The fate of Spike Spiegel remains heart-wrenchingly open-ended in the series finale of This genre-defining anime series is set to receive a live-action adaptation by Netflix, with John Cho assuming the titular role of Spike.
A blend of science-fiction, Western, slapstick comedy, and film noir, Cowboy Bebop is set in the future, in which the Earth is rendered inhabitable, spurring the human race to colonize the solar system. The ending of Cowboy Bebop features one of the most anticipated duels between Spike and Vicious, which ends with the latter’s death, putting an end to years of rivalry between the two. After Julia’s death, Spike managed to break into the base of the Red Dragon and slay many of its , causing him to receive injuries even before his final confrontation with Vicious. Although Spike shoots Vicious in the chest, he gets sliced across the abdomen with the katana, exacerbating the extent of his injuries. This is when the camera zooms into his right eye, which represents the present, in which the audience sees a reflection of Julia. Is it possible that Spike willingly surrenders himself to death, now that Julia is no more?
Julia’s final words, “it’s all a dream”, resonates in an especially poignant manner when juxtaposed against Spike collapsing on the ground, before uttering the iconic “Bang!” - a phrase tinged with bittersweetness. Spike’s utterance might be a callback to Wen’s death in session 6, “Sympathy for the Devil”, where the latter asks him whether he understands the relief that accompanies death, to which Spike had answered, “as if”. As Spike’s final words do not come accompanied by denial, it is most likely that he embraces death with open arms, even relieved to be shed of the burden of existence.
While logical evidence and visual cues point towards the fact that Spike most likely dies at the end of Cowboy Bebop, series creator Shinichirō Watanabe never actually confirmed the character’s death. In a 2006 interview, Watanabe stated: “I’ve never officially said that he died. At this point, I can tell you that I’m not sure if he’s alive or dead.”
It is also interesting to note that as Spike’s body hits the floor, white doves are shown flying over him, mirroring the doves that flew by Julia when she was fatally shot. While Watanabe neither confirms nor denies Spike’s death, these visual cues point towards the fact that he does, indeed, die at the end of Cowboy Bebop. On the other hand, Spike might have survived his wounds and bounced back - nevertheless, it surely marks the end of an era for Spike, as he loses the woman he loves and avenges her death. However, life after this would essentially lose meaning, especially for someone as intensely existential and nostalgic as Spike Spiegel. Either way, it is a heartbreaking final moment for everyone’s beloved Space Cowboy.