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{{trope}}
[[File:app-shojo_9697shojo 9697.png|link=The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|rightframe|<small>He'd have you believe his cat is the real power behind the throne, and that is exactly how he's been able to keep it.</small> ]]
 
{{quote|''"Paranoia? I rule a city where I have to [[Obfuscating Stupidity|fake senility]] just to avoid being assassinated. I took Improved Paranoia like 5 levels ago."''|'''Lord Shojo''', ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|Order of the Stick]]''}}▼
 
Appearances can be deceiving. Just ask those who unwittingly serve the [[Apparently'''Professedly Powerless Puppetmaster]]'''.▼
▲{{quote|''"Paranoia? I rule a city where I have to [[Obfuscating Stupidity|fake senility]] just to avoid being assassinated. I took Improved Paranoia like 5 levels ago."''|'''Lord Shojo''', ''[[Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|Order of the Stick]]''}}
 
When the game of politics is played with [[Deadly Decadent Court|daggers and poison]] [[Fate Worse Than Death|(and worse)]], sometimes the most advantageous place to be is off the board entirely. Playing the part of the [[Obfuscating Stupidity|witless,]] [[Obfuscating Insanity|raving]] [[Cloudcuckoolander|lunatic]] is a useful (and life-extending) tactic when surrounded by murderous schemers: rather than waste their energies eliminating the idiot, they spend their time instead betraying and sabotaging their more obvious rivals, leaving the [[Apparently'''Professedly Powerless Puppetmaster]]''' free to turn the players into pieces in his own game. When he makes a move, everyone assumes it's one of the other players manipulating him. Once the deception is complete, he can act with impunity.▼
▲Appearances can be deceiving. Just ask those who unwittingly serve the [[Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster]].
 
▲When the game of politics is played with [[Deadly Decadent Court|daggers and poison]] [[Fate Worse Than Death|(and worse)]], sometimes the most advantageous place to be is off the board entirely. Playing the part of the [[Obfuscating Stupidity|witless,]] [[Obfuscating Insanity|raving]] [[Cloudcuckoolander|lunatic]] is a useful (and life-extending) tactic when surrounded by murderous schemers: rather than waste their energies eliminating the idiot, they spend their time instead betraying and sabotaging their more obvious rivals, leaving the [[Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster]] free to turn the players into pieces in his own game. When he makes a move, everyone assumes it's one of the other players manipulating him. Once the deception is complete, he can act with impunity.
 
There are two main variations on this trope:
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* 2. The character is in a position of no obvious authority at all, [[Almighty Janitor|but which allows him to exercise influence over others regardless.]]
 
A subtrope of [[Manipulative Bastard]]. Compare [[Not -So -Harmless Villain]]. Compare [[The Dog Was the Mastermind]]
{{examples|Examples:}}
 
