T5W#327-Top 5 Coolest Spike Moments in Cowboy Bebop

Spike Spiegel.  He is one of the coolest characters in all of Anime, maybe even the coolest.  From his hair, to that fashionable suit, to his laidback personality to his proficiency in Bruce Lee’s own Jeet Kun Do, Spike is the guy we all wish we were in life…right down to the dark past with a beautiful woman and a bestie with a love for Samurai Swords.  Even if you don’t think Spike is the coolest bad ass around, one thing is certain: Cowboy Bebop does not work without him.  So, to close out this little Cowboy Bebop centric series of Top 5s before the Netflix series drops on Friday, let’s take a look at some of Spikes own greatest hits across all of Bebop (TV Series and Movie included).  These are my Top 5 Coolest Spike Moments in Cowboy Bebop.

 
#5-I Don’t Like this Setup Jet, Don’t like it at all (Session 6-Sympathy for the Devil)

One of the scariest adversaries Spike’s had to face off against, Wen is an old man trapped in the body of a child thanks to being affected by the Gate Disaster 50 years ago.  The kids become a full blown villain with ruthlessness and an immortality factor.  However, Spike gets his hands on a piece of rock that can do the old man in and in a true moment of cool, Spike stands his ground against the immortal menace, not even budging when one of three gun shots zings past his cheek.  It comes down to one shot, one opportunity.  Wen might be older than he looks, but he’s no marksman compared to Spike, who scores the kill shot dead center of the head.

 
#4-You Think I’m Vicious? (Session 12-Jupiter Jazz Part 1)

In search of his lost love, Julia, Spike travels to the moon of Callisto, against the wishes of Jet.  During his search, Spike finds himself the target of a gang of low lives.  Their mistake: thinking Spike is Vicious.  Just the mere mention of his old frenemys name sends Spike into a blind rage.  Ra’s Al Guhl once said in Batman Begins “You know how to fight six men. We can teach you how to engage six hundred.”  This is probably the most amount of guys we’ve ever seen Spike go up against by himself and it looks like he went to the school of the League of Shadows cause he lays them all out before clocking the leader good for calling Julia a not so nice name.  Pro Tip: Don’t call Spike “Vicious”…ever.
 

#3-How to Charm a Lady (The Movie)

Looking into a mysterious pharmaceutical company that might’ve had a hand in a bio attack on Mars, Spike poses as a Janitor but his disguise doesn’t get him far.  He’s spotted by the beautiful Elektra Ovilo, head of security.  Taking in how cute she looks, Spike engages Elektra in a one on one spar that’s both exciting and kind of sexy, particularly when Spike’s throwing around lines like, “I love the kind of woman who can kick my ass”.  Clearly this little fight leaves an impression on Elektra as she eventually becomes a ally to Spike during The Movie, getting him to open up about his past in a way he hadn’t been able to for a while.
 

#2-Showdown with Asimov (Session 1-Asteroid Blues)

This was our first look at how truly bad ass and smooth Spike Spiegel could be.  Face to face with the debut Bounty Head of the series, Asimov Solison, Spike doesn’t need to play dumb or a potential victim to the drugged up Gang Leader.  No, now Spike gets to throw around some awesome Jeet Kun Do moves and dance around the guy like he’s nothing.  Previously we saw Asimov tear apart an entire hit squad sent after him while he was hopped up on Bloody Eye.  Now, he’s barely even able to lay a hand on Spike, who smacks him up with ease.  The added bonus of Yoko Kanno’s music against this fight is just icing on the cake.

 
#1-Reunion with Vicious (Session 5-Ballad of Fallen Angels)

In a moment I’ll always come back to even if I’m not marathoning Cowboy Bebop, Spike walks into a Church to face Vicious for the first time in years, only to end up in the mother of all shootouts.  Everything about this scene is just freaking awesome from the gun play to the intensity to that legendary stand off against the Katana sporting mad man Vicious against a giant stain glass window.  Spike is at his most efficient, ruthless and just plain bad ass taking care of business.  Even when Vicious has scored some serious blows on him, Spike takes it in stride and closes out the reunion with a grenade that ends the fight in a draw for now.  God Spike is so cool.