By Bradley Russell
published
Stuck in a jam
Cowboy Bebop doesn’t end how you think it’ll end. You may know the anime off by heart but, as becomes abundantly clear during the Netflix series’ dying embers, this is an adaptation that’s heading in a radically different direction.
It remains to be seen just how the passionate fanbase will react to the myriad changes made in the ending to Cowboy Bebop’s first season on Netflix, but one thing is for certain: it sets up a second season filled with intrigue and suspense now that’s it’s diverted from the source material.
Below, we’ll run through all the big talking points from the Cowboy Bebop ending including, but not limited to, that surprise betrayal, a welcome newcomer, the next Big Bad, and how the show sets up a second season that could take a big leap into the unknown. Let’s go, space cowboys.
Cowboy Bebop ending explained: your biggest questions answered
Is Julia head of The Syndicate now?
This was completely out of left-field, but not totally out of character. Elena Satine’s Julia spent much of the season being kicked from pillar to post by her abusive husband, Vicious. That blows up in his face spectacularly with Julia’s betrayal at the chapel.
Not only does she save Spike (AKA Fearless) from being on the wrong end of Vicious’ death blow, shooting him where he stands, but she’s completely striking out on her own. In the season finale’s biggest twist, Julia shoots Spike, who is sent tumbling through the chapel window. She blames him for leaving her with Vicious and strikes back in the most devastating fashion after he rejects her plea to rule the Syndicate together.
Anime fans will know this is a dark mirror of the series’ iconic Vicious and Spike clash that saw Vicious almost kill Spike. Now, the tables have turned: Julia has launched her own coup, kicked Spike to the curb, and has now got a seat at the head of the table.
That all sets up Julia as de facto leader of The Syndicate – and she’s also able to keep Vicious chained and locked up, away from where he might hurt her.
What will happen to Vicious?
Vicious’ prior coup of the criminal organization led to a power vacuum; Julia has now installed her ex-beau as an ‘Elder’, the faceless kingmakers of The Syndicate. Previous rules dictated that no one could speak to an Elder without prior permission. As Julia will now speak on Vicious’ behalf, that means no one will ever get to speak to him – as long as she has anything to say about it, anyway.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Vicious is going to be a complete non-factor moving forward. He’s still very much got friends in high places, and there’s every chance he and Spike could form a temporary truce once more if their interests align.
Did the Bebop crew break up?
It sure looks that way. In the anime, the Bebop crew – Jet, Spike, Faye, Ed, and Ein – were thick as thieves until the very end. This break-up, then, is widely unexpected – but places a few interesting wrinkles into a potential future story.
Faye is the first one to officially leave, heading off in search of the remnants of her previous, pre-frozen life. Prior to the finale’s showdown, she found an old video showing her as a child, complete with clues on where she might have grown up.
"You need to do that," Jet tells her, as she walks off. His next interaction, with Spike, isn’t quite as warm. While there’s still some begrudging respect between the pair after Spike helped save Jet’s daughter, he wants no part of him anymore because "death follows him" wherever he goes.
Jet leaves Spike with one final warning: "If I ever see you again, I will kill you."
That seems pretty definitive to us: the Bebop crew is no more – but that should make their eventual reunion all the more sweeter.
Who is the red-haired person?
That’s a Cowboy Bebop favorite: Ed.
In the show, Radical Ed is first mentioned as a hacker who tips Jet off about a bounty in the sixth episode, "Binary Two-Step." Anime fans, though, will know them as Ed, the hacker extraordinaire who forms a key part of the Bebop crew.
Their absence was a major talking point in the run-up to the Netflix series’ release, so it’s pleasing to confirm that they’re here, played by newcomer Eden Perkins.
Their function in the live-action series isn’t known just yet, but they’re set on helping Spike – for whatever reason – get back on his feet and taking down bounties again. The first target in their sights? The Butterfly Man.
Who is The Butterfly Man?
Ed makes pointed reference to Spike’s next bounty: The Butterfly Man, or "Volaju".
