While Spike and Faye may be the first Cowboy Bebop characters who fans and followers think of as being central to the iconic cult series, Jet Black is the storys most important character. Outside being the ship’s captain and the crews general manager, his presence drives the plot. Indeed as one episode reveals Black is also the character who tends to save his crewmates from their most extreme selves.
https://screenrant.com/cowboy-bebop-best-character-episode-jet-black/