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Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (2013) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (2013) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2013 · 106 mins · Japanese
Directed by
Hajime Kamegaki
Starring
Miyu Irino, Minami Takayama, Megumi Hayashibara, Rikiya Koyama, Daisuke Namikawa, Kiyoshi Kobayashi

Tiny genius vs. Master thief. Conan Edogawa sets out to apprehend Lupin the Third, the suspect of stealing a jewel called Cherry Sapphire.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (9)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (2013)

Where can you watch Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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9 main characters · contains spoilers

Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (2013), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Lupin the Third (Kanichi Kurita)

    A legendary thief whose charm and audacity mask a calculating mind. In this story, he is coerced into a dangerous test of his abilities by a shadowy employer, revealing his code of loyalty, risk-taking temperament, and flair for dramatic gambits.

    • 🧠 Clever
    • 🎩 Debonair
    • 🗡️ Bold
  • Conan Edogawa (Minami Takayama)

    A brilliant, razor-sharp young detective who threads between Lupin’s schemes and law enforcement. His deductive prowess and persistence drive crucial discoveries, while his loyalty to friends keeps the team grounded amid chaos.

    • 🧠 Smart
    • 🕵️‍♂️ Determined
    • 💡 Observant
  • Fujiko Mine (Miyuki Sawashiro)

    A enigmatic and resourceful femme fatale whose actions are key to the plot’s twists. She navigates danger with a calm poise, using her wits and beauty to influence outcomes while staying one step ahead of every player.

    • 💃 Femme Fatale
    • 🧭 Mysterious
    • 🗝️ Cunning
  • Daisuke Jigen (Kiyoshi Kobayashi)

    Lupin’s loyal, cool-headed sharpshooter who provides precision and protection. He moves through the action with steady nerves, often pulling off critical rescues and counter-moves that tilt the chase in their favor.

    • 🎯 Sharpshooter
    • 🤝 Loyal
    • 🧊 Calm
  • Goemon Ishikawa XIII (Daisuke Namikawa)

    A stoic swordsman whose sense of honor and quick swordsman instincts shape the exits and entrances of the team. He embodies a traditional code amid the modern, high-stakes caper.

    • ⚔️ Samurai
    • 🧭 Principled
    • 🌀 Calm
  • Ran Mouri (Wakana Yamazaki)

    Conan’s ally and a steady center in chaotic moments. She contributes practical insight during the investigation and remains a supportive friend to Conan as the action moves from city to city.

    • 🧭 Loyal
    • 🗺️ Observant
    • 💬 Supportive
  • Emilio Baretti (Miyu Irino)

    An Italian pop star whose Tokyo visit triggers a web of threats and surveillance. His concert becomes the cover for criminal dealings, and his presence intertwines glamour with danger.

    • 🎤 Performer
    • 🤝 Red-carpet
    • 🛡️ Protected
  • Alan Smithee (Seiyo Uchino)

    The mysterious middleman pulling strings behind the scenes. His calculated manipulations drive the central conspiracy and push Lupin toward a critical moral decision.

    • 🕴️ Mastermind
    • 🧭 Secretive
    • 🗝️ Hidden agenda
  • Luciano Carnevale (Tetsuo Kanao)

    A Mafia-connected producer using concerts as a cover for illegal deals. He embodies a dangerous blend of charisma and ruthlessness that fuels the showdown.

    • 💼 Boss
    • 💣 Dangerous
    • 🌓 Manipulative

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:40

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Setting

Where and When Does Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie Take Place?

The setting of Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (2013): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Present day

The events take place in the modern era, using current technologies, media coverage, and international crime networks. The timeline is brisk, spanning a single concert tour and a chase that moves rapidly between public appearances and covert operations. The story relies on real-time tension and spectacle rather than historical context.