Don’t worry, you’ve not missed out on anything new – this is all setup for future seasons. The Butterfly Man – going by the source material, at least – is Vincent Volaju, the primary villain of the Cowboy Bebop movie, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.
We can only speculate at this point, but Volaju was a former soldier in the Titan War who was forced to undergo dangerous experiments. Presumed dead, Volaju ends up being unable to distinguish dreams from reality and continually sees butterflies in his field of vision. He then becomes a terrorist, with the key 'aim' of attempting to find the gateway to heaven. He’s a few Woolongs short of a cheap meal, let’s put it that way.
What’s next for Cowboy Bebop?
First up, it’s well worth pointing out that Cowboy Bebop’s future is up in limbo. Given the many, many cliffhangers we’re left on, we hope it’s renewed for a second season on Netflix but we’ll likely find out officially one way or another in the coming weeks and months.
In terms of its characters, their futures are faintly mapped out, but are liable to change: Spike is banding together with Ed and Ein in search of The Butterfly Man; Faye is searching for answers to her own past; Jet is likely set to reflect on his dangerous profession after his daughter’s near-miss; Julia will lead The Syndicate into a new age, and Vicious will likely be plotting from the shadows.
The dynamics are all new – and would surely enrapture anime fans and newcomers alike if a second season gets greenlit.
How the Cowboy Bebop season 1 ending compares to the anime
There are several differences compared to the anime, most notably Julia’s role.
In the anime, she functions more as a damsel in distress. In the Netflix series, she has far more agency – and has positioned herself at the top of The Syndicate. In the anime, it’s Vicious who becomes leader – albeit briefly – of the Red Dragon Syndicate.
The live-action series, surprisingly, is also more downbeat elsewhere. In the anime, Julia never betrays Spike and the Bebop crew don’t split, though Faye does head off on her own late in the anime’s run.
It also looks like the creative team will adapt the Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door movie earlier than it lands in the anime’s story. There, it’s situated around the final five episodes, whereas, if you’re still going by the source material and its usage of villains, we’re around the halfway point here. Chronologically, though, things are very mixed up now and almost impossible to compare 1:1 with its anime counterpart.
Saying any more could massively spoil what’s to come, however, so we’ll keep it schtum until then. It is worth keeping track of which villains have been used so far, though: The Teddy Bomber, Asimov, Maria Murdock, Hakim, and Pierrot are the notable names that have been ticked off early, though the likes of Wen still remain on the docket should the creative team need more villains-of-the-week for Jet, Spike, and Faye to contend with.
Until next time: so long, space cowboy – and be sure to check out more of the best Netflix shows.
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Bradley Russell
I'm the Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.
FAQs
Why was there ever a second season of Cowboy Bebop? ›
However, a planned Cowboy Bebop season 2 was canceled just three weeks after the first season's premiere. The Cowboy Bebop cancelation was reportedly due to streaming numbers not living up to Netflix's expectations, as well as a mostly negative response from both fans and critics.
What does the Cowboy Bebop ending mean? ›The series ends with a final message for the audience: “You're gonna carry that weight.” Taken at face value, Spike dies alongside his rival, Vicious, and lover, Julia. It can also be interpreted abstractly since Spike, Julia, and Vicious were doomed to never salvage their broken relationships.
Was there ever going to be a Cowboy Bebop season 2? ›Cowboy Bebop ending after just one season was just as disappointing to the cast as it was the fans. Cowboy Bebop star John Cho has spoken out about the show prematurely getting canceled. After spending year in development, the live-action Cowboy Bebop series finally premiered on Netflix in November.
What were Julia's last words to Spike? ›As she lay dying in Spike's arms, she whispered her last words to him: "It's all a dream," to which he responded, "Yeah, just a dream."
Why did Netflix cancel Cowboy Bebop? ›The show received a mixed reception from critics, toeing the line of being good-but-not-quite-great and bad-but-not-quite-awful, depending on who you asked. For Netflix, it wasn't a safe enough bet to go forward with a season 2, and the show was cancelled less than three weeks after its release.
