Cowboy Bebop
Bounty hunters, jazz and old regrets, drifting through space in the Bebop.
Last updated: 1 November 2026
Cowboy Bebop is Sunrise's 26-episode space western from 1998, directed by Shinichiro Watanabe. Spike, Jet, Faye, Ed and Ein hunt bounties across the solar system in standalone 'sessions' tied together by Spike's syndicate past. A complete, self-contained classic, with a feature film set in the middle of the series.
About Cowboy Bebop
In 2071, bounty hunters Spike Spiegel and Jet Black travel the solar system in their ship, the Bebop. Cowboy Bebop is a 26-episode series from Sunrise, directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, and it mixes space western, film noir and jazz into something entirely its own. Humanity has left a ruined Earth behind for colonies on Mars, Venus and the moons of Jupiter, and work is scarce between the planets. Spike and Jet chase bounties to keep the ship fuelled and themselves fed, and along the way their crew grows: the con artist Faye Valentine, the child hacker Edward and a genetically engineered corgi named Ein. Each episode, called a 'session', is a self-contained job, but a darker story runs underneath: Spike's past in the Red Dragon crime syndicate, and his unfinished business with his old partner Vicious and the woman they both loved. First aired in Japan in 1998–99, Bebop became one of the most respected anime ever made, famous for Yoko Kanno's jazz score and an ending people still talk about.
Cowboy Bebop is a TV anime from 1998, first released in Fall 1998. It belongs to the Sci-Fi and Action genres and is listed as a completed series. The summary above is written by the AnimeYug team in our own words.
Official Trailer
Story & Plot
In 2071, fifty years after a gate accident made Earth nearly uninhabitable, humanity lives scattered across the solar system. Former detective Jet Black and former syndicate enforcer Spike Spiegel drift from planet to planet in the fishing-trawler-turned-bounty-ship Bebop, taking whatever bounties the police cannot handle. They are joined by Faye Valentine, a gambler who was frozen in cryosleep for 54 years and woke up owing more money than she can count, by the eccentric young hacker Edward, and by Ein, a data dog of unusual intelligence.
Most sessions are standalone cases (smugglers, terrorists, cultists and old soldiers) but the crew's pasts keep catching up with them. Jet confronts the partner who cost him his arm, Faye hunts for the home she lost, and Spike is drawn back toward the Red Dragon Syndicate, his ex-partner Vicious, and Julia, the woman at the centre of their shared past. The series builds quietly to a final confrontation that Spike has been running from since the first episode.
Why Watch Cowboy Bebop
- Every episode is scored like a jazz record. Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts are legendary.
- Standalone sessions make it easy to start; Spike's past gives it a powerful ending.
- Film-noir storytelling, western shootouts and martial-arts action in one series.
- The crew feels like a real found family, lazy, broke and quietly devoted.
- Widely credited with bringing adult audiences to anime in the West.
Who Is It For?
Cowboy Bebop is rated TV-MA in the US and is made for adults. Expect gun violence and deaths, smoking and drinking, gambling, drug references in a few episodes and mature themes about debt, regret and lost love. There is little graphic gore, but the tone and subject matter are firmly grown-up.
Main Characters
View all characters →
Voice Actors
The Japanese voices behind the main characters of Cowboy Bebop.
- Spike SpiegelBounty hunter and former syndicate enforcerJapanese voiceKōichi Yamadera
- Jet BlackFormer detective and the Bebop's ownerJapanese voiceUnshō Ishizuka
- Faye ValentineCon artist frozen in cryosleep for 54 yearsJapanese voiceMegumi Hayashibara
- EdwardChild hacker from EarthJapanese voiceAoi Tada
- EinA data dog of unusual intelligenceJapanese voiceKōichi Yamadera
- ViciousSpike's former partner in the Red Dragon SyndicateJapanese voiceNorio Wakamoto
- JuliaThe woman from Spike's pastJapanese voiceGara Takashima
- GrenA saxophonist from Titan with a grudgeJapanese voiceKenyū Horiuchi
Staff & Production
- Original Creator
- Hajime Yatate
- Animation Studio
- Sunrise
- Series Director
- Shinichirō Watanabe
- Series Composition
- Keiko Nobumoto
- Character Design
- Toshihiro Kawamoto
- Music
- Yoko Kanno
Manga & Source Material
Cowboy Bebop is an anime-original production, one of the most famous examples of a series created directly for television rather than adapted from something else.
- Created by Hajime Yatate, the collective pen name of the Sunrise creative team
- Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe; series composition and scripts by Keiko Nobumoto
- Character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto; music by Yoko Kanno
- Two manga adaptations followed the anime: Shooting Star (1997–98, 2 volumes) and a second manga (1998–2000, 3 volumes)
- The 26 episodes aired first in part on TV Tokyo in 1998, then in full on WOWOW from October 1998 to April 1999
Music
Yoko Kanno composed a different flavour for almost every episode: jazz, blues, country, metal and opera all appear, and the episode titles themselves reference famous songs, albums and musicians.
Opening Themes
- “Tank!”by The SeatbeltsThe iconic jazz opening, played over every session
Ending Themes
- “The Real Folk Blues”by Seatbelts feat. Mai YamaneThe ending theme for most episodes: one of anime's most famous songs
Series Timeline
- 1998
Cowboy Bebop premieres on TV Tokyo in April 1998; only part of the series airs there.
- 1998–99
The complete series airs on WOWOW from October 1998 to April 1999.
- 2001
Cowboy Bebop begins airing on Adult Swim in the US, becoming a gateway anime for a generation of fans.
- 2001
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie opens in Japan, set between episodes 22 and 23.
- 2021
A live-action Netflix adaptation premieres; the original anime remains the definitive version.
Quick Answers
Is Cowboy Bebop finished?
Yes. Cowboy Bebop has finished airing, so you can watch the complete story from start to end without waiting for new episodes.
What genre is Cowboy Bebop?
Cowboy Bebop is a Sci-Fi and Action anime. You can browse more titles like it on our Sci-Fi anime page.
When did Cowboy Bebop release?
Cowboy Bebop first released in Fall 1998. It is a TV series.
How many episodes does Cowboy Bebop have?
26 episodes, called 'sessions', aired in Japan in 1998–99, plus one feature film, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001). The story is complete. There is no second season.
Where does the Cowboy Bebop movie fit?
The movie is set between episodes 22 and 23, while the full crew is together. You can watch it during the series at that point, or after finishing the show. It works as a standalone adventure either way.
Will there be a Cowboy Bebop season 2?
No. The series was designed as a complete story, and director Shinichiro Watanabe has consistently treated it as finished. A live-action Netflix adaptation arrived in 2021, but the original anime ends with session 26.
Is Cowboy Bebop based on a manga?
No. It is an original anime created at Sunrise by director Shinichiro Watanabe and writer Keiko Nobumoto. Two short manga adaptations were published around the same time, but the anime is the original work.
Watch Order
Here is the release order for Cowboy Bebop and the series connected to it. Start at step 1 and work your way down.
- 1Cowboy BebopTV series (1998–1999): this series; 26 self-contained sessions with a continuing thread about Spike's past.
- 2Cowboy Bebop: The MovieFilm (2001): set between episodes 22 and 23; watch it there, or after the series as a bonus adventure.
Where to Watch
Cowboy Bebop is officially available to stream on these platforms:
Streaming availability changes often and differs by country. Please check the platform in your region.