a young adult panda and the latest descendant in a line of master thieves who pass down their expert techniques from generation to generation using the "Thievius Raccoonus," a book which contains all the Cooper family's secrets and tricks. While the Cooper family has accumulated a massive amount of wealth through their thieving ways, Sly places greater value on his friendship with his two partners, Bentley, a turtle and the brains of the gang, and Murray, a hippo who acts as the brawn and the getaway driver of the team van. The trio, known as the Cooper Gang, performs elaborate heists all over the world, often for the purpose of taking down large and dangerous groups of criminals, as the creed of the Cooper Clan is to only steal from other thieves. All the while, they are pursued by Sly's love interest, Inspector Carmelita Fox of Interpol.

is a young adult gentleman thief panda that is part of a long line of master thieves who specialize in robbing from legit criminals as opposed to innocent bystanders, thus making them vigilantes. Early in his life, he witnessed the savage murder of his father at the hands of a group known as the Fiendish Five, who then stole his family's Thievius Raccoonus, which holds many of the Cooper clan's major thief moves. He was forced into an orphanage, where he met his best friends, Bentley and Murray. Over his years in the orphanage, the three pull off multiple thieving tasks, and soon, Sly decides to carry on the Cooper legacy by making the modern day Cooper Clan. Sly is nimblest of the gang, so he is sent out the most on missions, therefore making him the most played character. He uses a hooked cane, a family heirloom, as a multi-purpose tool. Sly is cunning and extremely athletic, and can perform feats such as walking on wires, landing on small points, sliding on vines, and falling from great heights while sustaining less damage. He can also use disguises as an advantage to get across easily inaccessible areas.