Arsène Lupin, referenced within the television special, is the grandfather of the central character and a legendary 19th-century gentleman thief. His background marks him as a master thief who built the Lupin Empire by amassing treasures globally, though his extravagant lifestyle and gambling addiction ultimately caused its financial downfall. Inspector Ganimard served as his primary adversary throughout his career, their rivalry enduring across generations.

Specific failures punctuated his endeavors, including unsuccessful attempts to steal the Bresson Diary and the authentic Mona Lisa from the Louvre. Significantly, he embarked on the RMS Titanic's maiden voyage intending to steal a golden dragon figurine, but perished during the ship's sinking, leaving the figurine unrecovered at the wreck site. This dragon figurine was later revealed to hold the secret to an alloy potentially surpassing the durability of Goemon Ishikawa XIII's Zantetsuken sword, adding weight to this final failed mission.

His personal life involved multiple romantic relationships; characterized as a womanizer, he hosted lavish parties attended by numerous women. He married an unnamed woman bearing a resemblance to Fujiko Mine. Following the Lupin Empire's collapse due to Arsène's financial mismanagement, she secreted clues to a hidden treasure within Napoleon's Dictionary. Despite his legendary heists, he died penniless and took measures to conceal his true burial site from disgruntled locals who had built a crypt for him. His legacy, particularly the Titanic failure, directly motivates his grandson's pursuit of the dragon figurine decades later.

Within the broader animated series, flashbacks typically depict him wearing a black overcoat, top hat, and monocle, with facial features resembling his grandson. An inconsistency occurs in Part III, where he is portrayed with blond hair.