There are someanimethat go on to reach classic status. Through diverse settings, amazing art styles, and incredible plots, these anime become more than just a bingeable TV show; they become gateways to the genre for new viewers.
One such classic anime is Cowboy Bebop. A sci-fi western epic that pulls from earlier anime tropes and makes new ones in nearly every episode, it can be easy to fall in love with this classic series. But, in the show’s short run, which episodes are the best of the best? It’s a tough choice, but some Bebop episodes just can’t be beat.
10Sympathy For The Devil
Episode Six
Cowboy Bebop isn’t afraid to experiment with various genres. It touches on humor, horror, and action every so often, but a deep dive into science fiction is exactly what you get in Sympathy For The Devil.
What starts as a simple adventure ends up being something full of intrigue, as a small boy isn’t actually what he seems. The connection to the history of the Cowboy Bebop universe, and the mixed bag of being immortal in a child’s body, is exactly the emotional draw and depth that makes the show unlike any other. This episode also features an ending that sticks in the mind for some time after the credits roll.
9Bohemian Rhapsody
Episode Fourteen
An episode that is more mystery than anything, Bohemian Rhapsody has everyone working to solve a series of robberies on space tollbooths. While the entire crew has a say in the plot of the episode, it’s Edward’s skills that take the limelight through much of the episode.
There are some great themes throughout this episode that make it stand out above the rest, like age and nostalgia. While the end is quite synonymous with passing the torch along, it shows the humanity of everyone involved and that even impoverished bounty hunters have a soft side.
8Jamming With Edward
Episode Nine
Easily one of the more humorous episodes in the show. Jamming With Edward introduces Ed as a new member of the crew, but not before giving everyone a sense of who they are and what skills they bring to the table.
Seeing Ed be the brilliant hacker that they are sets up a lot of the plot points later on in the series, plus there’s the added side-plot of the laser-prone satellite that just wants a friend. It’s an odd group of humor,unbelievable science fictionideas, and found family fuzzy feelings that balance out some of the darker moments in the show.
7Heavy Metal Queen
Episode Seven
Heavy Metal Queen has a little bit of everything, which helps it shine as one of the better episodes for its ability to balance all the facets and wrap up a story arc in a short amount of time.
Following the crew as they hunt down an odd man with plenty of high-power explosives, they get help from VT, the space trucker extraordinaire. This also stands out for being one of the episodes that references the show’s inspiration from music, both by the characters and in the episode’s own soundtrack. Cowboy Bebop is one of the few anime that has you worrying about a character’s safety in less than 20 minutes of them being introduced.
6Black Dog Serenade
Episode Sixteen
Each of the main characters has their own episode focused on their backstory that shows how far they’ve come and, in some ways, gives the character a new sense of closure by the end of the episode.
Black Dog Serenade is Jet’s backstory episode, and it’s a pretty tense one with the inclusion of Udai, a Syndicate member with whom Jet has a long and violent history. We see Jet at his most violent, but it is tempered with the age and maturity that comes with his new life, something that gives the viewer a greater appreciation for him as a character.
5Pierrot Le Fou
Episode Twenty
One of the few episodes that leans more into horror than others, Pierrot Le Fou is unique for introducing the episode’s antagonist first, and then having Spike interrupt this side-story as part of his own bounty-hunting mission. Through this, the viewer sees the power and mental detachment the titular enemy has.
Seeing Spike outgunned isn’t a fun experience, especially with them being such a capable fighter throughout most of the rest of the series. The deadly abilities and weaponry of Pierrot are instantly at odds with the bright light and joyous yet creepy setting of the amusement park, but the ending is bittersweet, as is so often the case,e as you learn more about the antagonists in the series.
4The Real Folk Blues
Episode Twenty-Five
The beginning of the end for the Cowboy Bebop series. The Real Folk Blues is a two-part episode that once again deals with Spike’s backstory at the Syndicate, his antagonist Vicious, and the mysterious Julia.
It’s an episode with a lot of weight behind it thatsets up the ending, and whether you’re ready for it or not, you know it will be quite the ride. The flashback scenes, Spike’s own story, the emotions behind it all, all of that mix to result in quite the memorable episode.
Episode Five
Cowboy Bebop superbly balances adrenaline-fueled action and the more complex emotions you get when fully developed characters interact with one another. Ballad of Fallen Angels is easily one of the best episodes in the show for its balance of these two facets.
One of the main appeals of this episode is the introduction of The Syndicate, Spike’s obscure backstory, and his nemesis, Vicious. The fight that follows is one of the most talked about in the series, with Spike barely getting out alive. It’s a heart-wrenching few minutes that set up the inevitable end to the entire show.
2The Real Folk Blues (Pt. 2)
Episode Twenty-Six
The final episode, The Real Folk Blues Part 2, is a culmination of everything Cowboy Bebop set up from the beginning. The whole crew works together, but Spike also goes it alone to finish a mission only he can solve. Vicious returns, as well as plenty of Spike’s old wounds from his time in The Syndicate.
It’s a bittersweet episode for many as it marks not only the end, but also because it has a very different emotional feel. The final scene, and even the final shot of Spike, is something that lives on in the minds of viewers long after the show is finally done. It’s a powerful episode, no matter how you look at it.
1Asteroid Blues
Episode One
The first episode in the series, Asteroid Blues, gets the prime spot in the best episodes of Cowboy Bebop for it having to do some heavy lifting, introducing not only two of the main cast, but also the world and overarching tone of the series too.
The episode’s plot is perfect Cowboy Bebop,mixed with action, intrigue, and a tinge of sadness to round it all out at the end. Not to mention, viewers get to see some of Spike’s great combat abilities and how he approaches people physically stronger than him in a fight. The added details of the futuristic Red-Eye drug in a world full of space crime make it one of the best episodes.
