History Main / DragonWIthAnAgenda

* In the anime adaptation of ''[[Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa Kirby]]'', [[StealthMentor Meta]] [[WorthyOpponent Knight]] is this.
* Nico Robin in ''Manga/OnePiece'' starts out as a Dragon, but is later on revealed to have her own plans. After Crocodile's defeat, she [[HeelFaceTurn joins Luffy's crew]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/MeetTheRobinsons,'' the villain, "[[IneffectualHarmlessVillain Bowler Hat Guy]]," [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin has a bowler hat]] that's actually a sapient robot helper, [[HypercompetentSidekick Dor-15]]. While he wants to ruin Lewis' life and pass the Memory Scanner off as his own, Dor-15 [[spoiler:becomes TheStarscream and creates a BadFuture where humans are {{Mind Control}}led]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/MeetTheRobinsons,'' the villain, "Bowler Hat Guy," [[ExctlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin has a bowler hat]] that's actually a sapient robot helper, Dor-15. She has her own motives for helping him, [[spoiler:and, being [[HypercompetentSidekick more competent]], betrays him to become the real BigBad]].

* [[VideoGame/MetalGear Revolver Ocelot]]. In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', Ocelot has been seemingly working for the BigBad, but working behind their backs, and usually the backs of the people he's supposedly really working for. The portrayal of him in Webcomic/TheLastDaysOfFoxhound even named the trope ChronicBackstabbingDisorder. The only MGS game he ISN'T this trope is the one where he's [[spoiler: not actually]] the BigBad himself, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', where his agenda comes to fruition. Even in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'', he still has his own agenda while working loyally for the player character, in that he [[spoiler: betrays the player]].

* ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'': Some of Jigsaw's numerous apprentices and accomplices (who are more or less treated equally asides from how much they're involved in Jigsaw's schemes), including the most notorious ones, have goals and ideals differing form his own.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

* In the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' series, Lieutenant Hoffman appeared to be this for Jigsaw. Or so he tried.

** Marluxia and Larxene spend all of ''Chain of Memories'' ostensibly working for Xemnas, but plotting to turn Sora into their puppet so they can overthrow him using Sora's power. They employ Axel as their own Dragon, which proves a mistake.

** Saix and Axel are ''also'' planning on overthrowing Xemnas together, and Axel had actually been backstabbing everyone in Chain of Memories so that Saix would go up in rank. Neither of them actually get around to betraying their leader, however - Axel's friendship with Roxas and Xion led him away from the plan, and Saix's jealousy at Axel's new friendships led to him dropping the idea and BecomingTheMask. In the second incarnation of the Organization, Saix appears to retain his loyalty, but works behind the scenes with Vexen to atone for their prior sins.

* Hawke in the ''VideoGame/NintendoWars'' series. especially noticeable in ''Dual Strike'' as he actively chafes against Von Bolt taking control of Black Hole [[spoiler:and eventually ends up leaving him for the heroes.]]
* From the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series, we have [[spoiler:you guessed it; Dimentio]]. In this case, TheDragon is even ''more'' evil; an outright OmnicidalManiac instead of a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds.

** Before that, we had the ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', where power hungry [[BigBad Sir Grodus]] tried to unearth an ancient power. [[spoiler:Too bad said ancient power was a [[SealedEvilInACan demoness whom Beldam served]], and wanted to spring free. Grodus ends up living as a talking head afterwards.]]

* From ''{{VideoGame/Bayonetta 2}}'' [[spoiler:Loptr pulled Father Balder (the BigBad from the [[{{VideoGame/Bayonetta}} first game]]) [[TimeTravel through time]] to serve him. Loptr wants to claim the 'Eyes of the World' for his own and Loki, the good half of his soul, stands in his way. Balder, meanwhile, only wants to kill Loki because he thinks Loki killed his wife, Rosa (it was actually Loptr from 500 years ago), and has no interest in any of Loptr's goals otherwise.]]

