Spike Spiegel Husbando

Spike Spiegel is a former member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, who left by faking his death after falling in love with a woman named Julia. After leaving the Syndicate, Spike became a bounty hunter and the partner of Jet Black, the captain of the Bebop. Spike and Jet pursued criminals across the populated planets and moons of the solar system. His ship was the Swordfish II. During his adventures on board the Bebop, Spike is drawn back into a bitter feud with Vicious, a rival from the Syndicate who seeks to kill him. Spike is tall and lean in appearance; he has dark green hair and brown eyes, one of which is later revealed to be artificial and lighter than the other. In a flashback in Session 6 it's revealed that his right eye was surgically replaced by a fully-functioning cybernetic eye. Spike himself may not have conscious recollection of the procedure since he claims to have lost his natural eye in an "accident". Spike is usually dressed in a blue leisure suit, with a yellow shirt and Lupin III-inspired boots. He also occasionally wears a long brown trench coat. He's often seen with a cigarette between his lips, even if it's raining or there's clearly a 'No Smoking' sign where he is sat, standing, or walking through. Spike's constant smoking is a homage to Lupin III, as Lupin's partner, Jigen, smokes cigarettes that are usually in very poor condition, similar to Spike. His appearance was primarily based on the famous Japanese actor Yusaku Matsuda who portrayed Shunsaku Kudō, the main protagonist of Tantei Monogatari. Although Yamadera was a fan of Matsuda's, he avoided imitating his distinctive manner of speaking, noting that it "wouldn't have sounded right" for Spike. In Volume 3 of the manga, Cowboy Bebop, story by Hajime Yatate and illustrated by Yutaka Nanten, a trucker describes Spike as "oriental," an outdated term for Asian. Spike is a slothful, nonchalant, indifferent, and lazy character. He passes the vast majority of his time on the Bebop lounging, watching TV, or sleeping. On a few rare occasions, he is also seen practicing Jeet Kune Do, a martial arts practice he's very skilled in, being among other things passionate about Bruce Lee and his philosophies (for example, he follows Lee's "water" analogy for his style of fighting). He is a hardened smoker, shown with a cigarette in his mouth in practically every shot (the poor conditions in the cigarettes that are depicted recall those of Daisuke Jigen.) Although he rarely acknowledges it, Spike has very little patience. He repeatedly states he hates dogs, children, and women with attitudes, and is anything but happy when each one of the three joins the Bebop. On the other hand, as the series progressed, he warmed up to Edward, Ein, and Faye, all three of which fall in the category of the three things he particularly hates. He also claims to dislike cats. Spike is rarely seen excited about something and, even less frequently, says he likes something. Spike is a slothful, nonchalant, indifferent, and lazy character. He passes the vast majority of his time on the Bebop lounging, watching TV, or sleeping. On a few rare occasions, he is also seen practicing Jeet Kune Do, a martial arts practice he's very skilled in, being among other things passionate about Bruce Lee and his philosophies (for example, he follows Lee's "water" analogy for his style of fighting). He is a hardened smoker, shown with a cigarette in his mouth in practically every shot (the poor conditions in the cigarettes that are depicted recall those of Daisuke Jigen.) Although he rarely acknowledges it, Spike has very little patience. He repeatedly states he hates dogs, children, and women with attitudes, and is anything but happy when each one of the three joins the Bebop. On the other hand, as the series progressed, he warmed up to Edward, Ein, and Faye, all three of which fall in the category of the three things he particularly hates. He also claims to dislike cats. Spike is rarely seen excited about something and, even less frequently, says he likes something. He usually behaves phlegmatically and walks slouching almost as if he is sleepwalking. He appears to be tormented by the ghosts of his past and has frequent nightmares of his life in the Red Dragon. He considers he already died once and therefore doesn't often show fear at the possibility of being killed, often acting as if to challenge death. As stated in a famous clip on his Swordfish II ship saying ¨Whatever happens, happens.¨ One of the recurring themes surrounding Spike's character is how he views himself and his life. Following the implant of an artificial eye, he says his left eye, the real one, sees the past while the synthetic right eye sees the present. This makes the past indelible in his mind, not allowing him to get rid of or forget about it. Despite that, he usually encourages others to forget the past as "not important." Spike's star sign is Cancer, which fits with his inability to let go of the past. When he is not working, Spike is very laid back, sarcastic, and lively to the dismay of his crewmates. He is typically found either resting on the couch or reading magazines. 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. Both of which are elements of bushido illustrated in the Hagakure. Although people often talk about cowboys in an almost heroic sense, his image is far from the idea of one and, on the contrary, has characteristics typical of an antihero. He never acts to protect anyone, but only for interest, so he often has to be persuaded to commit himself to a hunt he considers only a little exciting, has a rather sharp and cynical sense of humor; when he pursues a bounty, he throws himself headfirst into action, regardless of the damage caused to people and buildings. Spike also doesn't have the slightest moral scruples of having to kill someone. In the movie, he even tells an old woman that he and the Bebop crew don't serve and protect and that their work is strictly business, though Jet doubts that he actually means that. In spite of all this, Spike still has a good heart and, whether he admits it or not, is more caring than he lets on and more than willing to help out others without expecting anything in return. This is rather ironic considering his line of work. A good example of this is in Session 7, when Victoria Terpsichore offered him a wad of cash, and he only took a single note while saying the rest was for her husband. He has also shown compassion for Rocco's blind sister in Session 8, even buying flowers when he went to visit her in hospital and being saddened and sympathetic by the loss of her brother. He treats Ein as an emergency food supply and Ed as a burden, but in reality, despite never showing his companions appreciation. Spike nurtures an obvious affection for each of them and often seems willing to help them. This affection is shown through his constant choice to not interfere as they face their past, even if meaning he has to pass up a bounty. In particular, Spike shares a genuine brotherly affection with Jet, and it is safe to say that they consider each other their best friend. In fact, they are often seen talking together like two old friends. Although they often fight because of the excessive stubbornness of Spike, occasionally resulting in him being banned from Bebop, these arguments are always resolved in a short time. Jet is also the only person Spike confides about his past. One of the most complex relationships Spike has in the series is the one he has with Faye. Most of the time they usually bicker like siblings, however, in moments of danger Faye has always shown concern for Spike. He has also shown some empathy for Faye's situation, but perhaps due to their stubborn natures, they can't outright admit to this. Faye has also always taken care of Spike when he was injured, although she still kept a bitter attitude. The affection between them is obvious, and many people have speculated that Faye could be in love with Spike and desires to find a connection with him. Watanabe has addressed the subject saying, "Sometimes I'm asked the question, 'What does Spike think of Faye?' I think that he likes her quite a bit. But he's not a very straightforward person and makes sure not to show it." Watanabe also said, "But, I think Jet understood and loved Spike more than Faye did." This is due to Jet finally coming to understand the depth of Spike's love for Julia after Spike confesses to Jet that Julia is his other half. In Session 26, during their final scene together, Spike ignores Faye's pleas to remain on the Bebop. He walks away from her without looking back. He is never shown thinking of Faye or any other member of the Bebop crew again, but is instead shown thinking about his lost love Julia repeatedly.