Benjamin Ferel

Benjamin Ferel is a main character in French thriller series Lupin. He is portrayed by Antoine Gouy as an adult, and by Adrian Valli De Villebonne as a teenager.

Benjamin is best friends with Assane Diop, whom he met at an elite boarding school when the pair were teenagers. Currently he runs an antique shop while assisting Assane with his less-than-legal dealings in his spare time.

1995
Benjamin first meets Assane when the latter begins attending the Andrésy school through a donation made by Anne Pellegrini. Seeing that Assane is being bullied by a group of boys, Benjamin steps in and tells them to leave him alone, unless they want to be reported to the school's director.



The two quickly become inseparable, and Benjamin is introduced to other meaningful people in Assane’s life, most notably Claire, with whom he develops a friendship as well. When Assane decides to commit his first major crime by stealing a violin from Lorenzo Calligari, a racist vendor, in order to give it to Claire for an upcoming audition, Benjamin offers to keep watch outside the shop. He is present at Claire’s recital, which ends in both her and Assane being escorted from the premises by police officers after they are pointed out by Lorenzo. Benjamin helps Assane fake a message from Lorenzo when the theft of the violin nearly costs his friend his place at the Andrésy school. Assane and Benjamin sometimes skip classes in order to explore Paris, discovering secret passages in the Catacombs that they mark for future use.

2006
Benjamin opens an antique shop in one of Paris' flea markets, selling a myriad of items including those that Assane has stolen from wealthy families.

Part 1
Benjamin continues to be the only person who is entirely informed of all of Assane’s exploits, and assists with them: the fake necklace that Assane switches out with the real Queen's Necklace during the Louvre heist is made for him by Benjamin.

Benjamin is also with Assane when he watches Hubert Pellegrini give his press conference about the contents of the Malaysia tape. On the morning of Raoul's birthday, he helps raise Assane’s spirits after Fabienne Bériot’s murder, telling him that if he becomes depressed, Hubert will have beaten him, and reminding him that he still has an ex-wife and child who care about him. Re-energized, Assane leaves Fabienne's dog, J'Accuse, with Benjamin, and heads to Claire's apartment.

Part 2


On the afternoon of December 11th, Benjamin encounters Claire returning from Raoul's birthday trip to Étretat, and grows concerned upon seeing her anguished facial expression. Claire shows Benjamin a newspaper article containing a story about Fabienne’s death and her fight against Hubert, with a photograph of Assane in his “Salvator” disguise included. Benjamin tries to cover for Assane, asking Claire why he would know about the events described in the article; Claire responds that he has always known about everything. She reveals that Raoul has been kidnapped, and that she believes Hubert to be responsible. Benjamin is stunned, and attempts to assure Claire that Assane will find a way to bring Raoul back, but Claire is not convinced and begs him for help. When Claire meets with Hubert Pellegrini, she takes one of the diamonds from the Queen's Necklace (presumably given to her by Benjamin), offering him the rest if he returns Raoul to her.

Later, Assane complains to Benjamin that Claire wound up betraying him to Hubert Pellegrini, and that she has cut off his contact with Raoul. Benjamin defends Claire, reminding Assane that she was desperate and that she alerted him at the last second. Assane decides to move on, and the two devise a new plan to go after Hubert which involves Assane seducing Juliette Pellegrini in order to turn her against her father. To help Assane with the operation, Benjamin makes reservations at a restaurant under the name of Horace Velmont, a fictional French-Canadian businessman. He also creates a detailed copy of a painting by Camille Pissarro, which he sends to Juliette alongside several false news alerts about its disappearance from the Musée d’Orsay.

During this period, Benjamin receives another visit from Claire, who asks him how Assane is doing. He tells her that Assane is fine, and urges her not to worry about him. Claire introduces Benjamin to her new companion, Marc, who buys a bracelet from Benjamin’s shop to give to Claire. Later, Assane asks Benjamin about the bracelet, telling him that Juliette has seen it on Claire's instagram account and wants him to steal it. Benjamin admits that he was the one who sold the bracelet, and tells Assane that as it is extremely rare, he will have to take it from Claire if he wants it.



