Updated May 12, 2024 by testing
Hey guys, how are you doing? I hope you are all doing great. I have missed you guys a lot, you know. I miss talking to you all about some of the best anime out there. Today, I have something amazing for you. We are going to be taking a look at an old anime called Cowboy Bebop. Have you watched this amazing anime before? Please tell me you have. If you have not, then I promise you that you are missing a lot.
Don’t worry if you have not watched it, you know I’ve always got your back. Like all anime, it might be quite difficult following the series in the proper chronological order, but that is where I come in. This time, I will show you guys the proper path to watch the anime to get the best storyline.
This anime has its own unique way of telling its story that is completely different from other anime and this is one of the things that has made its fan base grow over the years. Before we begin, I believe it is necessary to provide you with a basic overview of Cowboy Bebop.
Cowboy Bebop Release Order
Ok, guys! Let’s talk about the release order of this anime, like I said before this anime released one animated series, one movie, and one live-action series, and here they are listed below according to when they were released.
- Cowboy Bebop: Anime Series (1998)
- Cowboy Bebop: Yose Atsume Blues (1998)
- Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
- Cowboy Bebop: Ein’s Summer Vacation (2012)
In order to talk more about each release I would have to break them up into different sections in this article, are you ready? If you said yes then let’s get into it.
Cowboy Bebop Chronological Watch Order
- Cowboy Bebop: Anime Series (Episode 1 – Episode 13)
- Cowboy Bebop: Yose Atsume Blues
- Cowboy Bebop: Anime Series (Episode 14 – Episode 22)
- Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
- Cowboy Bebop: Anime Series (Episode 23 – Episode 26)
- Cowboy Bebop: Ein’s Summer Vacation
Movie release order
First off, we start with the movie release order, so as you know already only one movie was released for this anime. And that movie is titled Cowboy Bebop: The Movie.
In the movie, the scene is set in the year 2071, we follow the arrogant main character, bounty hunter Spike Spiegel and his crew, onboard Bebop’s spaceship, who arrive on Mars in search of a hefty cash reward.
Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and Edward are among the four members of the four-person group, which includes Vincent, an ex-military soldier.
Vincent is being forced to comply with some demands, he will transform into a biological terrorist with a massive arsenal of nanobots.
Comprehensive Cowboy Bebop Watch Order
Well, we are here to get on with the watch order of the anime franchise that didn’t release much. This should be easy but I want to give you guys some context so that you can at least imagine what the anime is like. So I’ll be giving you some info about each episode in the anime series.
Episode 1
The first episode came out as a banger, we follow the main character who is a bounty hunter, his name is Spike Spiegel. We follow him and his companion, Jet Black, and they travel all the way to Tijuana in search of Asimov Solensan who has a bounty on his head.
Spike is not the only one looking for him. The FBI is also looking for Asimov due to the fact that he murdered members of his crime gang and he also stole a lethal battle drug called Bloody-Eye.
We move to another scene where we see Asimov trying to sell the Bloody-Eye with his girlfriend, Katerina, by his side, when he was confronted by some of the people from his old gang who wanted revenge.
Asimov used the Bloody-Eye on himself in order for him to escape from his old gang. Meanwhile, Katerina ends up getting approached by Spike who tells her that he is there for the bounty on Asimov’s head.
But Asimov catches Spike and attacks him from the looks of it. I think Spike would have died if Katherina did not intervene. But Spike being the foxy person he is, was able to swipe some Bloody-Eye bottle from Asimov during the commotion. So, he then plans a false drug trade so that he would be able to confront Asimov. After being apprehended by the syndicate, Asimov and Katerina try to run away in a ship.
Asimov drinks another dose of Bloody-Eye as he is being chased down by Spike in his ship, as they drive towards a barrier made by the police. Katerina believes they would not escape since Spike was approaching their ship and so, she kills Asimov with a shot from her gun. Spike sees the scene as he approaches Asimov’s ship, but he ends up leaving the scene when the police spacecraft attack it.
Episode 2
In episode two, due to a bounty, Spike heads to Mars with his companion Jet to find Abdul Hakim who is wanted due to the fact that he stole some lab animals and he used them for crazy things. To avoid getting caught, Hakim underwent plastic surgery to change his face.
Hakim’s briefcase, which contained the animal, is stolen by a bartender. Spike ends up finding the thief at an animal store while he was trying to sell the animal. He approaches him at gunpoint, this is due to some confusion as he thought he was Hakim.
A Welsh Corgi, a small species of herding dog, is also included in the case. Spike walks out of the store. Hakim makes an attempt to reclaim the dog, but the dog ends up escaping.
Spike steals Hakim’s dog, but he ends up losing it. Luckily, Jet had planted a tracker on the dog’s collar, so he can track Hakim’s activities once he gets the dog back. To find Hakim, the dog ends up getting walked by Spike. Meanwhile, some scientists try to identify their “data dog,” by using a dog whistle to find it.
