What makes Cowboy Bebop one of the best anime from the '90s is the fact that it is a perfect blend of action, comedy, and drama. The opening and ending songs of this sci-fi series illustrate its extreme dynamics; it's upbeat and thrilling at first, yet it concludes on a more somber note.
While a good portion of the story focuses on the excitement of bounty hunting, there are also episodes that highlight the tragic elements of the world that the Bebop crew lives in. Some heartbreaking moments center on the pasts of the team themselves, while other episodes have viewers feeling sorrow for either a bounty mark or a doomed associate.
Asteroid Blues
The very first episode, "Asteroid Blues," gives viewers a glimpse of the sad undertone behind all of Cowboy Bebop's gunfights and space battles. The initial Bebop crew, Spike and Jet, go after a target who has stolen a load of an illegal substance known as Bloody Eye.
During the mission, Spike connects with the target's girlfriend whose dream is to start a new life on Mars. Unfortunately, she is killed with her boyfriend in a police chase. This event has an obvious effect on Spike and the audience.
Sympathy For The Devil
While hunting for a bounty in "Sympathy for the Devil," Spike comes across a mysterious young boy named Wen. It turns out that after being caught in a massive Astral Gate explosion, Wen stopped aging and is actually in his sixties.
When he tries to kill Spike, the bounty hunter shoots him with a bullet made of material that ends his immortality. While Wen has left a trail of bodies in his wake, the viewers follow the prompt of the episode's title and feel sympathy for him as he finally finds peace.
Ganymede Elegy
"Ganymede Elegy" focuses on developing the character arc of Cowboy Bebop's Jet, the grizzled captain of the Bebop. When the crew heads to his home of Ganymede for business, he runs into his ex-girlfriend Alisa, who abruptly left him years ago.
As they reminisce, he learns that she left because she felt that she had no independence in their relationship and wanted to live her own life. There is always a feeling of heartache when a relationship isn't able to work out, no matter how much the people involved care for each other.
Ballad Of Fallen Angels
"Ballad of Fallen Angels" is the first revelation of Spike's dark history to the viewers. When his former boss Mao is killed by his former friend Vicious, Spike ignores Jet's advice to let it go and seeks out Vicious in order to avenge this murder.
Of course, this is a trap, and the ensuing fight between the former comrades is epic. Fans watching also feel a sense of regret from Spike, both for coming to this conclusion with someone he once trusted and not being able to stay with his love, Julia.
Brain Scratch
"Brain Scratch" touches upon the sensitive subject of cults and the destructive effect they can have. When the leader of a movement to digitize the human mind comes up as a bounty, the crew goes on the hunt for his true identity.
They are shocked to find out that he is actually a young man in a comatose state who can only communicate through a computer program. It is gutwrenching to hear the young man wailing about the unfairness of his situation as Ed shuts his program down.
Waltz For Venus
The "Waltz for Venus" episode tells the tragic story of Rocco, a small-time gangster with a heart of gold. When his sister goes blind as the result of an illness, Rocco turns to a life of crime in order to obtain a plant that can cure her.
This struggle to help someone he loves, along with his friendly attitude, touches upon the empathy of Spike and fans alike and all hearts are broken when Rocco is killed in a gang fight.
Jupiter Jazz Part II
The second episode of a two-part story, "Jupiter Jazz Part II" concludes a deeper exploration of Spike's past with the villain Vicious and the mysterious Julia. In an attempt to hunt down Vicious and possibly find Julia again, Spike tracks war veteran Gren as he stages a drug deal with the syndicate boss.
Gren is fatally injured saving Spike after the deal goes south and requests to go off in his ship in an attempt to see his home one last time. Both Gren's fate and Spike's failure to find his love are heartbreaking for viewers to witness.
Hard Luck Woman
While there is no tragic death in the episode, "Hard Luck Woman" is where fans have to say a painful goodbye to a member of the Bebop crew. Arriving on the now less habitable Earth, the female crew members Ed and Faye try to find information on Faye's elusive past.
Instead, they end up finding Ed's absent father, and Ed decides to stay on Earth. Not only is this a departure of a beloved character, the audience feels Faye's sadness in realizing that parts of her past may be gone forever.
Speak Like A Child
The episode "Speak Like a Child" gives both viewers and the Bebop team a glimpse of Faye's forgotten life on Earth—one of the Cowboy Bebop anime's hidden details from a past episode is that Faye was in cryostasis and is actually in her seventies.
A cassette arrives in the mail for her, and the crew goes searching for a player to view it on. Once they are able to watch, they see a younger Faye enjoying life and encouraging her future self. Because she cannot remember this happier time, Faye is left in tears, and so are many fans.
The Real Folk Blues Part II
Every story has to have an ending, and the second part of "The Real Folk Blues" is the end for Cowboy Bebop. Spike briefly reunites with Julia, only for her to be shot and die in his arms.
Despite Faye begging him not to go, Spike heads off for a final showdown with Vicious that he will not return from. Fans feel nothing but heartbreak in this final episode, from Julia's death and Spike's ultimate doom to Faye's desperate attempt to stop the inevitable and the unforgettable quote in the last shot of the Cowboy Bebop anime.