WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Cowboy Bebop, streaming now on Netflix.
Of all the fearsome criminals that Spike Spiegel and the bounty hunter crew of the Bebop have faced off over the years, none are more outright terrifying than Pierrot le Fou. The result of torturous, prolonged experimentation, Mad Pierrot is one of the deadliest, most unhinged assassins in the Cowboy Bebop Universe. And while Pierrot makes a memorable appearance in Netflix's live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, both the deranged hitman's backstory and his motivation for hunting down Spike have changed considerably from the original anime series.
In the Cowboy Bebop anime, Spike stumbles upon Pierrot completing a bloody assassination as he leaves a billiards club late one night. Witnessing the slaying, Pierrot mercilessly beats Spike and prepares to kill him to eliminate all witnesses before a stray cat and some quick thinking give Spike the opportunity to barely escape from the nightmarish encounter with his life. As Spike recovers from his injuries and answers an invitation from Pierrot for a rematch at an abandoned theme park, Jet Black learned that Pierrot escaped from the test facility where he was given his lethal abilities but retains a deep-seated fear in cats based on a scientist's cat that constantly observed the invasive procedures he was subjected to while experimented upon.
In the live-action Cowboy Bebop series, much of Pierrot's overarching backstory is retained though the madman remains imprisoned rather than on the loose as a contract killer. And instead of a fear of cats, Pierrot is terrified of dogs, as he was kept in confinement alongside many barking dogs in their own cages. Upon learning of Pierrot's murderous potential, Vicious personally leads a rampage to break the genetic super-soldier out of captivity, with a grateful Pierrot accepting Vicious' request for Pierrot to hunt down Spike and murder him as his first target. And with this change in phobia, it is the Bebop's trusty canine companion Ein that saves Spike's life, appearing in the nick of time to drive away Pierrot instead of a random alleycat.
This change in motivation somewhat makes Pierrot's live-action less terrifying in a way. There is something scarier about the spontaneity of accidentally stumbling across an assassin obsessed with eliminating any witness that has the misfortune of crossing his path as Spike had in the anime series. Much of Pierrot's physical appearance and the circumstances behind his final showdown with Spike are retained, but it also connects this confrontation more with the overarching story of Vicious tormenting Spike as part of their longstanding vendetta, often from afar, for the entire season as he continues to rise through the ranks of the Syndicate.
Given that Pierrot le Fou was originally introduced as a contract killer, the idea of him accepting an assassination assignment from Vicious is certainly not outside of the realm of possibility for the character. Still as unhinged and murderous as ever, Pierrot is a figure that gives Spike a run for his money while continuing to set up a rematch between Spike and Vicious as their vendetta continues to grow more explosive. And while Spike faces off against Pierrot alone, not receiving a timely appearance from Faye Valentine to divert Pierrot's attention long enough for Spike to launch an effective counterattack, the grizzled bounty hunter still emerges triumphant, if shaken by the entire ordeal.
To see Pierrot le Fou in action, Cowboy Bebop is streaming now on Netflix.