One certain type of thief is referred to as a phantom thief. They are not common criminals who enter a building, steal a few dollars, and go. These burglars are far more refined than that.
They dress elegantly and leave calling cards alerting the police to what they want to steal. The same is true for banks; their objective is far greater and frequently includes irreplaceable heirlooms, historical artwork, precious diamonds, ancient relics, and other expensive or even priceless objects.
Japanese media, including manga, anime, video games, and more, have featured phantom thieves for decades. Arsene Lupin, the protagonist of many short stories and novels by Maurice Leblanc, is arguably one of the most well-known (and among the oldest) examples of a Phantom Thief.
Lupin would go on to serve as an inspiration for numerous other works and characters, and he was incredibly well-liked by Japanese audiences. The phantom thief later developed into a distinct subgenre, and works with this kind of character are still being written today.
Lupin III, which features Arsene’s titular grandson, is a famous example. Since the first season of this series was launched more than ten years ago, it has continued to be the basis for numerous films, books, and spin-offs. Another noteworthy example is Kaitou Kid from the Detective Conan series, whose real name is Kaito, a play on words as “kaitou” means “thief.”
The character gained so much popularity that he eventually got his manga and a 24-episode anime series called Magic Kaito, which occasionally included retellings of Detective Conan cases from Kaito’s perspective. In a rare instance of shojo fiction, Joan of Arc, rather than Arsene, is the historical character that Maron, the protagonist, is associated with in Phantom Thief Jeanne.
The series also gives the usual phantom thief concept a magical girl twist, giving it a considerably more imaginative interpretation than its competitors. Phantom burglars are just plain cool. They are the ideal escapist characters because they look cool and act cool.
Kaito is smart, appealing, skilled in magic, and a master of disguising himself. Maron is a superb rhythmic gymnast, an excellent student, and well-liked by her peers. Lupin takes this a step further by having almost all the necessary abilities for a competent burglar, including hacking, pickpocketing, driving, and marksmanship; it would be simpler to list Lupin’s weaknesses.
These characters are all very skilled, which helps them in their careers but also gives the impression that they are larger than life. These phantom thief characters are mostly entertaining. They enjoy pulling off their heists, they come up with fresh ways to annoy their competitors, and they always do it in style.
