He is the third generation Arsene Lupin. Though he lacks the style of his grandfather, the "Gentleman Thief," this Lupin nonetheless holds his own staggering reputation as a master thief. He'll take on any challenge, no matter how impossible it may seem. To him, challenge only ices the cake: the tougher the challenge, the sweeter the prize. He always loves to make a staggering entrance...only to vanish later like a ghost, leaving you with only the fact that Lupin III was here. It's his style, and it infuriates Inspector Zenigata to no end.
In his free time, Lupin looks almost comical, frequently chasing after pretty girls. If his crown jewel Fujiko isn't around, he'll happily flirt with any lady that's nearby: usually without success. But once he's on the job, the awkwardness drops away and Lupin becomes the professional thief. His is a brilliant mind, always capable of hatching a plan to get the loot or get away. And to add fuel to Zenigata's fire, he also has a knack for slipping out of handcuffs.
Lupin is allergic to polyps, carries a Walther P38, and likes to travel in his signature sports coat. Incidentally, the sports coat is how you can tell the series in which Lupin appears. The first TV series always shows Lupin in a green sports coat. A red sports coat is used in the second series, while he wears a pink coat in the third series.
Species: Elf
Lyla is a princess elf. She is a seductive creature. Lupin would have been dead of Lyla hadn't stepped forward and persuaded her daddy not to kill him. Why did she do it? Because Lyla loves Lupin! She is jealous of Fujiko.
Daisuke Jigen is the name this American gangster took on when he fled to Japan to escape the Chicago mob. He is easily recognizable by his black suit, his unkempt beard, his low-brow hat, and his bent cigarette: all inspired by the days of Al Capone.
Jigen is, with no known exception, the sharpest shooter around, able to draw in gun in a mere three tenths of a second. With his hat on his head and Smith & Wesson M19 in his hand, he can show you impossible shots you wouldn't believe. Combined with his mob-ground common sense, he makes himself very useful in Lupin's gang: if not with his eagle eye, then with his general sense of what the gang should be doing.
Jigen doesn't like women, so he's frequently trading words with Lupin about his constant infatuation.
Ogai is Lyla's father. He is the elf king of the south forest. Ogai met Lupin and the boys when they were stealing the radiant fire light from the temple. The forest elves arrested them and took them to Ogai. He let Lupin and co. go on one condition: Lupin has to marry his daughter. Ogai still hates Lupin.
Goemon Ishikawa is the thirteenth in a line of samurai. The name Goemon comes from his original ancestor, a legendary troublemaker from the 1600's who picked up a reputation slightly akin to England's Robin Hood (until he was caught and summarily boiled alive). He wields a sword called Zantetsu-ken ("Sword that Cuts Iron"), made supposedly from the metal of a meteorite. Whatever its composition, its edge never dulls, even as he cuts it through almost anything you can think of. Combined with his years of dedicated training, Goemon becomes a fearsome foe to face: drawing his sword, making his cuts, and then sheathing it again (all typically within the span of a second).
His life is that of the samurai: calm, austere, and with a deep sense of honor. Originally trained to be an assassin, he had been ordered to kill Lupin originally. However, his master, Momochi, had planned to turn on him, and Lupin eventually killed Momochi. Now Goemon travels with the gang, offering his skills to help in their capers.
Koiso is Lupin and Lyla's daughter. She is a pistol and a half! Koiso knows exactly what she wants and gets it! She is taking after both her father and her mother!
Sometimes his partner, sometimes his rival, always the love of his live, Fujiko Mine's reputation as a master thief hangs right up there with Lupin himself. Where Lupin has his wits and his Houdini-like skills, Fujiko has her own abilities...including mountainous sex appeal.
Fujiko is named for Mt. Fuji, but is it because of her towering reputation or her towering bust line? She prefers to wear Chanel No. 5 perfume and frequently disguises herself by changing her hair and eye color. And though she doesn't show it often, she has a gun: a Browning M1910.
Fujiko actually cares about Lupin quite a bit, but she never shows it whenever he's around. Whether it's through her taunts when she makes off with Lupin's loot, the times when she makes a deal with Zenigata to turn over Lupin for own freedom, or those few times when she comes to his timely aid, Fujiko always teases Lupin, making sure he knows that her heart is the one thing he can never steal away.
Lupin IV is Lupin and Fujiko's son. He has a small role in the beginning. But then the series focuses on Lupin IV. He is like his father only smarter and more gentlemanly like.
Originally a member of the Tokyo Police Department, Kouichi Zenigata was transferred to Interpol to help him pursue the one case that refused to let him be: Lupin III. If there's one thing about Zenigata you have to admire, it's his dogged determination. He's gonna catch Lupin no matter what he has to go through to accomplish that feat. Not even Lupin himself can fault the man for trying, though he always seems to be able to stay one step ahead of Zenigata. Just when he thinks he has Lupin in his grasp, he always seems to slip away, leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth and usually a tricky situation he has to figure out.
The character of Inspector Zenigata is inspired by an old fictional coin-throwing crime fighter named Heiji Zenigata: a character reputed for stopping crooks by throwing coins. This coin-throwing technique is the inspiration for the modern Zenigata's technique of throwing his handcuffs.
