Cowboy Bebop Watch Order & Timeline
Spike Spiegel, Jet Black and the people who join their ship chase bounties across the solar system, usually with bills waiting at the end. Cowboy Bebop moves between scruffy comedy and lives haunted by unfinished business. The anime's world also receives alternate interpretations in manga and live-action form.
Timeline guide
Cowboy Bebop: choose the crew's version before adding companions
Choose Anime Continuity: watch Sessions 1–22, the movie, then Sessions 23–26. The film fits during the original anime rather than after its ending.
- Entries
- 10
- Released
- 10
- Span
- 1997-2022
The session groups break the original anime around its movie interlude; manga, games and live action are optional other experiences.
Overview & recommendation
The anime gives the crew time to become familiar through individual jobs before their histories emerge. Its movie offers another adventure during that run rather than a new life after the finale.
Shooting Star's manga and the live-action version rework the characters. Other manga, games and tie-ins belong to particular interpretations, so their shared title does not make them all consecutive days aboard the same Bebop.
Choose the original anime for the primary screen route. If you want the movie in story context, use Sessions 1–22, the movie, then Sessions 23–26. Companions and alternate versions remain optional.
Original anime and alternate crews Companions attach to particular versions
Anime Continuity groups the original animation and represented companions. Shooting Star has its own alternate manga interpretation, while Live-Action Continuity includes the Netflix reimagining and its tie-ins.
Anime Continuity (6 entries)
The original anime represented in session groups, its movie between Sessions 22 and 23, and optional manga/game companions with their individual scope.
Shooting Star Manga (1 entry)
Cain Kuga's Shooting Star manga, an alternate reworking rather than an extra arc in the anime's exact history.
Live-Action Continuity (3 entries)
The Netflix live-action interpretation and its own novel and comic companions, separate from the original anime route.
Sessions and the film interlude 10 entries
The two session groups keep the anime's story together around the movie. Companions in other media need their own version context rather than becoming extra anime episodes.
- 1Cowboy Bebop: Shooting StarNovel · 1997
- 2Cowboy Bebop: Sessions 1 - 22Series · 1998
- 3Cowboy BebopGame · 1998
- 4Cowboy BebopNovel · 1998
- 5Cowboy Bebop: The MovieFilm · 2001
- 6Cowboy Bebop: Sessions 23 - 26Series · 1999
- 7Cowboy Bebop: Tsuioku no SerenadeGame · 2005
- 8Cowboy BebopSeries · 2021
- 9Cowboy Bebop: A Syndicate Story - Red Planet RequiemNovel · 2021
- 10Cowboy Bebop: Supernova SwingNovel · 2022
The movie inside the anime's run 10 entries
The movie falls between Sessions 22 and 23. The other adaptations use their own story contexts, and a common 2071 label does not merge those versions.
- 1Alternate 2071Cowboy Bebop: Shooting StarNovel · 1997
- 22071Cowboy Bebop: Sessions 1 - 22Series · 1998
- 3During the animeCowboy BebopNovel · 1998
- 4During the animeCowboy BebopGame · 1998
- 5Between Sessions 22–23Cowboy Bebop: The MovieFilm · 2001
- 62071Cowboy Bebop: Sessions 23 - 26Series · 1999
- 7During the animeCowboy Bebop: Tsuioku no SerenadeGame · 2005
- 8Before the seriesCowboy Bebop: A Syndicate Story - Red Planet RequiemNovel · 2021
- 9Alternate 2071Cowboy BebopSeries · 2021
- 10During the seriesCowboy Bebop: Supernova SwingNovel · 2022
Original production and later reinterpretations 10 entries
Publication history shows when companions and alternate versions appeared. It does not turn a reimagining into the anime's sequel.
- 1Cowboy Bebop: Shooting StarNovel · 1997
- 2Cowboy BebopNovel · 1998
- 3Cowboy Bebop: Sessions 1 - 22Series · 1998
- 4Cowboy BebopGame · 1998
- 5Cowboy Bebop: Sessions 23 - 26Series · 1999
- 6Cowboy Bebop: The MovieFilm · 2001
- 7Cowboy Bebop: Tsuioku no SerenadeGame · 2005
- 8Cowboy BebopSeries · 2021
- 9Cowboy Bebop: A Syndicate Story - Red Planet RequiemNovel · 2021
- 10Cowboy Bebop: Supernova SwingNovel · 2022
Frequently asked questions 7 answers
Is the movie set after the anime's ending?
No. Its represented placement is between Sessions 22 and 23.
Are the Japanese games required between sessions?
They are optional companions, not mandatory anime episodes before reaching the finale.
Does Shooting Star tell the anime's exact events?
It is an alternate manga interpretation. The live-action version is another separate approach, with its own companions.
How many Cowboy Bebop movies, shows, games and books are there?
Cowboy Bebop has 10 entries: 4 books, 3 TV shows, 2 games and 1 movie, released between 1997 and 2022.
What is the chronological order of Cowboy Bebop?
In chronological (in-universe) order, Cowboy Bebop begins with Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star (Alternate 2071) and ends with Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing. The full chronological list of 10 entries is above.
What is the release order of Cowboy Bebop?
By release date, Cowboy Bebop starts with Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star (1997). The most recent release is Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing (2022).
What is the newest Cowboy Bebop release?
The newest released entry is Cowboy Bebop: Supernova Swing (2022). See where it falls in the chronological and watch order lists above.
Last reviewed: .
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