Why does Cowboy Bebop end with you're gonna carry that weight? ›“You're gonna carry that weight.” A reference to a Beatles song of the same name, it contextualizes the entirety of the anime series in its closing. No matter how hard you try to outrun your trauma or your past, you'll have to confront it, and you'll have to carry that weight.
Is Spike alive at the end of Cowboy Bebop? ›Does Spike Spiegel die? At the end of the 1998 Cowboy Bebop anime, Spike Spiegel seems to die. But in the 2021 live-action adaptation, Spike Spiegel is alive and well.
Who was the girl at the end of Cowboy Bebop? ›When no bullet emerges, she tells him they'll try again tomorrow. The final scene of the final episode of Cowboy Bebop finally introduces fan-favorite character, “Radical Ed” (Eden Perkins) to the proceedings, even though it's only to yell at a passed-out Spike who just stumbled out of a bar.
Does Ed return to Cowboy Bebop? ›Ed went back to the Bebop but made the decision to join her father.
Does Cowboy Bebop end on a cliffhanger? ›Netflix's Cowboy Bebop ended on a sharp cliffhanger before the premium streaming service cancelled the live-action adaptation after only a single season.
How many seasons are planned for Cowboy Bebop? ›
Shinichirō Watanabe, the original series' creator, has publicly criticized the show for being disloyal to the source material. On 9 December 2021, Netflix cancelled the series after only one season.
Is Ed a girl or a boy? ›In a 2005 interview with Anime News Network, Cowboy Bebop character designer and animation director Toshihiro Kawamoto explained that Ed was originally conceived as a boy computer hacker, but, over time, director Shinichirō Watanabe switched the character to a girl.
Why did Julia betray Spike? ›In the season finale's biggest twist, Julia shoots Spike, who is sent tumbling through the chapel window. She blames him for leaving her with Vicious and strikes back in the most devastating fashion after he rejects her plea to rule the Syndicate together.
Why does Julia turn on Spike? ›Julia, shockingly, turns on Spike for not coming to her rescue all those years. Spike attempts to atone for this by appealing to Julia that they can run away now. In a twist, Julia reveals that she does not want to leave her life of crime.
Can Cowboy Bebop be saved? ›Unfortunately, Netflix saving Cowboy Bebop is fairly unlikely, especially after considering the fact the series was the fastest-canceled original series in the history of the streaming platform.
How much did Cowboy Bebop cost per episode? ›If true, this means that the John Cho-starrer anime adaptation had a budget of $6 to $7 million per episode.
Why did people not like Cowboy Bebop? ›Critics have felt that the show tried too hard to stick to the original Cowboy Bebop anime while failing to capture the magic of what made it work, and at the same time, its attempts at doing something new ultimately fall flat for how they undermine the parts of the show people are invested in.
Is Ed in Cowboy Bebop Netflix? ›Ed doesn't come into the Cowboy Bebop anime until Episode 9, so many fans assumed she wouldn't arrive immediately in the live-action adaptation. Sure enough, the character entered Season 1 towards the very end, in a very different way than the original series.
What is special about Ein in Cowboy Bebop? ›Ein is one of the main protagonists of the anime series Cowboy Bebop. He is a 'data dog'; a Pembroke Welsh Corgi whose intelligence was greatly enhanced by a research facility, although exactly what was done to increase his intelligence is never fully explained in the series.
What were Spike Spiegel final words? ›Spike kills the episode's antagonist, an ageless child named Wen. As Wen dies from his body aging decades in seconds, he gives his harmonica to Spike. Spike tosses it in the air and softly says "Bang," his last words in the "Real Folk Blues."
What happens to Elektra Cowboy Bebop? ›
She survived both a bullet to the arm and a small dose of the nano-machine virus that Volaju set off, which shocked her. She then realized she had the vaccine, too, and asked Steve to verify it for her. However, because she was already under surveillance, the Colonel found out and had her imprisoned.
