Although Lupin here is still a playboy who is not above killing when he feels he has to, his brief interactions with Linda portray him as being more of a gentleman than usual, which would become the default trait of his character when Miyazaki would take over the series.
The scene where Lupin grieves for Linda is the first time in the anime franchise where he sheds tears over anything.
The podcast Sideburns and Cigarettes nicknamed Stern "Bad Jigen" for his all-too-familiar appearance.