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Mysterious Informant: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
A type of [[Messenger]], the mysterious informant exists to feed information to the good guys, often just enough to keep them on track to expose [[The Conspiracy]]. The information is usually fragmentary and/or in cryptic [[Spy Speak]]. They tend to meet the main character in secluded areas like parking garages or shadowy alleys, be impossible to find unless they want to be found, always wear a [[Conspicuous Trenchcoat]], and are usually masters of the [[Stealth Hi Bye]], to prevent heroes from pursuing them.
In police shows, this role may be filled by a snitch. In [[Conspiracy Thriller|shows involving conspiracies]], the mysterious informant is usually an anonymous insider. In [[Speculative Fiction]], this role is often filled by psychics and prophets.
The [[Trope Maker]] and a major inspiration for [[Stock Shout Out|Stock Shout Outs]] is Deep Throat, the ''Washington Post'''s mysterious informant during the Watergate scandal that drove US President [[Richard Nixon]] out of office. [[Truth in Television|The real-life Deep Throat]], being [[Properly Paranoid]], did in fact deliver vague, cryptic information in the dead of night in a parking garage and take other extreme precautions against being discovered.
Compare and contrast [[Mysterious Employer]]: he tells the characters what to do, but provides minimal information.
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* Sylia occasionally receives job offers and intelligence from one of these in ''[[Bubblegum Crisis]]''. He spends at least half of each meeting hitting on her.
* Kujaku from ''[[RG Veda]]'' is one of very few people who knows what's going on with the prophecy, and the only one who helps the heroes.
* In ''[[Durarara!!]]'', Izaya might not be nice or helping the good guys too often, but he is mostly definitely an informant.
== [[Film]] ==
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