Summary
Cowboy Bebopis well known for its incredible action sequences, and its characters certainly know how to kick some butt when they need to. One can’t help but wonder, though: who is the greatest fighter introduced inCowboy Bebop?
Cowboy Bebophas a pretty tight cast, and while most episodes feature some exciting action, this action doesn’t always come in the form of fight scenes. Almost everyone who appears in a major role in the series is a pretty well-seasoned fighter, and many of them, like Spike, are extremely talented pilots as well. Here are 10 of the strongest characters to have exchanged shots or blows within theCowboy Bebopanime’s universe.
10Julia Was Skilled Enough to Defend Herself
First Appearance: “The Real Folk Blues, Part 1”
Julia is Spike’s love interest, a woman who he thought had died a long time ago, but who reappears near the end of the series. Julia attempts to run away with Spike, but the pair are ambushed when they attempt to visit their old contact, Annie, who had already been shot.Spike and Julia manage to fighttheir way out of the building, andJulia performs impressively in battle, maintaining her calm and taking out foes. Unfortunately, she’s hit by an opportunistic shot from one of the thugs, and is killed.
Julia seems to have held a fairly high rank within the Syndicate back during her and Spike’s time there, which further cements the idea that she was not a woman to be messed with.
9Lin Was Vicious’s Bodyguard
First Appearance: “Jupiter Jazz, Part 1”
Lin is a member of the Red Dragon Syndicate and worked as Vicious' bodyguard during the attempted deal for Red Eye on Jupiter’s moon of Callisto. In the past, when Spike was a member of the Syndicate, the two had worked together, and while Lin was surprised to see Spike again, he kept business first, and protected Vicious from Spike’s attacks,even managing to shoot Spike with a tranquilizer dartand leaving him helpless. That makes him one of the few characters to get the drop on Spike in the entire series.
Lin is ultimately killed by Gren, who they were there to meet and make the deal with. He’s first injured in an explosion that was meant to kill Gren, and then dies by using his body to shield Vicious from Gren’s attacks, marking him as a loyal follower of the Red Dragons to the end.
8Shin Defected to Help Spike
Shin is the younger brother of Lin, and similarly served with Spike as part of the Red Dragon Syndicate before Spike disappeared. When Shin learns that the Syndicate is going to wipe out everyone even associated with Vicious, he decides to give Julia, and by extension Spike, a heads-up, which may ultimately have saved Spike’s life.When Spike came to kill Vicious and attacked the Red Dragon’s headquarters, Shin decided to change sides and help Spike. While he didn’t last too long, he fought bravely, and led Spike to the elevators which would take him up to Vicious.
Shin proved that there was still some honor left among certain members of the Syndicate, and without his help, Spike may never have been able to make his way to Vicious in the first place.
7Gren Came Prepared for Vengeance
Gren was another former associate of Vicious, someone who fought alongside him in a war on Saturn’s moon of Titan. Gren was no longer much of a warrior, instead now playing the saxophone on Callisto at a bar known as the Blue Crow. He proved he was more than meets the eye when he helped protect Faye from a roving gang that she had attracted, fighting with nothing but his saxophone case. Later, Gren is revealed to be meeting Vicious, andGren intended to get revengeafter Julia revealed he was being spied upon.Gren proved he still had excellent aim, shooting the suitcase of money and triggering a bomb inside.
While Gren didn’t exactly get his revenge, he did successfully take down Lin, Vicious’s bodyguard, and destroyed the drugs Vicious came to get, leaving him empty-handed.
6Asimov Solensan Is Incredibly Dangerous
First Appearance: “Asteroid Blues”
Asimov Solensan was a dealer in Red Eye, an illegal drug which can turn just about anyone into a rampaging monster. Asimov is a big man, able to manhandle Spike with relative ease.Asimov wasn’t afraid to dip into his own supply, using Red Eye to enhance his reflexes and strength, which made him an extremely dangerous bounty head to go after. Asimov was also insanely jealous, attacking Spike simply for speaking to his wife, Katerina. Asimov was also a decent pilot, able to fly his escape craft up into orbit while being pursued by Spike and the police.
