Raoul

Raoul Diop is a major character in the French thriller series Lupin. He is portrayed by Etan Simon.

The son of Assane Diop and Claire Laurent, Raoul was born on the 11th of December, also the birthday of Maurice Leblanc. He is a quiet boy who enjoys reading and playing video games.

Part 1


Some time between Raoul’s birth on December 11, 2006, and October 2020, his parents separate. As a result, Raoul is currently being raised entirely by Claire, who nonetheless encourages Assane to spend as much time with him as possible. On the day after the Louvre heist, Assane gives Raoul the book of Arsène Lupin stories that Babakar had given to him twenty-five years earlier. Much like his father, Raoul becomes enthralled with Lupin. During a later visit from Assane, Raoul tells him that Claire is attempting to start a new relationship with a doctor named Marc.

On Raoul’s fourteenth birthday, Assane gives him a Lupin-style cape and top hat, and takes him and Claire to the scenic seaside town of Étretat, where a festival in honor of the birthday of Maurice Leblanc is being held. Raoul is mildly embarrassed by his parents’ playful banter on the train. When Assane asks about Claire’s love life and Claire replies that it is none of his business, Raoul reveals that her new relationship is progressing slowly, to Claire's mortification. After Claire takes a selfie with Assane and Raoul, Assane notices that Hubert Pellegrini's henchman Léonard Koné is in the background, and loudly sings “Happy Birthday” to Raoul, while staring directly at Léonard. At the end of the ride, Léonard sits down next to Raoul and the two strike up a brief conversation about the Lupin festival. This greatly unnerves Claire, who is instructed by Assane to disembark along with Raoul.

Although reluctant to put on the top hat and cape in Paris, Raoul enjoys wearing them in Étretat, where many people are dressed in similar outfits. After deciding to walk ahead on the beach in order to explore the Hollow Needle, a rock formation made famous in a Lupin story, Raoul is kidnapped by Léonard and driven away from the beach and his parents, who eventually realize to their horror that he is missing and begin a fruitless search for him.

Part 2


Léonard speeds out of Étretat with Raoul bound and gagged in the backseat of his BMW. He tries to call Hubert, but is unable to do so due to a lack of cell phone reception. Léonard decides to pull into the nearby town of Bourneville in order to place his call. To avoid attention, he pre-emptively stuffs Raoul into the trunk of the car. In Bourneville, Léonard is forced to buy a drink in order to use a pub's phone; he quietly gives it to Raoul as he returns to the vehicle. After Assane and Youssef Guédira arrive in town, Léonard speeds away. He brings Raoul to an abandoned hunting lodge and ties him to a chair. When Raoul hears Assane pull up in front of the mansion, he begins yelling for his father. Léonard orders Raoul to be quiet, and threatens to kill both him and Assane.

Some time later, Léonard locks Raoul back into the trunk of the BMW. After Assane throws Léonard out of one of the lodge's windows, the assassin struggles over to the vehicle, douses it in gasoline and sets it alight, with Raoul still inside. Raoul desperately yells for help as the heat inside the vehicle begins increasing to unbearable levels. Before any serious harm can come to him, Raoul is rescued by Guédira, who manages to pry open the trunk and helps Raoul to safety. Raoul and Guédira race away from the mansion as Léonard shoots wildly at them with a hunting rifle. Upon reaching the car Assane had stolen in Étretat, they get in and drive off.



Guédira tells Raoul that he and Assane are both passionate fans of Arsène Lupin. Raoul asks Guédira who his favorite character is; Guédira responds that it is Inspector Ganimard, as they are both policemen. Raoul says that his favorite character is Lupin himself, since he reminds him of Assane. He tells Guédira that Assane is his favorite person in the world. Upon arriving back at Claire’s apartment, Raoul and Guédira are confronted by a group of armed men waiting outside. One of them, Pascal Oblet, instructs Guédira to bring Raoul to the Hyatt hotel in central Paris at Commissioner Dumont’s orders. Guédira is confused, but obliges.

When Guédira and Raoul arrive at the Hyatt, they are greeted by Dumont, who compliments Guédira for delivering Raoul to him. Raoul looks around as Guédira and Dumont discuss the plans that have been made for him. Although Guédira is suspicious of Dumont’s motivations, he leaves Raoul with him. Raoul says that he wants to return home to see his mother, and manages to make a call to Assane, telling him where he is. Assane promises Raoul that he will come and get him.



Raoul is eventually brought to a meeting with Hubert, who tells him that he is organizing a foundation that will help children like Raoul whose parents are criminals. Enraged, Raoul asserts that his parents are not criminals. Hubert asks Raoul what his father does for a living; when Raoul is unable to respond, Hubert states that Assane is a thief, like Babakar before him. Raoul yells that this is not true, but Hubert goes further, asserting that Assane is an arrogant man who does not care about Raoul or Claire.

