Are there any good "puppetmasters" in fiction?
January 4, 2016 1:07 PM Subscribe
I have been binge-watching The Flash and it got me thinking... Characters who are manipulative, adept at lying, deeply skilled at reading people and pushing their buttons, who might be called chessmasters or puppetmasters always seem to be evil. Are their counter-examples, though? I can think of charming rogue types who are good at lying, but I think that's a different archetype. I'm open to any form of media--books, movies, comic books, operas, etc., even real historical examples. Preferably "good" characters, though neutral works too.
The folks in "Leverage" were really good at that sort of thing, and they were kind of the good guys.
posted by xingcat at 1:12 PM on January 4, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by xingcat at 1:12 PM on January 4, 2016 [9 favorites]
Batman is kind of like this in a lot of Justice League stories -- pulling strings behind the scenes to set up an improbable scenario where he wins.
In the Wild Cards universe, there's the Envoy, who has a more direct method of manipulation (mind-control pheromones), so that might not count.
Depending on one's worldview, Adrian "Ozymandias" Veidt may count.
posted by Etrigan at 1:13 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
In the Wild Cards universe, there's the Envoy, who has a more direct method of manipulation (mind-control pheromones), so that might not count.
Depending on one's worldview, Adrian "Ozymandias" Veidt may count.
posted by Etrigan at 1:13 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Mind-control (pheromones or otherwise) totally counts.
posted by overglow at 1:15 PM on January 4, 2016
posted by overglow at 1:15 PM on January 4, 2016
The Mentalist's Patrick Jane?
posted by blackzinfandel at 1:17 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by blackzinfandel at 1:17 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Dumbledore.
posted by Mchelly at 1:19 PM on January 4, 2016 [15 favorites]
posted by Mchelly at 1:19 PM on January 4, 2016 [15 favorites]
Havelock Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett's Discworld books.
"Despite being technically a dictator, Lord Vetinari does not exercise the despotic rule that characterised some of his predecessors. He is, in fact, the archetype of a benevolent dictator, in a chilly, inscrutable way. He permits the emergence of a free press, and has rarely, if ever, been known to drag innocent people off to dungeons without trial. The notable exception to this rule are mimes, whom Vetinari despises. Vetinari banned all mime performances from Ankh-Morpork shortly after taking power. Mimes who violate the ban usually find themselves trying to climb invisible ladders out of Vetinari's scorpion pit whilst reading a sign saying 'learn the words.'"
posted by dotgirl at 1:20 PM on January 4, 2016 [15 favorites]
"Despite being technically a dictator, Lord Vetinari does not exercise the despotic rule that characterised some of his predecessors. He is, in fact, the archetype of a benevolent dictator, in a chilly, inscrutable way. He permits the emergence of a free press, and has rarely, if ever, been known to drag innocent people off to dungeons without trial. The notable exception to this rule are mimes, whom Vetinari despises. Vetinari banned all mime performances from Ankh-Morpork shortly after taking power. Mimes who violate the ban usually find themselves trying to climb invisible ladders out of Vetinari's scorpion pit whilst reading a sign saying 'learn the words.'"
posted by dotgirl at 1:20 PM on January 4, 2016 [15 favorites]
Professor X
posted by mkultra at 1:21 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by mkultra at 1:21 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
(warning: TV Tropes may be detrimental to your productivity, even more so than MetaFilter):
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BatmanGambit
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TheChessmaster/NonChessMotifExamples
May contain examples of both bad and good guys. And nuts.
posted by randomkeystrike at 1:24 PM on January 4, 2016
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BatmanGambit
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TheChessmaster/NonChessMotifExamples
May contain examples of both bad and good guys. And nuts.
posted by randomkeystrike at 1:24 PM on January 4, 2016
In the context of the Flash-verse, Maxwell Lord is (was) exactly this in the DC-verse. What and how is kind of a spoiler I don't want to go into in case they use/adapt it in Supergirl this season, but he's the DCU in-universe evil evil genius. He does, for the record, out-maneuver Batman at his peak.
posted by bonehead at 1:25 PM on January 4, 2016
posted by bonehead at 1:25 PM on January 4, 2016
Lie to Me
posted by blackzinfandel at 1:25 PM on January 4, 2016
posted by blackzinfandel at 1:25 PM on January 4, 2016
Violet Crawley on Downton Abbey
posted by bleep at 1:27 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by bleep at 1:27 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
Depending on whose side you're on (Team Targaryen vs. Team Lannister), possibly Varys?
posted by bgal81 at 1:27 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by bgal81 at 1:27 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Havelock Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett's Discworld books.
