Netflix's New 'Cowboy Bebop' Trailer Questions Spike's Identity and Teases Trio's Team Up

The official trailer for Netflix's adaptation of Cowboy Bebop has been released, and it gave fans their first official look at the new sci-fi show.

It was shared following a special live countdown event on YouTube, which gave viewers the chance to become makeshift bounty hunters and unlock the trailer themselves.

It also saw lead stars John Cho, Daniella Pineda and Mustafa Shakir give them a helping hand along the way.

The trailer shared a number of interesting plot points, including a whole slew of bounties as well as unexpected adjustments to their backstories.

Here, Newsweek breaks down all the key moments from the trailer.

The trailer questions Spike's identity

In Shinichirō Watanabe's classic anime, Spike Spiegel (Cho) avoids being captured and killed by his former employers in the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate by faking his own death.

It seems the live-action adaptation will go one step further by having the character adopt the name Spike after evading the Syndicate, in the anime the name was the character's true identity.

During a discussion with Ana (Tamara Tunie), the owner of an underground jazz club on Mars, Spike shares that he joined forces with Jet Black (Shakir) on a bounty and she questions whether his new partner is aware of his past.

Briefly referring to his time in the Syndicate, his sudden departure, and changing his name, Spike tells her: "They tried to kill me, Ana. If you need to find me, I go by Spike Spiegel these days."

It teases the trio's team up

As well as showing Spike with Jet, the trailer also gives fans a glimpse at the duo's first meeting with Faye Valentine (Pineda).

In the anime, Faye comes across Spike and Jet twice during bounty hunting missions before she moves into the Bebop ship of her own accord.

From the trailer it seems that Faye may well do a similar thing in the live-action as she proposes they team up with a 60/40 split of the profits—in her favor.

While Faye does join them, it seems the trio are not always on good terms because Spike holds her at gunpoint twice in the trailer alone, and is only stopped from shooting her because Jet tells him not to, even if he wants to "kill her a little bit."

There will be plenty of bounties

As to be expected from a show about a group of bounty hunters, the trailer for Cowboy Bebop does confirm there will be plenty of missions in the show.

The bounties are action-packed but also appear to border on the ridiculous, in one scene Spike and Jet face off against a person dressed solely in underwear, a bandana, and a teddy bear mask.

During another mission, the characters have to go up against what appears to be a maniacal clown with no eyes.

Spike, Jet and Faye are all able to hold their own, though.

Cowboy Bebop will be released on Netflix on Friday, November 19.