Dumont keeps watch over Raoul at the hotel, and offers him pizza, which Raoul refuses. Soon afterward, Dumont receives a phone call from Assane, with his voice disguised to sound like Hubert’s, ordering him to remove Raoul from the building. Dumont is confused, but does as he is told, bringing Raoul to the front of the hotel, where a large black van with tinted windows is waiting for them. When Raoul enters alone, he realizes that his “captor” is actually Assane. The two enjoy a happy reunion after they have safely left the Hyatt behind.



Raoul asks Assane if he is really a thief, and if this was the reason for the kidnapping. Assane grows somber and reveals the truth about Babakar’s death and the Diop family's history with Hubert. Raoul questions how far Assane will go to get revenge, telling him that Claire has said that he will never change. Assane promises that he will, once he has sorted out everything with the Pellegrinis. After thinking for a moment, Assane asserts that he will stop all of his criminal activity if Raoul wants him to. However, Raoul urges Assane to see it through. Assane is elated by his son’s reaction, and drives him home to Claire.

Upon arriving at his apartment building with Assane, Raoul waves to his mother, who is watching him from a window with an overjoyed expression. After Claire lets them into the building, Raoul runs up the stairs, calling to her. When he reaches the landing, Claire dashes out of their apartment and grabs him, hugging him tightly and kissing him repeatedly. Raoul is confused when Claire tells Assane, standing behind them and observing the scene with an air of contentment, to run away. Seconds later, the men who had greeted him and Guédira earlier burst through the doors and run down the stairs, searching for Assane, who has managed to hide in the ceiling.



When the men have gone, Claire pulls Raoul back into the apartment and asks him if he was hurt. Raoul states that he is fine, and compliments Assane’s actions in rescuing him. Claire is horrified by his reaction and yells that Assane is a dangerous man who cannot be trusted, and that everything that happened to Raoul was his fault. She clings to Raoul, telling him between shuddering sobs that she doesn't want Assane to come near them ever again.

Despite having forgiven Assane countless times in the past, Claire is able to make good on her promise and cuts off all of his contact with Raoul, while also making an attempt to pursue her relationship with Marc, the doctor, more seriously. Even so, Assane continues to call Raoul and offers him more Arsène Lupin books. During one phone call shortly before Léonard's murder, Raoul exhibits apprehension at Assane’s continuing criminal life, asking him if he will ever finish his plans. Assane laughs and asks Raoul if Claire is feeding him lines, but Raoul responds that he legitimately means it. Later, Raoul attempts to explain the plot of La Dame Blonde, an Arsène Lupin story, to Marc, who questions whether he is too old for the series.



At 9:30 PM on the night of Juliette Pellegrini’s benefit concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Claire is helping Raoul study history when they suddenly begin to hear a repetitive high-pitched noise coming from another room. The two search through their apartment looking for its source; eventually, Claire finds a small electronic watch underneath her bed. Raoul turns off the device's sound, at which point it reveals a message telling them to come to “Raoul’s Bridge” at 10:00. Raoul asks what this means, and Claire sheepishly explains that it is where she and Assane chose Raoul’s name in 2006. Raoul is excited by the notion of a visit with Assane, but Claire is firm in ruling it out. Raoul defiantly states that he will go anyway, and despite her reluctance Claire follows him.

The two reach the bridge at 10:00 exactly. Soon afterward, they begin to hear the sound of a motor; turning in its direction, they see Assane sailing up the Bassin d'Arsenal in a speedboat, beaming and waving. Assane gets out of the boat and walks onto the bridge, and Raoul runs into his arms, with Claire following behind more slowly. Assane tells Claire and Raoul that he is glad both of them are there, and explains that he has finished with the Pellegrini family, but that Claire was right about his being a danger to them. Claire, however, has a change of heart and tearfully tells Assane that the only thing that matters to her and Raoul is that they don’t lose him. Assane hugs them again, promising that he will watch over them from afar and that he will return. Smiling, he assures them that he loves them, and runs off as police sirens grow louder in the background. Claire and Raoul watch as he disappears into the night.

Part 3
A year after Assane’s disappearance, Raoul is struggling to deal with being the son of the most infamous man in France. He and Claire are both subject to relentless media harassment, with Raoul having nightmares as a result of it. Raoul has joined a local youth basketball team, but is bullied by his teammates due to the identity of his father. During one practice session, after being taunted by a boy named Mathis, Raoul loses his temper and throws the basketball at him. The two begin tussling, and the team’s coach, unable to maintain discipline, ends the practice. Unbeknownst to Raoul, Assane has been watching in dismay from a balcony above the court.



