Every Robber’s Real Name & Backstory

Every Robber's Real Name & Backstory

Netflix’s high-stakes crime thriller series Money Heist (known as La Casa de Papel in its native Spain) follows a group of robbers who all use city code names. Over the course of Money Heist’s 5 seasons and two ambitious heists, the masked thieves’ real names and backstories have been revealed one by one, from the hotheaded Tokyo to criminal mastermind the Professor.

Created by Álex Pina, Money Heist originally ran on Antena 3 in Spain, where it started with a strong viewership that steadily declined over the course of season 1. After being added to Netflix’s library (with season 1 split into two parts) the series experienced a massive surge in popularity, attracting a worldwide audience of fans. Money Heist was renewed for two more seasons (split into three parts) by Netflix, with a bigger budget and a new target for the gang: the Bank of Spain in Madrid.

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Related: Money Heist: The Huge Clue To The Professor’s Identity That Murillo Missed

After several of Money Heist’s city-named robbers were killed off during season 1, the Professor brought on new talent in Money Heist’s subsequent seasons, including Berlin’s close friend Palermo, outside operator Marseille, and expert welder Bogotá. Over the course of Money Heist’s five parts, plenty of characters with rich backstories are introduced and developed. Here’s every robber in the Money Heist cast, including their real names and each known backstory.

Sergio Marquina a.k.a. The Professor

Money Heist Professor Mugshot

The outwardly nerdy and socially awkward Professor (Álvaro Morte) is the last person anyone would suspect of masterminding a heist. Sergio also went by the pseudonym Salva Martín in Money Heist season 1, when he was trying to get close to the lead heist negotiator, Raquel Murillo. Afflicted with illness, Sergio spent most of his childhood in a hospital bed. His mother died of a degenerative disease called Helmer’s myopathy, and his father was killed during an attempted bank robbery. This backstory is where Money Heist’s Professor developed his motive: Sergio then spent the rest of his life refining a plan for the perfect heist that his father had dreamed up: laying siege to the Royal Mint and printing his own money, so that technically he would be stealing from no one and harming no one. After the success of this initial heist, the Professor goes on to plan the higher-stakes Bank of Spain job in Money Heist seasons 2 and 3, in which he also comes out on top in the end.

Silene Oliveira a.k.a Tokyo

Money Heist Tokyo Mugshot

An incurable thrill seeker, Tokyo (Úrsula Corberó) suffered the tragic loss of the love of her life when he was shot dead during their robbery of an armored truck. Unfortunately, her story doesn’t end any less tragically, as Money Heist season 5 kills Toyko off in a shocking moment from episode 5 in which she sacrifices herself to save Denver and Manila. Little is known about Tokyo’s childhood, but her mother took part in a sting operation in the hopes that she would be brought in unscathed by the police. The Professor intervened, telling Tokyo that the cops planned to shoot her on sight. Tokyo’s mother then died during the preparation for the Royal Mint heist. Hotheaded and daring, Tokyo has a tendency to be a ticking time bomb during robberies, which is also what makes her one of the most compelling Money Heist characters.

Andrés de Fonollosa a.k.a. Berlin

Money Heist Berlin Mugshot

A suave jewel thief, it’s revealed before Berlin’s death in Money Heist season 1 part 2 that the charaacter, played by Pedro Alonso, is actually the Professor’s older brother. Like their mother, he suffers from Helmer’s myopathy. He uses drugs to control the pain and tremors, but the disease has left him with merely three years left to live. Instead of despairing at his fate, Berlin chooses to live like a man with nothing to lose, chasing thrills and riches. He has been married five times, with his fifth wife being a thief called Tatiana (Diana Gómez). Berlin is one of a few of the Money Heist season 1 characters who never makes it to the later seasons.

Related: Money Heist Song Explained: The Real Meaning of ‘Bella Ciao’

Ágata Jiménez a.k.a. Nairobi

Money Heist Nairobi Mugshot

The shock of Nairobi’s Money Heist season 4 death is almost as great as Tokyo’s. A former drug dealer and expert forger, Nairobi’ (Alba Flores) backstory is focused on how she lost custody of her son, Axel, when he was three years old. After Nairobi left him alone for a few minutes to go and collect some pills, Axel went onto the balcony to call for her. The police were called and Nairobi’s stash was discovered, leading to her being sent to prison and Axel being put into the foster system. In Money Heist season 1 Nairobi’s plan is to get rich and then take Axel back, but she later accepts that he’s better off in his new home and sets her sights on becoming a mother for a second time, so that she can do things right. Sadly, Nairobi’s second chance is cut short when she is fatally shot in the head in Money Heist season 4.

