Spike Spiegel

Spike Spiegel
Cowboy Bebop character
Promotional image of Spike Spiegel
First appearance	"Asteroid Blues"
Created by	Hajime Yatate Toshihiro Kawamoto
Voiced by	Japanese: Kōichi Yamadera English: Steven Blum

Spike Spiegel (Japanese: スパイク・スピーゲル, Hepburn: Supaiku Supīgeru^?) is the central protagonist of the 1998 anime series Cowboy Bebop. Spike is a former member of the criminal Red Dragon Syndicate, who left by faking his death after falling in love with a woman called Julia. He is first introduced as the partner of Jet Black, captain of the spaceship Bebop: the two are legalized bounty hunters pursuing criminals across the populated worlds. During his adventures on board the Bebop, he is drawn back into a bitter feud with Vicious, a rival from the Syndicate who seeks to kill him.

Spike was created by Shinichirō Watanabe and Toshihiro Kawamoto as part of the production entity Hajime Yatate. Created as a mirror image of Watanabe and based on Yusaku Matsuda's character in Tantei Monogatari, he was designed as someone who would expect others to follow his lead. Kawamoto deliberately designed him to appear "uncool" to create the opposite effect for viewers. His final confrontation with Vicious was planned well in advance. His portrayal in the later movie adaptation displayed the character's softer side and inner thoughts. Spike is voiced in Japanese by Kōichi Yamadera. In the English dub, he is voiced by Steven Blum.

In addition to the series, Spike has been featured in two manga adaptations, and been the main protagonist of two video game adaptations. Reception of Spike has been positive in Japan and the West, with multiple reviewers praising his portrayal. He has appeared on multiple reader and critic lists of the best anime characters. In addition to the series, many reviewers of the movie positively noted his expanded portrayal in The Movie. Both actors have been praised for their performances, with Blum commenting that it boosted his voice acting career.