The year was 1905. Sherlock Holmes permeated the public consciousness like no other fictional character had before. Everyone and their dogs knew who the detective was, but in the French magazine Je Sais Tout, one of their published works would turn heads towards the opposite end of the law. That was the year that Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief, would reach the eyes of readers all around France. Soon after, Lupin reached the words of many around the world, not nearly as popular as the famous detective, but of a similar calibre in terms of shaping a genre of character. The Gentleman Thief, suave, charismatic, dextrous and almost infallible. 

But, of course, like Holmes, Lupin was not the first nor the last of his kind. The idea of a thief who relies on charisma rather than brute strength, and in a protagonist’s chair rather than the antagonist’s, dates back to the 15th Century, with the old ballads of Robin Hood, a thief who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, dashing, daring, and fun-loving above all else. This folklore would then go on to create the directly Heroic Outlaw, the sort of progenitor of the pure Gentleman Thief. 

“A lot of people would say he’s good, but at the same time, it’s like- he’s stealing, but he’s also giving… Morally, I feel like it’s bad still… Like, from the rich person’s perspective, he’s a big bad guy. Everyone has a different side to a story,” senior Franco Vidal said.

The Heroic Outlaw is, from the perspective of the storyteller, noble. He traditionally is on the side of crime because the law has been corrupted or the noble they want in charge is replaced by someone they dislike. They yearn for change, but only to what people of the time think of as the status quo.

In that, we find the more selfish and callous thief that emerged in the 20th Century. Traditionally, a character that steals from the rich, and gives to themselves. A.J. Raffles, Arsene Lupin, and more bizarre characters like the Lupinrangers of Super Sentai fame are among the people that would fit this description, a calm demeanor, dashing, daring, but selfish and doesn’t always carry themselves with the kindest aura. These are by all means, criminals, and do not carry themselves as anything else. 

“Honestly, I don’t see anything wrong with that kinda thing. I mean, it’s always against some evil dude, right? Robin Hood would be cool, but… I mean, what you’re talking about is a robber, like, definitely not the good guy. Cool, sure, but, if I met Robin, I’d shake his hand. If I met that guy, I’d check my pockets,” said sophomore Trent McGee.

Some, like Japanese manga author Monkey Punch’s descendent of Arsene, Lupin III, are almost entirely selfish. They are either in it for the money or an excuse to get some action in their lives. They may be gentlemen, they carry themselves politely, but they are ultimately in service of themselves. 

As an antagonist, they can serve as the ultimate match to a brilliant detective. As a protagonist, they can serve as an enemy to an establishment, wanting change at the best of times, but ultimately, wanting money and the benefits money can provide, for whatever reason they may hold. 

And of course, as fiction mirrors life, life mirrors fiction. There have been real life thieves of a charming disposition, such as Black Bart or Willie Sutton. Robbers who reportedly never utilized a weapon for violence, even if you can’t rob a bank or a stagecoach with charm and personality alone. These people were, of course, people who did it for either the money, the thrills, or both, but it’s undeniable that they quickly gained notoriety and fame for years to come. One could even describe the idea as timeless.