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{{trope}}
[[File:treacherous-adviser_aladdin_2923.jpg|link=Aladdin (Disney film)|right]]
 
Also called a [[Mentor Mole]], a [[Treacherous Advisor]] character is the type the [[Heroes]] consult when they're digging up an [[Ancient Conspiracy]], or something of the sort, and have hit a dead end. Surely he's in a position to be helpful? After all, he's the scholar/politician/military man/whatever, and just likely to have the information they need. Not to mention he can keep a secret.
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== Anime and Manga ==
* Gil Graham in ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]] A's''.
* Subverted in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'': Daitokouji-sensei, Judai's teacher and ally, was revealed to be [[The Mole]], and then later [[The Mole]] for the good guys.
* {{spoiler|Kabuto}} in [[Naruto]]'s Chuunin Exam [[Tournament Arc]].
* {{spoiler|Colonel Urube Ishikawa}} in [[G Gundam]].
* {{spoiler|Kirei Kotomine}} in ''[[Fate Stay Night|Fate/Staystay Nightnight]]''.
* ''[[Words Worth (Anime)|Words Worth]]'': Both Tessio of the Shadow Tribe and Menza of the Light tribe, who are later revealed to be {{spoiler|two halves of the same entity, who is pushing the tribes to remain in a constant state of war to keep the Words Worth Tablet prophecy from being fulfilled.}}
* [[Big Bad]] {{spoiler|Albert Maverick}} from ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'' is this to {{spoiler|Barnaby. He steers Barnaby to become a highly marketable (and easily-manipulated) corporate-sponsored [[Superhero]] who works tirelessly for the company and TV channel of which he is the CEO. Barnaby constantly looks to Maverick for guidance (and obviously considers him to be a [[Parental Substitute]]) for more than two-thirds of the series.}}
 
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* {{spoiler|Haazen}} in ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]''. He manipulates [[Knight Templar|Lucien Draay]] into doing some truly nasty things- including ordering the deaths of several of his colleagues apprentices and trying to kill his own- because that was supposed to prevent the return of the Sith. {{spoiler|Turns out Haazen was Sith himself, and was aiming to both control the Jedi through Lucien and generally spit on the grave of Barrison Draay, Lucien's father and Haazen's one-time friend-turned-rival}}.
* In ''[[Bookhunter]]'', after the Library Police finally retrieve the stolen book, Agent Bay realizes that the stolen copy was actually another forgery--because the original book had already been stolen by the Chief of Library Security.
* In ''[[Spider -Man]]'', when NYPD criminologist Carlie Cooper discovers Officer Vin Gonzales is part of a conspiracy to frame Spidey, she goes straight to the precinct sergeant. He turns out to be deeper in it than Vin, and quite prepared to pin the whole thing on Vin and Carlie.
* In ''[[All Fall Down (Comic Book)|All Fall Down]]'', {{spoiler|AIQ Squared}} is this to Siphon and the Pantheon. Mildly subverted in that he is legitimately looking out for IQ Squared's best interests.
 
 
== Film ==
* The main antagonist in ''[[Prince of Persia: theThe Sands of Time (Film)|Prince of Persia the Sands of Time]]''.
* In ''Another 48 Hours'', a [[Retcon]] makes Jack Cate's fellow officer and longtime friend Ben the [[Big Bad]] whom Reggie Hammond had robbed in the [[Backstory]] to the first film, and the one who has been feeding Jack misinformation all along.
* ''[[Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (Film)|Indiana Jones and Thethe Last Crusade]].'' Both {{spoiler|Walter Donovan and Dr. Elsa Schneider}} would qualify.
* {{spoiler|Obadiah Stane}} from the [[Iron Man (Filmfilm)|Iron Man]] movie. Not a big secret to those who know his history from the comics, but in the film, {{spoiler|he founded Stark Industries with Tony's dad and pretends to be Stark's friend and mentor, but when the film begins, he pays to have Tony killed while on a trip showing off some of his new weapons (they don't, because they weren't told who he was). Later, he ends up building his own armor suit. Which he powers with the power source he pulls out of Tony's chest. Which was all that was keeping him alive.}}
* {{spoiler|Lt. Neil Briggs (Hal Holbrook)}} in ''[[Magnum Force]]''
* Captain Corso in ''[[Titan AEA.E.]]''.
