Spike Spiegel of Cowboy Bebop is one of anime's most contentious protagonists. While he isn't conspicuously evil as some main characters, he is far from a paragon of benevolence. He embodies what it means to be morally gray, providing humanizing qualities to his character that even the series's most adamant fans cannot deny.
Still, convincing arguments can be made as to his moral alignment, as demonstrated through his comparatively short though meaningful adventures across the stars. It's time to carry the weight of the Space Cowboy's actions, determining five reasons he was a hero and five he was a villain.
10 Villain: Attacking Ed's Dad
With the Earth having seen terrible devastating, cartographers were necessary to chart out new maps for its future use. Ed's father, Siniz Hesap Lütfen Appledelhi, was among these ranks with his "faithful" assistant, Macintire.
Even though Appledelhi explained to Spike that he had done nothing wrong after the bounty hunter landed, Spiegel proceeded to attack, more interested in a payday than salvaging a ruined planet. He would be promptly humiliated in their altercation, where it was later revealed that he was worth virtually no Woolongs and that the bounty had been arranged by Ed herself, who only wanted to see her father again.
9 Hero: Saving Ein
Ein was initially a research facility experiment dog stolen by Abdul Hakim, one of Spike's most recent targets. When Spiegel finally confronted the man and the contents of his briefcase, it was revealed that he was not carrying a deadly bioweapon nor secret intelligence; its contents were the small dog, who he intended to sell on the black market.
Rather than abandoning Ein after the mission had been concluded, and in spite of his dislike of animals, Spiegel reluctantly allowed Ein onboard the Bebop afterward, as he had no better place to call home.
8 Villain: Letting An Environmental Terrorist Go
Maria Murdock was among the galaxy's most notorious environmental terrorists. When Spike Spiegel captured her and intended to cash in on her bounty, however, his promised sum was canceled on account of the coercion the Space Warriors put the local politicians under.
Despite knowing the havoc she was capable of, Spike voluntarily released her, unwilling to accrue his own criminal record by keeping her hostage. This demonstrates his complete apathy for the galaxy at large, as he had witnessed her acts of depravity firsthand.
7 Hero: Defeating Mad Pierrot
Mad Pierrot was a force of nature unlike anything Spike had encountered so far. Once intended only to slay those who had performed unjust experiments on him, he had since acquired a taste for killing, murdering any who gazed upon him when he unleashed his savagery. Spiegel was one of the few to survive their first encounter.
Though he may have been driven by his hubris, Spike voluntarily pursued Pierrot in his own territory despite being injured and his opponent having no bounty. Putting him down for good prevented the villain from claiming more innocent lives, thereby making the Cowboy an unintentional savior.
6 Villain: Risking An Old Lady's Life
When Spike and Jet collaborated to take down a handful of local robbers, one of them managed to get their hands on a hostage, specifically, an elderly lady. He placed his gun against her head and insisted his pursuers lower their weapons. Black agreed, though Jet did not care, reminding him that he was a bounty hunter, not the police.
While he was nonetheless able to apprehend his opponents, his apathy toward the woman's safety was galling and horrific. It demonstrates his jadedness and calls into question what differentiates him from the Syndicate.
5 Hero: Stopping Vincent's Gas Attack
Vincent Volaju was a man whose mind had been cracked from his experiences. He constantly paralleled consciousness with dreams, evincing his derangement. The man's plan was simple; he intended to unleash protein devouring gas upon a city during their Halloween celebration, causing mass death in the process.
While Spike was only commissioned to take him down, he nonetheless collaborated with the crew to find a way to neutralize the drug before it could infect the populace. His willingness to confront Vincent despite the injuries he accumulated from their previous encounter proves that as much as he resents the term, he is a hero.
4 Villain: Conflict With Andy
The infamous Teddy Bomber was a man determined to cause as much widespread havoc as possible in the name of his political agenda. When Spike was on the cusp of capturing him, his efforts were unwittingly thwarted by Andy, a rival bounty hunter.
Rather than cede the bounty to Andy or simply attempt to avoid him, Spike became fixated more on his new nemesis than stopping the terrorist himself. Consequentially, he escaped for several more attacks before he was finally caught.
3 Hero: Saving Faye's Life
It is one matter to go against a small horde of soldiers, but the terrifying and mysterious power wielded by Doctor Londes is another issue entirely. Faye Valentine was the first to attempt infiltrating his Scratch organization, consequently being captured and nearly digitized in the process.
While Spike could have simply let Ed turn Londes offline, he instead distracted the Doctor in order to save Faye's life. He persevered through bizarre static attacks which warped his perception, saving the Faye in the process.
2 Villain: Stealing A Woman's Groceries
When crossing paths with a woman carrying many groceries, Spike "accidentally" knocked them over. He volunteered to help her recover them, returning many of them to her bag, and keeping others for himself, being as brazen as to stash them in his mouth.
Spiegel only returned the goods to her after she had called him out on his behavior, having him playfully surrendered them to their rightful owner. Nonetheless, it is an act of theft that makes fans wonder how much different he is than those he hunts.
1 Hero: Taking Out Vicious
After Vicious had murdered Julia and taken over the Syndicate, Spike knew he needed to put an end to his former colleague once and for all. Understanding the risk involved and fully prepared to die, he stormed the building by himself, mowing down scores of enemies and finally avenging his partner.
While he may have had a personal vendetta against the crime lord, this would nonetheless be a tremendous act of heroism, as it shattered one of the galaxy's most sinister cabals. Spiegel would ultimately die as he lived: a hero of circumstance.