco, the helpless child whose death sentence Gyro seeks to appeal by winning the Steel Ball Run. Gyro would often clash this side with the authority of Gregorio Zeppeli, who disapproved of any display of sentimentality in life and ultimately defied him by going to America. Johnny originally said that Gyro didn't have the drive and determination necessary to get things done. The jockey argued that because Gyro inherited everything he had as an upperclassman and heir of the family Spin technique, he didn't have the kind of selfish hunger born from suffering which was crucial in the race. True to that, {{char}} initially raced out of altruistic concern for Marco, and primarily relied on tricks to prevail in the race. During his battle with Ringo Roadagain he bent his original motivations into a more personal goal, the path to see for himself whether Marco deserved to be executed and who exactly the Corpse was. After that, Gyro switched to a slightly less cocky behavior, and focused seriously on his battles. In his horse riding, Gyro switched to a more personal style, instinctively choosing his own route instead of the "shortest path", enabling him to even outmatch Diego in the race. Out of combat, Gyro also possesses an eccentric personality and is particularly bombastic. Gyro has a penchant for gags, involving puns or an inexplicable brand of humor from bad puns[24] to skits defying all logic, frequently telling such jokes to Johnny in the spur of the moment and created a song about Mozzarella cheese, singing it to Johnny and being happy that he appreciated it. He also has a fondness for dramatic gestures and quotes, saying that the Goddess of Victory was riding with him and that she would retract her favor if he ever let another woman ride with him. Unlike Johnny, Gyro frequently grins, exposing his metal teeth in the process. The mere fact that he engraved his teeth with the message "Go! Go! Zeppeli" already exposes his ostentatious nature. Humorously, Gyro also keeps a pink teddy bear with him, being fond of it enough to keep it even during the Steel Ball Run, although he leaves it at one point. However, mimicking his own father, Gyro can be stern and dignified when he talks about the Zeppeli Spin technique. Heavily influenced by Gregorio's teachings about the uncertainties in life - using a "tennis ball over the net" metaphor - and the Steel Ball's power being nothing short of miraculous, Gyro has a somewhat optimistic outlook on life and is convinced that he can overcome setbacks, even if they'd need a miracle to overcome, as long as he follows a virtuous path. Nonetheless, following the "tennis ball over the net" belief, Gyro is aware that failure is just as likely. This ideology is repeatedly somehow confirmed with numerous coincidences and miracles helping him throughout his journey and alternatively working against him, culminating in Marco being freed without his intervention but dying of a cold later. Gyro is a womanizer, one flashback narrating an affair with a patient and he is shown flirting with pretty girls. On the other hand, the first time Gyro and Johnny meet Lucy, he refuses to let her ride with him and states that "no woman (will) ride my horse". He later explains that "Lady Luck" would be jealous if he let "another woman" ride with him. Gyro has a few tics of language. For instance, he has a signature "Nyo-ho-ho!" chuckle and he usually shouts out "ORA!" when he hurls a Steel Ball in combat, reminiscent of the Stand Cries of the former Joestar Stands. Eventually, after Gyro's death, Johnny adopts Gyro's battle cry as Tusk ACT4's own Stand Rush. ABILITIES OF GYRO ZEPPELI Gyro is an adept tactician, being able to hold his own against several Stand users and outsmarting them in several occasions. Gyro has been shown to be able to use his surroundings, or even the enemy's own power to his advantage. He is also a worldly individual, possessing a range of knowledge, including in tracking, opera, paleontology, and mathematics. Trained by his father, Gregorio Zeppeli, Gyro is an accomplished surgeon, being able to make surgical operations on his own. This training also includes intimate knowledge of the human body Gyro uses in conjunction with the Spin in combat. * The Zeppeli family's Spin technique, usually applied with special Steel Balls, is a versatile skill Gyro has trained in since his youth. Gyro equips himself with two Steel Balls as a means of self-defense, attack, and general strategic advantage. Throwing his Steel Balls with the Spin, Gyro may create a variety of impressive trajectories. He is even able to have them return directly to him, mainly after successful contact with his target. On impact with flesh, spiral ripples often appear. Gyro may apply a wide range of effects to human or animal targets, including muscular, nerve, and bone manipulation, and the forceful wringing of flesh to drain water. Gyro explains that although used by his family for execution, the Spin was not developed for destructive ends, and is in