Spike Spiegel

Lore & Background

Spike was created by series director Shinichirō Watanabe and designed by Toshihiro Kawamoto as part of the production entity Hajime Yatate. Watanabe created Spike as a mirror image of himself, stating, 'I don't smoke or drink or fight, but I want to – so Spike does.' Kawamoto based Spike's hairstyle and appearance on Japanese actor Yūsaku Matsuda's portrayal of Shunsaku Kudō in Tantei Monogatari. Kawamoto deliberately designed Spike to appear 'uncool'—when standing still, he has a hunched appearance—so that when moving vigorously, he comes across as 'extra cool.' Spike's artificial eye was included because Watanabe wanted his characters to have flaws; he originally wanted an eye patch but producers vetoed it. The name Spike Spiegel was chosen because Watanabe liked the sound only, not because of Jewish origins. The concept of Spike was created before the idea of the anime and months before Kawamoto was hired.

In Their Own Story

Years before the series, Spike was a rising member of the Red Dragon crime syndicate, where he became a partner and friend of Vicious. After being wounded in a gun battle, Spike was nursed back to health by Vicious' girlfriend Julia, and the two fell in love. They planned to elope, but Vicious discovered the plan and presented Julia with an ultimatum: kill Spike or be executed. Spike faked his death to escape the Syndicate, but Julia never arrived to rendezvous with him—instead she went into hiding. Spike eventually teamed up with former ISSP officer Jet Black as legal bounty hunters. During his time on the Bebop, they were joined by Ein, an intelligent Pembroke Welsh Corgi; Faye Valentine, a gambler woken from cryogenic sleep; and Edward 'Ed' Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV, a master hacker. In 'Ballad of Fallen Angels,' Spike and Vicious battled in a derelict church and Spike was nearly killed. In 'Jupiter Jazz,' Spike heard Julia was seen on Callisto and abandoned the Bebop to look for her. In the final story, 'The Real Folk Blues,' Julia came out of hiding and the two resolved to flee as originally planned. Vicious, having staged a coup d'état and taken over the Red Dragon Syndicate, sent assassins after them. During a battle, Julia was shot and killed. After saying goodbyes to Jet and Faye, Spike stormed the Syndicate headquarters and had a final confrontation with Vicious: Spike was severely wounded and Vicious was killed. Spike looked up to the sky and saw Julia. Some time after, Spike walked into and collapsed in the entrance hall. He is never shown moving again. A star is shown going out. Spike's ultimate fate has never been confirmed, with Watanabe eventually claiming he was unable to say whether he lived or died.

Reader's Guide

Spike is a bounty hunter born on Mars on June 26, 2044. He is 27 years old. He has fluffy hair and brown eyes, the left being artificial. He is 6'1" tall and weighs 155 lbs. Spike is a heavy smoker, frequently seen smoking regardless of poor weather and 'no smoking' signs. A skilled martial artist who practices Jeet Kune Do, Spike is a devout follower of the philosophies of Bruce Lee. He owns a converted asteroid racer called the Swordfish II. During gunfights, he often uses a Jericho 941. The guns on the show were chosen by director Watanabe in discussion with set designer Isamu Imakake and mechanical designer Kimitoshi Yamane. Setting producer Satoshi Toba said, 'They talked about how they did not want common guns, because that would not be very interesting, and so they decided on these guns.' In his younger days before joining the Bebop, Spike was part of the Red Dragon Syndicate, a Chinese criminal organization. During that time he was impetuous and volatile, but after leaving he adopted a calm and collected demeanor, though he still retains his love for combat. Spike always holds true to his own values and fulfills his obligations. He generally goes his own way rather than following orders, which often gets him into trouble. Watanabe thought of Spike as a Yakuza. He also said Spike has a habit of being very indirect with his emotions; for example, he may behave antagonistically towards someone he actually likes. Watanabe said Spike's relationship with Faye Valentine is a prime example of this tendency. In the third volume of the manga illustrated by Yutaka Nanten with story by Hajime Yatate, Spike is described as 'oriental,' a term for Asian.

Did You Know?

• Spike was born on Mars on June 26, 2044, and is 27 years old.
• His artificial left eye was included because director Watanabe wanted his characters to have flaws; he originally wanted an eye patch but producers vetoed it.
• Spike's name was chosen by Watanabe because he liked the sound only, not because of Jewish origins.
• Kawamoto based Spike's hairstyle and appearance on Japanese actor Yūsaku Matsuda, and deliberately designed him to look 'uncool' so he would appear 'extra cool' when moving vigorously.
• Spike's final confrontation with Vicious was planned by Watanabe well in advance, with each episode featuring them meant to shadow their final battle.