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11->''"Whether you're a coke dealer, a thief, an arms dealer, or a spy, you need someone to clean your money, which makes a good money launderer the closest thing you can get to a Yellow Pages for criminals."''
12-->-- ''Series/BurnNotice''
13
14This is the person who always seems to have the dirt on everybody. The person who runs an information-gathering system, with a network of informers.
15
16The Knowledge Broker has a web of contacts stretching into various organizations, industries, and government agencies, and always seems to know what's going on. Sometimes the Knowledge Broker seems nearly omniscient. They always seem to have just the right tidbit of information for whoever is willing to pay their price. For the most part, they remain impartial despite their vast influence, and most people know to stay on their good (or at least indifferent) side.
17
18This is a person who is not mysterious (Compare MysteriousInformant). Everybody knows that when you want information, you go talk to this person. Usually of dubious morality. Often your innocent hero has a [[TheLancer buddy]] who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, and knows that they ought to start by talking to "Big Eddie" or whoever, cause he always "knows anything that goes down."
19
20Sometimes the source of information is more upscale in appearance, in which case they are probably also TheBarnum. They usually want something from the hero before they hand out the information (unless they owe the Hero a favor, or have a crush on him). Often they'll want nothing more than cash, but sometimes they want the Hero to run an [[FetchQuest errand]] for them. Or they may trade information for information.
21
22Many times this character is relegated to a position as a [[CharactersAsDevice Plot Device]]. However, in works with a CrapsaccharineWorld or CrapsackWorld bent, they're more likely to be either one of the main characters or a RecurringCharacter and have backstory and get CharacterDevelopment, making them more than a PlotDevice and essential to the series.
23
24When the Knowledge Broker is given CharacterDevelopment, expect him to have [[FreudianExcuse a traumatizing past]] and/or an old relationship with one of the protagonists. When acting as a contact for the heroes, expect the Knowledge Broker to supply the catalyst to propel the story forward. If the heroes get stuck, expect him to suddenly come up with a new lead. If he's mostly in it for the money, expect either a FaceHeelTurn or a HeelFaceRevolvingDoor that may one day make [[YourHeadASplode someone put a gun to his head]]. If he's less-than-impartial towards the main character, expect him to deny payment, with an excuse like [[IWasJustPassingThrough "I owed you a favor anyway."]] Likely to DefaultToGood (if only because the good side winning would keep them in business); rarely, if ever, is this character working strictly for the antagonist. When the compiler of information isn't impartial at all and instead serves an organization, they are TheSpymaster.
25
26If the contact is a recurring character and the Knowledge Broker and the protagonist are different genders ([[HoYay or not]]), [[BetterAsFriends expect]] [[LovesMeNot romantic]] [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend subtext]].
27
28RealLife information brokers tend to be consultants who work in market research, though there are exceptions.
29
30See also TheFixer.
31----
32!!Examples:
33
34[[foldercontrol]]
35
36[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
37* Big Ear (because he hears about ''everything'', you know) from ''Anime/TheBigO''. You know, the one with the glasses.
38* ''Manga/BlackButler'' has the Undertaker. He's just in it for the laughs.
39* Sakaguchi Ango from ''Manga/BungoStrayDogs''. He is introduced as an important source of information for the mafia, and he's often doing business abroad. That's what we're told... [[spoiler: but he is actually doing this work for the Government; he plays an important role there as well]]. Then [[spoiler: Atsushi, Kyouka, and Oguri escape using the latter's Ability (to erase every trace of a crime) and they're still found by Ango. That's before it is revealed that Ango has the power to [[{{Psychometry}} receive the memories of everything he touches]]]], which finally answers why he is this trope.
40* Old man Gomeiji from ''Manga/BusterKeel'' deals in information to sell to adventurers. When encountered by the heroes, he hires them to retrieve a treasure chest from the nest of a giant two-headed serpent, only to reveal that it contains his stash of information, written down on rice grains he can decipher.
41* Hiruma of ''Manga/Eyeshield21''. Like Nijima he uses it for his own gains and specializes in blackmail with it.
42* In ''Manga/FinalFantasyLostStranger'', Grede Treid deals in only the latest and best information, becoming fabulously wealthy for it. His services are so valued that he and his clerks can easily charge 600 million Gil for information without blinking, an impossible price for most to pay. And yet, his word is so valued that the fact that he's willing to put a price on information about [[spoiler:Raise only bolsters Shogo's hopes that it exists and that he'll be able to use it to revive Yuko.]]
43* Fuuchoin Kazuki from ''Manga/GetBackers'' theoretically does this for a living, although he's more often seen [[RazorFloss kicking ass]].
44* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
45** Information brokers are one of the most lucrative jobs people can have in the AfterTheEnd setting of ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX''. The second episode has a broker [[TemptingFate boasting about how they're so much smarter than those idiot mobile suit pilots]]. [[KarmicDeath Then he's vaporized by the GX's Satellite Cannon]].
46** ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamSEEDAstray'' has the recurring antagonist Kenav Luchini.
47%% Needs context * [[{{Meganekko}} Becky]] [[MiserAdvisor Farrah]] from ''Manga/GunsmithCats''.
48%% Needs context * ''Anime/GunXSword'' has [=Carmen99=].
