History Main / PhantomThief

* Literature/{{Fantomas}} is as completely villainous an example of the Phantom Thief as one is likely to find. He is an anarchist whose crimes (supposedly) stem from a disdain for modern civilization. He bears titles such as "The Lord of Terror", "The Genius of Evil" and "The Master of Crime." Unlike many of his ilk, Fantomas has no code against murder whatsoever, and is perfectly willing to frame the innocent to face the guillotine for his crimes, which makes him especially vile.

* Literature/{{Fantomas}} is as completely villainous an example of the Phantom Thief as one is likely to find. He is an anarchist whose crimes (supposedly) stem from a disdain for modern civilization. He bears titles such as "The Lord of Terror", "The Genius of Evil" and "The Master of Crime." Unlike many of his ilk, Fantomas is perfectly willing to use murder to further his goals, which makes him especially vile.

* Literature/{{Fantomas}} is what happens when one of these turns to murder as well as thievery, and is as completely villainous an example of the Phantom Thief as one is likely to find. He is an anarchist whose crimes (supposedly) stem from a disdain for modern civilization. He bears titles such as "The Lord of Terror", "The Genius of Evil" and "The Master of Crime."

* Literature/{{Fantomas}} is what happens when one of these turns to murder as well as thievery, and is as completely villainous an example of the Phantom Thief as one is likely to find. He bears titles such as "The Lord of Terror", "The Genius of Evil" and "The Master of Crime."

* Literature/{{Fantomas}}, [[MeaningfulName naturally]]

Particularly common in Japanese media, stemming from the popularity of Literature/ArseneLupin [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in Japan]]. The Japanese word for it is ''Kaitou''.

Compare GentlemanThief and ClassyCatBurglar. If part of their motivation is the thrill of stealing then they are also TheKleptomaniac. See also LoveableRogue, AntiHero.

* Kaitou Ace from ''[[Franchise/SailorMoon Codename: Sailor V]]''

[[AC:WebOriginal]]
* ''Literature/GrandmasterOfTheft'' follows Cassidy Cain, the titular vigilante thief.

* ''VideoGame/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'': ''Trials and Tribulations'', Mask☆[=DeMasque=] (yes, [[LuckyCharmsTitle complete with the star]]) is a PhantomThief - and he's your client. Your [[NervousWreck high-strung]], [[CowardlyLion flighty]] client. The same case gives us his self-declared [[GreatDetective Ace Detective]] [[TheRival rival]], Luke Atmey. [[spoiler: Guess what: he really isn't. Further guess what: he really is ''but'' he didn't commit the theft in question - that was Atmey, who was responsible for putting him up to most of his previous heists and was using this one [[CrazyAwesome as an alibi]].]] It's an awesome moment when [[spoiler: you get the [[LoveableRogue loveable little bastard]] cleared of all the crimes he actually did commit, almost by accident]].
* ''VideoGame/AceAttorneyInvestigations'':

* Tuxedo Mask from ''Franchise/SailorMoon''.

* ''Manga/ShadowLady''

* ''Manga/KingOfBanditJing''
* ''Manga/{{Mouse}}''
* ''Manga/PhantomThiefPokemon7''

* Literature/TheSaint

* ''VideoGame/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'': ''Trials and Tribulations'', Mask☆[=DeMasque=] (yes, [[LuckyCharmsTitle complete with the star]]) is a PhantomThief - and he's your client. The same case gives us his self-declared [[GreatDetective Ace Detective]] [[TheRival rival]], Luke Atmey. [[spoiler: Guess what: he really isn't. Further guess what: he really is ''but'' he didn't commit the theft in question - that was Atmey, who was responsible for putting him up to most of his previous heists and was using this one [[CrazyAwesome as an alibi]].]] It's an awesome moment when [[spoiler: you get the [[LoveableRogue loveable little bastard]] cleared of all the crimes he actually did commit, almost by accident]].

* Parker on ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' is this, being the only member of the team to never have been put in prison.

* ''Franchise/SlyCooper''.

* ''VideoGame/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'': Trials and Tribulations'', Mask☆[=DeMasque=] (yes, [[LuckyCharmsTitle complete with the star]]) is a PhantomThief - and he's your client. The same case gives us his self-declared [[GreatDetective Ace Detective]] [[TheRival rival]], Luke Atmey. [[spoiler: Guess what: he really isn't. Further guess what: he really is ''but'' he didn't commit the theft in question - that was Atmey, who was responsible for putting him up to most of his previous heists and was using this one [[CrazyAwesome as an alibi]].]] It's an awesome moment when [[spoiler: you get the [[LoveableRogue loveable little bastard]] cleared of all the crimes he actually did commit, almost by accident]].

* Manga/LupinIII is notably based on Literature/ArseneLupin, being the grandson of the famous French Thief.

* Has a strict code of honor, [[ThouShalNotKill refusing to commit murder]].

* Has a strict code of honor, refusing to commit murder.