What is Spike's real name Cowboy Bebop? ›Spike Spiegel (Japanese: スパイク・スピーゲル, Hepburn: Supaiku Supīgeru) is a fictional character introduced as the protagonist of the 1998 anime series Cowboy Bebop. Spike is a former member of the criminal Red Dragon Syndicate, who left by faking his death after falling in love with a woman named Julia.
Does Spike regain his soul? ›In the series finale, though, it's Spike who ultimately earns a soul and saves Buffy and her friends by sacrificing himself. “His redemption at the end was realizing how much he loved her but also that he was not yet good enough for her,” says the actor.
Does Faye fall for Spike? ›Do Spike and Faye Like Each Other Romantically? Faye absolutely might have had romantic feelings, but Spike was too caught up in his past to see anything but a hindrance in his longing for Julia. In fact, a major reason why he was so harsh to Faye was because she reminded him so much of her.
How did Spike survive the fall? ›The sequence reveals Spike's desperate if repressed longing for Julia, the woman he loved and lost. Spike survives the fall with the help of his fellow travelers who have brought him back to the Bebop and treated his wounds.
Who is the red head girl in Cowboy Bebop? ›Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV is a major protagonist in the anime series Cowboy Bebop. She is an elite net-diver from Earth, hacker "Radical Edward" is a very strange, somewhat androgynous, teenage girl assumed to be around 13 years in age.
Who is Spikes girlfriend Bebop? ›Julia. Julia (ジュリア, Juria) is a beautiful and mysterious woman from Spike's past. Initially Vicious' girlfriend and a Syndicate member herself, she and Spike started an affair that led to Spike offering to abandon the Syndicate and elope with her, despite the fact that the Syndicate punishes desertion with death.
Why did Ed and Ein leave? ›They do, and despite a joyous reunion, her father immediately abandons her to pursue his work. Ed and Ein decide to leave the group. Ed places a fake bounty for her own father, in hopes Jet and Spike will lead her to him. They do, and despite a joyous reunion, her father immediately abandons her to pursue his work.
How old is Faye Cowboy Bebop? ›Although appearing to be no more than 23 years old, Faye is actually around 77 years old. This is because she was put into a cryogenic freeze after a space shuttle accident, wherein she spent fifty-four years in suspended animation.
Who does jet end up with Cowboy Bebop? ›On the Bebop. Jet received a generally good reputation as a bounty hunter. After four years of the start of his new business, in 2068, he met Spike Spiegel who became his partner and close friend.
What happens to Jet after Cowboy Bebop? ›
Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir) abandons Spike to ensure the safety of his daughter, while Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) also parts ways with the Bebop to do some soul searching.
Will There Be A Cowboy Bebop season 3? ›"I put a lot of my life into it," Cho said about the live-action Netflix anime adaptation, which was canceled in December after just one season.
Where can I watch Cowboy Bebop season 2? ›Cowboy Bebop | Watch on Funimation.
What year is Cowboy Bebop supposed to be in? ›The series, which ran for twenty-six episodes (dubbed "sessions"), is set in the year 2071, and follows the lives of a traveling bounty-hunting crew aboard a spaceship, the Bebop. Although it incorporates a wide variety of genres, the series draws most heavily from science fiction, Western, and noir films.
Why is Ed called Ed Cowboy Bebop? ›Having debuted in the original anime's ninth episode, “Jamming with Edward,” Ed, short for Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, is a loopy 13-year-old hacker who joins the Bebop team in exchange for helping the crew attain a bounty that turns out to be an AI.
Is Gren nonbinary? ›While many in the LGBTQ community have interpreted the character from the anime as nonbinary or trans over the years, showrunner André Nemec overhauled the character's backstory to make Gren officially nonbinary in the live-action series, with help from Park.
Is Ed a male name? ›Hip and historic, Ed is a boy's name whose shorthand style oozes slick modern coolness in the face of its noble roots. British in origin, Ed is a simple variation of Edward from the Old English Eadward.