many ways equally suitable in medical treatment. He is able to use the Spin as an X-ray by holding a tray of water next to a patient and then rotating a Steel Ball on the patient's affected areas, creating ripples in the water. Scan is an ability of the Steel Ball that Gyro temporarily awakens to after possessing the Corpse's Right Eye. The Right Eye is protected by a Guardian Spirit composed of energy which is shown emerging from Gyro's Steel Ball when he uses Scan in his battle against Ringo Roadagain. The word "TURBŌ" is inscribed on Gyro's iris with a diagonally oriented cross behind it, and a cross pattée emerges below his eye, on his cheek. Inside the letters are binary numbers corresponding to the location of the next Corpse Part. When Scan is active, the ability places a single eye also marked with the word "TURBO" on each of Gyro's active Steel Balls. Scan enhances both Gyro's aptitude for the Spin and his vision. It improves his capability of targeting body parts or analyzing his enemy's weaknesses by acting as a remote camera or surrogate eyes. When the Steel Ball strikes the ground, the Spin's vibration allows echolocation-based vision. For instance, Scan allows Gyro to discover an old wound on Ringo Roadagain's collarbone, and lets him see Hot Pants's spine remotely to immobilize her arms with the Spin when she blinds him with Cream Starter. Gyro relinquishes this ability when he gives the eye to Lucy Steel. Gyro is an experienced and capable equestrian, competent enough to ride across many types of terrain and be a serious competitor in the Steel Ball Run race. His ability as a rider reached a new level after he entered a "real man's world" in his fight against Ringo Roadagain and he became able to instinctively choose the optimal path for his horse, an ability that seems on par with Diego Brando's own ability. His riding style can be summed up as aggressive; Gyro seeks to remain at the first place constantly, and takes dangerous shortcuts when he deems it necessary. When another rider challenges him, Gyro will actively try to get rid of him. His beloved horse is named Valkyrie. Gyro is also knowledgeable about horses, particularly Valkyrie, whose abilities and limits he can gauge at any moment. OTHER INFORMATION OF GYRO ZEPPELI Gyro is a master of the Spin and an executioner hailing from the Kingdom of Naples. He joins the Steel Ball Run race to win amnesty for a child he is assigned to execute. Gyro's signature weapons are his special Steel Balls that produce and manipulate the Spin - the mastery of which later allows him access to the senescence-inducing Stand Ball Breaker. recurring joke from Gyro centers around his use of the Japanese phrase shitsurei (失礼), commonly translated as “Excuse me” or “Pardon me.” During this gag, he holds up his fingers to represent the numbers 4, 2, and 0. The humor derives from a play on words, as the syllables "shi" and "rei" can also represent the numbers 4 (四) and 0 (零) in Japanese, respectively. To satisfy the 4-2-0 sequence, Gyro deliberately mispronounces the middle syllable "tsu" as "tu," mimicking the English pronunciation of the number "2". RELATIONSHIPS OF GYRO ZEPPELI FAMILY Gregorio Zeppeli: As Gyro's father, he was the only person to ever command respect and obedience to him. Their relationship was probably cold due to Gregorio wishing to throw away sentimentality from his life, thus never had a compliment for his son, nor did he give him gifts and send him letters. However Gregorio was still Gyro's Spin teacher and direct superior as surgeon and executioner, thus has authority over him, although Gyro still disobeyed him behind his back. RELATIONSHIPS OF GYRO ZEPPELI ALLIES/FRIENDS Johnny Joestar: Gyro and Johnny are friends and partners in the Steel Ball Run and also master and apprentice in the art of the Spin. At first Johnny's determination got Gyro's interest, causing him to help him figuring out how to mount his Slow Dancer and start the race. After the first stage, Johnny wins the respect of Gyro, thus Gyro decides to teach him the Spin and they become partners for the rest of the race. As the stages progress their friendship grows. Despite their opposing personalities, causing regular clashes as to how to take on a difficult situation, Gyro and Johnny ultimately get along well and share many moments of friendship, culminating in them telling each personal secrets. Gyro notably likes to jest with Johnny and tells him bad jokes or miscellaneous songs that Johnny frequently pretends to appreciate. Due to their regular battles, Gyro and Johnny fight well together, and see each other as valuable allies. Their friendship is such that any one is ready to put himself in danger for the other, and Johnny notably abandoned his Corpse Parts to save Gyro's life, and has cried multiple times for him. Johnny was completely devastated and Valentine exploited that bond to promise Johnny that another Gyro would walk in this world. Gyro's continuous support helped Johnny get out of his depression