Cowboy Bebop is one of the most beloved anime shows of all time. Will it translate well into a live-action show via Netflix? It’s hard to say. Even if it fails to meet expectations, fans will always have the original to fall back on which has remained an icon in the industry for over two decades. Even fans not into anime can attest to how good it is.
Part of the reason why it might be so accessible could stem from the fact that of the 26 episodes, very few of them tie together. The more story-centered episodes about Spike’s mafia past are great, but so are the one-note episodes involving freaky mushrooms, digital chess masters, and teddy bear bombers. What are the best episodes that non-fans can jump into in order to get ready for the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop?
8 Gateway Shuffle
“Gateway Shuffle” centers around the gang stopping a bunch of animal rights terrorists. It’s a simple episode in its premise, but the execution is out of this world. It’s the perfect setup for one of the more action-heavy standalone episodes of the anime.
It’s still plenty goofy too thanks to the bumbling antics of the terrorists and seeing their leader, Twinkle Maria, becoming more and more unhinged. The ending has a nice karma payback that should teach anyone that terrorism is never the answer no matter how just the cause.
7 Sympathy For The Devil
Cowboy Bebop is full of sci-fi plot lines that could only exist in fiction. However, "Sympathy for the Devil" may be the most outlandish one of the bunch. It starts with the crew going after a bounty only to find this man isn’t the mastermind at all.
It’s a child. A child that has magical psychic powers as if he is possessed by the devil himself. Is he? Fans are still scratching their heads on whether these events took place or not. Was bringing on what could be conceived as magic a step too far?
6 Toys In The Attic
"Toys in the Attic" pays homage to the Alien franchise. As always, the gang is hungry. They decide to eat something stuck in the fridge but that turns out to be a bad idea. This thing comes to life and starts taking out the crew one by one.
By the end, Spike takes a flamethrower to this foody demon in order to finish it off for good. Does he and what exactly was it in the first place? It’s a great episode because it was a legitimately terrifying episode of Cowboy Bebop which is not set up as a horror anime at all.
5 Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is about the Bebop crew taking on a group of scammers. They capture a number of this gang only to find out their bounties are worthless without the leader. While everyone else is trying to track down this elusive criminal, Ed is gung-ho on playing chess.
It’s a sweet tale as Ed finally makes a friend whom they find to be a kindred spirit in a way. Ed doesn’t get many focused stories in the anime. There’s a sad ending to it, but the journey is worth the watch even if it might be a downer.
4 Mushroom Samba
"Mushroom Samba" is one of the funniest episodes of the anime. Once again the gang is broke and hungry which leads them crash landing on a desert planet. While everyone else works on finding food or repairing the ship, Ed takes Ein on a sightseeing trip.
This leads them to a criminal being hunted down by two rival bounty hunters. One is accused of kidnapping Ed and the other has an obsession with coffins. Plus there are some trippy mushroom daydreams. Good luck on not busting a gut on this episode.
3 Requiem For A Clown
"Requiem for a Clown" is almost as outlandish as "Sympathy for the Devil.” It also has a few uneasy horror vibes like "Toys in the Attic” thanks to the creepy clown villain and overall darker color pallet of this episode.
The anime begins with Spike being absolutely demolished by this laughing clown who cannot seem to die. Eventually, as always, Spike comes back from nearly dying and finishes off things for good. Why this villain is the way he is as well as his ending, is a bit tragic. It might make viewers feel a little sympathy toward this devilish clown.
2 Cowboy Funk
"Cowboy Funk" is another hilarious episode of the anime and might be a dark horse overall for the best standalone episode of Cowboy Bebop. It begins with Spike trying to stop a terrorist, Ted Bower, also known as the Teddy Bomber because he puts explosives in teddy bears.
As he’s about to haul him in, another bounty hunter appears on a horse, Andy, who mistakes Spike for the culprit. This then leads to the Ted escaping and this goes on throughout the whole episode. The best part of the episode is Ted not being able to explain why he’s doing what he’s doing because Spike and Andy keep fighting and interrupting his speeches.
1 Brain Scratch
"Brain Scratch" is a great episode to highlight for the anime because it has something vaguely to do with video games. There is a cult trying to recruit new members via a virtual reality headset.
The gaming references are fun but so are the random ads and TV specials broadcast throughout the episode. It’s kind of like the random TV episodes of Rick and Morty or maybe it’s fairer to say the creators borrowed from Cowboy Bebop. Either way "Brain Scratch" is a trippy episode.