History Main / TheSyndicate

* The ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise, particularly ''Deep Space 9'', had the Orion Syndicate, although since most of the major characters were (essentially) military personnel it tended to be more of an around-the-edges nuisance than a direct threat.
** ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries A Piece of the Action]]'' has Kirk arrange for the formation of a syndicate of mobs. It's all for a good cause, of course: the planet in question is run ''by'' mobs straight out of 1920 Chicago, so The Syndicate is the closest equivalent to TheFederation for the moment, and it helps to keep the Iotians working together.

** Should be noted that both ''Payback'' and ''Point Blank'' were based on ''The Hunter'' by Richard Stark where Parker dealt with The Outfit and there was sequel book with the same name.

* In ''EVEOnline'', there is an entire region of 0.0, lawless, space called [[http://eve.wikia.com/wiki/The_Syndicate The Syndicate]]. It was once described as a good place for a vaction by a Gallente Senator.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' has Khamja. They basically run the country the game takes place in.

* The Zann Consortium from ''[[StarWars Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption]]'' essentially evolves into a galaxy-wide Syndicate by the end of the campaign.
** Likewise, Black Sun in the StarWarsExpandedUniverse as a whole.
* The Exchange in ''StarWars: KnightsOfTheOldRepublic''. Also Black Sun in the StarWarsExpandedUniverse

* [[VideoGame/CustomRobo The Z Syndicate]]

Not to be confused with a short-lived {{BBC 1}} GameShow hosted by Nick Ross, or the companies which distribute NewspaperComics to the papers themselves or the [[VideoGame/{{Syndicate}} video game of the same name]]. Compare the NebulousCriminalConspiracy and NebulousEvilOrganisation. Funnily enough, in Spanish "Sindicato" means both "Syndicate" and "Trade Union" (the same goes for the French "syndicat"). [[MilkmanConspiracy Make of that what you will]].

* The primary antagonists of ''SpaceStation13'' are one. They're described as being seedy conglomerate of criminal organizations known simply as the [[ADogNamedDog The Syndicate]].

* Of course, there needs to be a mention of THE number one syndicate in all of western animation... [[InspectorGadget MAD]].
* ''[[{{Huntik}} Huntik: Secrets & Seekers]]'' has The Organization, which reportedly has agents the world over, has the power to erase bank accounts, and can even take over governments.

TheSyndicate is TheEmpire of the criminal world. It maintains an iron grip on the BlackMarket, commands battalions of armed guards and controls large sectors of land (from districts to cities or whole planets). Its influence might extend towards law enforcement, labor unions, politicians and corporations, whether through blackmail, bribery, coercion or simple business. Its many activities include racketeering, extortion, kidnapping, gambling, smuggling and trafficking.

In addition to standard {{Mooks}}, its security apparatus may consist of a MurderInc, {{Bounty Hunter}}s, ProfessionalKillers and the CorporateSamurai. You know you're in trouble when the Syndicate somehow boasts {{Pinkerton Detective}}s and/or PrivateMilitaryContractors. Often times, TheSyndicate can be a bonafide NGOSuperpower.

There are several ways to structure the culture and chain of authority within TheSyndicate, but the most common would be for it to carry a distinctly corporate flavor. In this sense, the Syndicate operates its enterprise by setting up illegal monopolies or illicit criminal networks, all the while conducting themselves almost like a business clique (see [[KnightsOfTheOldRepublic The Exchange]]).

* The Red Dragon in ''CowboyBebop''.
* Demon Card in ''RaveMaster''.
* Enfant in ''{{Madlax}}''.

** Indeed, the main conflict in the organization revolves between those who emphasize the AncientConspiracy angle, and those who just perceive themselves as TheSyndicate - that is, the idealists and the pragmatists.
* The all-encompassing, running the entire world behind the scenes group in ''DarkerThanBlack'' is one of these and actually called "The Syndicate", but most the viewer ever sees of it is the cell Hei is in and the occasional one-shot agent they have to contact. Up until TheReveal of the conspiracy (which isn't all that ancient), there's not a high ranking Syndicate member to be seen -- not even [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness an Omniscient Council of Vagueness]]. [[spoiler: It falls apart after Hei blows the lid of The {{Masquerade}} at the end of the first season.]]

