Cowboy Bebop Anime Ending & Spike's Fate, Explained - CBR

Cowboy Bebop is an anime classic. The release of Netflix's live-action version has fans buzzing, especially considering the different direction the finale takes. Despite the mediocrity of the live-action series, fans of the original can simply rewatch this iconic anime anytime they have a hankering for space cowboys. Although Spike Spiegel is the protagonist, the story also revolves around Faye Valentine, Ed, Ein and Jet Black, not to mention all the people who influence the crew of the Bebop.

Given that it only has 26 episodes, Cowboy Bebop's narrative takes place over a relatively short period. And yet, the story takes so many twists and turns that the main characters undergo multiple transformations before the conclusion. Many fans are still confused about the original anime's ending, though, wondering what exactly happened to Spike. By recounting the prior episodes, fans can string together events to reveal what exactly went down in the anime's finale.

Updated on March 28, 2025, by Ajay Aravind: Created by Shinichiro Watanabe, Cowboy Bebop is arguably one of the greatest anime of all time. Watanabe has since produced equally iconic anime like Samurai Champloo, but fans are most excited about this latest project. Watanabe's Lazarus will be animated by Studio MAPPA, with the anime's action sequences choreographed by John Wick director and notable stuntman Chad Stahelski. With so much hype behind it, Lazarus' April 6, 2025 release date can't come soon enough. As such, now's the best time to look back at Cowboy Bebop's ending before Lazarus takes the spotlight. This list is updated to include more information about the anime's ending and reflect CBR's current style guide.

Spike's Destiny Was Always Intertwined with Julia

Spike Notably Refers to Julia as "His Woman"

Studio Sunrise's Cowboy Bebop hints at Spike's fate from the very beginning. Fans will recall from the first episode that Spike visits the mystic Laughing Bull, who predicts a woman will lead him to his death. In the final episode, Spike reunites with his woman: Julia. Unfortunately for the two, a life together is just a dream they have to wake up from. Less than ten minutes into the series finale, Julia is shot and killed. The camera zooms to a close-up of Spike's left eye, his eye that sees the past. The shock of her death forces Spike to accept that he can't run away to a fantasy life anymore.

Every living thing that walks and breathes, each has its own star. When a new life is born a new star appears; that is the guardian star... His star is about to fall. I have dreamed it.

— Laughing Bull

The scene then cuts to Laughing Bull, who tells Jet about Spike's imminent death in his usual metaphorical style. This foreshadowing is vital for later, but fans don't know yet. Back on the Bebop, Jet tosses uncomfortably in his sleep. He wakes, shocked to see Spike, who nonchalantly says he's starving. Like in episode one, Jet whips up some bell peppers and beef sans beef. Again, Spike says his cooking is awful, and the two share a laugh.

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Spike Spiegel Gets Uncharacteristically Philosophical

Spike's Character Growth Is Evident in the Last Few Episodes

Image via Studio Sunrise

In an uncharacteristically philosophical mood, Spike offers the tale of the tiger-striped cat, a Buddhist children's story called Hyakumankai Ikita Neko. It's about a vagabond cat whose stripes look more like a prison jumpsuit than tabby stripes. He drifts from place to place, living a million lives and not caring about anything until he meets a white cat. Spike concludes, "The white cat grew weak and died of old age. The tiger-striped cat cried a million times, and then he died too. Except for this time, he didn't come back to life." It is a classic tale of reincarnation. The protagonist lives many lives until he learns humility, and only then can he be released from this earth. Spike sees himself as the tiger-striped cat who has loved and lost his white cat. This time when Spike leaves, he is not planning to come back.

As Spike strolls toward his ship, Faye pulls a gun on him, demanding to know where he's going. Spike rounds on her and answers by telling her about his eyes: "One of them is a fake because I lost it in an accident. Since then, I've been seeing the past in one eye and the present in the other." Spike likely lost his eye due to his involvement in crime and the syndicate paid for the treatment. This backstory emphasizes the hold the syndicate has on Spike. He cannot see a world separate from his past. Since Spike joined the Bebop, he has coasted through life, not caring about anything in the present and always thinking about the past. Spike is now telling Faye that he has to face Vicious and make peace with his past so he can move on.

