, referred to in some English adaptations as Arsène Lupin III, is a fictional character created by Kazuhiko Kato aka Monkey Punch as the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

for his

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series ''

Lupin the Third , also written as ''Lupin the Third'', ''Lupin the 3rd'', or ''Lupin the IIIrd'', is a Japanese media franchise created by Monkey Punch. The series follows the endeavors of master thief Lupin III, grandson of gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, jo ...

'', which debuted in ''

Weekly Manga Action is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Futabasha. It is currently published twice a month, on the first and third Thursday. The magazine was originally formed as and began publishing weekly from July 7, 1967. It is considered the f ...

'' on August 10, 1967. Lupin is the grandson of fictional

gentleman thief A gentleman thief, gentleman burglar, lady thief, or phantom thief is a stock character in fiction. A gentleman or lady thief is characterised by impeccable manners, charm, courtesy, and the avoidance of physical force or intimidation to stea ...

Arsène Lupin Arsène Lupin () is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine '' Je sais tout''. The first ...

, created by

Maurice Leblanc Maurice Marie Émile Leblanc (; ; 11 December 1864 – 6 November 1941) was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsène Lupin, often described as a French ...

. Acknowledged across the globe as the world's number one thief, Lupin is a master of disguise and deduction, marksmanship, and inventor of numerous handy gadgets. His fun-loving, foolhardy incongruity covers a brilliant mind always extemporizing and re-evaluating. As such, he has been responsible for heists no right-minded individual would believe possible. While occasionally arrested and jailed, typically by his ICPO nemesis Inspector Koichi Zenigata, he always succeeds in escaping unharmed. The original manga differs significantly compared to the family-friendly

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

incarnations through its explicit depictions of sex and violence, with Lupin's character also differing as a result. As one example, he and his famous gang, beautiful Fujiko Mine, cool triggerman

Daisuke Jigen is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his manga series ''Lupin III'', which debuted in ''Weekly Manga Action'' on August 10, 1967. Jigen is the marksman, aide-de-camp and best friend of Arsène Lupin III. Along with colleague Goemo ...

and incomparable samurai

Goemon Ishikawa XIII is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his manga series ''Lupin III'', which debuted in ''Weekly Manga Action'' on August 10, 1967. Goemon is a thirteenth generation descendant of the renegade samurai Ishikawa Goemon. He is famous ...

, occasionally try to kill each other in the manga version, but are depicted as more of a team in various anime productions.

Conception and creation

The aim of ''Lupin III'' was to produce a comedy adventure series that reflected the traits of Leblanc's Arsène Lupin character. Originally, the intention was to keep the blood ties between the two fictional characters secret. However, Monkey Punch was convinced by others not to do so. He combined elements of Arsène Lupin with

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

to develop the character of Lupin III and made him a "carefree fellow". In the original manga, Lupin and his team typically work individually for their own goals. Monkey Punch explained it is only in the anime that they frequently operate together, suspecting some unwritten rule that all five main characters have to appear in every episode. He believed that Lupin and Fujiko were similar to the characters of

D'Artagnan Charles de Batz de Castelmore (), also known as d'Artagnan and later Count d'Artagnan ( 1611 – 25 June 1673), was a French Musketeer who served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard. He died at the siege of Maastricht in the Fr ...

and Milady de Winter, and described them as "Not necessarily lovers, not necessarily husband and wife, but more just having fun as man and woman with each other". Inspector Zenigata was conceived as Lupin's archrival to create a "human

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series ...

". Monkey Punch described the appeal of drawing Lupin coming from the character being able to go anywhere without obstacles and being able to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. However, this is contrasted by the appeal of Zenigata's strict personality. Monkey Punch said that he believed the ''Lupin III'' story could never end but that if he had to, both Zenigata and Lupin would end up as equals. They would either both fail, both win or both get very old.

Name

Monkey Punch did not gain permission to use the Arsène Lupin name and, at the time, Japan did not enforce trade copyrights. By the time Leblanc's estate launched legal action in Japan, the name was considered to have entered into common use. However, this was not the case in North America and Europe, and several foreign releases of ''Lupin III'' media were obliged to drop the ''Lupin III'' title; the character himself was renamed to "Wolf" or "Rupan". In France, the series was known as ''Edgar, Detective Cambrioleur'' (Edgar, Detective Burglar) with Lupin himself renamed "Edgar de la Cambriole" (Edgar of Burglary). In 2012, Leblanc's original Arsène Lupin entered the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

in France due to 70 years passing since his death in 1941, and is in the public domain for any country that enforces the rule of the shorter term. In Japanese media, the character is referred to by the

mononym A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...