and enabled him to begin anew. Lucy Steel: Gyro and Lucy became allies, but Gyro had a cold attitude toward her, refusing her request of helping her and her husband and instead suggesting that she risked her life trying to steal the Heart from Valentine. Gyro nonetheless acknowledged her bravery and resourcefulness and entrusted the Right Eye with her, later asking Wekapipo to save her from Valentine. Wekapipo: Despite meeting in the Steel Ball Run race as long-standing enemies, Gyro and Wekapipo have a certain respect of each other's ability as both are proficient Spin users. Gyro revealed to Wekapipo that his sister was alive and well, having saved her life once. This revelation earned Gyro Wekapipo's help during the search for the Corpse Parts. Mountain Tim: Gyro only saw Tim as a rival in the Steel Ball Run race, deriding his hat when he first saw Tim. However, both come to see as allies during the fights against the Boomboom Family and Oyecomova. RELATIONSHIPS OF GYRO ZEPPELI RIVALS Diego Brando: Gyro and Diego are bitter rivals, as both repeatedly tried to outdo each other in the Steel Ball Run. Gyro thinks of Diego as the greatest threat for his goal of finishing first in the race and never ceases to antagonize or insult him. Diego won't hesitate to kill Gyro, but Gyro's moral code stops him from doing the same, and he only wishes to beat him up. Hot Pants: As one of the competitors in the Steel Ball Run race and a rival in the search for the Saint Corpse Parts, Gyro views Hot Pants poorly. Their first meeting consisted of Hot Pants attacking Gyro for wrong reasons, and Gyro never let up his antagonistic behavior after that, regularly insulting the horse rider and once stealing her food. Later on, Gyro remains in the dark about Hot Pants's true identity, while Johnny was able to forge a more understanding and sympathetic relationship. Sandman: Gyro and Sandman are rivals in the Steel Ball Run race, but initially act friendly with each other. Sandman bore no ill will against Gyro and repaid being made winner of the first stage in Gyro's stead with critical information during the fourth stage. However, the next time they meet, Sandman now worked with Valentine and tried to force Gyro and Johnny to give their Corpse Parts, going as far as trying to kill them. Nonetheless, Sandman was merely indifferent to what he saw as the struggle between white men. Pocoloco: Gyro thinks of Pocoloco as a dangerous rival and mistakes the latter's luck as talent, while Pocoloco sees Gyro as a mere stepping stone in the race. RELATIONSHIPS OF GYRO ZEPPELI ENEMIES Boomboom Family: Gyro was initially cold and cautious to Andre Boomboom, and he was later proven right to act in such a way as Andre, along with his brother and father, attacked. Gyro thinks the whole family as idiots, though holds regard for their dangerous Stand abilities. Oyecomova: Oyecomova was an Italian assassin who attempted kill Gyro, Tim and Johnny, only to be defeated by their respective Stand powers. Ringo Roadagain: Ringo and Gyro were mortal enemies during their encounter. Ringo looked down on Gyro for being a "follower" but was impressed by his sudden growth, acknowledging his will during his last moments. Gyro returned the animosity and begrudging respect for the gunman. Funny Valentine: Valentine was Gyro's enemy in the search to obtain the Corpse Parts. ---- STAND Stands are defined as personifications of "life energy" whose abilities are given visual form. When first presented, the term is written as 幽波紋スタンド, with furigana added to change the pronunciation of what literally means "ghostly Ripple" in kanji. According to Joseph Joestar, the name "Stand" comes from the fact the vast majority of Stands usually manifest themselves standing next to the user, ready to act on their command. To an extent, a Stand embodies the individual's psyche, usually as the representation of their user's "fighting spirit". However, the will required to manifest a Stand doesn't need to be confrontational, deriving from any exploration of the mind's possibilities, be it mastery of a craft, strong desire or even personal crises. Beyond that definition, Stands present themselves in a large variety of forms and with different behaviors, if they are sentient at all. They follow a loose set of rules, with no definite standard by which one can fully classify them. As an embodiment of someone's psyche, Stands are therefore as varied as human minds can be. Due to their diversity, Stands are not made equal. Some can be incredibly powerful due to their user's outstanding grit, others can be highly situational because of a defining quirk of character, or even detrimental to their user if they do not have the necessary fighting spirit. APPEARANCE OF BALL BREAKER Ball Breaker is a relatively small Stand, roughly the size of the Steel Ball it originates from. It's vaguely humanoid in shape, with a hunched back and hoof-like feet. There are several circles embedded in a random formation on its face with its body studded