In the 1978 animated film Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo, the character known as Gissinger serves as a high-ranking official representing the pinnacle of American political power. He is a pointed parody of the real-life American diplomat and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a connection that is evident not just in his name but also in his demeanor and role as a master strategist. This satirical portrayal is reinforced in various English dubs, where he is sometimes referred to with the more explicit full name of Heinrich Gissinger.

Gissinger holds the position of a special adviser to the President of the United States, with other characters describing him as the true mastermind or the brains behind the presidency. His personality is that of a calm, calculating, and severely pragmatic political operative. He is a man of power who operates from secure, dimly lit rooms, preferring to orchestrate global strategy rather than engage in direct action. He commands respect and authority from his subordinates, such as the more aggressive Agent Gordon, and maintains a cold, clinical demeanor when dealing with threats to national security.

The character's primary motivation in the film is to identify and neutralize a significant threat to global stability: the enigmatic and powerful being known as Mamo. After Mamo successfully hijacks a secure communication line to blackmail the American president and the leader of another nation, Gissinger makes it his mission to find him. He correctly deduces that the master thief Arsène Lupin III has a connection to Mamo, as Lupin had stolen items for the villain. This leads Gissinger to orchestrate the capture and interrogation of Lupin’s partners, Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa XIII, in an attempt to track both men down.

In these scenes, Gissinger functions as an antagonist who represents the cold, bureaucratic machinery of state power. Unlike the more impulsive and explosive Agent Gordon, Gissinger uses psychological pressure and the weight of his authority to get information. He plays a recording of Mamo’s blackmail for the captured thieves, revealing the scale of the threat, and demands they reveal what they know. His interest is purely one of national security, and he has no qualms about using any means necessary, including kidnapping and implied threats, to achieve his goal.

His key relationship within the story is with Agent Gordon, who acts as his enforcer. While Gordon is quick to anger and resorts to brute force, Gissinger serves as the intellectual and strategic half of the duo. He is the one who deduces Lupin’s connection to Mamo and sets the plan in motion. His development, though subtle, culminates in a final example of his ruthless pragmatism. At the climax of the film, with Mamo’s island base in chaos, Gissinger displays his true, unprincipled nature by ordering the destruction of all witnesses to the incident, including the American agents who had been his allies, to ensure the entire affair remains a secret.

Gissinger’s abilities are not physical but intellectual and political. His power lies in his access to vast intelligence resources, his ability to command military and intelligence assets, and his mastery of realpolitik. He is a strategist who orchestrates from the shadows, using the levers of government to manipulate world events. His distinctive accent and authoritative presence are tools he uses to intimidate and control conversations, reinforcing his position as one of the most powerful men in the world.