Also from Discworld, Moist Van Lipwig, ex-con man who Vetinari forces to use his various people-manipulating skills to revitalize/create the Post Office, Mint, and Railway system, in, respectively, Going Postal, Making Money, and Raising Steam .
posted by damayanti at 1:28 PM on January 4, 2016 [6 favorites]
Also from Discworld, Moist Van Lipwig, ex-con man who Vetinari forces to use his various people-manipulating skills to revitalize/create the Post Office, Mint, and Railway system, in, respectively, Going Postal, Making Money, and Raising Steam .
posted by damayanti at 1:28 PM on January 4, 2016 [6 favorites]
Jacob, from Lost.
posted by bondcliff at 1:30 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by bondcliff at 1:30 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
Pippi Longstocking lied a lot, even though I don't know if that's exactly what you're looking for because she's not exactly manipulative in the same way.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 1:30 PM on January 4, 2016
posted by gemutlichkeit at 1:30 PM on January 4, 2016
This kind of character figures prominently in spy novels, I'm thinking of George Smiley in the LeCarré novels, but there are probably dozen or more examples.
posted by Lame_username at 1:39 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Lame_username at 1:39 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
Sherlock Holmes! They really lay this out clearly in the current tv show- but if I recall correctly, this is also true of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes.
posted by Secretariat at 1:40 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Secretariat at 1:40 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Oooh, two more: Ferris Bueller and the Wizard of Oz.
posted by General Malaise at 1:41 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by General Malaise at 1:41 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
Both of the protagonists of Dorothy Dunnett's historical series (Francis Crawford and Nicholas de Fleury) are geniuses navigating worlds of intrigue. The two characters are very different: the former is a flashy but cynical romantic hero and the latter is a sort of raw intellectual of powerful but very dangerous naivete. Both definitely qualify as puppetmasters, though.
posted by selfnoise at 1:43 PM on January 4, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by selfnoise at 1:43 PM on January 4, 2016 [4 favorites]
Miss Marple in the early Christie novels is manipulative and somewhat unlikable in a way that probably fits, before she got her harsh edges smoothed over in later novels. In modern crime shows this kind of trickery and manipulation is almost fetishized, I'm thinking of characters like Vincent D'Onofrio on Law and Order CI.
posted by Lame_username at 1:44 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Lame_username at 1:44 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Agatha Christie's "Parker Pyne" character runs a small business dedicated to manipulating people out of their ruts and into true happiness; he's a retired actuary who uses writers, actors, and anybody else he has at hand to do it. The stories are still mystery fiction, but the mystery comes from figuring out exactly what he was responsible for, and how. (He only appears in two of her books—Parker Pyne Investigates and The Regatta Mystery, where he functions more like a traditional mystery-solving detective.)
posted by Polycarp at 1:48 PM on January 4, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Polycarp at 1:48 PM on January 4, 2016 [5 favorites]
Basso from K.J. Parker's The Folding Knife - I'm not sure if he'd count as good, but he is the protagonist and would (I think) be neutral in context.
Wodehouse's Jeeves spends a fair amount of time manipulating people, although usually for their own good.
posted by tautological at 1:52 PM on January 4, 2016 [4 favorites]
Wodehouse's Jeeves spends a fair amount of time manipulating people, although usually for their own good.
posted by tautological at 1:52 PM on January 4, 2016 [4 favorites]
Depending on your perspective, the Special Circumstances type folks of Iain Bank's Culture probably qualify. Specifically I'd point to Diziet Sma and Flere-Imsaho (the latter of which is an AI, but still).
posted by sparklemotion at 1:58 PM on January 4, 2016
posted by sparklemotion at 1:58 PM on January 4, 2016
How about Maurice Conchis in "The Magus" by John Fowles?