== Anime/Manga ==
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* {{spoiler|Governor Grice}} in the [[Ciaphas Cain]] novel ''For the Emperor''. Everyone thinks that he's merely a puppet being controlled by the Tau, or just plain incompetent, {{spoiler|but he's really a member of the Genestealer cult that thrives in Gravalax's underground, which is trying to play the Tau and the Imperium against each other to soften them up for the coming wave of Tyranid invasions}}.
* Emperor Sarabian of [[David Eddings]]' ''[[Tamuli]]'': the entire court in Matherion was convinced he was either an utter dolt, a harmless fop, or a simple fool easily distracted by his silly hobbies. He reveals the truth to Ehlana, Sparhawk, and the others, and eventually proceeds to overthrow his own government, take proper control of the empire, single-handedly remove all the corrupt courtiers involved in a failed coup, and become a wise and effective ruler. And he has such a delightful time doing it.
* ''[[I, Claudius]]'':
{{quote| '''Pollio''': Do you want to live a long and busy life, with honor at the end of it?<br />
'''Claudius''': Yes.<br />
'''Pollio''': Then exaggerate your limp, stammer deliberately, sham sickness frequently, let your wits wander, jerk your head and twitch with your hands on all public or semi-public occasions. If you could see as much as I see, you would know that this was your only hope of eventual glory. }}
* ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' has Varys the Spider {{spoiler|who is implied to have been playing all the varies Noble Families in the Seven Kingdoms in order to weaken it for Daenerys triumphant return to her throne. He also managed to keep Rhaegar's son alive and pulled strings to bring him back to his rightful place as well.}} All this while appearing to be little more than a powerless spymaster dependent on making himself too useful to kill.
* In the Mordant's Need novels by Stephen R. Donaldson, this is a trick used by {{spoiler|both King Joyse ''and'' Adept Havelock. In Joyse's case, he's spent years pretending to be completely senile to test his allies and lure all of his enemies out so they can be destroyed in a single decisive blow. In Havelock's case, while he really IS insane due to a magical accident, he has a number of moments of greater lucidity during which he can make his own moves and support Joyse's plans. Both work together quite effectively, with almost no one catching on until it's too late.}}
* It's suggested that Lord Vetinari in ''[[Discworld]]'' was this early on; later his power had become secure enough that he didn't need to. His entry in the first ''Discworld Companion'' says:
{{quote| "Technically, Vetinari seems to have given in to every demand of every Guild for years, so the Guilds are driving themselves mad wondering why he is therefore still in charge."}}
 
 
== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* ''[[Earth: Final Conflict]]'' has most everyone believing Ron Sandoval is in the back pocket of Taelon leader Zo'or, shackled by an [[Restraining Bolt|alien implant]]. {{spoiler|The truth that Sandoval's "motivational imparative" hasn't been working since at least the top half of Season 2, he's playing ''every'' angle in the conflict (Taelons, Jaridians, human supporters, [[La Résistance]]) against one another, and he's letting Zo'or ''think'' (s)he's in charge so that Zo'or takes the fall when it all blows up.}}
 
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
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== [[Video Games]] ==
* The Viscount in ''[[Dragon Age II]]'' is universally regarded as a weakling when, in fact, he is one of the few [[Reasonable Authority Figure|Reasonable Authority Figures]]s in Kirkwall who has kept violence in the city at bay for many years through subtle manipulation and maintaining the balance of power.
* Emperor Uriel Septim VII from ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]'' series may count. While he is still [[The Emperor]], his Cyrodiil legions are nowhere near the fighting force they once were and only his elaborate schemes keep his empire from disintegrating into many local kingdoms until his death in part four.
 
== [[Web Comic]] ==
* ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|Order of the Stick]]'': Lord Shojo is possibly one of the most triumphant examples to date. He rules a [[Deadly Decadent Court]] and more importantly ''he knows it'', and it's implied that it took a few assassination attempts to realize he couldn't just throw his weight around and expect to live very long. Instead he pretends to be old and senile and continually refers to his cat for advice and pretends he gets useful advice from him and is following it. {{spoiler|He eventually reveals to Roy that the nature of the [[Deadly Decadent Court]] is such that if he acts old and senile and he can do pretty much whatever he wants. It helps that the nobles are actively screwing each other over so much that they assumes he's just being manipulated by everyone.}}
{{quote| '''Shojo:''' Ever since that day, I have found it easier to let them believe that I am senile and easily swayed. When I ruled in their favor, they assumed that they controlled me. When I ruled against them, they assumed that one of their rival nobles controlled me. I can make the decisions I feel are necessary without worrying about being killed over them.}}
 
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* In ''[[G.I. Joe: Resolute]]'', Cobra Commander admitted to his troops that he played this role in 80s because he hoped it would motivate them "to think". When he realized that all it did was not motivating them to be more clever henchmen but instead motivated them to try to take over, he dropped the act and the made it very clear to them and the world what a dangerous and competent commander he actually is.
 
== [[Real Life]] ==
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Gambit Index]]
[[Category:GambitProfessedly Index/SandboxPowerless Puppetmaster]]
[[Category:Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster]]
[[Category:Trope]]
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