"Lupin III", excluding a first name even when other characters are given their full names. Translation notes written in 2015 offer that Japan does not use western generational "Jr." or "III" naming conventions that necessitate sharing the first name, further asserting that "official apaneseanimation dialogue and comic text never explicitly call him 'Arsène Lupin the Third.'" The first name "Arsène" would later appear briefly written on a wanted poster shown in a 2018 episode of ''Part V'', though dialogue throughout the show continued to only identify the character as "Lupin III". The name "Arsène Lupin III" continues to occasionally appear in English localizations.

Characterization

Appearance

Lupin III has black (or occasionally dark brown) hair with what is variously depicted as cut short with a

widow's peak A widow's peak is a V-shaped point in the hairline in the center of the forehead. Widow's Peak may also refer to: *'' Widows' Peak'', a 1994 British-Irish film *'' Widowspeak'', an American band ** ''Widowspeak'' (Widowspeak album), 2011 * ''Wido ...

or plastered flat with a V-shaped bang. His trademark sideburns extend from ear to nearly the chin. Lupin typically dresses fashionably, wearing a brightly colored, single-breasted, two-button

blazer A blazer is a jacket worn as part of a smart casual or business casual look. Similar to a sport jacket, a blazer is not part of a formal suit, and the terms "sport coat" and "blazer" may be used interchangeably in daily life. A nautical bl ...

with notch lapels worn unbuttoned, a button-up

dress shirt A dress shirt, button shirt, button-front, button-front shirt, or button-up shirt is a garment with a Collar (clothing), collar and a full-length opening at the front, which is fastened using buttons or shirt studs. A button-down or button-down ...

, a flat end

necktie A necktie, long tie, or simply a tie, is a cloth article of formal neckwear or office attire worn for decorative or symbolic purposes, resting under a folded shirt collar or knotted at the throat, and usually draped down the chest. On rare o ...

with a silver

tie clip A tie clip (also tie slide, tie bar, or tie clasp) is a clothing fashion accessory, accessory that is used to clip a necktie, tie to the underlying shirt front, preventing it from swinging and ensuring that the tie hangs straight, resulting i ...

, a leather ratchet belt with a silver buckle, cropped

dress pants A suit, also called a lounge suit, business suit, dress suit, or formal suit, is a set of clothes comprising a suit jacket and trousers of identical textiles generally worn with a collared dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes. A skirt suit ...

that expose ankle

socks A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the Calf (leg), calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. ...

with thin black stripes, and lace-up cap toe

boots A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...

. Though exclusively red in the manga, in animation his jackets are various colors which are often used to color-code the TV series (green for ''Part I'', red for ''Part II'', pink for ''Part III'', blue for ''Part'' ''IV'', light blue for ''Part'' ''V'', and turquoise for ''Part VI''.).

Personality

In Monkey Punch's original manga, Lupin is cocky, quite crude, and for the most part remorseless. He is very much the ladies' man, often using them for his own gains, and is not beyond forcing himself upon women who resist his advances. Mike Toole of

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...

referred to the character as a "rough, drunken, lecherous crook." This is in stark contrast to his better-known anime self, who although a skilled thief, occasionally comes off as a chivalrous goofball who enjoys helping those less fortunate than he. Furthermore, Lupin often takes it upon himself and his gang to stop criminals engaged in more violent crimes and leave them for Zenigata to arrest. In the anime, while he fancies himself a Casanova, his actual success with women is erratic, appearing to fluctuate with the writer. Even though his gang's loyalty has been an issue, with Fujiko willing to betray and cohort Goemon promising to eventually kill him, Lupin will still drop everything to come to their aid in a helpless moment; further the team would rather face torture than to betray Lupin (or he betray them) to a third party. This rule of loyalty extends as well to Inspector Zenigata, whom Lupin considers a respected friend and opposition. The Inspector reciprocates this regard and out of gratitude has vowed never to attempt to kill Lupin. Lupin's vendetta against the Tarantula Gang in '' In Memory of the Walther P-38'' was partly settling of past betrayal and mostly vengeful payback for their shooting and nearly killing Zenigata. It seems Lupin loves to steal more than actually having the treasure he sought. Lupin relishes more in the challenge of stealing and, as long as he succeeds in the heist, is usually not that upset when he ends up empty-handed; there have been times he has lost the object or intentionally thrown it away. There have also been times when Lupin stole an object only to give it to someone else, such as if it rightfully belonged to them or they needed it more than he did. When not involved in criminal activities, Lupin usually spends his time dating beautiful girls, fishing, race car driving, attending formal dinners, playing pool, casino gambling, and participating in

café society Café society was the description of the "Beautiful People" and " Bright Young Things" who gathered in fashionable cafés and restaurants in New York, Paris and London beginning in the late 19th century. Maury Henry Biddle Paul is credited wi ...