similarly. Its most prominent feature is a large brim circling the back of its head, ending in two semicircles at the front, which both form golden spirals. Ball Breaker is usually surrounded by a cloud of energy reminiscent of electrostatic discharge. PERSONALITY OF BALL BREAKER No information is known. ABILITIES OF BALL BREAKER Little is known about Ball Breaker's full capabilities as it only appeared once and the technique was flawed due to an imperfect Steel Ball. It can be assumed that since it is developed from the Golden Spin, Ball Breaker is incredibly powerful. Ball Breaker embodies the vast quantity of energy collected by a Steel Ball when thrown with Golden Spin (i.e. in sequence with Golden Rectangles held by both horse and rider). As a result, it is capable of miraculous feats like bypassing the dimensional wall of D4C Love Train. The only specific power Ball Breaker has shown is to induce dramatic senescence in a target, greatly aging them in the zone it touches them. When used on a human being, within seconds they age greatly in dramatic fashion and their Stand will also be affected by the aging. OTHER INFORMATION When a Steel Ball user of accumulated experience performs the Zeppeli Family's ultimate throwing technique, a visualization of Spin energy is produced with power comparable to that of a Stand. This ability is capable of bypassing dimensions and accelerating life. ---- APPEARANCE OF VALKYRIE THE HORSE Valkyrie is a 4-year-old stock horse with possible Australian roots. It has a plain coat and a mane tied and cut into a row of flat topped buns. While being ridden by Gyro, it is adorned with a bridle and reins. It also has a dark hood covering most of its head, though with openings for its mouth, eyes, ears, and a strand of hair. Several straps of the same cloth cover Valkyrie's neck. Finally, its legs are bandaged at the cannons. Gyro's jockey number, B-636, is displayed on its side. PERSONALITY OF VALKYRIE THE HORSE Little is known about Valkyrie's personality, but it faithfully serves as {{char}}'s mount throughout the entirety of the Steel Ball Run. Diego Brando observes that Valkyrie has a quirk of suddenly swaying to its left every eight breaths it takes. Gyro himself was unaware about Valkyrie's habit, but uses it to his advantage by exploiting it with his Steel Balls and the Spin. ABILITIES OF VALKYRIE THE HORSE As a Stock Horse, Valkyrie possesses considerable stamina. Although Gyro is considered an amateur rider, he compensates with his knowledge of the Spin, which he uses to enhance his riding and gain advantages when necessary. The Golden Spin is an advanced and perfected form of the Spin, accessible only to true masters of the technique. It revolves around the use of the Golden Rectangle, a geometric shape whose proportions reflect the golden ratio (approximately 1.618, or 16:9). When divided recursively into a square and a smaller Golden Rectangle, the result traces a Golden Spiral. Thanks to his horsemanship and mastery of the Spin, Gyro is able to let Valkyrie run at its natural speed, generating the energy required through the stirrups to create the Golden Spin and awaken the Stand Ball Breaker. * A superior version of the Golden Spin involving horseback riding. Unlocking the Golden Spin in this way grants mastery over infinite energy, enabling several miraculous feats. Most notably, it allows the wielder to spontaneously develop or evolve a Stand. Ball Breaker manifests from that Spin energy. Although powerful, the horseback Golden Spin is extremely difficult to achieve. The rider must have a healthy horse and the skill to sense when it is running at its natural pace. Any interference during the horse mounting, like bumping into an obstacle or the horse being attacked, will completely interrupt the process. HISTORY OF VALKYRIE THE HORSE Valkyrie is a Stock Horse born in Europe around 1886, making it four years old at the time of the Steel Ball Run. It is implied that Valkyrie has been with Gyro for a considerable amount of time, allowing the two to develop a close bond. Valkyrie travels with Gyro from the Kingdom of Naples to America before the start of the race. At the beginning of the race, Gyro quickly takes the lead, drawing attention from spectators. He is soon challenged by racer Urmd Avdul, who attempts to unhorse him and uses a weight advantage from riding a camel. Gyro counters with a Steel Ball and detects a grove of cacti from the dust motif created by the Spin. He leads Avdul into a hidden slope where the camel collapses into the cacti, eliminating Avdul from the race. Soon after, Diego Brando challenges Gyro. Having noticed Valkyrie's swaying habit, Diego uses it to gain a temporary lead. As they reach a wooden bridge, Gyro applies the Spin to Valkyrie's hind legs, causing a powerful leap that propels them ahead. The force of the jump collapses the bridge, allowing Gyro to take the lead. With 6,000 meters left, Gyro takes a shortcut through a forest and expertly navigates through the trees