Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop Showrunner Explains Ed’s Limited Role

The showrunner behind Cowboy Bebop has explained why Ed has such a limited role in the new Netflix series! When Netflix first began revealing the cast additions for its upcoming live-action take on the classic Cowboy Bebop anime series, one thing fans began to notice was how one of the main crew members seemed to be absent from it. These questions started to snowball in the following weeks thanks to the debut of new trailers and promotional materials that lacked any mention of Ed as well. Netflix even went as far as trolling fans who had asked about the fan favorite. 

It wasn’t until Cowboy Bebop officially premiered that Netflix confirmed that Ed was indeed a part of the live-action series, and confirmed the actor behind them. But it’s also a role that’s a much more limited version of the character as Ed only appears in the final moments of the series’ debut season. Showrunner Andre Nemec opened up about Ed’s limited role in the series during the official after show, Cowboy Bebop: Unlocked, and mentioned how it was important to establish a dynamic for the others before throwing Ed in. 

“All we wanted was for Ed to make an appearance on Cowboy Bebop,” Nemec began. “You know, Ed doesn’t show up until the ninth episode of the anime. So it wasn’t like Ed is a core member of the Bebop crew from gate in the anime, and it was important to spend enough time with these characters in order to really understand them and get traction.” Nemec then went on to explain why Ed was held back so long for this dynamic, “…[A]s much as Faye Valentine is a disruptor, which she is, Ed is a massive disruptor.” 

“…[T]here needed to be some stability amongst who these people were before we could introduce this other sort of wild and crazy component into the show,” Nemec continued, “That Radical Ed is always up to something wild and kooky, and getting the gang into trouble.” So while Ed only has a limited role for now, they will undoubtedly be a major part of any potential future for the live-action series. 

Cowboy Bebop‘s original anime and live-action series are now streaming with Netflix, so what do you think? How did you feel about Ed only appearing in the final moments? Curious to see more of this new Ed in the future? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!