One of the most ruthless and sophisticated criminals in the stories. It is highlighted that he carries royal blood (being the grandson of a duke) and is a graduate of elite institutions like Eton and Oxford. His aptitude for manual work and superior intelligence have made him a constant and dangerous problem for the London police. In the 'Red-Headed League' adventure, he began working for the ordinary shopkeeper Jabez Wilson for half wages under the guise of 'Vincent Spaulding'. His real target there was to tunnel from the pawnshop's cellar into the bank vault next door without raising suspicion. To keep Jabez Wilson away from the shop for hours at a time, several days a week, he ingeniously invented the 'Red-Headed League' scenario and organized a fraud scheme.
Once the grandson of a royal duke, he strayed from the path; involved in countless affairs such as theft and fraud in Scotland and Cornwall, many files have been opened in his name, yet he has always managed to lose his trail.
Small and agile in build, with a small white mark on his forehead and earlobes pierced, a scar from his youth among the Gypsies.
Jabez Wilson
An honest tradesman whom he deceived and victimized in an elaborate scheme.
Sherlock Holmes
His great adversary, whom he was defeated by in a game of wits, and with whom he shares a mutual intellectual appreciation.
Müfettiş Peter Jones
That immense target whom the inspector has always wanted to capture but who has eluded him for years.