Location

Japan, Tokyo

The story is set in contemporary Japan, centered on Tokyo's bustling urban landscape and its high-tech landmarks. Scenes unfold from crowded streets to the height of Tokyo Skytree and the corridors of hotels, airports, and concert venues. The plot even crosses into Kansai for a temple setting and ends with a submarine rescue, giving the cityscape a globe-trotting crime-thriller feel.

  • 🌆 Urban
  • 🕵️ Mystery
  • 💎 Gem-centered

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:40

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3 major themes

Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (2013) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Deception

    The plot hinges on misdirection, disguises, and double-crosses, with Lupin, Conan, and others repeatedly misreading each other’s motives. Hostage dynamics and staged threats push characters into risky choices, highlighting how appearances can be used to manipulate outcomes. The movie uses clever ruses to test loyalty and skill.

  • Alliance & Rivalry

    Alliances form and fracture across rival gangs, detectives, and thieves, driving the momentum of the caper. Conan and Lupin, natural enemies, occasionally operate in the same circle to outmaneuver a common foe. The tension comes from balancing personal loyalties with the larger goal of stopping a dangerous plan.

  • Power & Heist

    The Cherry Sapphire and Vespanian ore symbolize political leverage and technological advancement. The pursuit of the jewel drives the plot through high-stakes thefts, international intrigue, and a battle over who controls powerful resources. Coercion and calculated risk push characters toward dramatic decisions.

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:40

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Character & theme questions

Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (2013): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie primarily set?

The story unfolds across contemporary Japan, with Tokyo serving as the main backdrop. Key locations include the bustling urban streets, Tokyo Skytree, hotels, airports, and concert venues. The plot also ventures into Kansai for a temple setting and concludes with a dramatic submarine rescue, giving the film a globe-trotting crime-thriller atmosphere.

  • tokyo
  • japan
  • locations
  • setting
  • skytree
  • cityscape
Q2

When does the story take place?

The events occur in the present day, using current technologies and modern settings. The timeline is compressed, spanning just a single concert tour and a rapidly moving chase that cycles between public appearances and covert operations.

  • present day
  • modern era
  • time period
  • timeline
Q3

What are the main themes of the movie?

The movie explores three core themes: Deception, which centers on misdirection, disguises, and characters repeatedly misreading each other's motives; Alliance & Rivalry, focusing on shifting alliances between rival gangs, detectives, and thieves; and Power & Heist, involving the pursuit of the Cherry Sapphire and Vespanian ore as symbols of political leverage and technological advancement.

  • themes
  • deception
  • alliance
  • rivalry
  • power
  • heist
Q4

Who is Lupin the Third in this story?

Lupin the Third is a legendary thief whose charm and audacity mask a calculating mind. In this particular story, he is coerced into a dangerous test of his abilities by a shadowy employer, which reveals his code of loyalty, risk-taking temperament, and flair for dramatic gambits.

  • lupin
  • thief
  • character
  • legendary
  • coerced
Q5

Who is Conan Edogawa in the movie?

Conan Edogawa is a brilliant, razor-sharp young detective who navigates between Lupin's schemes and law enforcement. His exceptional deductive prowess and persistence drive crucial discoveries, while his loyalty to friends keeps the team grounded amid the chaos.

  • conan
  • detective
  • brilliant
  • deductive
  • investigation
Q6

Who is Fujiko Mine in the story?

Fujiko Mine is an enigmatic and resourceful femme fatale whose actions prove crucial to the plot's twists. She navigates danger with calm poise, using her wits and beauty to influence outcomes while staying one step ahead of every other player in the game.

  • fujiko
  • femme fatale
  • resourceful
  • enigmatic
  • mysterious
Q7

Who are Jigen and Goemon in Lupin's crew?

Daisuke Jigen is Lupin's loyal, cool-headed sharpshooter who provides precision and protection, often pulling off critical rescues. Goemon Ishikawa XIII is a stoic swordsman whose sense of honor and quick blade work shapes the team's exits and entrances, embodying a traditional code amid the modern, high-stakes caper.

