History Main / DecoyLeader

* Kuato the mutant in ''{{Total RECALL}}'' was hidden under the shirt of his decoy "host".

* The head of the Valkyr drug cartel in ''MaxPayne'' is thought to be TheDon Angelo Punchinello. However, the real head is [[spoiler:the CorruptCorporateExecutive of Aesir Corp, Nicole Horne]].

* At the end of ''The Eagle Has Landed'' the protagonist appears to successfully assassinate Winston Churchill before being shot. [[spoiler: However it turns out he was an impersonator and the real Churchill [[ShaggyDogStory was at the Tehran conferance all along]].]]

Compare PuppetKing, where the actual legal leader has become purely a tool for somebody else.

* On ''ArrestedDevelopment'' the SaddamHussein on trial clams to be this, alleging that the real Saddam has a scar on his head and "I'm Noscar."

Compare PuppetKing.

* At the end of ''TheEagleHasLanded'' the protagonist appears to successfully assassinate Winston Churchill before being shot. [[spoiler: However it turns out he was an impersonator and the real Churchill [[ShaggyDogStory was at the Tehran conferance all along]].]]

* Quatto the mutant in ''{{Total RECALL}}'' was hidden under the shirt of his decoy "host".

* In ''Nomads of {{Gor}}'' the leaders of the four Wagon Peoples [sic] all employ these - the Wagon Peoples know who the leaders really are but outsiders think the decoys are the leaders.

* The ''DoctorWho'' VirginNewAdventures book ''Death and Diplomacy'' takes this a step further: even the real leader thinks that the decoy is the one in charge.

* Parodied in ''{{Bangai-O}}'' with Nise ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Fake]]) Gai, a doppelganger that the Cosmo Gang occasionally uses to substitute [[BigBad Gai]] in battle. Given that he wears a [[PaperThinDisguise flimsy disguise]] and [[CardCarryingVillain overacts]] his assigned role, it's no wonder that [[KidHero Riki]] sees right through him. The latter then decides to briefly mess with the former a little, [[ObfuscatingStupidity assuming]] that he [[BlatantLies is the ''real'' Gai after all]]...

* Parodied in ''{{Bangai-O}}'' with Nise ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Fake]]) Gai, a doppelganger that the Cosmo Gang occasionally uses to substitute [[BigBad Gai]] in battle. Given that he wears a [[PaperThinDisguise flimsy disguise]] and [[CardCarryingVillain overacts]] his assigned role, it's no wonder that [[KidHero Riki]] sees right through him. The latter then [[HilarityEnsues decides to briefly mess with the former a little]], assuming that he [[BlatantLies is the ''real'' Gai after all]]...

* Parodied in ''{{Bangai-O}}'' with Nise (Fake) Gai, a doppelganger that the Cosmo Gang occasionally uses to substitute [[BigBad Gai]] in battle. Given that he wears a [[PaperThinDisguise flimsy disguise]] and [[CardCarryingVillain overacts]] his assigned role, it's no wonder that [[KidHero Riki]] sees right through him. The latter then [[HilarityEnsues decides to briefly mess with the former a little]], assuming that he [[BlatantLies is the ''real'' Gai after all]]...

* In ''BatmanBegins'', [[spoiler:Ra's Al Ghul uses a decoy as supposed leader of the League of Shadows. However, the decoy supposedly doesn't speak English and has the real Ra's "translating" for him, so he's effectively just a figurehead.]]
** However a scene reveals [[spoiler:That the decoy ''can'' speak English, which helps sell deception to the viewer.]]]
* Quatto the mutant in {{Total RECALL}} was hidden under the shirt of his decoy "host".

[[/folder]]

* In ''BatmanBegins'', [[spoiler:Ra's Al Ghul uses a decoy as supposed leader of the League of Shadows. However, the decoy supposedly doesn't speak English and has the real Ra's "translating" for him, so he's effectively just a figurehead.]]
** However a scene reveals [[spoiler:That the decoy ''can'' speak English, which helps sell deception to the viewer.]]]
[[/folder]]

-->Zod: [snip] Kneel before Zod.

* The title character in ''{{Dave}}'' was supposed to be this, but he ended up turning against his handlers.

A Decoy Leader takes the place of a leader and impersonates them, often conducting him or herself as if they were the real deal. Often, the real leader feeds them instructions via audio device, hand signals, extensive training or other means so the leader can conduct meaninguful policy. Usually the decoy is willing to die for the leader, and has little to no political ambitions at all.