* In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', [[spoiler:Akechi]] genuinely is trying to help the BigBad [[spoiler:become Prime Minister of Japan]], but this is actually only the first step in their revenge plot against them, with the ultimate goal of destroying them entirely. [[spoiler:Sadly, if he had been honest with the Phantom Thieves about wanting this from the beginning, they likely would have been happy to help, but because he was too distrustful and too unwilling to cut his losses he only managed a DeathEqualsRedemption ending.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic, Grogar is set up to be the ultimate antagonist of Season 9, recruiting Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow, and when he sends them to retrieve his bell, they find it but withhold it from him, planning to betray him and take over Equestria themselves. [[spoiler:Subverted in that Grogar turned out to be Discord trying to improve Twilight's confidence by orchestrating a fight between her and her greatest enemies, and the trio are the up front [[BigBad Big Bads]] for the entire two-part finale.]]

* ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'': Each member under Takatora's employ each have their own agenda to fulfill. Ryoma and Sid want to be [[GodhoodSeeker gods]] [[ForScience for different]] [[TheDogBitesBack reasons]], Yoko wishes to be the [[KingmakerScenario kingmaker]] and support anyone she thinks is worthy to be said god, Mitsuzane wants to protect his friends from Helheim and eventually tries to kill [[TheHero Kouta]] because [[HopeIsScary he believes his idealism is hurting the people he loves]], Kaito is merely using Yggdrasil to gain more power and eventually topple them, and Oren? [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking He cares more about his restaurant than any schemes he's involved in]].

* In the original ''MyLittlePony'', Porcina's Raptorian minions encourage her to go to the extreme of turning Ponyland and all the Little Ponies into glass because they want to take the place for themselves.

*** In ''Film/TheLastJedi'', [[spoiler:Kylo Ren kills Snoke and usurps the First Order for about twenty minutes.]]

** "Luke, you can destroy [[BigBad the Emperor]]. He has foreseen this. [[BecauseDestinySaysSo It is your]] ''[[BecauseDestinySaysSo destiny.]]'' [[WeCanRuleTogether Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son!]]"

* [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Grand Admiral Thrawn and Jedi Master Joruus C'baoth]]. C'baoth took Thrawn's orders with more and more reluctance as time went on, and he wanted very different things. Towards the end, they weren't really on the same side anymore. [[spoiler:Thrawn was fully aware of this, and at the time of his death was planning to solve the problem by [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness eliminating C'baoth]] and [[SendInTheClones making a replacement C'baoth]]. His own death, nearly simultaneous to C'baoth's, derailed his plan.]]

* On the good guy side, in Literature/{{Discworld}} we get Vimes playing this role to Vetinari, maybe. Most of the time Vimes appears to be just a good little dragon, but he does sometimes have a different agenda, or at least a different motivation. Depending on how you look at it; technically, they both want what's best for Ankh-Morpork, but they ''do'' often differ on what exactly that means.

** Luke, you can destroy [[BigBad the Emperor]]. He has foreseen this. [[BecauseDestinySaysSo It is your]] ''[[BecauseDestinySaysSo destiny.]]'' [[WeCanRuleTogether Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son!]]
***

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Cinder has been loyal to the [[BigBad Salem]] for the first four volumes. She starts to show dissent when she deviates from the original plan to destroy Haven Academy to get a chance at getting revenge on Ruby. In volume six, she [[LoopholeAbuse indirectly goes against Salem's orders]] to capture Ruby by encouraging Neo to go kill her.

* In Creator/TadWilliams' ''Literature/{{Otherland}}'', John Dread is this to CorruptCorporateExecutive Felix Jongleur. Jongleur's EvilPlan is focused on [[ImmortalitySeeker living forever]], and he's trained the AxCrazy SerialKiller Dread as a PsychoForHire to go after his physical opponents. Dread is far, far more ambitions than Jongleur realizes, however, and is simply biding his time, waiting for a moment of weakness to take over. And he does indeed, deposing Jongleur as master of Otherland and embarking on a [[AGodAmI godlike orgy]] of [[SugarApocalypse virtual destruction]].

* ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'': Each member under Takatora's employ each have their own agenda to fulfill. Ryoma and Sid want to be [[AGodAmI gods]] [[ForScience for different]] [[TheDogBitesBack reasons]], Yoko wishes to be the [[KingmakerScenario kingmaker]] and support anyone she thinks is worthy to be said god, Mitsuzane wants to protect his friends from Helheim and eventually tries to kill [[TheHero Kouta]] because [[HopeIsScary he believes his idealism is hurting the people he loves]], Kaito is merely using Yggdrasil to gain more power and eventually topple them, and Oren? [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking He cares more about his restaurant than any schemes he's involved in]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}'': All of [[spoiler: Izanami's]] direct subordinates have the same goal as their boss but have their own reasons for working for her, none of which seem to coincide with her own goals of "creating a world of death". Terumi wants ToCreateAPlaygroundForEvil because he [[ForTheEvulz finds misery interesting]]. Hazama, [[spoiler: now separated from Terumi, are different and still unknown.]] Relius wants to be [[AGodAmI the god of a perfect world]] to satiate [[ForScience his scientific curiosity]]. And Phantom/[[spoiler: Nine]] wants revenge against the first two for using her for their plans in the first place.