. His favorite foods seem to be mostly

French cuisine French cuisine is the cooking traditions and practices of France. In the 14th century, Guillaume Tirel, a Court (royal), court chef known as "Taillevent", wrote ''Le Viandier'', one of the earliest recipe collections of medieval France. In ...

, sushi, and seafood; when on a job he may settle with ramen noodles. In '' Lupin the Third Part V'', he is shown with an affection for

galette Galette (from the Norman language, Norman word ''gale'', meaning 'flat cake') is a term used in French cuisine to designate various types of flat round or freeform crusty cakes, or, in the case of a Breton galette ( ; ), a pancake made with buck ...

s. He also smokes cigarettes and occasionally cigars and

kretek Kretek () is a type of Indonesian cigarette made with a blend of tobacco, cloves and other flavors. They are available filtered or unfiltered. The word "kretek" itself is an onomatopoetic term for the crackling sound of burning cloves. Partl ...

s; in the manga, he's seen smoking a briar pipe. His preferred cigarette is the famous French brand Gitanes. Lupin is a celebrated race car driver, competing in several international events when time allows. He's also a skilled sleight of hand artist who loves to befuddle his opponents with various gimmicks: i.e., a cigarette which explodes into confetti, a gun with a spring-loaded boxing glove that clobbers the shooter, and bubble gum that becomes plastique after brief chewing.

Skills

Physically, Lupin is a man of average strength, but he can throw a surprisingly good punch. He is incredibly flexible and fast, and his manual dexterity is cat-like in precision and quickness. His talent in the art of disguise borders on the superhuman, with him able to flawlessly impersonate any man or woman in face, voice and costume after minimal observation. This skill is so complete that he can even fool close friends and family members of the subject. His skinny body enables him to easily impersonate larger individuals by use of oversized outfits, with attack paraphernalia usually making up the disguise's bulk. His favorite disguise has always been that of Inspector Zenigata, which incenses his adversary to no end. Lupin possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of various topics, such as history, the different sciences, fluency in multiple languages, etc. He shows amazing intuition and quick awareness of his surroundings. Lupin favors the long outdated

Walther P38 The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the comparatively comp ...

as his principal firearm. He is shown to be an excellent marksman, having on at least one occasion fired directly into the barrel of another gun, although not quite on a par with Jigen. Despite the criminal nature of his activities, Lupin has a strict code that he follows in order to not taint his reputation. Lupin dislikes killing and takes care to use non lethal means to achieve his goals. When Lupin believes he has an illness causing him to become a compulsive killer he asks Jigen to kill him to save the lives of any potential victims. While killing is against his nature, he is willing to fire upon any enemy who threatens his friends or allies. Lupin is a talented driver, motorcyclist and pilot. His favorite automobiles seem to be either the Mercedes-Benz SSK or a souped up 1965 Fiat 500 F, most famously seen in ''

Castle of Cagliostro is a 1979 Japanese animated action adventure comedy film co-written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is the second animated feature film based on the 1967–69 manga series ''Lupin III'' by Monkey Punch. The film was Miyazaki's feature ...

''. Also worth mentioning is the Alfa Romeo 6C 1750. In the case of the SSK, one of the rarest cars in the world, one problem or another seems to cause the car's destruction in virtually every episode it's featured, though it always reappears undamaged soon after. Lupin is a formidable escape artist, capable of cracking any safe or escaping from shackles in moments. He can even use his restraints to entrap his would-be captor before making his departure. Seemingly prepared for all contingencies, he can break free of confinement even when surrounded. In spite of his facade of reckless childlike antics, i.e., taunts, silly faces, and leaving notes of his next caper, Lupin's brilliance for tactics and originality belies any underestimations his behavior may have implied. In the '' Lupin III vs Detective Conan'' special, not only did he figure out Conan was far more intelligent than he appeared, but had also discerned his identity as Shinichi Kudo.

Background

Lupin's ethnic origins have been occasionally specified as half-Japanese and half-French, befitting his claimed heritage as grandson of Frenchman Arsène Lupin. In the first TV series, episode 13 ("Beware the Time Machine!"), Lupin impersonates a feudal Japanese ancestor of his, claiming he would like to marry a girl by the name of Mylene Lupin from France someday. In the 2008 OVA '' Green vs. Red'', a dossier held by Zenigata indicates his place of birth as "unknown". Numerous ''Part I'' and ''Part II'' episodes make it clear that the famed French thief is indeed his grandfather, with some stories having flashbacks to the top-hatted ancestor having been somehow involved in Lupin's current heists. As well, Lupin often speaks of both his grandfather and his father, both of whom were thieves. He occasionally quotes his grandfather's advice and has attempted to complete or repeat heists attempted by his ancestors with good or bad luck.

