Cowboy Bebop revolves around a crew of bounty hunters living in the spaceship named Bebop. They are a partnership of bounty hunters who travel the Solar System trying to apprehend bounties. Jet Black is the owner of the Bebop, but has partnered with Spike Spiegel for his diverse combat skills. During its travels, the Bebop gained new crew members such as Ein, Faye, and Edward.
Throughout the series Bebop crew members' pasts catches up with them, and the series regularly turns to the history of the main characters in flashbacks. Spike's past as a syndicate enforcer is a major element of the series, while other episodes deal with Jet's previous occupation as an ISSP officer on Ganymede, Faye's mysterious past and significant debt problems, and Ed's childhood. The day-to-day life of the crew is also explored during the series.