The beloved and seminal anime series Cowboy Bebop has amassed a huge community of fans worldwide, an ever-growing fandom that persists even twenty-two years later. However, a long-running fan theory has plagued the discourse surrounding the well-loved series.
Somehow, some people got it in their heads that Faye was in love with Spike. Such a revelation might have given fans that warm and fuzzy feeling of satisfaction, but in truth this flight of fan fancy is wishful thinking at best and reductive of the show’s deftly crafted narrative at worst. One should hope the upcoming live-action series from Netflix doesn't fall into this misguided trap. The following points will make the case as to why Faye Valentine is in fact NOT in love with Spike Spiegel.
10 Spike and Faye Fight Like Siblings
Just about every interaction Faye and Spike have is steeped in petty bickering. Whether it be over food, intel, or who gets the biggest cut for rescuing the population of Ganymede from mass de-evolution, they’re dynamic is pure rivalry, albeit friendly.
Their tension is often cited as the key evidence of their attraction, but it’s plain to see that the substance of their bond is all friction and no chemistry. They are like two children forced to play with one another; they may hate it but it beats the alternative, and they are definitely going to complain about it.
9 Faye Antagonizes Everyone Equally
It’s a wonder how Faye gets along with anyone. She puts on a tough-guy veneer that spares no one, fibbing and pilfering her way through the world.
Faye makes enemies everywhere she goes and therefore clashes with everyone she meets. Edward may be the only member of the crew who tolerates Faye’s antagonism. If “tension” is somehow the proof of attraction, what’s to say Faye isn’t in love with Jet? Or perhaps Ein!?
8 Faye’s Past Reveals Her View of Love
When Faye’s old fling, Whitney Haggis, appears out of the blue, her past is revealed. However, Whitney is just a con man, garnering the favor of vulnerable women and leaving them saddled with debt.
Two things are made apparent in this encounter. Firstly, since Faye woke from her cryogenic sleep without any memory of her past, her deepest affections and strongest yearnings were rooted in the need to find a place she could belong. At the outset, Whitney seemed to provide that, even if it was an elaborate lie. Secondly, when Faye finally gets the whole truth out of Whitney, it liberates her.
7 The Bebop Family Dynamic Suits Faye
The family dynamic of The Bebop crew is one of the many elements that make Cowboy Bebop such a special series. Friends and lovers are chosen. Family however, whether by blood or circumstance, are hoisted upon the unsuspecting, bonds forged in fire. Spike and Faye are like unruly teens, quite old enough to exercise their independence, but bound to their home. They often rebel against their “father,” Jet. His authority as captain and proprietor of The Bebop often places Jet at the center of Spike and Faye’s squabbling.
Because of this, Faye can come and go as she pleases, and when things get a bit too tough out on her own, she knows she has a bed to return to. This dynamic, though often contentious, works just fine for the crew. The circus of constant fighting and teasing creates a sort of harmony on the ship. The family structure provides each member a bit of something they’ve been missing; Jet has a duty, Spike has a future, and Faye has a home.
6 When Spike and Faye Are Alone Together, Nothing Changes
Their sibling dynamic carries over even when no one is looking. Sure Faye may tease with the occasional joke about Spike being in love with her, but this is more indicative of her cocky tough-guy exterior than any hidden affection. The only thing she’s hiding is that she’s terrified and trying to survive in a tough world.
As a “sibling,” Faye has everything she could ever want from Spike, that being trust, familiarity, and camaraderie. If there was truly romantic tension between the two, then certainly something would have bubbled to the surface when the two were alone.
5 Spike and Faye Don’t Speak One Another’s Love Language
When Whitney met Faye, he won her over with tender words and reassurance. Sure there were gifts and time spent together, but the most vulnerable and open Faye has been during the course of the series was when Whitney poured sweet words into her ear. This makes perfect sense since all Faye wants at that point is to know who she is. Additionally, when Faye sees the video message that her child self has left for her future self, the expression was again encouraging words. Child Faye demonstrates self-love by literally leaving words of affirmation for adult Faye to find.
Then there is Spike and Julia. Their romance is largely shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain, the two are all about action. Their love language is devoted service to one another, for good or bad.
4 Spike is Too Focused to Love
This one is pretty straight forward. Sure Spike has a mysterious past, but he himself is anything but mysterious. He has two modes, work and respite. When he works, he’s icy cool, super sharp, tenacious, and cunning.
The rest of the time, he’s stubborn, cranky, uncooperative, and impatient. As a fellow bounty hunter he brings quite a lot to the table, and as a member of the “family” he contributes familiarity, certainty, stability. However, as a romantic partner, Spike leaves a lot to be desired, at least from the vantage of The Bebop.
3 Their Bond is Through Jet and The Bebop, Not to Each Other
Since Jet is the figure of authority on The Bebop, he becomes everyone’s defacto link. How Spike and Jet met is unknown, but it’s clear the two have known one another the longest. When Faye joins the time, it’s only by the good graces of Jet, since Spike expresses early in the series a general distrust of women. When Faye runs off toward the end of the series, Spike calls Faye and implores her to return to The Bebop to care for Jet, who has at that point been injured. Faye refuses, insisting Edward and Ein can take care of him.
Spike and Faye rely on Jet to be their bond, and it shows in what they take for granted. One of the most heartbreaking elements of the Cowboy Bebop is also one of its best crafted, that being the ephemerality of their bond. Their harmony together is as short-lived as it is perfect.
2 Faye Only Returns to The Bebop After Finding She Had No Home
The infamous confrontation scene is the most cited bit of evidence that Faye is in love with Spike. While her desperate plea to keep Spike alive and on the ship is certainly a heartbreaking foyer into the show’s climactic finale, it’s not likely a confession of romantic love. Faye only returns to The Bebop after discovering that her home on earth is long gone, and even then she only makes her way back to the ship after meeting Julia (again, she originally told Spike she didn’t plan on returning).
When Faye finally returns to The Bebop, it becomes clear to her that The Bebop is the only home she has left. She isn't confessing her love, but rather pleading with her brother in arms, begging him to see the future he’s leaving behind. Good stuff.
1 The Show Would Have Told You So
Lastly and briefly, if the creators of this elaborately and deliberately crafted animated series wanted the audience to believe Faye was in love with Spike, they would have shown it somehow.
Cowboy Bebop is largely viewed as a masterpiece of television, with robust yet abbreviated worldbuilding, clever and recherché pop cultural references, and well-laid character development. To speculate any more, although fun, would undermine just how well put-together this beloved show really is.
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