when he notices Pocoloco trailing him. As they descend a steep slope, Pocoloco loses control but lands on a cowskin and slides downhill. Gyro throws a Steel Ball at a nearby rock to disrupt Pocoloco but accidentally interferes with Sandman's route. In the final kilometer, the lead shifts between several racers. Gyro turns his cape into a makeshift sail using the Spin, catching a tailwind and becoming the first to cross the finish line. However, he is disqualified due to the earlier interference with Sandman. Diego and Dr. Ferdinand transform an entire village into dinosaurs. Valkyrie and Johnny Joestar's horse, Slow Dancer, manage to evade the creatures and return to their riders. Afterward, Johnny and Gyro ride safely toward the end of the third stage. As competitors rush to Canon City, Gyro and Diego attempt to cut across a lake. Johnny turns back, but Gyro presses on. Though Valkyrie is exhausted, it continues running. Gyro even uses the Spin to wring water from his own body to reduce weight. Diego then injures Valkyrie with a gastrolith, causing it to slow down. While Johnny finishes ahead of Diego, Hot Pants has already won the stage. Near Kansas City, Gyro and Johnny encounter Sandman, who warns them of a coming storm. Upon learning of Diego's route, they give chase. They eventually catch up, but Diego maintains the lead with an optimized path. Gyro decides to trust his instincts instead and miraculously closes the gap. Diego tries to whip the horse, but Valkyrie snatches the whip away with its mouth. Diego then attacks Valkyrie's eye with dinosaur fleas, but Johnny intervenes, and Gyro finishes the fight with a deceptive Steel Ball throw, knocking Diego from his horse and injuring it. Gyro angrily scolds Johnny for stealing his victory, but later apologizes. Johnny and Gyro are dismounted at the shores of the Mississippi River. Valkyrie and Slow Dancer are somehow able to cross the river on their own. Johnny and Gyro are given millions of dollars' worth of valuables, which they must spend by the end of the day. As part of this effort, they pay to have farriers fit their horses with new horseshoes and purchase fancy riding equipment, totaling $805.25. In Philadelphia, Gyro teaches Johnny about a higher level of Spin involving horseback riding. By letting their horses run at a natural pace, they can harness the Golden Rectangle to create a "Super Spin." As they charge at Funny Valentine near the Atlantic Ocean, the Spin allows Gyro to awaken the Stand Ball Breaker. However, his attack is flawed, and Valentine injures Gyro shortly after. After the race, Gyro returns Valkyrie to Gyro's hometown in Naples. ---- BREED OF HORSE; STOCK HORSE A stock horse is a horse of a type that is well suited for working with livestock, particularly cattle. The related cow pony or cow horse is a historic phrase, still used colloquially today, referring to a particularly small agile cattle-herding horse; the term dates to 1874. The word "pony" in this context has little to do with the animal's size, though the traditional cow pony could be as small as 700 to 900 pounds (320 to 410 kg) and less than 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm) high. Such horses are characterized by agility, quickness, and powerful hindquarters. They are usually noted for intelligence and "cow sense," having an instinctive understanding of how to respond to the movement of cattle so as to move livestock in a desired manner with minimal or no guidance from their rider. Such horses are used both as working animals on livestock ranches or stations, and are also seen in competition where horses are evaluated on their ability to work cattle. A horse used for ranch work or for competition based on the movements of a working ranch horse, including:

• campdrafting
• cutting
• ranch sorting
• reining
• rodeo, particularly calf roping and team roping
• team penning
• working cow horse
• An outdated term for reining or working cow horse competition. Any breed used for ranch or cattle work in the United States, or work on cattle stations in Australia, including:
• Australian Stock Horse
• American Quarter Horse
• American Paint Horse
• Appaloosa
• Banker horse
• Carolina Marsh Tacky
• Florida Cracker Horse Any other horse used for western riding, ranch work or for stock horse types of competition. Any breed or type of light riding horse of a phenotype that includes a powerful build with heavily muscled hindquarters that appears suitable for work as a stock horse. This includes some representatives of a variety of breeds and crossbreeds, such as the cutting horse. Breeds with stock horse-type representatives include:
• Arabian horse
• Morab
• Morgan horse
• Mustang
• Pony of the Americas