All of the dogs, even the corgis, are following the scientists’ truck, and Hakim notices this. Hakim steals a car and pursues them, followed by Spike. The dog successfully opens the car door and escapes, Spike and Hakim decide to work together in order to catch the dog with his ship. The scientists use a stick to get Hakim and his truck to lose control in order to shoot him.
They end up hitting a bridge and crashing into a station, where they are apprehended. Big Shot, a bounty hunter program, announces Hakim’s surrender and reveals additional details on the “data dog,” which is genetically modified. To Spike’s disapproval, Jet brings the dog, whom he names Ein, to the Bebop.
Episode 3
In episode three, Ein becomes a new pet for the crew of the Bebop. Faye Valentine is a wanted fugitive with a mountain of debt on her shoulders. Faye is forced to act as a go-between for an unlawful transaction that occurred at a space station casino.
Episode 4
In this episode, we follow Faye as she finds a mysterious briefcase aboard a spaceship after she has spent all of her money gambling. Twinkle Maria Murdoch of the Space Warriors meets Spike and Jet. They are an eco-terrorist organization with a biological weapon that turns humans into apes.
The Ganymede government cancels the bounty and forces the Bebop crew members to release her after Murdoch’s supporters threaten to release the virus onto Ganymede, which is densely populated. After backing off on their deal and launching the virus, Spike and Faye pursue Murdoch and her crew through the hyperspace vortex.
Two of the three virus-carrying rockets are shot down, while the third is missed. The Ganymede government responds by shutting down the space gate and trapping the missile in hyperspace. Spike and Faye are able to get through the gate in time, but Murdoch and her associates remain stranded.
Faye discovered a virus container in her suitcase, which she later discovered and placed into Murdoch’s pocket through Spike. Faye decides to stay on the Bebop alongside Spike and Jet now that the reward has been taken.
Episode 5
Spike is approached by an old nemesis named Vicious while attempting to track down a Red Dragon crime syndicate CEO for a bounty in this episode.
Episode 6
Spike and Jet are matched up against a fearsome enemy who is over eight years old but still has the appearance of a young child in this episode.
Episode 7
Decker is a bounty hunter that holds a lot of explosives.He is being pursued by the Bebop team in episode seven. While recovering from being hungover at a diner, Spike meets V.T, a cargo truck pilot. The pilot hates bounty hunters, but he sees himself helping one of them out.
Episode 8
In episode eight, we see the team pursuing a Venusian mob, we see Spike meet Rocco Bonnaro, who is fleeing Rocco’s group after stealing a valuable item and valuable plant. He hopes to sell this prized plant to help his sister afford her eye operation.
Episode 9
The Bebop team enlists the help of “Radical Edward,” an elite computer hacker, to track down the bounty hunter responsible for crashing a hacked laser satellite into the Earth’s surface.
Episode 10
In this episode, the Bebop lands in Ganymede, guess who is a little more reticent than usual, Jet is. This is his final work before he leaves the ISSP and Alisa’s home, someone he’s never been able to forgive.
Jet picks up some tips from an old pal which says that Alisa’s new boyfriend, Celonias Rhint, has a high price on his head. What will he do?
Episode 11
A deadly fluid infiltrates Bebop, knocking out the Bebop crew. It’s up to both Ed and Spike to discover how to stop it and where it came from.
Episode 12
Before leaving with the Bop for Callisto, Faye secures the crew’s wellbeing. Jet is trailing her, Spike, on the other hand, is still looking for Julia. This results in a new brawl involving Vicious as well as himself.
Episode 13
In this episode, Gren lends a hand to Faye, a man who hates Vicious a lot. Faye is drawn to Vicious’ story and chooses to follow him. When Gren and Spike arrive, meeting Vicious at the very same moment, a three-way battle ensues.
Episode 14
The Bebop team is on the lookout for Chessmaster Hex in this episode. Hex is accused of orchestrating a series of crimes at toll gates near the hyperspace gateways.
They uncover crucial data about a gate incident that happened fifty years ago while seeking information on their target.
Episode 15
In episode 15, Faye runs across an old flame and learns the facts about her big debt.
Episode 16
In episode sixteen, an ISSP penitentiary ship is overthrown by inmates due to a mechanical malfunction, Udai Taxi, a Syndicate assassin, is the one commanding the inmates. Jet’s former partner, Fad, recruits him so that he can assist with the rescue mission.
Episode 17
The Bebop is out of fuel, food, and they are all starving. Ed is dispatched to go buy some food with Ein. A bounty hunter named Domino Walker is accompanying her and helping her search for magic mushrooms.
Episode 18
A parcel arrives on Faye’s Bebop, she is a loser when it comes to sports betting. It’s got an old Betamax cassette in it. Spike, as well as Jet, are on the look for the right item or device to examine the information in it.
Faye realizes that the cassette is a memento recording of her recollections prior to her amnesia. But she does not recognize herself.
