In the year 2071, the Solar System is linked by a network of hyperspace gateways. Police lose their grasp on crime and a bounty hunting system has been implemented. On an old fishing starship called the "Bebop," a cool as Zen man of mystery, a macho former hard-boiled cop, a brash and fickle woman with a large debt, a whimsical whiz kid hacker and an unsuspecting Welsh Corgi band together to hunt bounty heads for a meager living. Unfortunately, they are some of the unluckiest people in the star system. These are the stories of the adventurous (and misadventurous) lives of four struggling people and a dog.

The fight on the bridge between Spike and Abdul Hakim in Episode 2, "Stray Dog Strut," is a homage to the fight scene in Game of Death (1978) between Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. All of Spike's fights feature the use Bruce Lee's "Jeet Kune Do" style of fighting.

Spike Spiegel:
Whatever happens, happens.

Continuity: When Spike was hit by Faye, he had a card on his head. His right hand is covered in bandages when he took it off his head. The next shot, his hand has no bandages at all.

Opening theme (episodes 1-25)
Performed by The Seatbelts