Louis Rapiere, aka The Tiger, is an agent with the French Intelligence.
I have one source that indicated the department for whom he worked was that Directorate of Terrrtorial Security (DST), "a third important member of the French intelligence system ... responsible for internal security". Whichever group he works for, there is no doubt that Rapiere (French for rapier) is that department's best agent and is the one assigned the cases which are either the most difficult or the most sensitive. This middle-aged man, likely just into his 40's at the time of the first recorded adventure, is still in very good athletic shape which is important as he will be put to the test on many occasions.
Rapiere is a man of above average height (6'1"), with lush dark hair always neatly coiffed, who has the expected swagger and extreme confidence one would expect of the best operative in an entire country, the man that is called upon when only the very best could hope pull off a miracle. And Rapiere does so with a near constant smile of immense pleasure atop a face which some would call handsome and some would say was appealing. His looks are remarkable for another reason - considering the number of very large and dangerous men who take great pleasure in pounding their fists against it, it has somehow not suffered permanent harm.
One would be excused asking the question whether Rapiere is far too overconfident bordering on foolhardy or he is just foolish and not seeing the traps he is about to step into. I choose to give him the benefit of the doubt but at times it is a major head-shaking at his choices.
Nearly constant at his side is Duvet, the Tiger's able and eager sidekick. A pretty smart man with the gadgets and not too shabby at fighting himself, he and Rapiere seem to take turns saving each other's life, usually with a wry grin as if to say 'tag, you're it'. And yet for all the good that Duvet does the Tiger in course of their joint missions, Rapiere has an annoying habit of slapping Duvet up the back of his head at the oddest moment.