Episode 19
Spike brings his mono-racer in for maintenance, while Jet and Faye fight a group of pirates who terrorize cargo ships with computer malware.
Episode 20
After accidentally witnessing the killer in action, Crazed Pierrot follows Spike thinking he is a mad and unbeatable assassin.
Episode 21
This episode focuses on Jet, who is inspired by a strange email and sets out to find an old acquaintance. Jet ends up, only discovering his grave after his friend had vanished under strange situations.
Jet is enlisted by Mei-Fa, who seems to be a feng shui expert, to help them locate a “sunstone” that will lead them to their father’s location.
Episode 22
In this episode, the “Teddy Bomber“, is a criminal who uses a teddy bear to conceal bombs in order to bring down high-rise buildings. He is protesting humanity’s abuses. Spike wants to stop him, but is continually stopped by another bounty hunter, “Cowboy Andy.”
Spike and Cowboy Andy possess similar characteristics but they won’t believe it.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Now, after watching the anime from episodes one to twenty-two, the next thing to do is watch their movie. I have given more details about the movie in the movie release order section above, so in case you missed it, you can still check it out.
Episode 23
In this episode, Faye goes undercover without telling anyone to steal Dr. Londes’ leader SCRATCH’s bounty. While Spike searches for Londes, Jet and Ed try to locate her.
Episode 24
In this episode, Ed sets up a fake bounty on her father hoping that Spike, alongside Jet, will go out to find him out.
They did end up finding him and finally Ed and her father were united but the happy reunion did not last that long.
The particular reason for that circumstances was because after a short while, Ed and her father parted ways in order for her father to continue his career. Ed and Ein decide to leave the gang.
Episode 25
In this episode, Julia gets back to her condo on Mars to hear a message but it is a warning that she’s still in danger and as such the Red Dragon gang syndicate’s elders are preparing to strike. So she gets herself ready.
We also see that Faye follows Julia but just for a short moment because she wanted to help her escape from Red Dragon’s hit squad. At a point in the episode we see Faye and Juila getting chased by the red dragon gang.
At a point we see that they try to run away form the Red Dragon thugs, Faye rushes into Julia’s car and protects her. Faye then blasts off the tires of a second Red Dragon vehicle, allowing the both of them to escape successfully.
Don’t worry, in the end we see Julia and Spike getting back together after a long while.
Episode 26
Vicious proclaims to be the Syndicate’s leader. Spike and Julia, the both of them want to get away from that part of their life. However, Spike’s drive for vengeance persists. As a result, the syndicate and Vicious have a final encounter. Want to know how it will turn out? Go watch the anime.
Cowboy Bebop Specials Watch Order
Now guys let’s take a look at some of the special releases that came out from this amazing franchise.
1. Cowboy Bebop: Yose Atsume Blues (1998)
So apparently the reason why this special episode was released was due to a particular reason or event. Basically, the reason was because of the violent scenes shown in the anime, the Cowboy Bebop series which is said to have led to the increase in violent acts in schools in Japan.
Did you know? At a point in time, the series Cowboy Bebop was cancelled but luckily for a short period. So due to this, an extra episode was created after the thirteenth episode in the anime series which was referred to as “Session XX: Mish-Mash Blues.”
This special episode is a compilation of various clips from the previous episodes which had aired; it was released on the year 1998, the 26th of June, on televisions in Tokyo.
Note that if you purchase the cowboy Bebop DVD, you won’t see this special episode in it.
2. Cowboy Bebop: Ein no Natsuyasumi (2012)
Do you guys recall me talking about a dog amongst the Cowboy Bebop Crew? You know, the one that appeared from episode 2, where a “data dog” was stolen from a lab. Basically I am talking about “The Welsh Corgi”.
Well, this special episode is about the Welsh Corgi, this episode follows the dream of a dog, in this case, a Corgi. We see him feeling stressed after all the differences he and his crew have been into.
So we see him imagining himself being involved in activities like water sports with Edward within a barrier reef while having a fruity drink on the beach.
I would say that this dog does have some nice imaginations, don’t you think? I mean, he does deserve it and that includes all the Bebop crew. They have been through a lot. Would you not agree?
I wouldn’t mind having some tropical drinks right now if I do say so myself.
Overview of Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop has a movie and just one season of about twenty-six episodes. Would there be a season two for the anime? Who knows.
Secondly, the first broadcast of this anime took place in the year 1998, and since then, this sci-fi masterpiece has gained a large or huge amount of fans.
Conclusion
We have come to the end of the article guys and to sum up everything that has been stated so far, I will just say that you should make sure you watch all the episodes one after the other and don’t skip any of them.
And the particular reason I am telling you this is due to the fact that each episode is a continuation of the previous episodes. If you follow the watch order that I listed, then you are good to go, don’t skip the movie too unless you want to break the flow of the storyline.
I wish there were more Cowboy bebop series, I do love the anime and I bet you would too after watching it. So what are you waiting for?