posted by uans at 1:59 PM on January 4, 2016
posted by uans at 1:59 PM on January 4, 2016
Xanatos (of the Xanatos Gambit) 'turned good' at the end.
posted by Nyx at 2:02 PM on January 4, 2016
posted by Nyx at 2:02 PM on January 4, 2016
Prospero in The Tempest? He basically produces all the action in the play, through a combination of clever psychological manipulation and straight-up sorcery. A less quasi-omnipotent but still manipulative Shakespearean good guy is the Duke in Measure for Measure.
posted by Aravis76 at 2:03 PM on January 4, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Aravis76 at 2:03 PM on January 4, 2016 [5 favorites]
Sherlock Holmes has been mentioned upthread, but I think in the books Mycroft Holmes is much more the puppetmaster type.
posted by Vortisaur at 2:05 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Vortisaur at 2:05 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
Spoiler, but Plutarch Heavensbee in the Hunger Games books.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 2:15 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 2:15 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
Probably most West Wing Characters - Toby, Leo, Sam, whoever Bradley Whitford played.
posted by sweetkid at 2:18 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by sweetkid at 2:18 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
Sergeant Bilko is the hero and is constantly manipulating people in clever ways.
Doctor Who, to a certain extent, gets his way by tricking the bad guys into doing what he wants. He almost never directly fights anybody so he has to be indirect.
posted by w0mbat at 2:22 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Doctor Who, to a certain extent, gets his way by tricking the bad guys into doing what he wants. He almost never directly fights anybody so he has to be indirect.
posted by w0mbat at 2:22 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
How about:
Charles Xavier (Marvel's Persons-of-X comic books)
Teela Brown (Larry Niven's 'Known Space' stories)
posted by Herodios at 2:30 PM on January 4, 2016
Charles Xavier (Marvel's Persons-of-X comic books)
Teela Brown (Larry Niven's 'Known Space' stories)
posted by Herodios at 2:30 PM on January 4, 2016
Columbo.
He is also totally passive aggressive.
posted by tel3path at 2:51 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
He is also totally passive aggressive.
posted by tel3path at 2:51 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
There's an episode in Futurama where Bender is flung into deep space and meets a sentient nebula. It gets him back home through some subtle manipulation and the advice that "if you do it right, people won't think you've done anything at all."
Maybe Garak from Star Trek: DS9? Maybe an edge case.
posted by backseatpilot at 3:01 PM on January 4, 2016
Maybe Garak from Star Trek: DS9? Maybe an edge case.
posted by backseatpilot at 3:01 PM on January 4, 2016
Clorinda in Frances Hodgson Burnett's historical fiction A Lady of Quality.
posted by mmmbacon at 3:36 PM on January 4, 2016
posted by mmmbacon at 3:36 PM on January 4, 2016
You should read The Lies of Locke Lamora.
posted by gnutron at 4:23 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by gnutron at 4:23 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
A little spoilery to even say it, but Eugenides from the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner.
posted by yasaman at 4:36 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by yasaman at 4:36 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
The staff of the Facility, most prominently Hadley, Sitterson and the Director, in The Cabin in the Woods.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:43 PM on January 4, 2016
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:43 PM on January 4, 2016
Another Agatha Christie character is Mr. Harley Quin, who has semi-magical powers which he uses to bring hidden villains their just deserts. He always claims not to be involved, but he's able to manipulate people into scenarios where 1) old crimes are revealed/unearthed, and 2) all the people present at the reveal possess the knowledge and expertise to realize the truth and unmask the secret killer.
He acts through Mr. Satterthwaite, a tiny effeminate elderly man, but while Mr. Satterthwaite is the one present for every denouement, Harley Quin is always the one who arranges with omniscience and eerie foresight.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 6:09 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
He acts through Mr. Satterthwaite, a tiny effeminate elderly man, but while Mr. Satterthwaite is the one present for every denouement, Harley Quin is always the one who arranges with omniscience and eerie foresight.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 6:09 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you've ever read the Anne of Green Gables novels, particularly the ones where she's an adult (starting with Anne of Avonlea and running up through Rainbow Valley), Anne Shirley is a little like this. Because of her gender, position in society, and the time in question, her influence is limited to her immediate community and friends, but she definitely has the gift of manipulation. However she always uses it for good, like getting people to do what's right, or making love matches, etc. In one of the books, can't remember which one, the narrator refers to it as "the wisdom of the serpent".