  • jigen
  • goemon
  • sharpshooter
  • swordsman
  • crew
  • loyal
Q8

What is the Cherry Sapphire in the movie?

The Cherry Sapphire is a jewel that serves as the initial MacGuffin driving the plot. It symbolizes political leverage and technological advancement, motivating high-stakes thefts and international intrigue throughout the story.

  • cherry sapphire
  • jewel
  • gem
  • macguffin
  • heist
Q9

What is Vespanian ore and why does it matter?

Vespanian ore is a powerful resource that becomes the focus of the plot after the Cherry Sapphire. It represents technological advancement and political leverage, with multiple factions competing for control over who gets to possess this valuable material.

  • vespanian ore
  • resource
  • technology
  • political leverage
  • macguffin
Q10

Who is Alan Smithee in the movie?

Alan Smithee is the mysterious middleman pulling strings behind the scenes. His calculated manipulations drive the central conspiracy and push Lupin toward a critical moral decision, serving as the shadowy employer who coerces the thief.

  • alan smithee
  • villain
  • middleman
  • conspiracy
  • shadowy employer
Q11

What is the dynamic between Conan and Lupin?

Conan and Lupin are natural enemies, a detective versus a thief, but their relationship becomes complex when they occasionally operate in the same circle to outmaneuver a common foe. The tension comes from balancing personal loyalties with the larger goal of stopping dangerous plans.

  • conan
  • lupin
  • rivalry
  • alliance
  • detective vs thief
  • dynamic
Q12

What kind of movie is this in terms of tone and pacing?

The film maintains a tense, fast-paced tone driven by the cat-and-mouse chase and pressure of the overarching conspiracy. Despite high tension involving life-or-death stakes like bomb collar hostage situations, it retains a playful, adventurous spirit characteristic of both franchises, focusing on clever escapes over deep trauma.

  • tone
  • pacing
  • thriller
  • action
  • adventurous
  • tense

Movie threads

More Movies Like Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Rival Genius Movies like Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie

Brilliant minds clash in a dangerous, high-stakes game of wits. If you enjoyed the clever cat-and-mouse game in Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie, explore these other films featuring brilliant rivalries. These movies pit masterminds against each other in high-stakes situations, full of strategic plays and intellectual tension.

  • clever
  • rivalry
  • high-stakes
  • strategic
  • tense
  • calculated
  • Tone: tense, calculated, playful
  • Pacing: fast, strategic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically center on a protracted duel between highly intelligent characters. The plot unfolds as a series of moves and countermoves, where outsmarting the opponent is the primary conflict. The journey is as much about respecting the rival's skill as it is about defeating them, often leading to a complex relationship between adversaries.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a core focus on intellectual rivalry as the main driving force. They feature a similar mix of tension, playful respect between foes, and a narrative structure built around clever strategies and high-stakes challenges.

Complex Heist Movies like Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie

Intricate plots where a simple heist unravels into a much larger conspiracy. Fans of the intricate conspiracy and high-flying action in Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie will enjoy these similar stories. Discover films where elaborate capers reveal deeper mysteries, involving multiple factions and international intrigue.

  • suspenseful
  • complex
  • conspiracy
  • high-stakes
  • adventurous
  • unraveling
  • Tone: tense, adventurous, mysterious
  • Pacing: fast, unraveling
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern begins with a clear goal, often a MacGuffin, but rapidly introduces complications from external forces like shadowy organizations or rival gangs. The story involves piecing together a larger puzzle, dealing with betrayals, and adapting plans on the fly. The journey is a chaotic race against time through a landscape of hidden motives.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a specific plot structure where a caper serves as the entry point to a sprawling conspiracy. They are united by their fast pace, complex plots with multiple actors, and a blend of action with cerebral problem-solving.

Every angle

Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (2013) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Lupin the Third vs. Detective Conan: The Movie in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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