* ''{{Payback}}'' pits AntiHero Porter against a syndicate. Just a slight bit of [[PlayingWithATrope playing]] and LampshadeHanging goes on as it's discussed at several points that the movie's syndicate actually used to be called TheSyndicate, but changed its name to The Outfit while Porter was recovering from his wounds.
* In ''PointBlank'', Lee Marvin battled a remarkably organised organised crime organisation which was explicitly referred to as "The Syndicate". ''TheOutfitOutfit'' was a loose sequel to ''PointBlank'', and ''CharleyVarrick'' inhabited a similar world
** Should be noted that both ''Payback'' and ''PointBlank'' were based on ''The Hunter'' by Richard Stark where Parker dealt with The Outfit and there was sequel book with the same name.

* The SpiritualSuccessor, of SPECTRE is Quantum in ''Film/QuantumOfSolace''. Bonus points for having one of its members actually say, "[[WeAreEverywhere We have people everywhere]]" [[spoiler:about five seconds before being proven right]].

* Pick a CriminalProcedural. If it doesn't have TheSyndicate, pick the next one: it's bound to be in.

** ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries A Piece of the Action]]'' has Kirk arrange for the formation of a syndicate of mobs. It's all for a good cause, of course: the planet in question is run ''by'' mobs straight out of 1920 Chicago, so TheSyndicate is the closest equivalent to TheFederation for the moment, and it helps to keep the Iotians working together.
* In ''TheXFiles'', the OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness is actually called "the Syndicate" (among other things). They are [[spoiler:an international conspiracy of politicians and businessmen who discovered the existence of aliens after the RoswellIncident and a few years later, managed to negotiate a temporary truce with the homicidal aliens, buying themselves a few decades in return for assisting the alien colonization]].

* ''{{Chuck}}'' is known for its evil organizations like [[NebulousEvilOrganization FULCRUM]], Fulcrum's parent company The Ring, and the current incarnation of the Syndicate: Volkoff Industries.
* The [[MissionImpossible Impossible Missions Force]] faces off against TheSyndicate several times.
* The criminal organisation Niska represents in {{Firefly}} was never given an offical name, but is usually referred to simply as 'the Syndicate'.

* In the ''OldWorldOfDarkness'', TheSyndicate is the economic arm of the [[TabletopGame/MageTheAscension Technocracy]].
* ''DungeonsAndDragons'': Your typical Thief's Guild in a big city will be one of these. Depending on the setting, a variety of other guids, like an Assassin's Guild or Mage's Guild, might be involved in nefarious criminal schemes.
* The Shadow Thieves in the ''ForgottenRealms''. They double as a ReligionOfEvil, since they are the devoted worshippers of Mask, the god of thieves. Also the Zhentarim, who are thinking really big and have their hands deeply in politics, effectively even controlling their own small country.
* ''{{Exalted}}'' brings us the Guild, a syndicate so wealthy and influential that it qualifies as an NGOSuperpower, despite being a mortal-run organization in a world ruled by {{Physical God}}s.
* The [[MagicTheGathering Orzhov Syndicate]]. Officially, they're a church. [[BlatantLies Officially]]. Everybody on [[CityPlanet Ravnica]] knows that they're in charge of big business as well as organised crime... and if you owe the Orzhov a debt, you're going to pay it off, even after death.

[[folder:Videogames]]

*** All three, however, have had this status dulled as of late by their more grey morality in comparison to the EvilerThanThou Sansha's Nation, which is something like TheSyndicate [[XMeetsY meets]] ReligionOfEvil.
* [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The Syndicate]] in ''[[JakAndDaxter Jak X]]'' that is run by [[VillainousGlutton Krew's]] rival gang leader and practically ''runs'' [[ViceCity Kras City]]. Fixes all the [[BloodSport Combat Races]], [[SeriousBusiness hires mercenary drivers]], [[spoiler: sabotages Jak's vehicle, and kills Blitz's father, though that happened before the game's events.]]
* [[StreetFighter Shadaloo]] started out as this, but as the series progressed, became more of a NebulousEvilOrganisation.
* The plot of ''AceAttorneyInvestigations'' centers around an international smuggling syndicate.
* Nile in ''HotelDuskRoom215''.