Did Julia know Spike was alive? ›Thankfully, our space cowboy escaped with his life, but, unbeknownst to him, Julia, after she found out Spike was alive, resented him for never coming back to save her when he found out that she was still with Vicious. So, when they finally met face-to-face again, it was anything but a happy reunion.
Did Julia and Vicious have a relationship? ›Julia never cheated on Spike. She had a relationship with Vicious, but then fell in love with Spike.
Why did Winston have to betray Julia? ›Winston betrays Julia to save himself, a human act of self-preservation, even though the self is supposed to be reserved for the use of the Party. By saving himself, Winston commits a selfish act, and thus should be punished for it; however, he is spared. This can be seen as a flaw in the story.
Why do Spike and Vicious hate each other? ›
Mao Yenrai took Vicious and Spike under his wing inside the Syndicate where they rise up the ranks. Spike decided to leave the syndicate and attempted to take Julia with him. This betrayal seemingly triggered their blood feud and possibly resulted in Vicious' enlistment in the War on Titan.
Does Spike tell Jet he was syndicate? ›The biggest fracture that occurs is between Spike and Jet, after the latter learns the truth about Spike's history as a Syndicate assassin. Jet can't get past this omission and the only reason that he lets Spike get away with his life is because he helps Jet rescue his daughter, Kimmie.
Who does Julia love Spike or Vicious? ›He thought she set him up and that is why he seemed depressed for much of the series. But she only ever loved Spike.
What was the message of Cowboy Bebop? ›Cowboy Bebop was never about its story. It was about its characters just trying to live their lives in a cruel and uncaring world, and occasionally something plot-related would happen to them.
Where did Ed go at the end of Cowboy Bebop? ›Cowboy Bebop season 1 ends with Ed finding Spike in an alleyway, thus setting up their season 2 story together—and a new mission. Beloved in the anime, Cowboy Bebop's Ed is a young hacker who joins the crew in the episode "Jammin' With Edward" and holds a strong bond with Ein.
Why was the Earth destroyed in Cowboy Bebop? ›In the year 2021, an Astral Gate exploded above Earth in an event known as the Astral Gate accident. The explosion destroyed most of Earth's moon, causing a near-constant natural disaster of rock showers falling into orbit and hitting the planet's surface.
Why is Ein so important Cowboy Bebop? ›Ein is a Pebroke Welsh Corgi who was genetically modified in a secret facility and now maintains high intelligence, hence his moniker. He escapes a dognapping attempt and joins up with the Bebop crew, though it's unclear how this story will translate to the live-action show.
Why was the dog important Cowboy Bebop? ›Ein is one of the main protagonists of the anime series Cowboy Bebop. He is a 'data dog'; a Pembroke Welsh Corgi whose intelligence was greatly enhanced by a research facility, although exactly what was done to increase his intelligence is never fully explained in the series.
Is Radical Ed a guy or a girl? ›In a 2005 interview with Anime News Network, Cowboy Bebop character designer and animation director Toshihiro Kawamoto explained that Ed was originally conceived as a boy computer hacker, but, over time, director Shinichirō Watanabe switched the character to a girl.
Is Edward a guy or a girl? ›Background. Originally, Ed's character was based on a description of the series' music director ("a little weird, cat-like, but a genius at creating music") and was going to be a dark-skinned boy. Edward was turned into a girl to even the gender ratio on the Bebop, which was, with Ed as a boy, three guys, and one girl.
What was the parasite in Cowboy Bebop? ›
The Fridge Monster was an alien-like creature that attacked the Bebop crew. Spike Spiegel bought a Ganymede rock lobster in 2070 and stored it in the ship's attic. He forgot about it, and, over the next year, a monster was born. It was a small, black blob that slid around on the floors, walls and ceilings.
How did Spike survive Cowboy Bebop? ›In Cowboy Bebop
After being wounded in a gun battle, Spike is nursed back to health by Vicious' girlfriend Julia, and the two fall in love.
Monkey Business was the name for a virus used by the eco-terrorist group Space Warriors. The virus edits human DNA from 98% shared with chimpanzees to 100%, changing the individual's appearance and intelligence.