A series created by Sunrise in 1998.
The series takes place in the far off future where humanity have managed to colonize the stars after a warp gate malfunction destroyed Earth's moon and now rains pieces of debris around the planet. With humanity now so spread out, lawlessness is rampant across the solar system, which the intergalactic police force, the I.S.S.P., can only do so much about. As such, the act of bounty hunting has been re-established, with said hunters being dubbed "cowboys" as a result.
The series follows the crew of the Bebop - Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Radical Edward, and Team Pet Ein - as they get into misadventures across the stars, some comedic, some serious, while likewise dealing with ghosts from their pasts.
Known well for its stylish storytelling that covers a wide variety of genres and a fantastic soundtrack. The series has managed to span a small media franchise through its run.
Media
Anime
- Cowboy Bebop (1998): Original series, ran for 26 episodes. Especially well known in the west for its dub.
- Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door (2001): The movie of the anime, an Interquel set between episode 22 and 23 of the series. Depicts the crew tracking down a terrorist bomber with a large bounty but find themselves caught up in a Government Conspiracy. Known simply as Cowboy Bebop: The Movie in some countries due to the dub unable to get permission from the copyright holders to use the name of the song.
Manga
- Gained a tie-in manga around 1999-2000 depicting the crew in new adventures. Ran for three volumes and was published by Tokyopop in the west.
- Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star (1998): A series with an Alternate Continuity. The Bebop crew find themselves tangling with a syndicate boss known as Scorpion. Ran for two volumes, Tokyopop published this one as well.
Comic Book
- Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing (2022): A tie-in comic to the Netflix TV series released in by Titan Comics. It follows Spike, Jet and Faye after a man who can somehow change luck with an experimental vest. But of course they're not the only ones seeking him.
Literature
- Cowboy Bebop: A Syndicate Story: Red Planet Requiem: A prequel novel to the live-action TV series, detailing the backstory of Spike/Fearless and Vicious.
Live-Action TV
- Cowboy Bebop (2021): A live action adaptation for Netflix developed by Tomorrow Studios. Again another alternate continuity of the series. Ran for one season and 10 episodes.
Tabletop Games
- Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade (2019)
Video Games
- A PlayStation game under the same named released in 1998 by Bandai. A Star Fox-esqe shooter where you pilot Spike's mini-ship, the Swordfish, against enemy forces. Was never released outside of Japan.
- Cowboy Bebop: Serenade of Reminiscence (2005): A PlayStation 2 game once more by Bandai. This one is a beat-em-up/third person-shooter with an original story where you can play as Spike, Jet and Faye through the adventure. While a U.S release was intended, international ports were cancelled and once more the game was never released outside of Japan.
Crossover:
- Super Robot Wars T (2019): The series made a surprising appearance in the Humongous Mecha crossover Turn-Based Strategy game. While also not released in the West, does have an English-language version for easy importing.
