Considered one of the best anime shows of all time, Cowboy Bebop has left a huge mark and impression in the anime world. With its excellent voice actors for both the English and Japanese versions, a great soundtrack, a ragtag group of characters, and a compelling story. This anime is a great watch even for people who don't like anime.The crew in Cowboy Bebop may seem like a dysfunctional group, and they can be at times, but they do look out for each other. Spike, Faye, and Jet are adults that are just trying to make some money to keep going and buy food. Here are some facts readers can learn about the main characters that make this show so great.
| Name | Age | Height | Birthday |
| Spike Spiegel | 27 | 6’1” (185 cm) | June 26, 2044 |
| Jet Black | 36 | 6’2” (188 cm) | December 3, 2035 |
| Faye Valentine | Appears 23; chronologically 77 | 5’6” (168 cm) | August 14, 1994 |
| Edward “Ed” Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV/Françoise Appledelhi¹ | 13 | 5’1” (154 cm) | January 1, 2058 |
| Ein² | Unknown; presumably at least a year old based on size | Unknown; presumably about 1 ft tall and 22-26 inches long | Unknown |
| Vicious | 27 | 6’2” (188 cm) | 2044 |
| Julia³ | 27 | Unknown; presumably at least 5’6” | March 11, 2044 |
¹ Ed’s real name is Françoise Appledelhi.
² Ein’s height and width are based on average Pembroke Welsh Corgi stats.
³ No official height is available for Julia, but she seems to be about Faye’s height based on when they stand next to Spike.
7 Spike Spiegel
The main protagonist of the show. Spike used to be part of a crime organization known as the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate. Spike left because he had fallen in love with a woman named Julia. After Vicious, another member and Spike’s former comrade, learned of this, he threatened Julia and told her to kill Spike or they’ll both die. He faked his death to be able to leave the syndicate and met Jet soon after. The two of them partner up as bounty hunters and become friends. Though he hates kids, animals, and women that have attitudes, somehow he and Jet wind up with Ed (a child), Ein (a dog), and Faye (a woman with an abrasive personality) joining them. Spike comes to tolerate and care for them.
He may seem like he has a devil-may-care attitude, nonchalant, and lazy, but Spike has trouble letting go of his past. He frequently has nightmares from his time in the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate. Spike still referred to Julia as “my woman” and thinks of her throughout the show. He is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and trains regularly in between jobs while on the Bebop. Spike is also a skilled pilot and marksman, being a deadly threat for anyone fighting him.
6 Jet Black
The de facto leader and father-like figure of the Bebop crew. Jet seems to be the voice of reason in the group, but that doesn’t mean he’s a quiet figure. He can get just as loud as Spike and Faye when he wants to be. Despite this, Jet lets his crew talk to him and offers them advice when they ask for it. He thinks of the crew as his family and will help them get out of trouble if they can’t help themselves. Jet knows that Spike and Faye are adults and can fend for themselves, but he will scold them sometimes if they do something stupid.
He was an investigator for the Inter-Solar System Police and earned the nickname “Black Dog” due to his stubbornness when chasing criminals. He lost his arm when chasing a criminal and his partner at the time shot him. Instead of regenerating his arm, Jet opted to get a cybernetic arm to serve as a reminder. He is stronger than the average man thanks to this and is a reliable man when fighting. Jet has strong bonds to the group and helps them when they ask for it, but won’t stop them if they leave or if the situation doesn’t involve him.
5 Faye Valentine
A woman who is arrogant and a little vain. Faye is actually older than all of the Bebop crew. When she was 20 years old, she was in an accident that injured her so badly that she was cryogenically frozen until she could be cured. She was woken up over 50 years later and had amnesia, which the doctor and his nephew. that revived would take advantage of. After gaining a large amount of debt, Faye went on the run and developed trust issues from this.
Faye relies on her looks to get where she wants, flirting and seducing people to further her goals. She actually isn’t interested in anyone and only does this as a means to get money. She does care for the Bebop crew in her own way. Her relationship with Spike is one of the most complex things to watch. They bicker like siblings, but it’s clear the two of them do care for each other. Faye shows concern for Spike and takes care of him when he’s injured. Spike has come to her rescue a few times, knows she’s able to take care of herself, and feels some empathy for her.
4 Edward “Ed” Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV, AKA Françoise Appledelhi
The eccentric whiz kid of the Bebop crew. Ed is able to hack into just about anything and gains a reputation, earning the nickname “Radical Edward”. She is a free spirit with a childlike personality, but Ed is probably the smartest one in the crew. The adults usually rely on her when they need information on the bounties they’re after or need information on anything. Ed’s life has been an interesting one. Her father, who is just as eccentric as her, forgot her at daycare because of work. For years, Ed lived with other people until she went to an orphanage. Despite this, Ed doesn’t seem scarred by this abandonment and remains an overall happy girl.
Her relationship with the crew is positive overall. She and Jet have a father-daughter relationship with Jet making sure she’s taken care of. Her relationship with Spike and Faye is good, but they usually get annoyed with her childlike demeanor. However, they respect her abilities as a hacker and know they can turn to her for help.
3 Ein
The unofficial mascot of the Bebop crew. Ein is a dog that was experimented on and seems to have a slightly higher than the average human intellect. It’s not known what experiments were performed on him, but he was a dog that was going to be sold until he was saved by Spike. Though Spike hates animals, Ein becomes part of the crew and is a close friend to Ed. His intellect usually goes unnoticed by Jet, Spike, and Faye, but he and Ed are able to communicate with each other.
Ein tends to stick close by to Ed and usually goes with her whenever she ventures out of the Bebop. When she leaves the group, Ein goes with her.
2 Vicious
A member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate and Spike’s rival/former ally. Vicious is a sadistic, cold, and ambitious man that isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to get what he wants. Some fans consider him a dark version of Spike. He does have some sociopathic traits, preferring to be alone and doesn’t feel anything when he kills someone, even his own subordinates. When he found out about Spike trying to leave the syndicate for Julia, Vicious threatened her and told her to kill him and live, or he’ll kill both of them.
Not much is known about Vicious’ past. He and Spike trained under the same guy who was the leader of the syndicate. Vicious was a veteran of the Titan War and testified against fellow soldier Gren, who was accused of being a spy.
1 Julia
A woman that’s at the center of Spike’s world. Julia was an affiliate of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate. It is implied she and Vicious had a relationship in the 2060s, but not much is known about it. She and Spike started a relationship in 2068. This would lead to Spike wanting to leave and elope with her, but Vicious threatened her. Julia decided not to meet up with Spike and went on the run.
Other than this, not much is known about her and her past. She loved Spike and wanted a life with him, but knew it wasn’t possible with Vicious after them. She appears in flashbacks throughout the series and shows up for the final two episodes.