Aníbal Cortés a.k.a. Rio

Money Heist Rio Mugshot

One of the great love stories in Money Heist is Rio and Tokyo’s. The youngest member of the team, Rio (Miguel Herrán) was still a teenager during the Royal Mint heist. He’s a skilled hacker who got started in the world of crime committing cyber attacks, and was recruited by the Professor for his talent with computers. Rio comes from a loving family, and his parents believed he was simply playing video games up in his room, unaware of what he was really doing. After joining the gang, Rio falls in love with Tokyo and the two begin a relationship – even though it breaks the Professor’s first rule. Throughout Money Heist’s 5 seasons, Rio and Tokyo continue their love story until the latter is killed, before which she and Rio share a tearful goodbye. Rio is one of few original gang members to survive all the way until the successful completion of the Bank of Spain heist.

Agustín Ramos a.k.a. Moscow

Money Heist Moscow Mugshot

The original Money Heist job, the Royal Mint of Spain, wouldn’t have succeeded without Moscow. A veteran robber, Moscow (Paco Tous) spent much of his life in and out of prison. His main talent is for digging through walls, so the Professor recruits him to be in charge of digging the tunnel out of the Royal Mint. Moscow’s main priority in life is his son, Denver, and he got both of them involved in the heist after Denver lost a valuable stash of pills, putting him at risk of being maimed or worse by his drug suppliers. In Money Heist season 2 it’s revealed that, after repeated attempts to get Denver’s mother off drugs by putting her in rehab clinics, Moscow took her to the spot where she usually bought heroin and abandoned her there. Moscow marks an earlier Money Heist character death, as he’s shot outside the Royal Mint in season 1 part 2.

Daniel Ramos a.k.a. Denver

Money Heist Denver Mugshot

Though he has Money Heist’s most annoying laugh, Denver (Jaime Lorente) is also a largely likable character. He had a rough start in life, born to a drug-addicted mother and a criminal father. Denver spent most of his childhood getting into fights with anyone who tried to mess with him, and as he entered adulthood he soon fell into the same criminal lifestyle as his parents. He was arrested on numerous occasions for fighting and drug charges before he got in over his head by losing the stash of pills. Denver was brought into the Royal Mint heist at Moscow’s request, as an exception to the Professor’s rule against personal attachments. In an even further violation of the rule, Denver ends up falling in love with season 1 hostage, Mónica Gaztambide, who eventually becomes a part of the crew for the latter half of season 1’s heist and the duration of season 2 and 3’s.

Related: Money Heist: Berlin TV Show In The Works At Netflix

Mirko Dragic a.k.a. Helsinki

Money Heist Helsinki Mugshot

Helsinki survives Money Heist season 5 part 2’s ending. Though he’s often affectionately called a “teddy bear,” Helsinki (Darko Perić) has a dark backstory that’s little spoken about. Born in Serbia, he was a soldier in the Yugoslav Wars and has been described as a war criminal. Following his time in the army, Helsinki turned to a life of crime along with other members of his family and was recruited by the Professor for his combat skills. Helsinki is gay and had a relationship with Palermo during the preparation for the Bank of Spain heist, but his closest bond is his friendship with Nairobi.

Radko Dragic a.k.a. Oslo

Money Heist Oslo Mugshot

Helsinki’s cousin, Oslo (Roberto Garcia Ruiz), was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and fought alongside his cousin in the wars. Afterwards, the two of them continued together in a life of crime alongside several other accomplices and relatives. Oslo primarily appears early in Money Heist’s timeline. Oslo and Helsinki are very close, but Oslo’s knowledge of Spanish appears to be limited, meaning that Helsinki usually ends up speaking for the both of them. Oslo’s is Money Heist’s first crew member death, coming at the end of season 1 part 1.