* In ''VideoGame/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'':
** Trials and Tribulations'', Mask☆[=DeMasque=] (yes, [[LuckyCharmsTitle complete with the star]]) is a PhantomThief - and he's your client. The same case gives us his self-declared [[GreatDetective Ace Detective]] [[TheRival rival]], Luke Atmey.
** [[spoiler: Guess what: he really isn't. Further guess what: he really is ''but'' he didn't commit the theft in question - that was Atmey, who was responsible for putting him up to most of his previous heists and was using this one [[CrazyAwesome as an alibi]].]]
** It's an awesome moment when [[spoiler: you get the [[LoveableRogue loveable little bastard]] cleared of all the crimes he actually did commit, almost by accident]].

* Skye from ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon DS Cute'' is widely known as "Phantom Skye". He doesn't seem to steal for any other reason other than for the fun of it (or, should you choose to woo him, to meet with the player).
** Actually, Skye steals because [[spoiler: he wants to make really good curry. The items he steals are ingredients and other people's curry dishes (to taste them).]]

* SlyCooper.
* ''[[VideoGame/WarioMasterOfDisguise Wario: Master of Disguise]]'' features Wario becoming one of these using a magic wand he took from a ''real'' phantom thief. The game's original title, ''Kaitou Wario the Seven'', is clearly meant to suggest both Lupin the Third and the Fiend of Twenty Faces (since seven is actually how many costumes Wario has, besides the basic thief).
* MapleStory gets one as a playable character, unsubtly named Phantom.
* VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion has the Gray Fox, who people believe can slip through doors and become invisible. And no one knows who he is, [[spoiler: because he's wearing a cursed Daedric artifact that strikes the wearer's name from history.]]

* RhythmThiefAndTheEmperorsTreasure gives us the aptly named Phantom R, a thief known for stealing priceless works of art... only to return them days later without a scratch. The Police always fail to catch him, even after they spot him in the act. [[PoliceAreUseless Then again...]]

* Geist from the webcomic ''{{Heist}}''. He lives in a superhero universe and ''only his former clients even know he exists''.
* The unknown rook (thief) in ''SnowByNight'', who goes after objects having to do with hearts. Even the other rooks are baffled by this person. Turns out the thief is Snow By Night, a manitou with magic powers, which explains why she is so hard to find.

* ''GrandmasterOfTheft'' follows Cassidy Cain, the titular vigilante thief.

* In ''VideoGame/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney:

* ''{{Iljimae}}''

* Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. 'the Phantom', from ''ThePinkPanther'' and sequels.

* The Gray Ghosts in the ''{{Shadowleague}}'' books.

* The titular character of the German gangster spoof series ''DickieDickDickens'' has traces of this, being a Chicago gangster in the 1920s who uses trickery, charm and his [[ImpossibleThief impossibly well-honed skills as a pickpocket]] to reach his goal. His son, Donald D. Doberman, is an even clearer example of the trope.

* Comus from the ElleryQueen short story "The Dauphin's Doll" in ''Calendar of Crime''.

* [[KamenRiderDecade Kamen Rider Diend]] is actually named has Daiki ''[[MeaningfulName Kaitou]]'', but he's only partway to being a full-fledged Phantom Thief. He has the "theft of valuable objects" and "uses trickery and illusions" bits down but his personality boils down to "real-life {{Troll}}" for his victims (especially [[TheHero Tsukasa]]), and he steals not out of a sense of social justice but because he enjoys it ([[spoiler:though that's just his assertion, in truth it's because he's trying to fill the void left behind by his brother being [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed by a crime boss]]]]).
* ''[[{{Iljimae}} Il Ji-mae]]''

* Neeshka from ''NeverwinterNights2'', although certainly interested in money, mostly sees burglary as a sort of competitive game, taking delight in difficult heists.
* In ''Phoenix Wright: AceAttorney: Trials and Tribulations'', Mask☆[=DeMasque=] (yes, [[LuckyCharmsTitle complete with the star]]) is a PhantomThief - and he's your client. The same case gives us his self-declared [[GreatDetective Ace Detective]] [[TheRival rival]], Luke Atmey.