Actors

Animation

Japanese

Lupin III was first voiced by Taichirō Hirokawa in the

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

version of the 1969 pilot film for the first anime, while

Nachi Nozawa was a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and theatre director from Tokyo. He was affiliated with Office PAC at the time of his death. His real name was . Nozawa was the official dub-over artist of Al Pacino and Alain Delon, and also dubbed th ...

voiced him in the pilot's TV version. However, Yasuo Yamada was given the role when the first anime was actually produced (1971–72) and continued to voice Lupin until his death in 1995, with one exception. Due to budget concerns, TMS decided not to employ the regular voice cast for the 1987

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

'' The Fuma Conspiracy'', with

Toshio Furukawa is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to fellow voice actress Shino Kakinuma. Career He became famous for his roles in his career as Kagege (''Sgt. Frog''), Kai Shiden (''Mobile Suit G ...

voicing Lupin.

Kanichi Kurita is a Japanese Impressionist (entertainment), Impressionist, comedian and Voice acting in Japan, voice actor. A veteran Impressionist, he is known in Japan as "One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Impressionists". His most famous role as a voice ac ...

took over the role after Yamada's death and he continues to voice Lupin III to this day. In the ''Lupin Zero'' prequel ONA series, the teenaged Lupin is voiced by

Tasuku Hatanaka is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer. Biography Hatanaka is the son of Hiroshi Hatanaka and Keiko Fukushima. He voiced Yuma Tsukumo in the anime series ''Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal'', Ushio in '' Ushio and Tora'', Ikoma in '' Kabaneri of the Iro ...

English

Due to a lack of localization credits on any known prints, Lupin's English voice actor in the 1979

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

/ Frontier Enterprises dub of ''

The Mystery of Mamo ''Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo'', also known as ''Lupin III: The Secret of Mamo'', is a 1978 Japanese adult animated science fiction action adventure comedy film. It is the first animated feature film based on the 1967–69 manga series ''Lupin ...

'' remained unverified until 2018, when a chance discovery by fans revealed the voice actor to be Tom Clark. From 1991 to 1995,

Bob Bergen Robert Berger (born March 8, 1964), known professionally as Bob Bergen, is an American voice actor. He voices Warner Bros. cartoon characters Porky Pig and Tweety and has voiced characters in the English dubs of various anime. He formerly hosted ...

voiced Lupin in

Streamline Pictures Streamline Pictures was an American media company. Founded by screenwriter Carl Macek and animation historian Jerry Beck, it was one of the earliest distributors of English-dubbed Japanese animation. History Founding Founded in Los Angeles, ...

' dubs of '' The Castle of Cagliostro'' (in which the character was renamed "The Wolf" to avoid legal complications with

's estate), episodes 145 and 155 of the second anime (collectively released as ''Lupin III: Tales of the Wolf'' and later ''Lupin III's Greatest Capers'') and ''The Mystery of Mamo''. For

AnimEigo AnimEigo is an American entertainment company that licenses and distributes anime, samurai films and Japanese cinema. Founded in 1988 by Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams III, the company was one of the first in North America dedicated to licens ...

's 1995 release of ''The Fuma Conspiracy'', Lupin, named "Rupan" in the dub, was voiced by Robin Robertson. In

Manga Entertainment Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1991, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyr ...

's 1996 dubs of ''The Mystery of Mamo'' and '' Bye Bye, Lady Liberty'' (retitled ''Secret of Mamo'' and ''Goodbye Lady Liberty'' respectively) for the UK market, Bill Dufris provided Lupin's voice, where the character was renamed "Wolf III". In Manga's 2000 dub of ''The Castle of Cagliostro'', produced in cooperation with Animaze,

David Hayter David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Big Boss (Metal Gear), Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the fi ...

provides Lupin's voice; due to the non- union nature of the project, Hayter was initially credited as "Sean Barker". Hayter was also involved in the production of

Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. History Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retr ...

's re-release of the film, and re-voiced several of his lines for a "family-friendly" edit of the Animaze/Manga dub produced exclusively for Discotek.

