Cowboy Bebop: Is Ed a girl, a boy, or non-binary?

The discipline of Ed'south gender has been long debated by Cowboy Bebop fans. They're androgynous in advent, and it's been debated whether they're a boy, a daughter, or not-binary. Making things more than complicated is the fact that Ed in the live-action remake is played by a non-binary actor, which has revitalized the debate virtually Ed'southward gender identity.

Is Ed a daughter, a boy, or not-binary in the Cowboy Bebop anime and manga?

Is Ed Cowboy Bebop girl boy non-binary anime

In the Cowboy Bebop anime and manga, Ed is a daughter. It'southward not referenced often, only we do get ii definite statements that let us know Ed is both biologically female and identifies every bit a girl:

At the end of Episode nine of the anime, Faye exclaims, "You're a girl!" and Ed responds past giggling.
In the movie Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Ed states, "I'm not a male child. I'm a girl."

The only testify opposite to the higher up statements comes from series creator Shinichiro Watanabe. In a 2017 interview with IGN, he gave these responses:

"IGN: Yeah, there'due south Ed as well. He – or Her – I'thou still not quite sure…

Shinichiro Watanabe: Its gender is meaningless, we don't demand it.

IGN: Well actually, I'd like to quickly ask nigh that. Why did you determine for Ed to exist not-binary and have no gender, or accept their gender be cryptic?

Shinichiro Watanabe: I wanted to create a graphic symbol that surpasses humanity. I personally think that he might not even be human, someone from outer space."

Note that IGN'due south translation has Watanabe referring to Ed as both "information technology" and "he." So, this could be a poor translation or a misinterpretation of a joke made by Watanabe. Without the original text or audio, there's no style to be sure. However, on-screen evidence supersedes any vague comment from an interview conducted well-nigh 20 years later on the serial was released.

Is Ed a girl, a boy, or non-binary in the Netflix live-action remake?

While Ed's actor, Eden Perkins, is non-binary (they/them), they refer to Ed as "she" in an interview on the official aftershow. Other interviews and marketing have also apparently stated that Ed is biologically female and identifies as such.