Shortly afterward, Raoul and Claire witness a news report on Assane’s upcoming burglary at the Maison Everlin. On the evening of December 3rd, they apprehensively watch the television coverage of the crime from their apartment. Raoul grins at his mother when the boutique’s alarms begin to go off, but grows dejected when, several minutes later, Assane is led out of the building by two uniformed BRI officers. Witnessing his reaction, Claire attempts to console him.

A few hours later, Claire receives a call from a colleague at the hospital, informing her of Assane’s supposed death. The following Thursday, Raoul and Claire, along with Benjamin and a large group of onlookers, attend Assane’s funeral at Père-Lachaise cemetery. Raoul remains stone-faced when, at Guédira’s demand, Assane’s coffin is opened. As the coffin is lowered into the ground, Raoul, Claire and Benjamin all place roses onto it.

Despite having seen Assane’s apparently lifeless body, Raoul is unconvinced that he is really dead. The day after the funeral, Raoul leaves his apartment and encounters his mother, who is returning home. Raoul informs Claire that he is going to basketball practice; Claire is shocked by his casual demeanor in the face of losing his father. Raoul voices his belief that Assane is still alive, kisses Claire goodbye, and leaves.



Following his practice session, Raoul goes to the library and requests to see a Napoleonic-era map of the Parisian sewer system. A librarian guides Raoul to a viewing room, gives him the map along with a pair of gloves, and reminds him to be careful. Raoul lays the diagram of the sewer system on top of a present-day tourist’s map of Père-Lachaise cemetery, and notices that Assane’s burial spot is extremely close to one of the disused canals. Upon realizing that this has similarities to the way that Arsène Lupin faked his death in the story “Edith au Cou de Cygne”, Raoul whoops in excitement, to the annoyance of the other visitors to the library.

Several days later, while he and Claire are sitting in a cafe together, Raoul fires into an explanation of how Assane could have simulated his demise by escaping the coffin in a Lupinesque fashion. Claire, who has become very worried about Raoul’s state of mind, pleads with him to recognize that the Lupin stories are not real-life scenarios, but Raoul ignores this and gets up to leave, telling his mother that his basketball team has a new coach and that he doesn’t want to be late for practice. When Raoul and Claire arrive at the gym, they encounter a tall, sturdily-built man with cornrow braids who introduces himself as Alex, the replacement coach. While Raoul is in the locker room, Claire gives Alex her phone number and asks him to contact her if Raoul is having any problems.



Raoul’s performance on the team improves under the guidance of Alex, who becomes increasingly close with Claire. One afternoon following a practice session, Raoul is confused when Claire, having perceived that Alex was criticizing her parenting, walks off in a huff. That evening, Claire discovers Raoul’s handwritten notes connecting Assane’s death to “Edith au Cou de Cygne” and secretly begins her own investigation.

Some time afterward, Raoul encounters Claire rummaging through a stack of Assane-related newspapers he keeps in his room. When he asks her what she is doing, Claire is startled and attempts to feign nonchalance, but Raoul easily deduces that she is lying, and that she too has begun to have doubts about Assane’s death. Claire admits that Raoul is right, and points to one of the newspapers, noting the oddness of a journalist named Arnold de Garmeaux being granted access to the morgue to take a photograph of Assane’s corpse. Raoul agrees that it is strange, and affirms his certainty that he and Claire will be able to find Assane. Independently, Claire and Raoul pursue their own methods of tracking Assane down. While Claire meets with Arnold de Garmeaux and eventually extracts the truth out of Benjamin, Raoul revisits Père-Lachaise cemetery and locates the passage that Assane used to escape from his coffin.

Also on Raoul’s mind is an important basketball game that his team is set to play against a rival group. For luck, he has asked Claire to buy him a pair of sneakers similar to those that Assane wore in his youth. On the evening before the game, Claire is shaken after being stalked through the Paris streets by a bearded stranger, and, upon escaping in a cab, asks Alex to bring Raoul home. After Claire explains what happened, and suggests that the man may have been seeking Assane, Raoul theorizes that Assane was the one who sent him. Still feeling unsafe, Claire asks Alex to check the apartment for intruders; once Alex has confirmed that they are alone, Claire offers to make dinner for the three of them. Raoul goes to bed immediately after eating, telling Claire and Alex that he wants to be rested for the game. After he is in his room, Claire makes a pass at Alex but to her embarrassment, he turns her down.

The following morning, Raoul is unable to locate his water bottle and asks Claire if she has seen it. Claire checks the refrigerator; when Raoul turns to face her, he notices her shellshocked expression and asks her if she is all right. Claire forces a weak smile and hands the water bottle to Raoul, who asks his mother if she thinks Assane will come to his game; Claire responds that she is not sure. She does not tell Raoul of her realization that Alex is actually Assane in an elaborate prosthetic disguise.



Raoul and his teammates are disappointed when their coach does not show up for the game. The referee offers them the opportunity to forfeit, but after thinking for a moment, Raoul encourages the team not to give in, telling them that they have all of the skills necessary to win even without guidance. Watching from the audience, Claire beams with pride as she watches Raoul take leadership over the team in his father’s absence.

