As "the show that would become a genre unto itself," Cowboy Bebop dabbled in a lot of genres over its 26-episode run. One of the biggest divergences from what the series usually was turned out to be its attempt on horror, a well-executed and terrifying episode known as "Pierrot Le Fou."
In "Pierrot Le Fou," Spike is going about his business when he stumbles into a violent scene where a strange man is hunting down and killing another group of men. When he sees Cowboy Bebop's Spike, he decides to take care of the witness first, and shockingly manages to defeat Spike with ease, immediately solidifying this stranger as a major threat. From this point on, Spike is plunged into a situation straight out of a horror flick.
The Murderous Monster of Cowboy Bebop
Spike is retrieved but very badly injured, immediately putting him at a disadvantage. They learn this killer, the Mad Pierrot, has been targeting higher-ups in the ISSP, a law enforcement organization with a dark side. A mysterious invitation arrives, inviting Spike to a "party" at an amusement park themed around space. It's obviously the strange man from before, but Spike decides to go anyway. What follows is a horrifying game of cat and mouse, as the Mad Pierrot knows his way around the park well and is set on killing Spike in the most entertaining way possible.
Spike is far more competent than the average horror movie protagonist, which is his only saving grace here. Pierrot, like a classic horror monster, is completely invulnerable to bullets, most of which just harmless bounce off his rotund frame. He floats and bounces around in a creepy, inhuman way, and cackles like a lunatic as he hunts Spike. Pierrot wields a huge variety of weapons, too, from bombs to whips to rocket launchers, in addition to his signature cane-gun. Even Cowboy Bebop's Faye launching a surprise attack in her ship isn't enough to stop him, and she ends up crashing instead. Spike was completely at Pierrot's mercy when, through sheer luck, a toy cat activated and brought back traumatic memories of experimentation. Spike is finally able to land a blow, albeit a weak one, and a crying Pierrot is crushed by the marching robots from the park's parade.
What Makes Pierrot So Scary
Pierrot's childlike nature is terrifying, as it shows he really doesn't understand the severity of what he is doing. Everything is but a game to him, even if it's a deadly one, and with a child's mind, he can't comprehend that the pain he's inflicting on others is the same as the minor pain he ends up suffering. Yet, like all the best villains, Pierrot is also a victim; he was illegally engineered and experimented upon to be a super soldier, and he got his start merely seeking vengeance. The episode is fairly late in the series as well, so audiences have had plenty of time to see just how skilled Spike is in Cowboy Bebop, only to watch him be utterly outmaneuvered by this killer.
While Cowboy Bebop's Pierrot might not have the look of a classic horror movie killer, he has all the mannerisms of one, and nearly took out a character whose ability would put the average protagonist to shame. It's an effective take on the genre, and yet more proof that Cowboy Bebop can do just about anything well.
