History Main / MysteriousInformant

* Used in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' when Tootie gives Timmy's parents information about her sister Vicky's evil deeds under the alias of "[[ShoutOut Deep Toot]]" (the name of which Timmy's dad finds hilarious).

* Spoofed in the ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'' book "The Butt-Files". In a section parodying ''The X-files'', Beavis and Butt-head take the roles of Scully and Mulder, and get a tip from Deep Throat. Angered, Beavis yells "Dammit, you're always pulling this crap! If you know everything, why the hell don't you just tell us so we can go home! Now it's gonna take us another 45 minutes to figure this out!" Deep Throat initially refuses, but "Scully" persuades him with a kick to the crotch.

* ''Podcast/TheStoragePapers'' has Sine Nominee[=/=]4th Trumpet, a Twitter user who claims to be a high-ranking member of [[MenOnBlack Project Hydra]] who sometimes provides Jeremy with information. They're remarkably informative as far as this trope goes.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' parodied this in one episode with a trenchcoat-wearing, cigarette-smoking Mr. Smithers.

* Donald Sutherland's character in ''Film/{{JFK}}''.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' has also had one, with the shadowed MysteriousInformant obviously being [[Series/TheMuppetShow Kermit The Frog]]. In another episode where they had become a reality TV family and Meg was kicked out of the family for being boring, Peter and Lois met her in this fashion, complete with offering her a cigarette.

* In the Literature/{{Discworld}} novel ''Discworld/TheTruth'', there is a mysterious informant known only to William De Worde as Deep Bone, who provides him some key information about the alleged attempted murder at the palace.

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* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Dr. Sciuridae [[http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=401 served as this]] to Mr. Verres before Damien's death.

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The TropeMaker and a major inspiration for {{Stock Shout Out}}s is Deep Throat (decades later revealed to be W. Mark Felt, a deputy director of the FBI), the ''Washington Post'''s mysterious informant during the Watergate scandal that drove US President UsefulNotes/RichardNixon out of office. [[TruthInTelevision The real-life Deep Throat]], being ProperlyParanoid, did in fact deliver vague, cryptic information in the dead of night in a parking garage and take other extreme precautions against being discovered.

* [[TruthInTelevision Real-life example]] and [[TropeMakers Trope Maker]]: "Deep Throat", the Watergate informant whose identity (William Mark Felt Sr.) was unknown for over 30 years before he finally revealed himself in 2005. So ubiquitous, nearly every MysteriousInformant is either an outright reference/parody or at least has some aspects gleaned from Deep Throat. However, some aspects of the trope draw heavily from the PopculturalOsmosis of ''Film/AllThePresidentsMen''; the real-life Deep Throat's identity was a mystery to the general public, but Bob Woodward knew exactly who he was talking to.

* ''WesternAnimation/Arthur'': In the episode "Buster the Myth-Maker", after Buster hears a supposed rumor of a pair of escaped Siberian tigers living in the nearby nature reserve, he and Arthur meet with a masked informant named Deep Float, who claims to have more information. Of course, Deep Float is [[spoiler: Brain, whose Mom accidentally blows his cover and he made the whole thing about the tigers up just to see how people would react.]]

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* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': In TheMovie, there was a principal character who was impersonating "Deep Voice", a reference to "Deep Throat". This character also wore a trenchcoat and used a voice simulator. [[spoiler:It was really Helga Pataki.]]
* Used in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' when Tootie gives Timmy's parents information about her sister Vicky's evil deeds under the alias of "[[ShoutOut Deep Toot]]" (the name of which Timmy's dad finds hilarious).

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* [[TruthInTelevision Real-life example]] and [[TropeMakers Trope Maker]]: "Deep Throat", the Watergate informant whose identity (William Mark Felt Sr.) was unknown for over 30 years before he finally revealed himself in 2005 . So ubiquitous, nearly every MysteriousInformant is either an outright reference/parody, or at least has some aspects gleaned from Deep Throat. However, some aspects of the trope draws heavily from the PopculturalOsmosis of ''Film/AllThePresidentsMen''; the real-life Deep Throat's identity was a mystery to the general public, but Bob Woodward knew exactly who he was talking to.

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 TheConspiracy. The information is usually fragmentary and/or in cryptic SpySpeak. They tend to meet the main character in secluded areas like {{parking garage}}s or shadowy alleys, be impossible to find unless they want to be found, always wear a ConspicuousTrenchcoat, and are usually masters of the StealthHiBye, to prevent heroes from pursuing them.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' features a character known as "Owl" in [[spoiler:Grisha Yeager]]'s flashbacks. [[spoiler:"Owl" is sending [[LaResistance the Eldian Restoration Movement]] (which Grisha is the leader of) information to help them in their quest to restore the Eldia Empire to its former glory. This includes the [[UnreliableNarrator supposedly]] true story of Ymir Fritz, the ancestor of the Eldians and creator of the Titans and getting Dina Fritz, the [[LastOfHisKind last remaining]] royal left on the continent (as opposed to the branch of the Fritz family that fled to Paradis Island). Grisha and Dina end up marrying and having a son named Zeke. Zeke was ''supposed'' to be Eldia's last hope, but he turned in his parents and other members of the Movement to the Marleyan military. The group are then sent to Paradis Island are are to be turned into mindless Titans. All of them are, except Grisha, who is saved by a soldier named [[DeadGuyJunior Eren]] Kruger. Kruger]] reveals himself as "Owl" before [[spoiler:turning into the Attack Titan and killing all the other military officials that were with him on Paradis Island. He then bequeaths the Attack Titan to Grisha and tells him to make it to Paradis Island's walled cities so that he can complete Kruger's ultimate goal of retrieving the Founding Titan]]. Essentially, he's responsible for setting a lot of the series's events in motion.

* SSS ("Three Speed") from ''Anime/{{Madlax}},'' the eponymous character's employer/ contact [[spoiler: who ends up selling out Madlax to [[AncientConspiracy Enfant]] under pressure]]. She doesn't hold a grudge at him for this.

* In ''FanFic/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'', this role is filled by Golden Dirk, a mysterious Royal Guard sergeant with direct access to the Royal Canterlot Archives.

In police shows, this role may be filled by a snitch. In [[ConspiracyThriller shows involving conspiracies]], the mysterious informant is usually an anonymous insider. In SpeculativeFiction, this role is often filled by psychics and prophets.

* In ''FanFic/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'', this role is filled by Sergeant Golden Dirk, a mysterious Royal Guard sergeant with direct access to the Royal Canterlot Archives.

* In ''Fanfiction/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'', this role is filled by Sergeant Golden Dirk, a mysterious Royal Guard sergeant with direct access to the Royal Canterlot Archives.

* In the Literature/{{Discworld}} novel ''The Truth'', there is a mysterious informant known only to William De Worde as Deep Bone, who provides him some key information about the alleged attempted murder at the palace.

* "[[CoolMask Diana]]" in Boris Akunin's ''[[Literature/ErastFandorin The State Counsellor]]'' leaks the terrorist organisation's secrets to the police - or is it the other way around? - and attains a considerable influence over the heads of several police departments. She really likes to keep up the mysterious appearance - it helps her maintain her FemmeFatale reputation as well.

* In ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'', Izaya might not be nice or helping the good guys too often, but he is mostly definitely an informant.

* Sporty James from ''Series/{{Hunter}}'' TV series. Not very mysterious though.

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