In addition to Assane’s supposed courtship of Juliette, he and Benjamin plan a much more involved stunt for the Pellegrinis’ fundraising concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet. This involves getting their hands on the briefcase of Lucas Lacroix, who handles Hubert’s investments. One day, while Lacroix is walking to work, Benjamin poses as a jogger and knocks him down. When Assane, waiting nearby, asks Lacroix if he is all right, Benjamin grabs the briefcase and dashes off with it, while Assane pretends to give chase. The two hide out in Benjamin’s yellow Fiat 500, where they retrieve all of the data from the briefcase, after which Assane returns it to Lacroix.

Deciding that they need another accomplice, Assane and Benjamin head to the library to scout out potential candidates. They eventually encounter a young delinquent attempting to steal an Arsène Lupin book. The two bring the man to Assane’s home and give him a makeover, styling him as a respectable broker named Philippe Courbet, the surname taken from that of an artist who had painted the cliffs of Étretat. In exchange for his help, Assane and Benjamin give Philippe one of the diamonds from the necklace, and promise him another once their plans are finished. With help from Assane and Benjamin (and, unwittingly, Lacroix), Philippe successfully infiltrates Hubert's inner circle.



Benjamin pays for Fabienne’s funeral, allowing Hubert and his men to discover that he is Assane's collaborator. One day, as Benjamin brings J’accuse to Assane’s apartment, Léonard follows him discreetly. That night, Benjamin remains unaware that Assane has been framed for Léonard’s murder until Assane calls and tells him to leave his shop immediately. Once Benjamin has packed a bag and exited, he gets another call from Assane, who asks him if he is being followed. Benjamin looks around and sees Pascal behind him, matching his pace. After Benjamin nervously informs him of the situation, Assane tells him to get onto a bus and to jump off at the last second. Benjamin manages to carry out this task; the bus, with Pascal still on it, drives away.

The next morning, Benjamin and a hooded Assane enter their hideout, a storage unit owned by Benjamin. Assane stealthily steals a phone from a passerby; once they are inside, he uses it to post a comment on one of the many news articles being released about him. Anxious about being found by the police, Benjamin is shocked by Assane’s calm demeanor and seemingly flippant behavior, and angrily tells him that they need to leave Paris as soon as possible. Assane stubbornly responds that only a guilty person would flee, and they are not guilty. Soon afterward, however, Benjamin and Assane hear that the police have managed to locate their hideout. The two escape through a secret passage into the Catacombs, in which they manage to evade their pursuers using their knowledge of the many connecting tunnels. That evening, Benjamin and Assane discuss their upcoming showdown with Hubert at the Thèâtre du Châtelet.



On the day of Juliette's concert, Benjamin disguises himself as a worker helping Philippe bring large boxes of computer equipment, one of which contains Assane, into the theater. Benjamin and Philippe are stopped by Dumont, who is suspicious of the contents of the boxes, but eventually lets them proceed after looking inside one and finding only electronics. Benjamin changes into a security guard’s uniform, and meets with Assane and Philippe in a control room at the top of the theater. Noticing that Assane seems anxious, Benjamin reminds him to be calm and methodical, as usual, and jokingly points out that he himself is usually the nervous one. Assane brightens up and goes on his way. While Assane is interrogating Hubert and running from the other security guards, Benjamin finds the controls for the light fixtures. After Assane has finished publicly accusing Hubert of his crimes, he tells Benjamin to turn off all of the lights. Benjamin does as he is instructed, plunging the theater into darkness.

Benjamin and Philippe take the opportunity of the frenzied atmosphere to sneak out of the theater undetected. Benjamin gives Philippe the last diamond from the necklace, as previously promised. Philippe asks Benjamin where the money that Hubert had been planning to embezzle from Juliette’s foundation will actually go. Benjamin reveals that he and Assane have arranged for it to go to the foundation itself. The two grin at each other, and Benjamin starts his yellow Fiat 500. Philippe questions whether they should wait for Assane; Benjamin assures him that Assane will catch up, and they drive off.

