Will A. Zeppeli

Zeppeli presents himself with confidence and theatrical flair. His first interactions with Jonathan Joestar are deliberately strange, including demonstrating Ripple by striking Jonathan without apparently injuring him. He often teaches through practical tests rather than lengthy explanation, forcing Jonathan to experience the principles of Ripple directly.

Behind that eccentricity is a serious commitment to destroying the Stone Mask. Zeppeli has structured much of his adult life around correcting a danger connected to his own family history, and he accepts personal risk without hesitation. His experience makes him calmer around vampires and zombies than his companions, although he understands exactly how dangerous those enemies are.

His philosophy emphasizes courage and control over fear. Ripple depends on regulated breathing, meaning panic can directly compromise a user's ability to fight. Zeppeli therefore teaches Jonathan mental discipline alongside technique, preparing him to continue functioning when pain, fear or exhaustion would disrupt an ordinary fighter.

Zeppeli is a highly trained master of the Ripple, or Hamon, having studied the discipline under Tonpetty in Tibet. Through specialized breathing, he generates energy within his body that carries properties comparable to sunlight. This makes Ripple especially destructive to vampires, zombies and other creatures produced through the Stone Mask.

His Ripple control is considerably more refined than Jonathan's when they first meet. Zeppeli can transmit energy through living tissue, liquids and solid objects, allowing him to attack without always making conventional direct contact. He demonstrates this by channeling Ripple through a frog and splitting the rock beneath it without harming the animal.

Among his named techniques is Sendo Wave Kick, a Ripple-infused kick that transmits energy through its target. Sunlight Yellow Overdrive channels a powerful concentration of Ripple into physical strikes. Tornado Overdrive uses an inverted body position and rotational momentum to deliver a Ripple-enhanced kick, while Zoom Punch extends the reach of a punch through controlled joint dislocation and Ripple-assisted pain reduction.

Zeppeli also uses Deep Pass Overdrive, a technique capable of transferring his life energy into Jonathan. He performs it after receiving a fatal injury from Tarkus, dramatically increasing Jonathan's Ripple power before dying.

Zeppeli's involvement with the Stone Mask begins decades before he meets Jonathan Joestar. As a young man, he accompanies his archaeologist father on an expedition that discovers the mask among Aztec ruins. During the return voyage, his father wears the mask, becomes a vampire and kills the ship's crew. Zeppeli survives when sunlight destroys his father, leaving him determined to find and destroy the artifact.

His search eventually leads him to the Ripple. After witnessing a man use an unfamiliar technique to heal someone, Zeppeli travels to Tibet and trains under Tonpetty. Tonpetty reads Zeppeli's future and warns that completing his training will ultimately lead him to a gruesome death while protecting a young man. Zeppeli chooses to continue despite knowing the prediction.

Zeppeli encounters Jonathan after Dio Brando has used the Stone Mask. Recognizing that Jonathan will be unable to defeat a vampire through physical strength alone, he teaches him Ripple breathing and accompanies him alongside Robert E. O. Speedwagon toward Windknight's Lot.

The group encounters Dio's undead warriors, including Bruford and Tarkus. During the battle with Tarkus, Zeppeli recognizes the circumstances Tonpetty predicted. Tarkus crushes his body, but Zeppeli uses his remaining strength to perform Deep Pass Overdrive, transferring his life energy to Jonathan. He dies after entrusting the fight against Dio to his pupil.

Jonathan Joestar is Zeppeli's student and eventual successor in the struggle against the Stone Mask. Zeppeli recognizes Jonathan's potential and teaches him the breathing, combat principles and discipline required to use Ripple. Knowing that Tonpetty's prophecy is being fulfilled, Zeppeli willingly gives Jonathan his remaining life energy so that he can continue fighting.

Tonpetty is Zeppeli's Ripple master in Tibet. He teaches Zeppeli to control the energy produced through specialized breathing and foresees the circumstances of his student's eventual death. Zeppeli knowingly accepts that future rather than abandon his training.

Robert E. O. Speedwagon accompanies Zeppeli and Jonathan during their pursuit of Dio. Although Speedwagon cannot use Ripple, he supports the two fighters however he can and develops deep respect for Zeppeli. Speedwagon later wears Zeppeli's hat in his memory.

Dio Brando represents the threat Zeppeli has spent years preparing to fight: a vampire created by the Stone Mask. Zeppeli's knowledge and training give Jonathan the means to challenge Dio and his undead followers.

Tarkus is one of the knights Dio resurrects as an undead servant. Zeppeli's confrontation with Tarkus fulfills Tonpetty's prediction: Tarkus fatally crushes him, leading Zeppeli to transfer his remaining energy to Jonathan.

Zeppeli's unnamed father was the archaeologist whose expedition discovered the Stone Mask. After putting it on aboard their ship, he became a vampire, slaughtered the crew and was destroyed by sunlight. The experience set Zeppeli on his lifelong search for the mask.

Mario Zeppeli is Zeppeli's son, and Caesar Anthonio Zeppeli is his grandson. These family connections become relevant in Battle Tendency, where the Zeppeli family's association with Ripple and the Joestars continues into another generation.