Sandman

Background

Sandman was born in a Native American community in the Arizona desert. According to him, the name "Sandman" is what white people started calling him by mistake, as the proper translation of his name would be "Soundman." In his people's language, he is known as "He Who Creates Sound" (「音」をかなでる者, "Oto" o Kanaderu Mono). He never got along well with his people because of his unique outlook on life and stubbornness.↗

Pre-race

One day, Sandman sees a white man training on his peoples’ land but leaves him be. After this man leaves, he picks up the newspapers and books to read and understand his enemies' mindset further. When his people discover the books in his teepee, they hunt him down to scalp him. He purposefully slips inside a horse and is kicked in the air to climb a rock formation and escape his people on horseback. When they aim their arrows at him, he uses his Stand to mysteriously disappear.↗

Sandman is found by his sister, who beats him and scolds him. However, Sandman refuses to go back home and apologize for what he sees as the best actions for the sake of his people. Showing his sister a newspaper, he explains that he ambitions to participate in the Steel Ball Run, a race organized by white men, and seize the prize to buy back his ancestors' land. His sister supports him and gives him an emerald, a keepsake from his parents.↗

The 1st Stage

In the 1st Stage, Sandman takes an unusual route thanks to his superior agility. After jumping across a crevice that could act as a shortcut for any horseman who would dare to cross it, Sandman sees a racer, Pocoloco, attempt to jump across it.↗

Sandman advises Pocoloco to use his rope, helping the horseman survive his jump by catching a rock formation and use it to pull himself up. Sandman continues his run through the rocky zones of the 1st Stage to take a shortcut and eventually catches up to the lead racers, Pocoloco and Gyro Zeppeli.↗

Sandman heads to the resting area to grab a jug of water and a whole piece of roasted meat to eat. However, the judges of the race shockingly demote Gyro at the 21st place for interfering with Sandman's run. Sandman ends up the winner of the 1st Stage.↗

The Rest of the Race

For the rest of the race, Sandman doesn't interact much with Johnny and Gyro, remaining among the top racers. At one point, he negotiates with the government and accepts to work for them to buy out his ancestors' land instead of winning the race. During the 4th Stage, he crosses path with Johnny and Gyro. To repay the unfair win in the 1st Stage, Sandman tells them that a storm will happen soon and tells them he saw Diego Brando head North.↗

Sandman works alongside Diego Brando. In the 5th Stage near the Mississippi, Sandman and Diego attack Johnny, remaining hidden in the corn, combining their abilities to create dinosaurs that carry sound-effects. Sandman traps a barn with a cutting sound and does the same with Dot Han. Gyro loses his Steel Balls trying to attack Dot Han while saving Johnny.↗

However, Johnny understands Gyro's lesson and unlocks Tusk ACT2 with the power of the Golden Rectangle. Johnny's empowered nails leave holes whenever they shoot that automatically track the enemy and destroy his constructs.↗

He leaps to attack and Johnny seemingly misses. However, Johnny's nail hits a butterfly that lands on Sandman's shoulder. The hole converges on his heart and Sandman covers it with his hand, sacrificing his hand to save his life. It seems that Johnny is out of ammunition but the horseman reveals he's carved a bullet out of Gyro's belt buckle. Sandman attacks anyway and is shot in the throat. Sandman expires from this wound, his last thought aimed at his sister and praying for her happiness.↗

Personality

He ultimately sides with Funny Valentine, working to take the Corpse Parts to negotiate the necessary money to buy back his ancestors' lands. Disinterested in the corpse and the stakes at play, Sandman only considers it as a potential bargaining piece.↗↗

Finally, although he was ready to kill Johnny and Gyro, he is the only enemy to have taken the time to ask them for their Corpse Parts, even though he threatened them.↗↗↗

Appearances

Steel Ball Run Chapter 44: Silent Way, Part 5 (Death)↗

Profile details

Status: Deceased (Part 7)↗

Date of Death: November 16, 1890↗↗

Cause of Death: Shot in the throat by Johnny Joestar↗

He eventually sides with Funny Valentine and battles Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli near the Mississippi River to take their Saint's Corpse parts.↗