** A rare example who goes to the trouble of searching out the not-yet-hero, convincing him to join their quest if only for a nicer place to live, inspiring him to believe in a cause other than his own self-interest or personal profit... and then revealing himself to have been working for the bad guys all along just for a big check? Why bother turning the cynical youth into a heroic idealist just to get him to lead you to what you want? Just offer the cynical youth a cut of the cash (and THEN betray him anyway if you don't feel like sharing).
*** Because he figured, possibly incorrectly, that Cale was an idealist who couldn't be bribed. And if he offered him money, Cale would start to be suspicious of his motivations. If he offered him money from ''the alien species that destroyed Earth'' Cale would likely [[Berserk Button|try to kill him]]. If that failed, he'd knew off his own hands with horseradish to screw over the Drej.
* {{spoiler|Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson)}} in ''[[Unbreakable]]''.
* {{spoiler|Odin}} in ''[[Heavy Metal (Animationanimation)|Heavy Metal]] 2000''.
* The B-movies ''Full Contact'' (1992), ''Dragon Fire'' (1993) and ''Bloodfist 2050'' (2005) all use ''exactly'' the same plot: a kickboxer who participates in the underground pit-fighting circuit in order to find the guy who has killed his brother. In each one, it turns out that the killer is the mentor who trained him.
* The film version of ''[[Watchmen (Filmfilm)|Watchmen]]'' adds shades of this to the relationship between {{spoiler|Dan and Adrian, due to the fact that unlike in the graphic novel, they're close, affectionate friends in this version}}.
* {{spoiler|Teddy Gammel}} in "Memento".
 
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* {{spoiler|Leigh Teabing}}, the central villain (out of many candidates) in ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]''.
* Saruman in the ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' books (and especially in the movies). Grima Wormtongue also qualifies.
* Captain Dudley Smith in ''[[LA Confidential|L.A. Confidential]]''.
* Chauncy in ''[[The Dresden Files]]''.
** This is also a big part of how [[Our Demons Are Different|the Fallen]] operate: If you pick up one of the [[Artifact of Doom|Blackened Denarii]] you get an ancient, superintelligent and ridiculously powerful [[Spirit Advisor]] who'd be happy to show you how to solve any problem you run into -- until you're so dependent on its help that it can control you completely.
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== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* In the ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'' episode "Invasion of the Dinosaurs", Sarah Jane Smith falls victim to this trope ''twice''. First, the man she sees for help finding the villains' base turns out to be the one who helped them set it up. Then, after she escapes from him, she takes what she knows to the general who is coordinating the state of emergency, not knowing that, while she was away, he had ''also'' been revealed as a member of the conspiracy.
* From ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'': Claire has been hiding from her father the fact that she heals incredibly fast. She finally can't take the pressure anymore and decides to tell him... and he tells her he already knows, and asks her whom else she's told. Subsequently, every person she mentions has their memories of it wiped, and Claire herself is targeted for a wipe.
** In somewhat ironic fairness, though, HRG was trying to ''protect'' Claire [and the others] by doing this.
* From ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'': Gwendolyn Post (played by Serena Scott Thomas), the dark magician who poses as Faith's new Watcher, and "Doc" (played by Joel Grey), the strange old man/demon who helps out Dawn but is also working for the enemy.
* {{spoiler|Digger}} in ''[[John Doe]]''
* {{spoiler|Harry Wolfe}} in Season 2, ep. 2 of ''[[Life On Mars]]''.
* Subverted in one episode of [[Stargate Atlantis]]: When visiting the ruins of a ship that had the crew both in stasis and believing that they were still flying the vessel in a virtual reality setting, the second in command apparently was planning to do something against her boss. However, its later revealed that the actual second in command was killed long before the events of the episode by a Wraith, and a Wraith (presumably the same one that killed her) was impersonating as her.
* ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' has Agravaine as a good example of this. Arthur's uncle and advisor, as well as [[The Mole]]. Merlin and the rest eventually figure him out, but Arthur takes the longest to quit trusting him.