* Fanfic/PastSins has an interesting twist on the concept; the BigBad is an extremely ReluctantMonster forced into the role, where TheDragon expects an OmnicidalManiac.

** Xykon and Redcloak have a mutually beneficial alliance. Redcloak only serves Xykon in order to open the Gates and get a fairer deal for the goblin race. There's actually a fair bit more to it than that, as seen in ''StartOfDarkness.'' Whether or not he'll turn {{Starscream}} eventually, or be forced to confront Xykon if their plans diverge, remains to be seen. [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0830.html As it turns out]], [[spoiler:Redcloak's plan doesn't help Xykon's own goals ''at all'', and Xykon is ultimately just Redcloak's UnwittingPawn. Though some of Xykon's dialogue (e.g "Don't confuse not caring with not knowing") hints that even if he does know that Redcloak doesn't ''really'' serve him he wont bother to let on until Redcloak actually acts against him.]]
** Also, Sabine is Nale's Dragon. However, she's also covertly working for [[spoiler:The Inter-Fiend Cooperation Commission]]. Luckily for Nale, her agenda involved helping him advance his agenda. [[spoiler:Also, it's implied in the Western Continent arc that her loyalty to Nale is actually greater than her loyalty to the IFCC, though she still works for them.]] And getting [[UnholyMatrimony lots of hot hot sex from him.]] Though, considering [[HornyDevils what she is]], that last part goes without saying.
** Malack was helping Tarquin's conspiracy to conquer the Western Continent [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans for peace]], but was aware that [[spoiler: as a vampire]] he will long outlive Tarquin and the other conspirators, allowing him to take over and dedicate the whole continent to worship of Nergal [[spoiler: and turn it into a HumanSacrifice farm, including very [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Nazi-esque]] slaughter methods[[note]]although Word of God is that the Nazi parallel was unintentional[[/note]]]]. Notably, Tarquin was apparently very aware of this, and doesn't mind, since he's happy that his legacy will live on ([[{{Narcissist}} and Malack promised him a bigger statue]]).
** Tarquin himself is a ''professional'' Dragon With An Agenda. His agenda is to stand behind the [[PuppetKing Puppet Empress]] of the Empire of Blood, while his other party members take the same role for the Empires of Sweat and Tears, thereby ensuring that his crowd are the ''real'' rulers of the supposedly-divided continent. If one of the puppets ever starts to realize what's going on or tries taking their own initiative, or if they hit a ZeroPercentApprovalRating and public anger boils over, Tarquin's crew manufacture a convenient assassination or FullCircleRevolution and immediately start pulling the replacement's strings instead.
* ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'': Ysengrin wants to KillAllHumans, and his boss Coyote apparently doesn't. It's [[WildMassGuessing possible]] that Ysengrin is trying to pull strings behind Coyote's back, and that Y killed Red and Blue because [[HeKnowsTooMuch they saw too much]].
* Wanda from ''{{Webcomic/Erfworld}}'' seemingly serves Stanley the Tool willingly, but it turns out she convinced him to attack her kingdom of Faq because she expected him to get slaughtered, and when he emerged victorious, she only joined him in his quest for the legendary Arkentools because she was hoping she'd get to wield one herself. [[spoiler:She does]].
** When asked [[spoiler:why she's still with him after that]], her answer is somewhere between BecauseDestinySaysSo and YouCantFightFate.
* Torg from ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' did this professionally for a while. First with the Minion Master, and then with Crushestro [[spoiler:ever since he thought that the Minion Master's sister betrayed him to Hereti-Corp]].

* ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'''s [[spoiler:[[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Condesce]] works for [[BigBad Lord English]], but also seems to be looking to backstab him...[[HiddenAgendaVillain somehow]].]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]