Sly Cooper is considered the leader of the Cooper gang, and serves as the "stealthy" one of the group. Sly comes from a long line of ancestors who were also master thieves, but thieves who stole for good. They would help others take back what is rightfully theirs, and they were thieves of honor, which is what Sly plans to continue to do for his family line.
Sly was the son of Conner Cooper, a world class thief himself. As Conner would go on his many adventures, Sly, only a child at the time, would stay with Conner's friend and fellow Cooper gang member, Jim McSweeney.
As Sly continued to learn about his family's history of being master thieves, it was eventually time for him to inherit the Thievius Raccoonus, and to inherit his family's legacy at the age of 8. Tragically, this was the nigt that the Fiendish Five invaded the Cooper home, and killed Sly's parents. The Fiendish Five then split up the Thievius Raccoonus, dividing it amongst themselves and going their separate ways.
In his many adventures, Sly is accompanied by his pals: Bentley, the brains of the operations, and Murray, the "brawn".
From adventures ranging from the streets of Paris to the swamps of Haiti, Sly and the Gang combine their skillsets to make a team of master thieves. Sly introduces many moves that players of the Sly franchise would come to know and love. Some of these classic moves include the Ninja Spire Jump, Pick-pocketting, and the Tight-Rope walk. Sly also posseses the ability to unlock safes that are found throughout Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, and Sly 2: Band of Thieves, after finding enough clue bottles throughout the maps.