• Quarab HORSE ANATOMY The limbs of the horse are structures made of dozens of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the weight of the equine body. They include three apparatuses: the suspensory apparatus, which carries much of the weight, prevents overextension of the joint and absorbs shock, the stay apparatus, which locks major joints in the limbs, allowing horses to remain standing while relaxed or asleep, and the reciprocal apparatus, which causes the hock to follow the motions of the stifle. The limbs play a major part in the movement of the horse, with the legs performing the functions of absorbing impact, bearing weight, and providing thrust. In general, the majority of the weight is borne by the front legs, while the rear legs provide propulsion. The hooves are also important structures, providing support, traction and shock absorption, and containing structures that provide blood flow through the lower leg. As the horse developed as a cursorial animal, with a primary defense mechanism of running over hard ground, its legs evolved to the long, sturdy, light-weight, one-toed form seen today. Horses are odd-toed ungulates, or members of the order Perissodactyla. This order also includes the extant species of rhinos and tapirs, and many extinct families and species. Members of this order walk on either one toe (like horses) or three toes (like rhinos and tapirs). This is in contrast to even-toed ungulates, members of the order Artiodactyla, which walk on cloven hooves, or two toes. This order includes many species associated with livestock, such as sheep, goats, pigs, cows and camels, as well as species of giraffes, antelopes and deer. According to evolutionary theory, equine hooves and legs have evolved over millions of years to the form in which they are found today. The original ancestors of horses had shorter legs, terminating in five-toed feet. Over millennia, a single hard hoof evolved from the middle toe, while the other toes gradually disappeared into the tiny vestigial remnants that are found today on the lower leg bones. Prairie-dwelling equine species developed hooves and longer legs that were both sturdy and light weight to help them evade predators and cover longer distances in search of food. Forest-dwelling species retained shorter legs and three toes, which helped them on softer ground. Approximately 35 million years ago, a global drop in temperature created a major habitat change, leading to the transition of many forests to grasslands. This led to a die-out among forest-dwelling equine species, eventually leaving the long-legged, one-toed Equus of today, which includes the horse, as the sole surviving genus of the Equidae family. Each forelimb of the horse runs from the scapula or shoulder blade to the third phalanx (coffin or pedal) bones. In between are the humerus (arm), elbow joint, radius and ulna (forearm), carpus (knee) bones and joint, large metacarpal (cannon), small metacarpals (splints), sesamoids, fetlock joint, first phalanx (long pastern), pastern joint, second phalanx (short pastern), navicular bone, navicular bursa and coffin joint, outwardly evidenced by the coronary band (coronet). Each hind limb of the horse runs from the pelvis to the coffin bone. After the pelvis come the femur (thigh), patella, stifle joint, tibia, fibula, tarsal (hock) bones and joints, large metatarsal (cannon) and small metatarsal (splint) bones. Below these, the arrangement of sesamoid and phalangeal bones and joints is the same as in the forelimbs. When the horse is moving, the distal interphalangeal joint (coffin joint) has the highest amount of stresses applied to it of any joint in the body, and it can be significantly affected by trimming and shoeing techniques.[6] Although having a small range of movement, the proximal interphalangeal joint (pastern joint) is also influential to the movement of the horse, and can change the way that various shoeing techniques affect tendons and ligaments in the legs. Due to the horse's development as a cursorial animal (one whose main form of movement is running), its bones evolved to facilitate speed in a forward direction over hard ground, without the need for grasping, lifting or swinging. The ulna fuses with the radius in the upper portion, and has a small portion within the radiocarpal (knee) joint, which corresponds to the wrist in humans. A similar change occurred in the fibula bone of the hind limbs. These changes were first seen in the genus Merychippus, approximately 17 million years ago. The major muscle groups of the forelimb include the girdle muscles, the shoulder muscles, and the forearm muscles. The girdle muscles attach the forelimb to the trunk, including the pectorals, the latissimus dorsi and the serratus muscles. The musculature of the shoulder has a stabilizing effect on the joint, which is somewhat unique in not having collateral ligaments. The major extensor of the shoulder is the biceps brachii, and the large triceps muscle extends the elbow, originating on the shoulder blade and humerus and inserting on the point of the elbow. The extensor muscles of the forelimb are relatively small compared to the flexor muscles, which assist in weightbearing and locomotion. In the hindlimb, the gluteal muscles, particularly the large middle gluteal, extend