Sonny Strait Sonny Strait is an American voice actor, ADR director, and writer, known for his work on a number of English versions of Japanese anime series and as an illustrator for the independently published comic book series ''Elfquest.'' Strait has provi ...

voiced Lupin in

Funimation Entertainment Crunchyroll, LLC is an American entertainment company based in Coppell, Texas. It currently operates the anime-focused eponymous over-the-top subscription video on-demand streaming service. The company was founded as Funimation in May 1 ...

's dubs of several TV specials and theatrical films between 2002 and 2005, and in their 2013 dub of '' The Woman Called Fujiko Mine''. Keith Silverstein voices the character in the Bang Zoom! Entertainment/Discotek dubs for the ''Lupin the IIIrd'' films that serve as a "continuation spin-off" of the series.

Tony Oliver Tony Oliver is a Puerto Rican voice actor and voice director. He is best known for voicing Rick Hunter from ''Robotech'', Lancer from '' Fate/stay night'', and Arsène Lupin III from '' Lupin the Third''. He helped produce the live action sh ...

voiced Lupin in the Phuuz dub of the second anime and ''The Mystery of Mamo'' for Pioneer/Geneon, as well as the video game '' Treasure of the Sorcerer King'', between 2002 and 2007. Beginning with the Discotek dub of '' Lupin the 3rd Part IV'', Oliver reprised the role (alongside several ''Part II'' co-stars) and has continued to be the primary voice actor for the character across animated shows and films.

Live-action

Lupin was portrayed by Yūki Meguro in the 1974 film and by

Shun Oguri is a Japanese people, Japanese actor and Voice acting in Japan, voice actor, son of stage director Tetsuya Oguri, and the youngest of 3 siblings, including older brother Ryo, who is also an actor. He started in small roles as extra in the works ...

in the 2014 film. In the 2015 musical adaptation of ''Lupin III'' performed by the all-female troupe

Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway theatre, Broadway-style productions of musicals and stories adapted from films, nov ...

, Lupin was portrayed by Seina Sagiri.

Appearances in other media

Lupin makes an appearance as a guest character in the 2012 game ''Girls RPG Cinderelife'' developed by Level-5 for the

Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...

. The character has also been used in television advertising for motorcycles, gasoline, razors, fast food companies, etc.

Reception

Allen Divers of

(ANN) called Lupin "one of the most recognized figures in Japan" with many homages and references in other series. Similarly,

Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...

's Kara Dennison said that even if someone has not seen a ''Lupin III'' title, they have "almost certainly experienced something either inspired by or paying tribute to him and his gang." Lupin was voted the eighth most iconic anime hero by Mania.com. ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'' ranked Lupin as the fifteenth best anime character of all time in 2009, placing him on the 16th spot in 2014. After completing his involvement with the ''Lupin III'' franchise in 1980,

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and serves as honorary chairman. Throughout his career, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Anime, Japanese ani ...

wrote an article in ''

Animage is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine published by Tokuma Shoten since July 1978. Notable works serialized in the magazine include Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli a ...

'' where he discussed his view of the series and the character. He stated that Lupin was "truly a character of his era" but that as the franchise progressed he had been overtaken by the real world. Despite this, Miyazaki still thought fondly of Lupin's early days. For the

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

Persona 5 is a 2016 role-playing video game developed by P-Studio and published by Atlus. The game is the sixth installment in the ''Persona'' series, itself a part of the larger ''Megami Tensei'' franchise. It was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStat ...

'', its creative team originally asked themselves how a character like Lupin III might win appeal in modern society. Anime director and voice actor

Shinichi Watanabe is a Japanese anime director and voice actor. He is best known for his over-the-top adaptation of Rikdo Koshi's ''Excel Saga'', in which he appears as the character Nabeshin. Watanabe stated that the nickname Nabeshin (a name blending of ...

is known for dressing like Lupin in his daily life, a trait which is extended to his avatar character, Nabeshin, in ''

Excel Saga is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kōshi Rikudō. It was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's Seinen manga, manga magazine ''Young King OURs'' from 1996 to 2011, and its individual chapters were collected and published in 27 ...

'' and other shows he has directed like '' Puni Puni Poemy'' and '' Nerima Daikon Brothers''.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lupin Iii, Arsene Anime and manga characters introduced in 1967 Fictional assassins in comics Fictional escapologists Fictional French criminals Fictional French spies Fictional gentleman thieves Fictional gunfighters in anime and manga Fictional hāfu Fictional inventors in comics Fictional Japanese criminals Fictional Japanese spies Fictional marksmen and snipers Fictional motorcyclists Fictional polyglots Fictional prison escapees Fictional racing drivers Fictional spies in anime and manga Fictional vigilantes Lupin the Third characters Male characters in anime and manga