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Spike Spiegel (スパイク・スピーゲル Supaiku Supīgeru?) is the protagonist of
the anime and manga series Cowboy Bebop. He won first place
in the male character category of the Anime Grand Prix in 1998 and 1999.
Background
Spike is a fictional bounty hunter who was born on Mars, June 26, 2044.
According to the anime guides, he is 27 years old and has fluffy dark-green hair
and brown eyes; one of which is artificial and lighter than the other. His right
eye was surgically replaced with a cybernetic one. He is usually dressed in a
blue leisure suit, with a yellow shirt and boots similar to those worn by Arsène
Lupin III. Spike often smokes cigarettes, despite rain or “no smoking” signs.
He stands 6'1" and weighs 155 lbs.
Spike makes use of sleight of hand techniques to win card games, pickpocket, and
slip things onto other people unnoticed. He is also shown to sneak up on enemies
through disguise or quiet movement. He is proficient with weaponry (such as his
personal Jericho 941 as well as other guns and explosives) and hand-to-hand
combat skills. He is a skilled martial artist and a practitioner of Jeet Kune Do.
Spike is also a pilot and flies a converted Asteroid racer called Swordfish II,
which is armed with four machine guns, missile pylons, and a plasma cannon.
When he is shown not working, Spike is very laid back, sarcastic, and lively to
the dismay of his crew mates. He is typically found either resting on the couch
or reading a magazine. Spike's philosophy seems to be based on the ancient
samurai ideals of immediacy, such as considering oneself as dead and the idea of
death as being an awakening from a dream, which are both elements of bushidō
illustrated in the Hagakure. His listed dislikes include children, pets, and
women with attitude.
Series director Shinichirō Watanabe has said that Spike has a habit of being
very indirect with his emotions; for example, he may behave antagonistically
towards someone he actually likes. He says that this could apply to Spike's
relationship with Faye.
History
Spike was a rising member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, where he worked
with his then partner, Vicious. Both were mentored by Mao Yenrai. Badly injured
after a shoot-out in the slums on Mars, Spike stumbled to Julia’s home, who at
that time was Vicious’ girlfriend. The pair fell in love while she nursed him
back to health. It was during this time that Spike decided to leave the
Syndicate with Julia.
Vicious, upon discovering this, threatened that Julia would face death for her
betrayal should she go through with the plan and revealed that he intended to
kill Spike for his treachery to both him and the Syndicate. In response, Spike
managed to fake his own death by engaging in a gunfight alone in a church
against unidentified opponents, which allowed Red Dragon to forget about him. He
waited for Julia at a predetermined rendezvous point so they could escape and be
free but she never arrived.
Some time after his faked death, Spike met the former ISSP cop turned bounty
hunter Jet Black, and became partners. Spike moved onto Jet’s ship, the Bebop,
and the two men worked together for three years before the other crew members
joined.
Throughout the series hints and flashbacks of Spike’s past are revealed. He
comes face to face with Vicious once more in the fifth episode, when Vicious
lures Spike out of hiding by assassinating Mao Yenrai and kidnapping Faye. They
duel each other, but survive the encounter. They meet a second time on Callisto
during a botched drug transaction, but Vicious manages to escape.
In the final episode, Spike and Julia reunite and continue their plans to escape
the Red Dragons. They fight their way out, but Julia is shot and killed. Spike
returns to the Bebop for a meal with Jet, and the two share a moment of
understanding as Spike relates his life’s situation to his partner. As he leaves
to settle the score with Vicious, he is confronted by Faye. He tells Faye the
story behind his cybernetic eye and the effect it had on his outlook on life.
Faye asks why Spike is leaving to throw away his life. Spike answers that he isn’t
leaving to die, but rather to see if he really is alive. He then departs to
confront the past he abandoned three years before. He storms the Red Dragon
headquarters, killing many of the members, and then he and Vicious confront each
other.
After a brief clash, Spike and Vicious exchange blows simultaneously, and
Vicious dies. Spike recalls Julia’s final words to him, “It’s all … a dream … ”
before descending the staircase, where he is confronted by the remainder of the
Red Dragons. Mimicking a gun with his fingers, Spike utters a final word, “***”,
smiles, and collapses.
Spike’s fate at the end of the series is left open-ended. It is implied that
Spike may have died from wounds sustained in his final duel with Vicious and the
Red Dragons (the collapse, the fading star, the angelic choir). However, in an
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.” He also stated
that he believes fans would be upset if there was a continuation.
Conception
Mecha designer Kimitoshi Yamane liked the English biplane torpedo-bomber Fairey
Swordfish; Yamane’s preferences lead to the naming of Spike Spiegel’s ship: the
Swordfish II. The II does not imply that Spike’s craft is a second generation
model.
Reception
Spike and Faye are often cited as the two most popular characters of the series,
and they figure centrally in most merchandise based on the franchise.
In its review of the series, Anime News Network praised Spike’s character,
saying, “Spike … in particular runs the gamut from goofy to blasé to teeth-gnashing
tough; he is one of [the] most three-dimensional anime leads in recent memory.”
AnimeOnDVD commented that in the movie, Spike was “much more appealing this time
around than through parts of the TV series”, and comparing him to Lupin III by
saying that “Spike’s way of dealing with things and reacting to situations, from
his movements to his facial expressions, are very reminiscent of Lupin’s that
each instance brings a smile to my face.” He was 4th in IGN's Top 25 Anime
Characters of All Time with writer Chris Mackenzie saying "Spike's a flashy,
funny, violent tough guy, and that's part of what makes him fun to watch".