 
 
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* {{spoiler|The Elder}} in Terranigma. Also {{spoiler|Yomi or dark side Yomi.}}
* From ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' {{spoiler|Al-Mualim is not only a Templar himself, but the [[Big Bad]].}}
* GLaDOS from [[Portal (Video Gameseries)|Portal]]. "The Enrichment Center is required to remind you that you will be baked and then there will be cake."
* In both ''[[Metal Gear]]'' and ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'', the player-hero receives advice via radio {{spoiler|much of which is revealed to come from each respective game's [[Big Bad]].}}
** In a variation, in '''all three''' ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' games, {{spoiler|[[The Dragon]], Revolver Ocelot}}, is advising and betraying the game's [[Big Bad]] on behalf of a singular third party. How does he keep getting away with this? [[Magnificent Bastard|Impressively]].
*** ''Subverted'' in [[Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots]]. Drebin {{spoiler|was put in place by the [[Ancient Conspiracy]]...in order to help Snake defeat the [[Big Bad]]}}. He also makes it clear from the beginning that he [[Wild Card|works for everyone who can pay him]], and is telling the truth when he says he won't betray his customers, Snake included. He even saves the man's life on occasion.
* ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' can be considered the apotheosis of the concept. The party's initial quest is a voyage to seek aid in destroying the monster Sin; {{spoiler|the ultimate end of this quest is the spirit of Lady Yunalesca — who, in [[The Reveal]], turns out to be an insane nihilist who has been complicit with Sin's cycle of reincarnation since the beginning, having offered her own husband as the first Final Aeon (which would also make him the second Sin).And the Maesters of Yevon are being advised on how to defeat Sin by Maester Seymour, in [[The Reveal|The ''other'' Reveal]], turns out to be an insane nihilist who is plotting to merge with Sin so he can destroy all life on Spira.}}
* In the first ''[[Ratchet and& Clank 2002 (Videovideo Gamegame)|Ratchet & Clank]]'' game, our heroes initially try to alert local superhero Captain Qwark to the Blargg threat, but discover that he's actually working ''with'' Chairman Drekk, who's offering him a substantial amount of money and fame for sponsoring their new homeworld.
* {{spoiler|Master Li}} in ''[[Jade Empire]]'' {{spoiler|He is, in fact, the [[Big Bad]], who uses the player character to unseat his brother, the assumed [[Big Bad]], and usurps [[The Dragon]]'s services as well. Said Dragon appears, until about a third of the way through the game, to be the [[Big Bad]]. Confused yet?}}
** He's particularly insidious because {{spoiler|[[Sabotutor|he deliberately built flaws into the style that he taught you so that he could use them to take you out]] upon [[The Reveal]]}}.
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* ''[[Persona 2]]'' features a variation; in both games, the Time Count provides useful services -- ones that can't be gotten anywhere else in Eternal Punishment. He turns out to actually be an avatar of Nyarlathotep, the [[Big Bad]]. Unlike most examples, it's not part of some overarching scheme -- being a trickster and manipulator, he decided it'd be more fun this way, and arrogantly believed that even if he helped them, the heroes couldn't possibly defeat him.
** In ''Persona3'', {{spoiler|it turns out that Shuji Ikutsuki was actually trying to summon Nyx and end the world since long before the game even began, and that serving as the mentor for SEES was his way of using them as a weapon to accomplish this task. Without his own Persona, he had no way of defeating the Full Moon Shadows who needed to die in order to free Nyx, so he found some people who could get the job done, and...}}
* In ''[[Bio ShockBioshock]]'', {{spoiler|your guide throughout most of the game, former revolutionary figurehead Atlas, turns out to be mobster Frank Fontaine, who was thought dead according to the back story. You're [[Tomato in Thethe Mirror|a genetically-altered and hypnotically-conditioned assassin]] created by Fontaine as part of his scheme to seize control of Rapture from Andrew Ryan, and Atlas's [[Catch Phrase]] "Would you kindly..." was actually [[Words Can Break My Bones|the command phrase to make you obey his orders.]]}}
* In ''Vexx'', {{spoiler|the player is given advice by an old mentor figure named Darby about finding the Wraithearts in order to eventually defeat the [[Big Bad]]. Of course, Darby actually IS the [[Big Bad]], pulling a [[Xanatos Gambit]].}}
* ''[[Ultima VII]]'' plays with this a bit by linking it to a [[Chain of Deals]]. In order to contact the Time Lord, whose help is necessary to stop [[Big Bad|the Guardian]] from dominating Britannia, you need to get help from the Wisps - interdimensional information-brokers who, in exchange for the help, want you to acquire information for another client of theirs. The information in question is a notebook on the Guardian and [[Path of Inspiration|his puppet church, the Fellowship]], composed by one of the [[Only Sane Man|few Britannian scholars]] aware of the Guardian's existence. Turns out, their client ''is'' the Guardian, who, having found out what his opposition knows about him, then has him murdered.
