Claire

Claire is a main character in the first part of Lupin. She is portrayed by Ludivine Sagnier, while her 14-year-old counterpart is portrayed by Ludmilla Makowski respectively.

She is Assane's long-time childhood love, and the mother of his child. Claire works as a nurse at a hospital, and has full custody of Raoul. She is frequently frustrated by Assane's unstable lifestyle and the fact that he often hides things from her. When the two met at boarding school, she told him she thinks all men are either knights or barbarians, leading Assane to create his own category of gentleman.

1995
Claire meets Assane for the first time when he is sent to the orphanage she lives in shortly after his father's death. Assane, seeing that Claire is being harassed by a group of boys, manages to get them away from her and sits down next to her. Claire tells Assane that there are two kinds of men--barbarians and knights--and that both bother her equally. Assane, in her view, is a knight. However, she also tells him that she is sorry about what happened to his father, and introduces herself.

Claire begins spending more and more time with Assane, arousing jealousy in the group of boys that had been pestering her earlier. One day, while the two are reading together on the grounds of the orphanage, the boys walk up to them and begin teasing them. Although Claire disapproves of fighting, Assane attacks the boys and gets injured. Later, Claire cleans his wounds in the bathroom, and Assane tries to kiss her. Claire laughs, saying that she does not need a boyfriend. Assane claims that she doesn't know that he is the man of her life, which amuses her. He also shows her that he managed to steal a lighter from the boys, and Claire is impressed.

One day, while they are reading together, Claire asks Assane if he ever gets bored of re-reading the same Arsène Lupin stories over and over. Assane says that he does not, since he learns something new each time. He also reveals that he has thought about Claire's notion of two kinds of men, and claims that he is a third type--the gentleman, who does not care about anything except what matters. Claire is touched by this, and kisses Assane, telling him that she likes being with him, and that she enjoys the idea that they will always be there for one another.

2006
Claire is now in a relationship with Assane, but his behavior is causing her significant emotional pain. In a session with her therapist, Claire discusses her distress at the way Assane fails to honor their commitments and is not open about what he does on his own. She mentions that while she knows that Assane engages in small-scale petty crime such as picking pockets, she is worried that he may be involved in something far more serious. Claire is conflicted as to whether or not Assane is truly her soul mate; her therapist reminds her that she had previously told her that Assane was made for her whether she liked it or not. As her session concludes, Claire resolves to have a serious discussion with Assane about their future as a couple. Afterwards, she calls Assane and asks him to choose a quiet place for them to have dinner together.

Claire is upset when Assane brings her to one of the fanciest restaurants in town. Assane apologizes and asks for a check, but Claire tells him not to bother. Noticing her evident anxiety, Assane asks Claire what the matter is. Claire nervously tells Assane that she is pregnant; however, to her surprise, Assane's reaction is entirely positive. He begins telling the entire restaurant that he is going to be a father, and that Claire will be the greatest mother in the world. Although Claire is mildly embarrassed by this, she is too overjoyed and relieved by his happiness at the news to stop him. However, Assane sees an elderly woman he had previously scammed in the restaurant, and quickly leaves with Claire.

As they walk home, Claire tells Assane that the baby is due on December 11th. Assane is stunned, mentioning that this was Maurice Leblanc's birthday. After making a series of Lupin-themed name suggestions (all of which are rejected by Claire), Assane promises that he will stop his "fuck-ups" and do everything in his power to love, protect and care for their child. He makes one final suggestion for the baby's name: Raoul.

Present
At some point between Raoul's birth and the present day, Claire and Assane get married and eventually separate, with Claire getting full custody of Raoul while Assane is granted visitation rights. In October 2020, Assane meets Claire at a café in order to give her an alimony payment. He tells Claire he is with he has gotten a job; she responds by assuming that it is another form of Assane's secret business which will damage his relationship with her and Raoul. Claire reminds Assane that he has stood Raoul up three times by this point. Assane promises to change, but Claire is skeptical. She gives him back the money, telling him to buy a present for Raoul's upcoming fourteenth birthday. However, when Claire leaves the café, she finds that Assane has secretly slipped it back into her jacket pocket.

Following the Louvre heist, Assane arrives at Claire and Raoul's apartment and tells them that nothing special had happened the previous night. While walking in the center of Paris with Raoul, Assane gives him the Arsène Lupin book that Babakar had given to him. Some time afterward, Claire observes that Raoul is engrossed in the Lupin stories, and is pleased to see that he has greatly reduced the time he spends playing video games.

While Assane is interrogating Dumont, Claire calls him from the hospital at which she works. Upon hearing him pick up the phone, Claire greets Assane cheerfully and asks him if he has thought of something he can do with Raoul for his birthday. Assane pauses briefly and mentions that he is planning a surprise. Claire becomes disheartened with Assane, as he had said the same thing the previous year and had not done anything. Assane maintains that he will fulfill his promises this time, and tells her that he is busy with paperwork. Claire does not believe him, but tells him that she is not sure that she wants to know what he is actually doing. Before hanging up, Claire entreats Assane not to do anything stupid.

