The irony, of course, is that the complication of Julia kept him from ever being whole again. Her fondness for Spike grows as she nurses the brash young assassin back to health after a mission gone wrong gets Spike shot in front of Julia's apartment. While we think we're meeting a terminally uncaring assassin, it's really a coping mechanism to avoid being hurt in the same way ever again. It might be safe to assume he grew up an orphan, but even if his parents were around, all who watch the show can agree that Spiegel grew up in less than ideal conditions. Spike was a rising member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, when he worked with his then partner, Vicious. While his unguarded and youthful nature has obvious physical effects on him, the most lasting legacy of his vulnerable youth comes in the form of two friendships that would define his life (and ultimately lead to his downfall). But, when asked about Spike’s fate, Blum offers a cheerful alternative. This philosophical divide drives a wedge between Spike and Vicious, and their cleaving is completed when Spike falls for Julia. We soon learn the details to the story: That Julia was with Vicious, that Spike took a liking to her, and that Vicious and Spike were very good friends. This scene, of Spike's hope for a future with Julia being slowly crushed as he waits for her in the rain, marks the end of the open and emotional Spike seen in flashbacks. Cookies help us deliver our Services. POTENTIAL SPOILERS. Cowboy bebop was never about who is good and who is evil. He only shows those glimpses of an old life when names from the past bubble up during gigs. He threatens to expose Julia and Spike's plot, leading to both of their deaths at the hands of Syndicate assassins, if she does not personally betray Spike. Spike's encounter with fellow young Red Dragon members Julia and Vicious would permanently alter the course of his life. Spike Spiegel's entire backstory explained. The show was riddled with obsession. It seems Spike is the jerk here. Spike’s armor is impenetrable for most of ‘Bebop’ — until the very end. Julia and Spike have planned to meet in a cemetery after Spike's faked his own death. At the syndicate's headquarters, he mounts a one-man attack. Spike's injury and his love for Julia lead him to come up with a dangerous idea: he wants to abandon the Syndicate and bring Julia with him. Just as they are about to depart for the life that they had planned years before, Spike and Julia are ambushed and Julia is killed. Once inside the syndicate, Spike rises quickly. The way that the show metes out bits and pieces of Spike Spiegel's backstory is similar to the way that researchers learn about the history of genres like hard bop, with information coming in snatches through a careful read of the liner notes until eventually they are overwhelmed when the scope of the larger picture becomes clear. While Spike and Vicious' exact moment of meeting is not quite known, it's clear from flashbacks that they became rather close friends. We know it comes shortly after the scene in the graveyard, and the transactional nature of bounty hunting allows him to put his skills from the Syndicate to use without getting entangled in further relationships. This bothers me a little... why not just run away with Spike if that were the case? She is the Assistant Director of the Alpha Base. Any space cowboys looking to know more about the disheveled killer hiding a tragic past should read on — as long as you're not concerned about spoilers. Vicious informed Julia that he will kill Spike, or Spike and Julia would both face death for her betrayal. Spike also charges headlong into several dangerous situations just at the mere mention of Julia's name. She goes back and Vicious tells her to kill Spike or they both die. Completely taking the girl out of it. He can't hide how he feels forever, though. For one thing, Julia only actually appears in the final two episodes of the original anime series, though she is referenced a few times throughout (building her up into a figure of ominous importance to Spike), so this seems to suggest that the live-action version will be tackling the core “mythology” episodes of the original (to steal a term from The X-Files). Spike's inability to forget his love for Julia or his hatred for Vicious ultimately leads to his death. Julia represents art/music in this relationship because Spike's and Vicious' behavior towards art/music is exactly the same as with Julia. After reuniting with Julia in the series' closing episodes, Spike is set on a suicidal path to revenge. The great irony in Julia's sacrifice is that it leads Spike to believe he'd been sold out anyway. Gren was betrayed by Vicious and is now upset over it and seeking a sort of vengeance. Badly injured after a shoot-out in the slums on Mars, Spike stumbled to Julia's home, who at that time was Vicious' girlfriend. Spike had wanted to take her with him when he left the syndicate, but she was blackmailed by Vicious into almost shooting Spike. Both were mentored by Mao Yenrai. He can't be bothered to straighten his clothes or look the people he's talking to in the eye. What if she turned out to be just another girl? Spike decided to leave the syndicate with Julia. The irony, of course, is that the complication of Julia … Julia is the love interest of Spike Spiegel from the anime series Cowboy Bebop. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Julia, for her part, does not reciprocate. After making a living for himself as a hood and a thief in the slums of Mars, Spike draws the attention of a Chinese crime syndicate called the Red Dragon. End episode. Offset by a comedic counterpoint when Spike wakes up as a Bandage Mummy, being nursed back to health and sung to — but by Faye, rather than Julia. Contrary to the guarded Spike we meet at the beginning of the series, the Spiegel we see in flashbacks is reckless and open. Squaring his age with his demeanor only works if you realize that Spike has lived many lives in his short time being alive. April 16, 2020 ~ Homo neanderthalensis. But when he turns her down and ultimately decides to end things with Vicious once and for all, Julia doesn’t argue. A love triangle among the three caused Spike to leave the syndicate rather than challenge Vicious. Spike has yet to adopt his distant cool, but the roots of it are seen in flashbacks to Vicious and Spike's time together in the Syndicate. She ends up on the run from the syndicate anyway. 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