Where does Cowboy Bebop: The Movie Fit in the Anime Series’ Timeline?

The Cowboy Bebop anime is regarded as a classic, but very few know that the franchise also had a film made not long after the anime.

The Cowboy Bebop movie is a standalone adventure with the Bebop’s crew, but it also fits neatly into the series’ timeline. Fans of the anime classic might wonder: when does the movie happen in relation to the show? The film doesn’t say it outright, but some clues reveal its exact placement.

To figure out when the movie is set, we need to look at some details in the film. Ed is still with the crew in the movie, so it must be before episode 24 when she leaves. The bounty-hunting show Big Shot is also on the air, so it must be before episode 23 when it gets canceled. 

Moreover, we see Andy, the cowboy wannabe, in his outfit from episode 22, “Cowboy Funk.” That means the movie happens around episode 22 but before episode 23. 

This conjecture is also confirmed by Cowboy Bebop’s official English website on the Wayback Machine, which says the movie is set between episodes 22 and 23.

The film version of Cowboy Bebop had to be careful as not to spoil the series’ mysterious finale while also capturing the essence of the show with its beloved characters. 

The only way to do that was to set it before episode 24, when the whole crew, including Ed and Ein, was still together. A prequel or an early episode would not have the same charm or depth, as the characters were still strangers or newcomers to each other. 

The film allows fans to see them as a dysfunctional but lovable family at their peak.

Cowboy Bebop is a series that can be enjoyed in any order, thanks to its episodic nature. The film is no exception, as it works as a standalone story that doesn’t require any prior knowledge. Whether one watches it after finishing the series, as it was initially released, or in between the episodes, as it chronologically fits, the film delivers a satisfying and thrilling adventure that stays true to the spirit of Cowboy Bebop.

About Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, known in Japan as Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Japanese: カウボーイビバップ 天国の扉, Hepburn: Kaubōi Bibappu: Tengoku no Tobira, lit.

Cowboy Bebop: Heaven’s Door), is a 2001 Japanese anime science fiction action film based on the 1998 anime series Cowboy Bebop created by Hajime Yatate. Multiple staff from the original series worked on the film, including director Shinichirō Watanabe; writer Keiko Nobumoto; character designer/animation director Toshihiro Kawamoto; and composer Yoko Kanno.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is set between episodes 22 and 23 of the original series. The plot centers on a mysterious terrorist planning to destroy the human population on Mars using an unknown pathogen. The bounty hunter crew of the spaceship Bebop work to find the terrorist and discover the pathogen’s source before the attack can take place.