* In ''[[Fire Emblem]]: The Sacred Stones'', the high-ranked Paladin Orson leads Prince Ephraim and his group into a direct trap, having betrayed his country since the enemy promised to revive his deceased wife.
** In ''Radiant Dawn'', {{spoiler|Izuka combines this with [[Evil Chancellor]] and tricks [[Naive Everygirl|naive Prince Pelleas]] into selling out his country to the greedy Begnion senators. Those same Senators, in turn, betray and attempt to murder their own Empress for passing policy they don't approve of. Except for Sephiran, her closest and most trusted advisor and guardian... who betrays her for a ''different'' reason}}.
* In ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]'', {{spoiler|Van, the main character's mentor and pseudo-father figure, aids the party and [[The Obi-Wan|provides advice and counsel]] to the main character for the first third of the game. He then not only betrays the party and leaves them to die, but also turns out to be the [[Big Bad]]. He manages to [[Kick the Dog|rub even more salt in the wound]] by casually telling the main character that, in fact, Van [[Luke, I Am Your Father|created]] him to be nothing more than an [[Replacement Goldfish|inferior duplicate]] of one his minions, to be sacrificed as a pawn in his plot to [[The End of the World Asas We Know It|destroy the world]]. Ouch. The fact that Van turns out to be more of a [[Necessarily Evil]] villain never alleviates the bitter sting of this [[Et Tu, Brute?|personal betrayal]].}}
* Subversion in [[Super Robot Wars]], especially on Mizal Touval, the Shura Advisor (because, he is not on the player's side all the time). He actually had plans on his own, that is to overthrow the [[Big Bad]] and usurp his power on his own. But he never got lucky in his endeavor, because: {{spoiler|He either gets killed before he could pull the treachery off (Compact 3), or said [[Big Bad]] is dead first, and his successor killed him before he could do anything else ([[Original Generation]] Gaiden).}}
* In ''Unreal 2: The Awakening'', the main character's rather paternal commanding officer sends him on a [[Fetch Quest]] to assemble [[Plot Coupon|Plot Coupons]], ostensibly under orders from [[The Federation]] to keep it out of the hands of the [[Always Chaotic Evil]] Skaarj. {{spoiler|It turns out he just wants the assembled [[Artifact of Doom]] for himself to take over the universe}}.
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** Or {{spoiler|not. Ending suggests she was good all along, and possibly the heroes strongest ally. She might have been lying, of course, she was certainly capable of that}}.
* {{spoiler|Your boss, Mr. Jones}} in ''Code Name: Viper'' is actually the guy behind the South American drug ring you've been commissioned to stop.
* In ''[[Mantra (Videovideo Gamegame)|Mantra]]'', the plot of the game is that Saric (the player character) is supposed to retrieve the Mantras of [[Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors|fire, earth, water, air, and force]] to help out his master, the Ambassador, in his negotiations with the evil magician Balther. Late in the game, however, you find out that {{spoiler|the Ambassador is actually Balther}}.
* Subverted by {{spoiler|Mr. Mach}} in [[MegamanMega Man Battle Network|Rockman.EXE]] 6, as he is not truly treacherous. {{spoiler|After Rockman is lured into a trap by WWW ([[Oddly Small Organization|World Three]]) and kidnapped, several members decide to betray WWW and start up their own organization, taking Rockman with them.}} He then arranges a meeting with Netto to explain {{spoiler|that he has actually been working for WWW in order to repay a favor from a higher-ranking member, his involvement in the near burning of the school during the first day, and that he helped kidnap Rockman before finding out about the traitors. Mr. Mach then tells Netto where Rockman might currently be, verbally beats himself up for being a hypocrite, and asks for forgiveness before leaving.}}
* The original ''[[Mercenaries]]'' has Josef oust Sergei as leader of the Mafia near the end of the game; probably not all that surprising, since 1) this is [[The Mafiya]] we're talking about, 2) Sergei is an airheaded [[Ted Baxter]], 3) Josef is ex-KGB, and 4) they foreshadow the hell out it by showing Josef having practically undisguised contempt for Sergei's bumbling and snotty attitude.