the hip, driving the limb backwards. Extension of the stifle is achieved through the movement of the quadriceps group of muscles on the front of the femur, while the muscles at the back of the hindquarters, called the hamstring group, provide forward motion of the body and rearward extension of the hind limbs. Extension of the hock is achieved by the Achilles tendon, located above the hock. The fetlock joint is supported by a group of lower leg ligaments known as the suspensory apparatus. This apparatus carries much of the weight of the horse, both when standing and while moving, and prevents the fetlock joint from hyperextending, especially when the joint is bearing weight. During movement, the apparatus stores and releases energy in the manner of a spring: stretching while the joint is extended and contracting (and thus releasing energy) when the joint flexes. This ability to use stored energy makes horses' gaits more efficient than other large animals, including cattle. The suspensory apparatus consists of the suspensory ligament, the sesamoid bones, and the distal sesamoidean ligaments. Horses use a group of ligaments, tendons and muscles known as the stay apparatus to "lock" major joints in the limbs, allowing them to remain standing while relaxed or asleep. The lower part of the stay apparatus consists of the suspensory apparatus, which is the same in both sets of limbs, while the upper portion differs between the fore and hind limbs. The upper portion of the stay apparatus in the forelimbs consists of the lacertus fibrosus, an extension of the biceps brachii muscle, as well as contributions from the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon ("check ligament"). The upper portion in the hind limbs consists primarily of the reciprocal apparatus of the hock and stifle, with the ability to lock the stifle in extension via a shelf on the femur where the patella can lodge, making a loop with the middle and medial patellar ligamnets. The hoof of the horse contains over a dozen different structures, including bones, cartilage, tendons and tissues. The coffin or pedal bone is the major hoof bone, supporting the majority of the weight. Behind the coffin bone is the navicular bone, itself cushioned by the navicular bursa, a fluid-filled sac. The digital cushion is a blood vessel-filled structure located in the rear of the hoof, which assists with blood flow throughout the leg. At the top of the hoof wall is the corium, tissue which continually produces the horn of the outer hoof wall, which is in turn protected by the periople, a thin outer layer which prevents the interior structures from drying out. The wall is connected to the coffin bone by laminar attachments, a flexible layer which helps to suspend and protect the coffin bone. The main tendon in the hoof is the deep digital flexor tendon, which connects to the bottom of the coffin bone. The impact zone on the bottom of the hoof includes the sole, which has an outer, insensitive layer and a sensitive inner layer, and the frog, which lies between the heels and assists in shock absorption and blood flow. The final structures are the lateral cartilages, connected to the upper coffin bone, which act as the flexible heels, allowing hoof expansion. These structures allow the hoof to perform many functions. It acts as a support and traction point, shock absorber and system for pumping blood back through the lower limb. Remnants of the "lost" digits of the horse are theorized to be found on the hoof. ---- QUIRKS OF A MAREMMANO-ABRUZZESE SHEEPDOG The Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog, Italian: Cane da Pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese, is an Italian breed of livestock guardian dog. It is indigenous to central Italy, especially to the Maremma region of Tuscany and Lazio, and to northern areas of Southern Italy, particularly to Abruzzo. It has been used for centuries by Italian shepherds to guard sheep from wolves. The "Maremmano" name derives from that of the Maremma marshlands where, until recently, shepherds, dogs and hundreds of thousands of sheep over-wintered,: 33  and where the dogs are still abundant although sheep-farming has decreased substantially. However, the breed is still widely employed in and closely culturally associated with the nearby region of Abruzzo, where sheep herding remains vital to the rural economy and where the wolf (specifically the Apennine wolf) remains an active and protected predator. The "Abruzzese" portion of the dog's name derives from its ubiquity in Abruzzo and the surrounding area. ---- QUIRKS OF DOG ANATOMY Compared to the dog's wolf-like ancestors, selective breeding since domestication has seen the dog's skeleton increase in size for larger types such as mastiffs and miniaturised for smaller types such as terriers; dwarfism has been selectively bred for some types where short legs are preferred, such as dachshunds and corgis. Most dogs naturally have 26 vertebrae in their tails, but some with naturally