Asimov was killed by his own wife when it became apparent to her that their plan to run away was never going to work out, and the Red Eye made him into an unbearable figure to be around.
5Faye Knew How to Hold Her Own
First Appearance: “Honky Tonk Women”
Faye Valentineis a woman who’s determined to take care of herself, no matter the cost. She’s a fairly skilled pilot and a pretty good shot to boot, ensuring she can stay safe in just about any situation she might find herself in.During “Jupiter Jazz,” Faye attempts to fight an entire gang of men who’ve been following her singlehandedly, and seems excited at the prospect of “blowing off some steam,” suggesting that she really does enjoy fighting on some level. While Faye does end up getting captured at one point, it’s not because she failed to defend herself, but because she walked into a trap.
Faye is an action woman through and through, and while she often laments a lack of the finer things in life, the fact of the matter is she wouldn’t fit into high-class society anyway.
4Jet is Better In a Fistfight
Jet Black is Spike’s partner aboard theBebopand a former cop who worked for the ISSP, or “Inter-Solar System Police.” Despite his appearance, Jet is surprisingly young, only around 36 years old. As a cop, Jet was known as “the Black Dog,” because when he was on the trail of a case he would never stop pursuing it until the end.While Jet expertly knows how to use a gun, he’s more often seen using his physical strength to dominate opponents.Jet’s mechanical armcertainly helps enhance the threat of his punches.
Jet is also a fairly skilled pilot, although his preferred ship, the Hammer Head, doesn’t really have weapons. Instead, it’s a towing vessel equipped with a harpoon-like line that allows it to pull other ships, which can be used offensively in a pinch.
First Appearance: “Pierrot le Fou”
The Mad Pierrot, also known by his true name of Tongpu, was a person who was experimented upon in an attempt to create a super-soldier. Pierrot escaped from the facility and killed a number of people, eventually crossing paths with Spike. It becomes incredibly obvious that the attempts at creating a super soldier were a success, asPierrot had superhuman levels of strength and speed, as well as the ability to float around. Pierrot also possesses an energy shield which is powerful enough to block bullets, making it extremely difficult to actually harm him.
In a fight that Spike worried he might lose, Pierrot withstood almost everything Spike had to throw at him, and even shot down Faye’s spacecraft. Pierrot eventually died after being hit by a throwing knife, which caused him to erupt into tears and roll around until a dog robot stepped on him and killed him.
2Vicious Lives Up to His Name
Vicious is a high-ranking member of the Red Dragon Syndicate and former associate of Spike and Julia.While Vicious is adept at both piloting and using firearms, his preferred weapon is a katana, which he carries with him at all times.Vicious is a cruel manwho uses and disposes of people when they’re no longer of use to him. Part-way through the series, Vicious launches a coup and takes over the Syndicate, gaining control of its members to act as his pawns and kill Spike and Julia.
Vicious fights Spike on two occasions, with the first being his debut appearance, where he nearly kills Spike by throwing him through a stained glass window. While Vicious doesn’t fare so well in their second showdown, it’s obvious that Vicious is a deadly opponent who could take out almost anyone who comes at him.
1Spike is Cowboy Bebop’s Greatest Fighter
Spike Spiegel is, of course, the main protagonist ofCowboy Bebop.Spike is an exceptionally skilled fighter in just about every way one can be.He’s an excellent shot with a gun, able to use all manner of firearms and even grenades with proficiency. Spike is also a well-trained martial artist, specializing in using an opponent’s momentum against them. Spike’s piloting skills are second to none, and his ship the Swordfish II is equipped with a massive plasma cannon, allowing it to deal serious damage to enemies he might encounter in space.
Spike wins the overwhelming majorityof fights that he gets into, although it’s not always an easy victory. Spike’s quick thinking and incredible skill in multiple combat disciplines make him an exceptional threat, and a shoe-in for the strongest character inCowboy Bebop.
Cowboy Bebop
Cast
Cowboy Bebop is a 1998 animated series set in 2071, where humanity has colonized the Solar System following a catastrophic event. As crime surges, bounty hunters known as “Cowboys” are employed by the Inter Solar System Police to capture criminals in exchange for rewards.
