Spike Spiegel (スパイク・スピーゲル Supaiku Supīgeru?) (born June 26, 2044) is a tall, lean, and slightly muscular 27-year-old bounty hunter born on Mars with a history of violent activity seen through flashbacks and dialogue with the Red Dragon Syndicate. He is often depicted with a cavalier attitude, but frequently shows signs of compassion when dealing with strangers. Spike is voiced by Koichi Yamadera in the Japanese version of the anime, while Steven Blum voices him in the anime's English dub.
Jet Black (ジェット・ブラック Jetto Burakku?) is a 36-year-old former cop from Ganymede (a Jovian satellite) and acts as Spike's foil during the series. Jet is voiced byUnshō Ishizuka in the Japanese version of the anime, while Beau Billingslea voices him in the English dub. Physically, Jet is very tall with a muscular build. He wears a beard with no mustache, and is completely bald save for the back of his head. Spike acts lazy and uninterested, whereas Jet is hard working and a jack-of-all-trades. Jet was once an investigator in the Intra Solar System Police (ISSP) for many years until he lost his arm in an investigation that went awry when his corrupt partner (and friend at the time) betrayed him. His arm was replaced with a cybernetic limb—an operation later revealed to be by choice. As biological replacements were possible, he wanted the fake arm as a reminder of the consequences of his actions. His loss of limb coupled with the general corruption of the police force prompted Jet to quit the ISSP in disgust and become a freelance bounty hunter. Jet also considers himself something of arenaissance man: he cultivates bonsai trees, cooks, enjoys jazz/blues music (he named his ship the Bebop, referring to a type of jazz), especially Charlie Parker, and even has interest in Goethe. As a character, Jet is the quintessential oyaji or "dad" even though he often wishes people would view him as a more brotherly figure (so as not to seem old). Of the crew he shows the most obvious affection when dealing with Edward, most obviously shown when he tells her a story in Session 18; he is also shown attempting to (perhaps falsely) reassure himself after she and Faye leave the crew of the Bebop, hinting that his sometimes-stoic nature may be born of necessity rather than any real lack of emotion.
Faye Valentine (フェイ・ヴァレンタイン Fei Varentain?, born August 14, 1994) is one of the members of the bounty hunting crew in the anime series Cowboy Bebop. She is often seen with a cigarette and in a revealing outfit complete with bright yellow hot pants and a matching, revealing top (and, on occasion, a bikini). She sports violet hair, green eyes, and a voluptuous body. Although appearing to be no more than 23 years old, Faye is actually around 77 years old, having been put into cryogenic freeze after a space shuttle accident, wherein she spent fifty-four years in suspended animation. During the course of the series (set in 2071), Faye manages to cross paths with Spike and Jet twice before she finally makes herself at home aboard their ship the second time around, much to the consternation and disapproval of the two men, both of whom have their own reservations about women in general. Faye herself is brash, egotistical, and quite lazy, despite taking plenty of time to pamper and care for her own appearance. Faye has been arrested several times in the series, and has spent time in handcuffs on the ship. She, at times, expects the boys to take care of bounties for her, while she sits by idly to reap the benefits and eat all their food, which is another source of conflict.
Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV (エドワード・ウォン・ハウ・ペペル・チブルスキー4世 Edowādo Won Hau Peperu Chiburusukī Yonsei?, born January 1, 2058)[2] is the self-invented personal name of an elite hackerprodigy from Earth. Her birth name is Françoise Appledehli (フランソワーズ・アップルデリー Furansowāzu Appuruderī?). "Radical Edward" is a very strange, somewhat androgynous, teenage girl claiming to be around 13 years of age. Her mannerisms include walking around in her bare feet, performing strange postures, and her gangling walk. Ed could be considered a "free spirit;" she is fond of silly exclamations and childish rhymes, is easily distracted, has the habit of "drifting off" from reality...sometimes in mid-sentence, and is the show's primary source of physical humor. Ed's generally carefree attitude and energy act as a counterpoint to the more solemn and dark aspects of the show. Ed remains a part of the Bebop crew until the 24th session, when she, along with Ein, leaves the crew to reunite with her father.
Ein (アイン Ain?) is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi brought aboard the Bebop by Spike after a failed attempt to capture a bounty. His name is a pun on the Japanese word for "dog" (犬 inu) most likely is derived from "Einstein", after Albert Einstein, because of the extraordinary intelligence he possesses. Another possibility is that the name is the German translation of "one" in the meaning of him being considered a he or an it. It can also be interpreted that in Japanese, the way dogs bark is "wan" (ワン?, pronounced the same as "one") hence the name, "Ein".
Ein is referred to as a "data dog" by the scientists that created him and he often shows heightened awareness of events going on around him. Over the course of the series, Ein answers the telephone, steers a car, uses the SSW, plays shogi, and generally performs tasks that an average canine should not be able to accomplish. The extent of Ein's intelligence is hinted at in Session 23: "Brain Scratch" when the "Brain Dream" gaming device is placed on Ein's head; Ein quickly navigates the system and hacks into its operating system.