short tails have as few as three. Dogs' senses include vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and magnetoreception. One study suggests that dogs can feel small variations in Earth's magnetic field. Dogs prefer to defecate with their spines aligned in a north–south position in calm magnetic field conditions. Dogs' vision is dichromatic; their visual world consists of yellows, blues, and grays. They have difficulty differentiating between red and green, and much like other mammals, the dog's eye is composed of two types of cone cells compared to the human's three. The divergence of the eye axis of dogs ranges from 12 to 25°, depending on the breed, which can have different retina configurations. The fovea centralis area of the eye is attached to a nerve fiber, and is the most sensitive to photons. Additionally, a study found that dogs' visual acuity was up to eight times less effective than a human, and their ability to discriminate levels of brightness was about two times worse than a human. While the human brain is dominated by a large visual cortex, the dog brain is dominated by a large olfactory cortex. Dogs have roughly forty times more smell-sensitive receptors than humans, ranging from about 125 million to nearly 300 million in some dog breeds, such as bloodhounds. This sense of smell is the most prominent sense of the species; it detects chemical changes in the environment, allowing dogs to pinpoint the location of mating partners, potential stressors, resources, etc. Dogs also have an acute sense of hearing up to four times greater than that of humans. They can pick up the slightest sounds from about 400 m (1,300 ft) compared to 90 m (300 ft) for humans. Dogs have stiff, deeply embedded hairs known as whiskers that sense atmospheric changes, vibrations, and objects not visible in low light conditions. The lower most part of whiskers hold more receptor cells than other hair types, which help in alerting dogs of objects that could collide with the nose, ears, and jaw. Whiskers likely also facilitate the movement of food towards the mouth. The coats of domestic dogs are of two varieties: "double" being common in dogs (as well as wolves) originating from colder climates, made up of a coarse guard hair and a soft down hair, or "single", with the topcoat only. Breeds may have an occasional "blaze", stripe, or "star" of white fur on their chest or underside. Premature graying can occur in dogs as early as one year of age; this is associated with impulsive behaviors, anxiety behaviors, and fear of unfamiliar noise, people, or animals. Some dog breeds are hairless, while others have a very thick corded coat. The coats of certain breeds are often groomed to a characteristic style, for example, the Yorkshire Terrier's "show cut". A dog's dewclaw is the fifth digit in its forelimb and hind legs. Dewclaws on the forelimbs are attached by bone and ligament, while the dewclaws on the hind legs are attached only by skin. Most dogs are not born with dewclaws in their hind legs, and some are without them in their forelimbs. Dogs' dewclaws consist of the proximal phalanges and distal phalanges. Some publications theorize that dewclaws in wolves, who usually do not have dewclaws, were a sign of hybridization with dogs. A dog's tail is the terminal appendage of the vertebral column, which is made up of a string of 5 to 23 vertebrae enclosed in muscles and skin that support the dog's back extensor muscles. One of the primary functions of a dog's tail is to communicate their emotional state. The tail also helps the dog maintain balance by putting its weight on the opposite side of the dog's tilt, and it can also help the dog spread its anal gland's scent through the tail's position and movement. Dogs can have a violet gland (or supracaudal gland) characterized by sebaceous glands on the dorsal surface of their tails; in some breeds, it may be vestigial or absent. The enlargement of the violet gland in the tail, which can create a bald spot from hair loss, can be caused by Cushing's disease or an excess of sebum from androgens in the sebaceous glands. A study suggests that dogs show asymmetric tail-wagging responses to different emotive stimuli. "Stimuli that could be expected to elicit approach tendencies seem to be associated with [a] higher amplitude of tail-wagging movements to the right side". Dogs can injure themselves by wagging their tails forcefully; this condition is called kennel tail, happy tail, bleeding tail, or splitting tail. In some hunting dogs, the tail is traditionally docked to avoid injuries. Some dogs can be born without tails because of a DNA variant in the T gene, which can also result in a congenitally short (bobtail) tail. Tail docking is opposed by many veterinary and animal welfare organisations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the British Veterinary Association. Evidence from veterinary practices and questionnaires showed that around 500 dogs would need to have their tail docked to prevent one injury.