* The Pizza Bat corporation in NoMoreHeroes2 is in control of a mafia the size of a small army. Needless to say, they pretty much run the city.
* The Syndicate in ''SaintsRow: The Third'' is a consortium of three powerful gangs, firmly in control of the city of Steelport and environs.
* WorldOfWarcraft has a faction of rogues called the Syndicate. It's a subversion in this case as the Syndicate is a meaningless, almost powerless faction only feared by low level characters.

* FrontMission has two of these - one in the main Front Mission universe and another in the Gun Hazard universe.

** Should be noted that both ''Payback'' and "'Point Blank'' were based on ''The Hunter'' by Richard Stark where Parker dealt with The Outfit and there was sequel book with the same name.

-->-- '''Mr. White''', ''Film/QuantumOfSolace''. [[BodyguardBetrayal He's not kidding]]...

On a semantic note, a "syndicate" is nothing illegal per definition, as it is simply a group of companies working together for mutual profit (most immediate example would be the television syndications), however, "the Syndicate" only has one meaning in modern popular culture. In this sense, it may have gotten its name from the so-called "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Crime_Syndicate National Crime Syndicate]]" of ethnic gangs and the similarly-vague "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Commission_(mafia) Commission]]," the RealLife governing body of the American [[TheMafia Mafia]]. Both were organized by the Italian gangster Lucky Luciano and the Jewish gangster Meyer Lansky in the early [[TheGreatDepression 1930s]].

See also TheMafia (and its Russian cousin TheMafiya), TheIrishMob, TheTriadsAndTheTongs, TheCartel, MafiaPrincess.

* The Syndicate (or rather, ''a'' syndicate, because the actual names are randomly generated) attacking the station is one of the possible events to occur on ''SpaceStation13''. Effectiveness varies based on the intelligence of the syndicate members, but usually, being a team of three or more foes armed to the teeth with energy swords and bombs and hell bent on destroying the station, they're near the top of biggest threats to the station.

** And he had an earlier prototype in the Literature/GentlemenofTheNight

** And he had an earlier prototype in the GentlemenofTheNight

* Les Habits Noirs (Literature/TheBlackCoats) from the various novels by Creator/PaulFeval. The novels were written from 1863 to 1875, making this example OlderThanRadio.

TheSyndicate is TheEmpire of the criminal world. It maintains an iron grip on the BlackMarket, commands battalions of armed guards and controls large sectors of land (from districts to cities or whole planets). Its influence might extend towards law enforcement, politicians and corporations. Its many activities include racketeering, blackmail, extortion, coercion, kidnapping, bribery, gambling, smuggling and trafficking.

TheSyndicate is TheEmpire of the criminal world. It maintains an iron grip on the BlackMarket, commands battalions of armed guards and controls large sectors of land (ranging from districts to cities and countries or whole planets). Its influence might extend towards law enforcement, politicians and corporations. Its many activities include racketeering, blackmail, extortion, coercion, kidnapping, bribery, theft, smuggling and trafficking. Other times, it may include burglary, arson, gambling, prostitution, fraud, armed robbery, slavery, weapon development, money laundering and drug dealing.

There are several ways to structure the culture and chain of authority within TheSyndicate, but the most common would be for it to carry a distinctly corporate flavor. In this sense, the Syndicate operates through legitimate enterprise by setting up illegal monopolies or illicit criminal networks, all the while conducting themselves almost like a business clique (see [[KnightsOfTheOldRepublic The Exchange]]).

* The all-encompassing, running the entire world behind the scenes group in ''DarkerThanBlack'' is one of these and actually called "The Syndicate", but most the viewer ever sees of it is the cell Hei is in and the occasional one-shot agent they have to contact. Up until TheReveal of the conspiracy (which isn't all that ancient), there's not a high ranking Syndicate member to be seen -- not even [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness an Omniscient Council of Vagueness]].