Warning: This post contains spoilers for Lupin season 3
Assane’s decision to fake his death and plan a final heist leads to unexpected consequences, including the return of his mother and an old enemy.
Keller seeks revenge on Assane for framing him, manipulating him, and stealing jewelry, ultimately turning Assane against his closest friends and family.
Assane turns himself in to keep his family out of the spotlight and finally finds peace, but Hubert Pellegrini’s return suggests that Assane’s troubles are far from over.After two years, Assane Diop returned in Lupin season 3, which had a thrilling ending suggesting the thief’s story wasn’t over just because he landed himself in jail. Lupin season 3 picks up a year later, with Assane living in Marseilles. A decision to fake his death and plan one final heist led him back to Paris, but the return of his mother Mariama — as well as an old enemy — changed his plans entirely. Lupin season 3 ends with Assane reuniting with his family (Mariama included) and getting Manon out of prison by way of the corrupt French Minister of the Interior.
Assane tells Manon the whole story of how Keller coerced Assane and Bruno to rob a jewelry store. After pushing Bruno to shoot a cop, he crashes the car, and Assane leaves the gun in Keller’s hand. In the present, Assane sets a trap for Keller, who’s arrested by the police. Assane turns himself into Guedira, ensures Ben is let out of prison, and has a letter sent to Claire and Raoul to explain. Manon uses the money from the black pearl to open a gym. In prison, Assane is at peace with his Lupin books when gets a message from his neighbor — who is none other than Hubert Pellegrini.
Keller’s Revenge Plot Explained
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Lupin season 3 pits Assane Diop against a new enemy with Keller. The gym owner exploited kids he knew had nowhere to go and who were afraid of being taken into the system. Keller was initially pleased by Assane’s skills as a thief, and he planned to have him and Bruno rob a high-end jewelry store so that he could make even more money. When that heist resulted in being locked up in prison for 25 years, Keller had some time to plot his revenge on Assane from behind bars. Keller essentially wanted revenge against Assane for what he saw as being framed for shooting a cop and stealing jewelry.
Although Assane and Bruno were just kids, Keller saw Assane’s actions as the ultimate betrayal. And Keller wanted Assane to feel the same hurt, so a part of his plan was turning Assane against Benjamin, who’s always been loyal to the thief. Keller wanted to string Assane along by playing into his biggest vulnerabilities — his relationships with family and friends. On top of that, Keller wanted to use Assane to make him money through his thieving. Keller was essentially getting a two-for-one deal by manipulating Assane and threatening Mariama at once. This is not to mention Keller probably had some help with the plotting through Pellegrini.
Why Assane Finally Turns Himself Into The Police
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At the end of Lupin season 2, Assane ran from the police, but Claire told him that the only way to make things right was to turn himself in. While Claire no longer believed that — and Assane faking his death helped to make running away to start a new life easier — Assane made a promise to turn himself in. What’s more, Assane knew that being arrested would finally keep his family out of the spotlight. The media now knew he was alive and behind bars, so Claire and Raoul wouldn’t be hounded by journalists wanting a story at every turn.
Assane was finally at peace — his mother had returned, and his family and closest friend were safe. He had effectively run his last heist, and dealt with someone from his past. Assane no longer needed to prove himself or seek revenge, and so he felt it was time to make good on his promise to Detective Guedira. Of course, Assane could have easily gotten away, but he knew that if he had he and his family would always be on the run. It would be a never-ending cycle, and Assane couldn’t let that happen to those he loved.
Is Mariama Assane’s Real Mother?
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Mariama attended Assane’s funeral (not knowing it was fake at the time) before being taken hostage by Manon and Keller in their revenge plot against Assane. The thief could only identify his mother by the nickname she used for him — a nickname no one knew about except for him and his late father — and a lullaby. But by the end of Lupin season 3, Mariama’s voice is heard reading lines from the Lupin book La Cagliostro’s Revenge about trapping him through trust, and welcoming the love shown to her. This passage suggests Mariama was working with Pellegrini all along, and went along with being Keller’s hostage to gain Assane’s trust.
Crucially, Mariama escapes from Keller at a crucial moment in Lupin season 3, but why doesn’t she manage to escape earlier? What’s more, Mariama seems to have known about conversations that occurred in Pellegrini’s car that she wouldn’t have been privy to. It also seems convenient that she would show up only after Assane faked his death and not alerted him to her arrival in Paris beforehand. Even if Mariama is Assane’s real mother, there is something suspicious about her sudden appearance, and Lupin season 4 will hopefully reveal the truth behind her mysterious connections.
Hubert Pellegrini Is Back: What This Means For Assane
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Hubert Pellegrini admitted to framing Assane’s father in Lupin season 2, and he was sent to prison for his crimes. But Lupin season 3 revealed that he may have had a hand in the events leading to Assane’s own imprisonment. Now that Assane is behind bars, he’ll have to face with Pellegrini, who is no doubt still angry with Assane. In the time Pellegrini has been in prison, he has likely made plenty of friends, and it’s possible he’ll make Assane’s life hell while he’s there.
What’s more, Assane knows Pellegrini wants his revenge, and the thief will be worried about what that means for his family. Assane will once again be on full alert as he fights back against Pellegrini in his own way, and the wealthy man’s return means that Assane is not out of the game like he thought. Pellegrini’s use of Lupin’s books against him suggests Assane will have to up his game if he wants to stop his nemesis.
The Deeper Significance Of Manon’s Betrayal
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Manon had been loyal to Keller for decades; as with Bruno and Assane, Keller had provided her a place to stay and a family. However, Manon didn’t know the extent of Keller’s actions and exploitation. But what she did know is that Assane sprung her from prison in the hope that she would see the truth and act accordingly. While Manon was big on loyalty, her betrayal of Keller showcased that anyone could be convinced to turn against someone if the reason and price were right.
After all, Assane did the same with Benjamin, and though he always planned to get him out of prison, Assane still betrayed a loyal friend to help his mother. His and Manon’s reasoning were different, and Assane was coming from a place of desperation and a clear endgame, but the underlying message was clear — when pushed far enough, loyalty didn’t hold up in every situation. Manon also realized the truth behind Assane’s words, and it was Assane who got her out of prison, not Keller, who was putting those he claimed to love in the line of fire.
How Assane’s Ending Sets Up Lupin Season 4
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Assane ended up in prison at the end of Lupin season 3, but Pellegrini’s reemergence leaves the door open for Assane’s story to continue. It means the series isn’t yet over, with hints of an even bigger grand finale to come. Assane’s jail time likely won’t last forever, and Lupin season 4 could see the gentleman thief escaping by way of another clever heist. Assane will have to contend with Pellegrini first, and it’s possible the latter will unveil his scheme to dupe Assane into believing his mother was taken hostage.
The pair have a lot to hash out, and it’s likely Assane will spend the entirety of Lupin season 4 trying to one-up Pellegrini, who’s had time to focus on his revenge against Assane while in prison. If nothing else, Pellegrini’s reappearance suggests Assane is being played and all is not as well as he thought. This could bring him back to the drawing table, and Assane will have to once again enact revenge on Pellegrini for messing with his life and using one of his parents. With the pieces in place, Lupin season 3’s ending sets up season 4 as a full-circle conclusion to Assane’s story.
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