Mario Zeppeli

He is a middle-aged Italian man with an unremarkable hairstyle and beard; his hair is dark brown in the anime. Hardworking, reliable, and devoted to his family, he takes on the responsibility of raising his children alone after his wife's early death. His son sees him as an admirable figure he can depend on.

After his wife dies young, he raises their children on his own. Unwilling to expose them to danger, he leaves home alone, dedicates his life to training in Hamon, and travels the world seeking a way to defeat the Pillar Men. He even locates their ruins before the others do. His departure indirectly breaks up the family and leaves the young Caesar resentful.

At sixteen, Caesar accidentally triggers a Pillar Man trap beneath the Colosseum in Rome. Mario pushes his son aside, is pierced by blades in the wall, and is consumed. As he dies, he seems not to recognize the young man before him as his son, but still directs Caesar to Venice to study under Lisa Lisa. Caesar lets go of his resentment and inherits his father's mission. Mario later appears alongside Will in a flashback during Caesar's battle with Wamuu.

Mario's Hamon training is part of his background, but the main manga does not show him using a named signature attack. His decisive contribution is finding the Pillar Men's hiding place and making the sacrifice that changes Caesar's life.

Mario's death marks a turning point in Caesar's growth and leads him to inherit the family's mission of opposing the Pillar Men. His image reappears during Caesar's final battle with Wamuu, symbolizing the passing down of the Zeppeli family's will.