Personality


Benjamin is a cunning yet loyal person. His encyclopedic knowledge of antiques, his talent for copying artwork, and his skills in operating technology mean that he is an invaluable asset to Assane even beyond their longstanding friendship. Although Benjamin’s craftiness is nearly level with Assane’s, he tends to be more of a realist when it comes to planning their illegal activities. It is Benjamin who often questions Assane about the practical ramifications of their latest escapade, and it is also he who emphasizes that they ought to work in a “calm and methodical” fashion. Benjamin's role in the pair’s ventures is typically that of an engineer in the background, helping to make sure that Assane's more ostentatious exploits run smoothly. Despite his competence, Benjamin can be somewhat highly-strung, even admitting that between him and Assane, he is the “nervous one.”

Little is known about Benjamin's family, although his attendance at the Andrésy school suggests that he came from a comfortable background. In the present day, Benjamin’s livelihood derives from his work as an antiquarian. He has sold many of Assane’s stolen goods in his shop, although he was careful to keep this hidden from the general public.



After Fabienne Bériot’s death, Assane left her dog J’accuse with Benjamin, who found the experience trying, particularly since J’accuse barked every time the name “Pellegrini” was spoken. Later, Benjamin claimed that J'accuse had developed the ability to notice when he was thinking about Hubert. Eventually, he became so annoyed that he returned the dog to Assane.

In Benjamin’s teen years, he tended to be somewhat sarcastic and cynical; however, he lacked the elitist attitude demonstrated by other students at the Andrésy school, making sure to defend Assane from a group of bullies and quickly befriending him. In the present day, he is more friendly and good-humored, although still frequently sarcastic. He knows what to say to get Assane back on his feet when his friend seems despondent, and tries his best to comfort and help Claire after Raoul's kidnapping. However, Benjamin can somewhat callous, as evidenced by his recommendation that Assane drop all contact with Juliette Pellegrini after the pair had successfully used her to their advantage.

Assane
After Benjamin defended Assane from the bullies at the Andrésy school, the two became fast friends, with their youthful pranks gradually escalating into criminal activity. In 2006, when Benjamin opened his antiquary, Assane gave him a number of his stolen goods to sell, including a precious Fabergé egg. At this point, Benjamin largely stayed out of Assane’s romantic life, demonstrating amusement at the love triangle his friend found himself in.



In 2020, however, Benjamin was urging Assane to ease up on his crimes out of concern for his relationships with Claire and Raoul. This did not stop Benjamin from assisting Assane with his plan to trap Hubert Pellegrini. Following Assane’s successful rescue of Raoul from Hubert’s clutches, Benjamin was with him every step of the way.

Although Benjamin and Assane bicker on occasion, the two respect one another enormously. Benjamin places a great deal of confidence and trust in Assane's ability to escape from tight spots.

Claire
Over the years, Benjamin and Claire have come to be good friends, and of Assane’s two love interests, Benjamin appears to prefer Claire substantially.

When Raoul was kidnapped, Benjamin tried to reassure Claire that Assane would bring him back to her. However, when this failed to convince her, he explained the truth and gave her access to the remaining diamonds from the necklace, which she attempted to give to Hubert in exchange for Raoul. Possibly due to his guilt at allowing Claire to get involved in a situation which she wasn't strong enough to handle, he later defended her decision to betray Assane to the police, pointing out to Assane that she was desperate with worry and would have done anything to get her son back. Later, Claire introduced Benjamin to Marc, her new partner.

Appearances

 * Part One


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


 * Part Two


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

Quotes
"Arsène Lupin is a solitary man, who occasionally calls upon friends with questionable morals but strong loyalty."

- Assane on his friendship with Benjamin

"The other day, all I did was think about Pellegrini. He barked. He can read my mind."

- Benjamin complains about J'accuse

"Even if I tried to convince you, you'd just end up doing whatever you want."

- Benjamin on his relationship with Assane

"Calm and methodical, as usual. I'm the nervous one, don't forget."

- Benjamin tries to build up Assane's confidence

Trivia

 * Benjamin's shop is located in the Marché aux Puces in Saint-Ouen, just outside the boundary that separates Paris from its banlieues.
 * Benjamin's yellow Fiat 500 is an homage to the car driven by the main characters of the anime series Lupin III, a long-running anime series about the adventures Arsène Lupin's half-Japanese grandson.
 * In the tie-in novel Lupin: Échec à la Reine, Benjamin's parents are named Jules and Édith, and he has a half-sister. It is not clear whether this is true in the television series as well.