History Main / PeoplePuppets

* In an episode of ''[[Anime/{{Pokemon}} Pokemon: Battle Frontier]]'', the webbing of an Ariados is used in order to control the movements of May and her Pokémon, sabotaging their performance in the Kanto Contest.

* In ''WebOriginal/{{Mortasheen}}'', this is the power of the monster[[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/cackle.htm Cackle]]. Who was originally designed to watch over children. And yes, they do play that for all the creepy it's worth. And it is ''inverted'' with the creature [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/victrossus.htm Victrossus]], which is essentially a body that puppeteers the brains of others.

* Dietrich von Lohengrin of ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood'' uses nerve-controlling monofilament wire to do this to people as his main method of attack -- his Rosenkreuz Orden codename is "Puppeteer".

* Yoruka in ''LightNovel/UndefeatedBahamutChronicle'' has a specific version: she can control [[MiniMecha Drag-Rides]] that are being worn by a person, but not empty Drag-Rides or people's actual bodies. This has several limitations: she must touch a Drag-Ride first, she can only control the part she touched, and the duration she can control them is proportional to the duration of the touch. She does have an additional weapon consisting of steel strings that she can set out like a spider's web, and can control any Drag-Rides that touch the strings as if she had touched them directly. She can also use this on herself, one application of which is [[spoiler:activating her Drag-Ride's SuperMode]].

* ''WesternAnimation/Animaniacs2020'': One segment has the Warners RageAgainstTheAuthor on a conductor who can control the cartoon they're in by conducting the orchestra behind the screen. However [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou the Warners get even and escape into the real world]] [[TrappedInTVLand trapping the conductor in the cartoon]] instead. From there, they force him into moving how they want [[HoistByHisOwnPetard using the same trick]].

* ''WesternAnimation/Animaniacs2020'': One segment has the Warners RageAgainstTheAuthor on a conductor who can control the cartoon they're in by conducting the orchestra behind the screen. However [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou the Warners get even and escape into the real world]] [[TrappedInTVLand trapping the conductor in the cartoon]] instead. From there, they force him into moving how they want to [[HoistByHisOwnPetard using the same trick]].

** With his vampire powers, Louis de Pointe du Lac causes Daniel Molloy's right arm to shake uncontrollably in a painful manner (presumably made worse by the latter's Parkinson's disease).
** Lestat de Lioncourt makes a man at the cinema slap himself continuously.

In ''WebOriginal/Worm'' this is [[spoiler:Regent]]'s real power though he pretends otherwise because he's aware of how horrifying the ability is. Due to an upbringing surrounded by MindRape while he's insistent that the importance of the difference between controlling a person's body and controlling their mind.

** ''VideoGame/TheMurderOfSonicTheHedgehog'': [[spoiler: [[SentientVehicle The train itself, which is revealed to be a Badnik]]]], enforces this upon the Conductor. As [[spoiler: it]] has developed a {{Yandere}} complex, [[spoiler: it]] wishes for him to stay as [[spoiler: it's co-conductor]] forever, and ensures this by wrapping wires around his body and forcing him to operate the train like a puppet.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** ''VideoGame/SonicShuffle'': Forcegems can be used to this effect to make other players move a select amount of spaces forward on the game board.
** ''VideoGame/TheMurderOfSonicTheHedgehog'': [[spoiler: [[SentientVehicle The train itself, which is revealed to be a Badnik]]]], enforces this upon the Conductor. As [[spoiler: it]] has developed a {{Yandere}} complex, [[spoiler: it]] wishes for him to stay as [[spoiler: it's co-conductor]] forever, and ensures this by wrapping wires around his body and forcing him to operate the train like a puppet.

* ''VideoGame/SonicShuffle'': Forcegems can be used to this effect to make other players move a select amount of spaces forward on the game board.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'', Zim shrinks himself and flies around inside of Dib's body, where Zim makes use of the arm control nerve in Dib's belly.
-->'''Dib''': But humans don't ''have'' arm control nerves!\\

* ''Film/BlackWidow2021'': The Widows can be remotely controlled by Dreykov with a simple push of a button, even if their mind resists, as seen when he orders one to [[PsychicAssistedSuicide end her own life, much to her horror]]. Later in the film, he achieves this by a special fragrance that allows him to control those who smell it, and has [[spoiler: Natasha]] completely unable to even land a hit on him. [[CapturedOnPurpose Or so he thinks...]]

* ''Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'' has Strange perform a spell on an aggressive pizza roll vendor that causes him to repeatedly slap himself [[TheStinger all the way into the post-credits scene]].

* ''Film/IronMan2'' has [[spoiler: Ivan Vanko controlling the War Machine suit with Rhodey unable to do anything to stop him]].

** During Calliope's 3D debut, Ina uses the power of the [[TheOldGods Ancient Ones]] to suddenly freeze Calli in place, pose her, and spin her around like a ballerina, all because she suggested that Ina do the worm.

** In "Perkey's Buds," the nighthawks turn Ziggs into one of these, forcing them to work as a farmhand, and to defend them from Emma.

* ''WebVideo/NightmareTime'': Uncle Wiley does this to a sleeping Pamela in order to choke Ms. Halloway while she's in the dream world, and if Hannah hadn't succeeded in fending off the witch, she would have done this to her as well.

* [[DuelingMovies Two movies]] use this in different ways: ''Film/{{Gamer}}'' is basically a FirstPersonShooter where you are the person and a death row inmate is the shooter -- and one shooter wants out. Less related is ''Film/{{Surrogates}}'', which is basically ''VideoGame/SecondLife'' in real life, only the "avatars" are slightly overdone UncannyValley robots. Someone has found a way to kill the "users" when they kill the robots, which was previously impossible (there is a grizzled detective, but he's a long-time Surrogate user and probably not as technophobic as, say, Will Smith's character in ''Film/IRobot'').

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarRagnarok'': Binding spells are able to do this, taking command of the victim's body and incapacitating them in the process. One is placed on [[spoiler: Freya by Odin]] that prevents her from going to other realms that must be undone. [[spoiler: Odin manages to catch Kratos and Artreus in one]] and begins to [[EvilGloating gloat about their defeat in their faces]], but [[spoiler: ironically becomes victim to one himself by a freed Freya, [[PsychicStrangle who proceeds to strangle him with one]]]].