Spike and Vicious' Fight Is the Crux of Both Character Arcs

The Series Frames Spike & Vicious as Emotional Opposites

Image via Studio Sunrise

Spike boards his Swordfish as the credits song "The Real Folk Blues" plays, stressing his final departure. Flashbacks of Julia splash across the screen since she is the stimulus for what is about to unfold. Spike lands, and chaos ensues as he fights through syndicate members to get to Vicious. Vicious greets Spike, saying that he's "the only one that can kill you and set you free," Spike also retorts that this applies to him. It's finally time for them to face what they have done to each other: Spike betrayed Vicious and the syndicate. Vicious retaliated with violence because it's all he understands.

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Their battle begins, and at one point, their weapons trade hands. "Julia is dead," Spike says, "Let's finish it now." They return each other's weapons, and there is a slice and a bang. Streams of blood form around Vicious's heart and Spike's stomach. Vicious collapses, but Spike lingers and looks up toward the sky again. This time, the camera zooms in on his right eye, his eye that sees the present, indicating that Spike is fully awake. The screen brightens, and the audience finally learns what Julia had told Spike before she died. "It's all a dream," she says, and Spike concurs: the dream is finally over.

Spike's Death Scene Was Intentionally Left Ambiguous

Even Watanabe Has No Clue About Spike's Final Fate

Image via Studio Sunrise

Following Vicious' demise, a white light envelops Spike as he drags himself into a room full of syndicate men. He points his fingers toward the camera and gives one last "bang" before collapsing. With all that has happened, Julia dying and killing Vicious, Spike does understand. The camera pans up to the sky and the credits roll. A bright star twinkles and then goes out, just as Laughing Bull predicted. The camera cuts to a close-up of a motionless Spike, seemingly reconciled with his past. Relatedly, the series never confirmed Spike's death, with Shinichiro Watanabe ambiguously stating that even he was "not sure if [Spike was] alive or dead."

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Despite all the signs of destiny that ultimately led Spike Spiegel into the most dangerous moment of his life, some fans like to believe that he survived the encounter. Now that he has the inner peace he always wanted, Spike doesn't have to live his previous life again. The themes of reincarnation are again relevant here: death is certainly the standard prerequisite for reincarnation, but that's the most extreme case. Reincarnation can also be interpreted as renewal or revival, signifying that Spike didn't need to die in order to move on.

What Happened to the Crew of the Bebop?

Spike's Death Would Leave an Unfillable Void

Although Cowboy Bebop is largely lighthearted and has a joyous musical score, the anime carries heavy themes of violence, betrayal, and heartbreak. But there is a silver lining: Spike had the strength to face the reality he created and no longer run away. Cowboy Bebop encourages viewers to live in the real world and not hang onto an impossible dream. Despite the central focus placed on Spike, the other members of the Bebop were also relevant players in the overarching story, which began with just the protagonist and his partner, Jet.

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The ship starts feeling like a family when everyone else comes on board, including Faye Valentine, Ed and Ein. Spike doesn't reveal how much he cares about them, but his expression during Ed and Ein's departure revealed the truth that his mouth refused to. Ed even ensured that Ein was willing to follow her, making their exits even more heartbreaking. This departure was one of the major events that forced Spike to challenge his past, even if the ultimate catalyst was Julia. The story took on a darker tone with only adults left behind on the ship.

Faye Valentine and Jet Black stayed on the Bebop when Spike went to complete his journey, implying that the two of them could have continued being bounty hunters together. In an interview with IGN, Watanabe stated that he didn't think Faye and Jet would "get along very well," but this doesn't mean they'd be unable to cooperate. Both loved Spike deeply and would have been distraught by his death in the series finale, giving them a common emotional base to build from. Even if Spike was alive, however, the culmination of his personal arc arguably left him content with his life. He may never return to the Bebop, and that's a positive.

Cowboy Bebop

Like Follow Followed TV-14 Animation Western Action Science Fiction Release Date 1998 - 1999 Network TV Tokyo, WOWOW Prime Showrunner Shinichirô Watanabe Directors Yoshiyuki Takei, Ikuro Sato, Hirokazu Yamada Writers Keiko Nobumoto, Michiko Yokote, Dai Sato, Sadayuki Murai, Akihiko Inari Franchise(s) Cowboy Bebop

Cast

See All

• Koichi Yamadera Spike Spiegel / Ein (voice)
• Unsho Ishizuka Jet Black (voice)

The futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easygoing bounty hunter and his partners.

Studio Sunrise Seasons 1 Number of Episodes 26 Streaming Service(s) Crunchyroll, Hulu Powered by

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