As a teenager, Jake discovered the Thievius Raccoonus and his destiny. After an argument with his father, he ran away from home, determined to "find himself". He began to learn from the book through petty theft, completely disregarding the Cooper ethos of only stealing from other criminals. It was not long before he caught the attention of Aventus Strix, the leader of a cult of owls known only as "The Parliament". After being lured into a trap and captured by Strix, Jake was barely able to escape with his life due to a timely rescue by his grandfather, Sly Cooper. 

After a tense reunion, Sly agreed to mentor Jake. The young raccoon developed into something of a prodigy, becoming the youngest Cooper on record to achieve Master Thief status. However, he is easily the least honourable: not understanding why he could not just rob anyone of their riches, deeming the world as a whole to be a cruel and ruthless place. 

One night, however, Jake encounters Dalila Alpinus, a rather remarkable and charming dhole thief from the Alpinus clan, who have managed to eclipse the Cooper clan in terms of wealth and reputation. Thus, Jake's whole ethos is challenged as the two agree to work together in order to procure a treasure that will ensure the survival of Dalila's family and further Jake's financial prospects. Jake likes to insist the arrangement is temporary, though Dalila has an annoying habit of playing on his ill-hidden attraction to her.