** To be fair, Sergei tried to have the player character ''and'' Josef taken out by the North Koreans first, then Josef launched his coup (though given Josef's demmeanor, Sergei was living on borrowed time anyway).
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* Sindri Myr to Chaos Lord Bale in ''[[Dawn of War]]'', leading to one of the most [[Narm]]-filled moments outside of the Soulstorm expansion.
* In ''[[Okami]]'', you wind up consulting High Priestess Rao for help fixing the cursed mess that is Sei-an City and the Ryoshima Coast. Too bad she'd been killed months earlier, and you turn out to have been dealing with Demon Lord Ninetails, who was responsible for a lot of it and had been trying to use you as a [[MacGuffin Delivery Service]] for the [[Artifact of Doom|Fox Rods]] or, failing that, get you killed. It works pretty dang well, too, and only some very quick thinking and a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] on Queen Himiko's part allow Ammy to stop Ninetails.
* In ''[[Psychonauts (Video Game)|Psychonauts]]'', {{spoiler|Coach Oleander}} is the real Big Bad behind Doctor Loboto.
* In ''[[Wario Land (Video Game)|Wario Land]] 3'', Wario gets advice from a sealed away mysterious figure, who will apparently give him riches and power if released. But sadly for him, it turns out this figure is actually Rudy the Clown, an [[Evil Clown]] who conquered said pocket universe the game is set in, and transformed all the people into monsters.
* In ''[[Sacrifice]]'', {{spoiler|Mithras, a blind prophet and benevolent advisor to the gods is revealed to be [[Eldritch Abomination]] Marduk in a cunning disguise.}}
* In The Settlers 7 campaign, Princess Zoe is sent by her father to save the kingdom of Tandria from the evil Lord Wolverine who usurped the good King Balderus. She is assisted by a kind old barkeep who {{spoiler|is actualy [[Big Bad|King Balderus]] in disguise. As added insult to injury, Wolverine usurped Balderus because he was a Tyrant and Balderus told Zoe that she was helping to free the people from Wolverine's evil rule.}}
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* In ''[[Dark Star One]]'', {{spoiler|Robert}} give Kayron his father's eponymous ship and sends him on his quest. In the end, he turns out to be Kayron's father's killer.
* In ''[[Asura's Wrath]]'', {{spoiler|the Golden Spider}} offers Asura cryptic advice several times in the game {{spoiler|while he is in Naraku}} to aid him in his battle against the Deities. {{spoiler|The Spider is actually the [[Bigger Bad]] behind the rise of the Gohma (and consequently the Deities' villainy as well) which was apparently a test of the Deities' worthiness to wield Mantra, and he's only aiding Asura because he wants to claim Mithra as his vessel.}}
* Luigi has [[Hero of Another Story|an offscreen adventure]] in ''[[Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door (Video Game)|Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door]]'' where he collects the pieces of The Marvelous Compass to rescue Princess Eclair under Minister Crêpe's guidence. {{spoiler|Minister Crêpe reveals himself to be an [[Evil Chancellor]] who set up the princess's kidnapping to [[MacGuffin Delivery Service|make Luigi rebuild the compass]] for his own nefarious purposes.}}
 
 
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* {{spoiler|Longarm/Longarm Prime/Shockwave}} in ''[[Transformers Animated]]''.
* In ''[[Exo Squad]]'', Barca plays this role in his attempts to get Halis to assassinate Simbacca.
* In the ''[[Men in Black (Animationanimation)|Men in Black]]'' [[Animated Adaptation]], Kay's first partner and mentor Alpha turned out to be a scheming bastard. When Kay refused to join him, Alpha shot him and left him for dead. It's no wonder Kay became an emotionless robot after that.
 
{{reflist}}
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