Another example that's similar is the character of Dorcas Lane in Lark Rise to Candleford.
posted by katyggls at 6:59 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Another example that's similar is the character of Dorcas Lane in Lark Rise to Candleford.
posted by katyggls at 6:59 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
2nd The Doctor.
posted by pompomtom at 7:31 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by pompomtom at 7:31 PM on January 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
The con man who is revealed in the end to have planned the whole thing is a subset of this trope. Cf the Sting and the Mamet film House of Games.
My favorite film to star this type of hero who isn't a con man is the movie Fresh. Definitely check it out.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:25 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
My favorite film to star this type of hero who isn't a con man is the movie Fresh. Definitely check it out.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:25 PM on January 4, 2016 [2 favorites]
Seconding The Lies of Locke Lamora.
In at least the more recent comics, Marvel's Loki fits the bill here. His last couple solo titles were basically one big existential long con, with twelve other interlocking schemes going on at all times to get all the pieces in place (People have already mentioned the Doctor too--tricksters gonna trick.) As for whether he's good, nobody would like that question answered more than Loki.
posted by jameaterblues at 10:22 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
In at least the more recent comics, Marvel's Loki fits the bill here. His last couple solo titles were basically one big existential long con, with twelve other interlocking schemes going on at all times to get all the pieces in place (People have already mentioned the Doctor too--tricksters gonna trick.) As for whether he's good, nobody would like that question answered more than Loki.
posted by jameaterblues at 10:22 PM on January 4, 2016 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers! It's intriguing to see such a broad range of responses... Obviously there are good puppetmasters.
And, this is sort of off topic, but Jahaza, you made me realize that the character Control in The Southern Reach trilogy is obviously referencing that earlier character, which makes that bit make a lot more sense to me.
posted by overglow at 2:12 AM on January 5, 2016
And, this is sort of off topic, but Jahaza, you made me realize that the character Control in The Southern Reach trilogy is obviously referencing that earlier character, which makes that bit make a lot more sense to me.
posted by overglow at 2:12 AM on January 5, 2016
The Count of Monte Cristo is the ultimate chessmaster. That book is a master class in how to manipulate events and people without anyone catching on.
posted by crookedneighbor at 9:19 AM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by crookedneighbor at 9:19 AM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Seconding the Queen's Thief series, which is also one of my favorite (short) series of books.
posted by you're a kitty! at 9:53 AM on January 5, 2016
posted by you're a kitty! at 9:53 AM on January 5, 2016
Dominic Deegan (Oracle for Hire), main character of the eponymous webcomic, takes this role and occasionally jokes about it.
Phryne Fisher does this to varying degrees in Kerry Greenwood's mystery novels - clearly inspired by Sherlock Holmes and the work of Agatha Christie.
posted by sibilatorix at 11:56 AM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Phryne Fisher does this to varying degrees in Kerry Greenwood's mystery novels - clearly inspired by Sherlock Holmes and the work of Agatha Christie.
posted by sibilatorix at 11:56 AM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's interesting that you're asking this question inspired by The Flash, because this kind of question has made the superhero genre increasingly complicated over time. In modern society, lying and manipulation as character traits are almost always seen as inherently negative and morally dubious at best. This means in modern superhero fiction, it's increasingly considered acceptable for superheroes to have "secret identities" that are not-so-secret to all their friends and relatives, because the alternative is a "hero" who habitually lies to everyone they care about. Example: Arrow's Oliver Queen lies to everyone all the time. This ends badly for him ALL THE TIME.
In terms of CW's The Flash (MAJOR FLASH SPOILERS AHEAD), compare two characters on the villain/antihero spectrum who are both intelligent readers and manipulators of people: Eobard Thawne, a compassionate and supportive mentor who is a lying liar who lies and betrays like he breathes, and Leonard Snart / Captain Cold, a smug selfish asshole who never lies and always keeps his promises. Some of the same qualities in Thawne and Snart that make Thawne such a devastating antagonist are what make Flash / Barry so insistent that Cold can be a good guy.