** ''Ace Attorney Investigations'' has another in "The Great Yatagarasu", a sort of IntrepidReporter version of the VigilanteMan. The Yatagarasu has two odd quirks compared to other phantom thieves. First; the Yatagarasu doesn't steal much that's tangible. Rahter, the thief makes off with evidence of [[CorruptCorporateExecutive dirty dealings]] and makes them public. Secondly, the Yatagarasu doesn't actually send calling cards to the victim beforehand. Rather, the victim doesn't know that their info was even stolen, until it shows up on the news, having been delivered to the authorities alongside a calling card. [[spoiler:Actually, there's [[CollectiveIdentity three of "him"]], all {{Cowboy Cop}}s. One however is TheMole planted in the group to keep them away from a smuggling ring. They are Byrne Faraday, Detective Tyrell Badd and Calisto Yew (She's the mole.)]]
*** Related is Kay Faraday, who claims to be the new Yatagarasu though [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything she doesn't actually ever steal anything]]. Bonus points for managing the unlikely combination of [[HighlyVisibleNinja Highly Visible]] PhantomThief.
* In the ''{{Thief}}'' series, Garrett is a classic PhantomThief and AntiHero, though he steals for his own gain as well as for the thrill of it.
** The higher difficulty levels impose a code of honor (no killing humans; zombies and the like are fair game). The {{Fandom}} takes it further still, with a common SelfImposedChallenge being the [[StealthRun Ghost run]] - a playthrough in which Garrett gets in, steals everything not nailed down, and gets out again without anyone even suspecting he was ever there.
*** To clarify, Ghosting means leaving no evidence anyone was there. No unlocked doors (lock them again), nobody looked round and asked "What's that noise?", no broken windows, no doused torches (in Thief 2, which this is very popular for, re-lighting torches is easy) and definitely nobody injured or killed. The only difference is all the loot is gone.
* Skye from ''HarvestMoon DS Cute'' is widely known as "Phantom Skye". He doesn't seem to steal for any other reason other than for the fun of it (or, should you choose to woo him, to meet with the player).

* ''KaitouKiramekiMan''
* ''KingOfBanditJing''
* ''{{Mouse}}''
* ''PhantomThiefPokemon7''
* One of the earliest examples is probably OsamuTezuka's ''RainbowParakeet'', whose unusual name comes from his mastery of disguise & ability to mimic voices.
* Played with in ''[[GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex Ghost in the Shell]]'' when the Major is Cash Eye. [[spoiler:A false thief created to trap a CorruptCorporateExecutive.]]

* In ''OnePiece'', Nami can steal practically anything without anyone noticing (as seen in the Drum arc). However she prefers to brag.
* The Black Rose in ''AshitaNoNadja''.
* Le Bled from ''SteamDetectives''. Also known as Phantom Thief Le Bled!

* Eroica from ''FromEroicaWithLove''

* Tuxedo Mask from ''SailorMoon''.
** Kaitou Ace from [[SailorMoon Codename: Sailor V]]
* [[Manga/LupinIII Lupin The 3rd]] is notably based on Literature/ArseneLupin, being the grandson of the famous French Thief.
* In ''MythicalDetectiveLokiRagnarok'', Freyr (in his first episode), because every GreatDetective needs a rival.
* Maron/"Jeanne" from ''KamikazeKaitouJeanne''.
* Saint Tail from ''KaitouSaintTail''.
* The Man of Twenty Faces from ''ClampSchoolDetectives'' (and his own manga; note that the manga was inspired by a GentlemanThief by the same name from earlier books, movies, and television).
* More obviously (and recently) Dark, from ''[[DNAngel D.N.Angel]],'' although he steals cursed items to get them uncursed.

* Kaitou Kid (literally known as the Phantom Thief Kid) from ''DetectiveConan'' and ''MagicKaito'' has this [[IncrediblyLamePun in spades]].
* In the BoysLove manga ''GorgeousCarat'', main character Ray is also known as Phantom Thief Noir.

* X in ''MajinTanteiNougamiNeuro''. Unfortunately, those aren't [[SerialKiller his only crimes]]...
* Phantom Renegade of ''{{Medabots}}'' steals rare medals in order to keep them out of the wrong hands. He would actually do a pretty good job, if he didn't clumsily lose them right after gloating over his successful heist.
* Robas from ''{{Kiba}}'', who becomes the thief "No Face" because he's bored and wishes for a challenge. It's also hinted he may be trying to help out his family financially, since their fortune is somewhat on the rocks.
* The Kisugi sisters in ''CatsEye''.
** And in Tsukasa Hojo's next work, ''CityHunter'', you have Kasumi Asou alias Theif n°305, who comes from a line of women phantom thieves.

* [[ClassyCatBurglar Kasumi Goto]] of ''MassEffect2''.

** She would lampshade leaving notes and signs of her robberies by saying her partner\lover Keiji got her out of the habit.

** The higher difficulty levels impose a code of honor (no killing humans; zombies and the like are fair game). The {{Fandom}} takes it further still, with a common SelfImposedChallenge being the Ghost run - a playthrough in which Garrett gets in, steals everything not nailed down, and gets out again without anyone even suspecting he was ever there.

* [[LupinIII Lupin The 3rd]].

Particularly common in Japanese media, stemming from the popularity of Literature/ArseneLupin [[BigInJapan in Japan]]. The Japanese word for it is ''Kaitou''.

[[quoteright:345:[[ArseneLupin http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stolen_image_1834.jpg]]]]

Particularly common in Japanese media, stemming from the popularity of ArseneLupin [[BigInJapan in Japan]]. The Japanese word for it is ''Kaitou''.

* ArseneLupin the TropeCodifier.