The next time Assane arrives for a visitation, he is late, to Claire's annoyance. Raoul later tells Assane that Claire is attempting to move on from him, having begun a tentative relationship with a doctor.

On Raoul's birthday, Assane makes it to Claire's apartment on time and gives Raoul a top hat and a cape. Raoul is not sure that he likes the present, and Claire disapproves of it, but Assane assures Raoul that he will love it. As Raoul and Assane prepare to leave, Claire kisses Raoul and wishes them a good trip. Assane asks if Claire is not going with them, telling her that he has bought a ticket for her as well. Claire replies that she has plans, and Assane sarcastically asks her she will be having a doctor's appointment. Claire is embarrassed that Raoul had told Assane about the doctor, but insists that she has nothing to hide. Ultimately, Claire agrees to go with Assane and Raoul, but claims that he rarely leaves her any choice.

When they are on board a train to Le Havre, Assane tells Claire and Raoul that they will be visiting the nearby scenic town of Étretat, the setting of The Hollow Needle, one of the Arsène Lupin stories and the home of Lupin creator Maurice Leblanc. As it is also Leblanc's birthday, the town is hosting a Lupin festival in his honor. Claire tells Raoul that since she has known Assane for twenty five years, she remembers parts of The Hollow Needle. Assane begins quoting it, and Claire manages to complete his phrases. Raoul thinks that they are crazy for doing this; Assane tells him that they may be crazy, but they are connected.

Assane, Raoul, and Claire get on the train and tells them they would be going Under the Fréfossé fortress. Claire understands and tells Raoul that they would be going to Étrerat where there would be an Arsène Lupin celebration. Claire mentions that she had known Assane for twenty-five years, so she remembered a little of The Hollow Needle, however when Assane cites the book, she completes the phrase and Assane tells Raoul they are crazy, but connected.

Later, Claire looks at her phone, and Assane asks her if the doctor has contacted her. Claire says that his name is Marc, and that her relationship with him is none of Assane's business. Raoul chimes in, revealing that the relationship is proceeding slowly. Embarrassed again, Claire decides to take a selfie with Assane and Raoul. However, when Assane examines the image, he sees Pellegrini's henchman Leonard in the background. He begins loudly singing "Happy Birthday" to Raoul as a diversion, and then leaves, telling Claire and Raoul that he is going to get drinks.

When he returns, Claire notices that Assane has exerted himself, and has arrived without drinks. She asks him what happened; Assane claims that he got into a fight with another Arsène Lupin fan who had said that The Mysterious Traveler was the best story. Claire thinks that he is lying, but does not press him for details. Later, as the train nears its destination, Leonard emerges from the storage closet that Assane had locked him in, points a gun at him, and sits down next to Raoul, asking him if he likes Arsène Lupin. Raoul replies that he does, and Leonard tells him that he has good taste. Claire asks Assane if he and Leonard know each other; Assane says that they do not, but Leonard claims that they do.



As the train pulls into the station at Le Havre, Claire notices Assane signalling for her to get off, and although mildly worried about Assane's situation leaves with Raoul. Shortly afterwards, Assane catches up and the three continue on to Étretat. As they walk through the center of the town, where many people are, like Raoul, wearing Lupin's cape and hat, Claire asks how Lupin ended up in the books. Raoul tells her that nobody knows since he was never caught. Claire remarks that in real life, Lupin would either have been caught or known when to stop.

Raoul wanders ahead of his parents, and tells them that he will be heading down to the beach in order to explore the town's famous cliffs. As he departs, Claire warns him not to go too far. After Raoul is gone, she asks Assane who the man on the train was. When Assane fails to respond, Claire becomes upset. Assane tells her that he needs to settle a matter that concerns both his father and Raoul. Claire demands to know what Assane's father, of whom she knows little, has to do with anything; Assane tells her that when everything is finished, he will tell her everything, and asks her to give him one more chance.

Suddenly, Claire notices that Raoul is nowhere to be seen. Immediately becoming fearful for her son's safety, she rushes onto the beach and begins searching for him, as Assane does the same on the town's promenade. Claire attempts calling Raoul's cell phone, but receives an answering machine message. She frantically attempts to ask other tourists if they have seen Raoul, but due to the similar way in which everybody is dressed, nobody is able to help. Unbeknownst to her, Leonard has abducted Raoul, put him in the back seat of a car, and driven off. While Claire continues her desperate search, Assane gets caught by Youssef Guedira.

Appearances

 * Part One


 * Chapter 1
 * Chapter 2
 * Chapter 3
 * Chapter 4
 * Chapter 5

Trivia

 * Claire is the only major character whose surname remains unknown.
 * Although Ludivine Sagnier and Ludmilla Makowski never formally met, Sagnier reported being shocked when she saw how much Makowski looked and sounded like her.
 * Claire does not appear to be based on any character in the original Arsène Lupin stories; however, she may have been partially inspired by Clarisse d'Etigues, Lupin's first major love interest.