Mónica Gaztambide a.k.a. Stockholm

Money Heist Stockholm

Named after Stockholm Syndrome, which some characters speculated that she may be suffering from, Stockholm (Esther Acebo) was the secretary and secret lover of the Royal Mint’s director, Arturo Román (Enrique Arce), and became pregnant with his child. During the first heist in Money Heist she attempted to smuggle a phone for Arturo and was caught. Berlin ordered Denver to kill her, but he was unable to do so, and he instead shot her in the leg to make it look like she’d been killed. Stockholm eventually became a collaborator in La Casa de Papel’s Royal Mint heist and escaped with the rest of the gang. Afterwards, she and Denver got married and raised a son together, called Cincinnati. Along with the Professor and Rio, Stockholm and Denver survive Money Heist season 5.

Raquel Murillo a.k.a. Lisbon

Money Heist Lisbon

Raquel Murillo’s backstory details how she had escaped an abusive marriage to her husband, Alberto, a leading forensic examiner with the police who later began a relationship with Lisbon’s sister. At that point, she reported him for the abuse and got a restraining order against him, but few on the police force believed her. Lisbon then lived with her mother, Mariví (Kiti Mánver), and her young daughter, Paula (Naia Guz). Like Stockholm, Lisbon (Itziar Ituño) didn’t start out on the robbers’ side of the fence. She was the inspector who led the negotiations on the Royal Mint heist, but ultimately fell in love with the Professor and started a new life with him, joining the Money Heist season 4 Bank of Spain plan as his accomplice on the outside. She and the Professor both survive Money Heist season 5 and end up together.

Related: Money Heist: Lisbon’s Gang Name Could Have Been Lima Reveals Star

Martín Berrote a.k.a. Palermo

Money Heist Palermo

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Palermo (Rodrigo de la Serna) masterminded the plan for Money Heist’s Bank of Spain heist alongside Berlin. A heated exchange with Gandía (José Manuel Poga) reveals that the heist is personal for Palermo, as much of the Spanish reserves of gold were stolen from South America. Palermo was hopelessly in love with Berlin, who considered him a soulmate but declined to enter a romantic relationship with him, saying that he loved women too much and did not want to spoil their friendship.

Bogotá (Real Name Unknown)

Money Heist Bogota

Recruited for Money Heist’s Bank of Spain heist due to his expertise in metallurgy, Bogotá (Hovik Keuchkerian) has apparently had an active love life. He has seven children with different women all around the world and keeps photos of them with him, but only visits them roughly once every six months. He has a history with Berlin and Palermo, and met the Professor and Marseille at Berlin’s fifth wedding. He develops strong feelings for Nairobi during the preparation for the Bank of Spain heist, which are initially not reciprocated.

Marseille (Real Name Unknown)

Money Heist Marseille

Often mistaken for a mute because he likes to keep quiet, Marseille (Luka Peroš) is a cool-headed operator who is recruited for the Bank of Spain heist, working on the outside to manage communications between the Professor and the police. He’s a key player despite being a newer member of Money Heist’s red-jumpsuited gang. Marseille is a former soldier whose closest companion was a pet dog that stayed by his side throughout the war. After the war ended Marseille began to regularly drown his sorrows in a bar, with his dog waiting faithfully outside – until one day it was killed by local children playing at war. Marseille refuses to harm animals, to the extent that he will not even practice surgery on a pig carcass.

Other Members of the Gang

Money Heist Sofia The Ferret

Julia a.k.a Manila (Belén Cuesta) – The daughter of one of Moscow’s old prison buddies, Manila plays the part of a hostage in the Bank of Spain heist. She and Denver committed robberies together in the past, and both Moscow and Denver are surprised when she returns and reveals that she has transitioned.

Matías (Ahikar Azcona) – One of Bogotá’s contacts brought onto Money Heist’s season 3-5 Bank of Spain heist to aid in melting the gold, Matías ends up holding a gun and guarding the hostages – neither of which he is very good at.

Benjamín (Ramón Agirre) – Manila’s father and an expert miner who worked with Moscow and ended up in prison with him as well. Benjamín joins the Bank of Spain heist on the outside, helping the Professor to execute the Paris plan.

Sofía – A ferret owned by Marseille. She plays a significant role in helping the robbers distract the police in Money Heist part 3.

More: Money Heist Lisbon Actor Thinks Professor Robs Another Bank After Finale

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