That night, when Jean-Luc Keller breaks into their apartment, Raoul and Claire hide in the closet. After Claire manages to throw Keller off their track with a strategic call to their home phone, she contacts Assane and begs him to pick them up. Raoul and Claire anxiously wait for Assane in the entryway of their apartment building. When they see a shadowy figure emerge from around the corner, they initially rush to hide, but as the stranger draws closer, they see that it is Assane. Raoul runs to hug his father, with Claire following close behind.

Assane brings Claire and Raoul back to his hideout, where Raoul admires Assane’s collection of Arsène Lupin stories and other memorabilia, and is introduced to his grandmother Mariama for the first time. Over the next two days, Claire and Raoul remain at Assane’s hideout. Assane tells them that he has bought a safe house for all of them in the countryside. On the morning that they had planned to depart Paris, Raoul arrives at the Gare de l’Est with his mother and Mariama. As Raoul and Mariama play with Assane’s adopted dog J’accuse, Benjamin appears and gives Claire Assane’s letter, in which he explains that he has turned himself in so that Claire and Raoul could be free.

Personality


Raoul is a bookish, socially-introverted teenager. Like many of those of his generation, he enjoys playing video games and listening to electronic music. Raoul tends to be quite blunt, and is shown to be headstrong and stubborn when he believes himself to be right. He also demonstrates talents in amateur detective work. Much like his father, he is a huge fan of Arsène Lupin, and has read as many of the stories as he can get his hands on.

Raoul is shown to possess an impressive degree of stoicism and emotional resilience. Despite having undergone multiple highly traumantic experiences (most notably, his kidnapping and attempted murder) as a result of Assane’s activities, he is almost always able to maintain his composure. However, the stress of the media attention surrounding him and his mother has resulted in his experiencing nightmares.

Assane


Raoul admires his father greatly, even stating outright that Assane is his favorite person in the world. The nature of Raoul’s relations with Assane while his parents were still together is unclear. Following their separation, Raoul saw Assane on visit days, which Assane apparently sometimes forgot about. Raoul took Assane's neglect of his paternal duties in stride, despite Claire’s worries to the contrary. Their bond grew stronger when Assane introduced Raoul to the world of Arsène Lupin. Raoul took to the books immediately, insightfully noting that the gentleman thief shared many similarities to Assane. Insults towards Assane are one of the few things that can make Raoul become visibly angry.

Despite the fact that Assane’s exploits have caused Raoul to be variously kidnapped and nearly killed, harassed by the media, and taunted by his peers, he appears to bear his father no ill will. After Assane faked his death, Raoul was one of the first people to suspect that he was still alive, claiming to Claire that he knew how Assane’s mind worked. It is not clear whether Raoul ever discovered that his basketball coach Alex was actually Assane in disguise.

Claire
Raoul spends the overwhelming majority of his time with Claire, as she has custody of him. Claire adores Raoul and is devoted to raising him. Although Raoul’s attitude towards his mother does not approach the near idol-worship he feels towards Assane, the two share a strongly affectionate bond.



Raoul’s emotionally undemonstrative and somewhat stubborn nature has caused Claire to worry about him on numerous occasions. When Raoul refused to accept that Assane was dead, Claire grew afraid that he was in denial, although she ultimately came around to see his point of view, and the two were able to uncover the truth of what had happened to Assane.

Other
Raoul seems to have few significant relationships within his peer group. Following Assane’s flight from Paris, Raoul joined a basketball team, and was bullied by the other boys, which occasionally led to fisticuffs. However, this largely stopped once Assane, as “Alex”, took over as coach. Eventually, Raoul was able to earn the respect of his teammates and managed to convince them not to forfeit an important game when Assane failed to turn up.

Like Claire, Raoul has little interest in interacting with members of the press, although his attitude towards them is not as overtly negative as his mother’s.

Appearances

 * Part One


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


 * Part Two


 * Chapter 6
 * Chapter 7
 * Chapter 8
 * Chapter 9
 * Chapter 10


 * Part Three


 * Chapter 1
 * Chapter 2
 * Chapter 3
 * Chapter 4
 * Chapter 5
 * Chapter 6
 * Chapter 7

Quotes
"My father is the person I like best."

- Raoul on his relationship with Assane

"He’s not dead. He wasn’t really in the coffin. Or he was, but he escaped."

- Raoul tells Claire why he thinks Assane is still alive

"Everyone hold your positions. We play as a team. We can do it, guys. Let’s go."

- Raoul convinces the rest of his basketball team to compete in Assane's absence

Trivia

 * When Claire told him she was pregnant, Assane proposed three other potential names for Raoul (“Maurice,” “Assane Junior” and “Arsène”), all of which Claire rejected.