Throughout Friday's 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, a mysterious masked torchbearer carried the Olympic torch along rooftops, jumping from building to building. His costume was reportedly inspired by masked characters who have left a mark on French culture, from the Phantom of the Opera to Arsène Lupin.
The torchbearer, whose identity was never revealed, took spectators on a journey into Paris' rich cultural heritage, complete with music and synchronized choreography. The figure made their way through the Louvre and stopped by other local landmarks like the Notre-Dame cathedrial and Paris City Hall. The torchbearer also witnessed the forging of the final Games medal and ventured into a rehearsal of the musical "Les Misérables," set during the French revolution.
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The mysterious figure ultimately handed the Olympic torch off to famed French footballer Zinedine Zidane before disappearing without revealing their identity.
Here's a look at some of the mystery torchbearer's other adventures during Friday's Opening Ceremony:
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The Louvre's artworks come to life
As the torchbearer made his way through the Louvre, more than just the Mona Lisa was following him with their eyes. Five masterpieces from the internationally renowned museum emerged from their frames and come to life.
"Portrait of Madeleine," painted by French artist Marie-Guillemine Benoist in 1803, captures Madeleine's beauty, grace and nobility. Even on a flat canvas, the woman's steady gaze pierces through.
The next painting, "Gabrielle d'Estrées and One of Her Sisters," is shrouded in sensuality and mystery. Produced in the late 16th century, the French Renaissance masterpiece features Gabrielle d'Estrées, the mistress of King Henri IV, taking a bath with the assistance of her sister.
"Relief of Seti I and Hathor" depicts the goddess Hathor welcoming pharaoh Seti I. Reliefs often had religious or ritual purposes, aimed at immortalizing interactions between pharaoh — the representative of gods on Earth — and deity.
Mona Lisa goes ‘missing' — again — during Louvre performance
In a twist during the walk through the Louvre, the torchbearer discovered that the "Mona Lisa" has disappeared.
The performance is a nod to the actual theft of the "Mona Lisa" on August 21, 1911. Italian glazier Vincenzo Perruggia was behind the heist; he wanted the painting returned to Italy, its country of origin. The painting was found in 1913 and returned to the Louvre the next year.
In a twist during the walk through the Louvre, the torchbearer discovered that the "Mona Lisa" has disappeared.
The performance is a nod to the actual theft of the "Mona Lisa" on August 21, 1911. Italian glazier Vincenzo Perruggia was behind the heist; he wanted the painting returned to Italy, its country of origin. The painting was found in 1913 and returned to the Louvre the next year.
"Mona Lisa" was produced by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1506. The oil painting depicts a woman with a mysterious smile and bewitching gaze that seems to follow viewers wherever they go. Many believe the woman to be Lisa Gherardini, wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo. "Mona Lisa" is perhaps the most famous example of sfumato, an Italian painting technique that creates soft, hazy transitions between colors.
The painting's high-profile theft contributed to its status as one of the world's most famous paintings today, and it is no surprise that the masterpiece has a featuring role in this year's Opening Ceremony.
How ‘Assassin's Creed' could be linked to mystery torchbearer
The identity of the Opening Ceremony torchbearer may be a mystery, but could it just happen to relate to the popular video game franchise "Assassin's Creed?"
"Assassin's Creed Unity," released in 2014 by Ubisoft, focused on the character Arno Dorian during the French Revolution from 1789 to 1794.
The similarities are definitely evident.
Masked torchbearer ziplines across Paris skyline to Notre Dame
As 80 pink-clothed artists from Moulin Rouge completed a rousing edition of the French Cancan, the masked torchbearer seemed to be flying across the sky, to the delight of the crowd.
In fact, the mysterious torchbearer wasn't flying across the Seine - he was on a zipline.
It's not the first high-flying acrobatics in an Opening Ceremony. In 2012 in London, James Bond and Queen Elizebeth appeared to jump out of a helicopter and parachute into the Olympic stadium (in fact, it was stunt doubles for the Queen and Bond actor Daniel Craig).