More examples:
- I will echo the rec for the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner and also underline the recommendation, with multiple exclamation points!!‼
- Brer Rabbit, arguably.
- Black Widow is probably Marvel's most heroic deceiver who isn't Nick Fury and who isn't portrayed as villainous for it.
- Nick Caffrey from White Collar.
- TV Tropes Warning: see also Guile Hero, often compared/contrasted on that wiki as the "good" version of the more morally shady Magnificent Bastard.
posted by nicebookrack at 12:41 PM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
In terms of CW's The Flash (MAJOR FLASH SPOILERS AHEAD), compare two characters on the villain/antihero spectrum who are both intelligent readers and manipulators of people: Eobard Thawne, a compassionate and supportive mentor who is a lying liar who lies and betrays like he breathes, and Leonard Snart / Captain Cold, a smug selfish asshole who never lies and always keeps his promises. Some of the same qualities in Thawne and Snart that make Thawne such a devastating antagonist are what make Flash / Barry so insistent that Cold can be a good guy.
More examples:
- I will echo the rec for the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner and also underline the recommendation, with multiple exclamation points!!‼
- Brer Rabbit, arguably.
- Black Widow is probably Marvel's most heroic deceiver who isn't Nick Fury and who isn't portrayed as villainous for it.
- Nick Caffrey from White Collar.
- TV Tropes Warning: see also Guile Hero, often compared/contrasted on that wiki as the "good" version of the more morally shady Magnificent Bastard.
posted by nicebookrack at 12:41 PM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yeeees!! One of the best historical Chinese dramas in a very long time, Nirvana in Fire (2015) is centered all around the fact that the protagonist is a 'good puppetmaster,' and it's incredibly moving and amazing for how the story slowly reveals itself, and for how it really delicately portrays different shades of white/black/grey and how characters reveal themselves in their interactions.
The main protagonist himself has three different names and identities, and it's so intricate how everyone re-adjusts himself around him, and the portrayal of different types of relationships, intimacy, and power levels is also really cool to witness. Combined with an awesome ensemble cast, directing, costumes, set design, and writing (the writing is so subtly good), it's really awesome and a real binge-watch. The fan translations are also very, very good and do a good job of translating the chengyu and the formal/royal style language in the series. Another blog post with more information and synopsis here.
posted by yueliang at 3:07 PM on January 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
The main protagonist himself has three different names and identities, and it's so intricate how everyone re-adjusts himself around him, and the portrayal of different types of relationships, intimacy, and power levels is also really cool to witness. Combined with an awesome ensemble cast, directing, costumes, set design, and writing (the writing is so subtly good), it's really awesome and a real binge-watch. The fan translations are also very, very good and do a good job of translating the chengyu and the formal/royal style language in the series. Another blog post with more information and synopsis here.
posted by yueliang at 3:07 PM on January 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'll second Dorothy Dunnett, especially her Francis Crawford books, but also Nicholas de Fleury.
I'll add the title character of The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson.
Also, Anasurimbur Kellhus from R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy.
Hari Seldon from Isaac Asimov's Foundation books, sort of.
Maybe Ariane Emory (I and II) from Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh?
posted by kyrademon at 4:05 PM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'll add the title character of The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson.
Also, Anasurimbur Kellhus from R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy.
Hari Seldon from Isaac Asimov's Foundation books, sort of.
Maybe Ariane Emory (I and II) from Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh?
posted by kyrademon at 4:05 PM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
As far as Doctor Who goes, I would especially suggest the Seventh Doctor, especially in the Virgin New Adventures series of novels.
posted by webmutant at 4:55 PM on January 5, 2016
posted by webmutant at 4:55 PM on January 5, 2016
I'm currently reading the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and the titular character certainly fits the bill, though his machinations are a morally mixed bag.
posted by picea at 5:32 AM on January 6, 2016
posted by picea at 5:32 AM on January 6, 2016
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