ðə mˈeɪn kˈæɹɪktɚz ɪŋklˈuːd spˈaɪk spˈiːdʒəl, ɐ lˈeɪdbˈæk fˈɔːɹmɚ mˈɛmbɚɹ ʌvðə ɹˈɛd dɹˈæɡən sˈɪndᵻkˌeɪt ɐ kɹˈɪmɪnəl ˌɔːɹɡɐnᵻzˈeɪʃən ænd hˈɑːtʃɑːt ˈeɪs pˈaɪlət; dʒˈɛt blˈæk, ɐ ɹᵻtˈaɪɚd kˈɑːp ænd ðɪ ˈoʊnɚɹ ʌvðə bᵻbˈɑːp; fˈeɪ vˈæləntˌaɪn, ɐ ɡˈæmblɪŋɐdˈɪktᵻd æmnˈiːziˌæk hˌuː ˈɔːlweɪz fˈaɪndz hɜːsˈɛlf ɪn faɪnˈænʃəl dˈɛts; ˈɛdwɚd wˈʌŋɡ hˈaʊ pˈɛpɪlˌuː tɪvɹˈʌski ɹˌoʊmən fˈoːɹ nˈɪkneɪmd "ˈɛd", ɐn ɛksˈɛntɹɪk kəmpjˈuːɾɚ hˈækɪŋ pɹˈɑːdɪdʒi fɹʌm ˈɜːθ; ænd ˈaɪn, ˈeɪ "dˈeɪɾə dˈɑːɡ" æz ðə ɡɹˈuːps pˈɛt.
The main characters include Spike Spiegel, a laid-back former member of the Red Dragon Syndicate (a criminal organization) and hotshot ace pilot; Jet Black, a retired cop and the owner of the Bebop; Faye Valentine, a gambling-addicted amnesiac who always finds herself in financial debts; Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV (nicknamed "Ed"), an eccentric computer hacking prodigy from Earth; and Ein, a "data dog" as the group's pet.