The movie begins with a self-contained "mini-story" that reintroduces the crew through a botched robbery at a Martian convenience store:
: The Bebop crew—Spike, Jet, Faye, and Ed—separate to investigate leads across Alba City, eventually uncovering a deep conspiracy involving biological warfare and lost memories. Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira Episode 1
: The government offers a record-breaking 300 million Woolong reward for the capture of the culprit, identified as Vincent Volaju. The movie begins with a self-contained "mini-story" that
: Spike uses his signature Jeet Kune Do-style misdirection to effortlessly take down two of the robbers. Jet eventually enters from the ceiling to help secure the third. Jet eventually enters from the ceiling to help
Since Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira (also known as Cowboy Bebop: The Movie or Knockin' on Heaven's Door ) is a rather than an episodic series, it does not have an "Episode 1". It serves as a standalone story set chronologically between sessions 22 and 23 of the original 1998 anime series.
: While Jet waits outside, Spike is inside with headphones on, appearing oblivious to three robbers harassing the clerk.
However, the film opens with a distinct introductory sequence that functions much like a first episode: The Convenience Store Heist (Opening Scene)