Franky Franklin began as an Ostanian soldier during Ostania and Westalis’s second war. He deserted after deeming the conflict a pointless diplomatic failure that inflicted suffering on civilians. Fleeing through mountains, he encountered a young Westalian soldier later known as Twilight (Loid Forger). In this tense standoff, Franky pleaded for his life while sharing his anti-war views, exposing how both nations blamed each other for igniting the hostilities. Ostanian forces abruptly attacked, enabling Franky’s escape.
Post-war, Franky returned to Ostania but became disillusioned by its oppressive regime. Adopting the alias "Franky Franklin," he operated a tobacconist shop in Berlint as cover for his real work: an underworld informant. He cultivated extensive networks to gather and trade sensitive intelligence, frequently collaborating with Westalian assets like WISE. His motivations blended a desire to "shake things up" during his "rebellious phase" against Ostanian rigidity. Professionally, he evolved into a key associate of Loid Forger, supplying critical support for missions such as Operation Strix—securing Eden Academy exam answers, compiling dossiers on Loid’s potential wives, and investigating Anya’s untraceable origins. Despite their close collaboration, Loid openly denied considering Franky a friend, though sporadic interactions betrayed mutual, unspoken concern.
Franky excelled in intelligence gathering, exploiting vast contacts to access classified documents—city hall records on unmarried women or Eden Academy materials—undetected by Ostania’s Secret Police (SSS). He complemented this with inventive engineering, devising gadgets like the C20 Feline-Form Listening Device, the Cat Nearness Inducement Prototype (CAT-N.I.P.) Decoy System, and the Camera-Shaped Net Launcher. His decade-long passion project, an Exoskeleton Power Suit, was destroyed pre-deployment. Many inventions proved impractical or niche, including failed height-increasing machines and X-ray glasses.
Personality-wise, Franky displayed affability and risk-taking loyalty to Loid, though he demanded payment or favors, reflecting a money-driven ethos. He wrestled with deep insecurities, especially in romance, persistently pursuing women like cigar shop employee Monica McBride only to face rejection. This fueled envy toward "handsome guys" and "rich people," alongside resentment for Ostanian authority. Paradoxically, he maintained a broad underworld social circle and sporadically performed charity work aiding war victims.
Within the Forger household, Franky regularly babysat Anya, engaging in pretend espionage games where he played villains opposing "Loidman." He emotionally supported Anya, convincing Loid to celebrate her Eden acceptance at a rented castle. Collaborations with Yor included using his inventions to find a missing cat—an operation where she accidentally destroyed his power suit.
Trivia notes reveal his original conception as Anya’s uncle and alternative name ideas like Chuck or Olly. His favorite pastimes involved inventing, browsing hardware stores, and collecting scrap parts. War trauma forged his worldview, framing interpersonal trust as a liability; he advised Loid to "keep emotions out of this" for survival—a principle he personally struggled to uphold.