49%% Needs context * [[spoiler: Madeleine]] in the manga of ''Manga/HonooNoAlpenRose''.
50* ''Manga/HonooNoAlpenRose'':
51** When Jeudi is talking about the Alpen Rose song, Liesl overhears it and tells her she was taught it by a man in Lucerne. She then tells her everything she knows about the song.
52** [[spoiler: In the manga, Madeline Toulonchamp knows about Lundi's long-lost older brother turned hitman, Jean-Jacques Cortot, and drops the information she has to the heroes. Since she was AdaptedOut in the anime, this role was transferred to Jeanne.]]
53* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
54** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'': Avdol, beyond having knowledge of the cultures of the different countries that the group visits, he's also an expert on the various facets and intricacies of his home country of Egypt, to the point of being somewhat of a Knowledge Broker with some of the citizens he's familiar with.
55** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'': In ''Literature/PurpleHazeFeedback'', finding out specific information is a key skill that Cannolo Murolo's All Along Watchtower provides. The enormous range of his Stand allows Murolo to spy on anyone and anything, allowing him to easily track down the Narcotics Team and find out normally restricted information; his confidence in his knowledgeable status has led to him growing overconfident and amoral in his place in Passione's hierarchy in the past.
56** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'': Gwess knows nearly everything that goes down in Green Dolphin Street Prison and what to find in each facility, but will only tell so for a price.
57* Haruo Nijima from ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' is a partial case of this. Though he has incredible skills in analyzing enemies and information gathering in general, he acquires all his intelligence for the sole purpose of furthering his own goals of power.
58* Sonica of ''Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce'', who is a genuine palm reader who could read a person's memories and biological data by touching her target. This, combined with her personality and the fact that everyone in the underworld goes to her when they need to interrogate someone, means she's got the dirt on everybody. Like most Knowledge Brokers, she's in it for the money so the price of her info is always very steep, and she has plenty of blackmail material for those unwilling to pay.
59* A [[TimeSkip series]] of [[NoNameGiven unnamed women]] in ''Anime/{{Mnemosyne}}'', who [[TrademarkFavoriteFood drink Grasshoppers]] and take sex as payment (yeah, it's that kind of show).
60* The man [[LastNameBasis known only as Yamada]] in all incarnations of ''Franchise/MyHime'' where he appears.
61%% Needs context * Rufus Barma in ''Manga/PandoraHearts''.
62%% Needs context * Nabiki Tendo of ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''.
63* ''Manga/SPYxFAMILY'': Franky is a talented information dealer and can find almost any document. For example, he snuck into the City Hall to steal hundreds of single women's files, was able to find both a rare entrance exam application and the answers to that very test, and was on the Forgers' doorstep to celebrate Anya's admission ''[[NewsTravelsFast seconds]]'' after they learned about it themselves.
64* In ''Manga/TegamiBachiLetterBee'', Largo, master of the Bee Hive, visits one such knowledge broker in a tobacco shop. He buys various bits of information while disguising his requests as cigarette purchases.
65* Itori from ''Manga/TokyoGhoul''. She runs an extensive information network from her bar, ''[[Music/TheBeatles Helter]] [[UsefulNotes/CharlesManson Skelter]]'', and also handles any sort of legal documentation that other ghouls might need.
66[[/folder]]
67
68[[folder:Comic Books]]
69* ''Series/{{Angel}}'' had a creature, Polyphemus, with an encyclopedic knowledge of demonology. There was some romantic subtext between him and Laura, a former watcher.
70* In the ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' story "The Tarnished Angel," Donnelly Ferguson uses his knowledge of the city's underworld to find jobs for the B-rate villains of Kiefer Square. Steeljack didn't like associating with him, but because Ferguson didn't have a record he was one of the very few people Steeljack could visit without violating his parole. [[spoiler:Ferguson arranges for most of the villains to be hired for a city-wide crime spree planned by The Conquistador, who plans to kill them all afterwards.]]
71* ''Franchise/TheDCU'':
72** [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Oracle]] started out fulfilling this role for ComicBook/{{Batman}}, then moved on to also providing it for ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'', then moved onto being a uniting force for ''the entire hero community.'' People both in and out of universe have mused that Oracle is one of the most invaluable heroes when it comes to fighting crime.
73** The Calculator was a goofy [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] villain with a giant pocket calculator on his chest and vague AwesomenessByAnalysis powers -- until ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004'' revamped him into Oracle's EvilCounterpart, a knowledge broker for supervillains. In ''VideoGame/DCUniverseOnline'', the two serve the role as MissionControl for heroes and villains, respectively, using their know-how.
74** A similar role (information broker to the villains) was played by the Monitor during the run-up to ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''. His role in the actual ''Crisis'' is quite different.
75** [[DependingOnTheWriter In some instances]], [[ComicBook/{{Robin}} Jason Todd]] as [[TheUnfettered the Red Hood]] has played this role, bringing valuable information to heroes -- and, occasionally, villains. For his own ends, or to ensure they end up getting themselves killed. If it came up more often, he'd be a MagnificentBastard.
76** The Penguin functions as an information broker for Gotham's underworld, and sometimes to ComicBook/{{Batman}}, with a little {{arms deal|er}}ing thrown in for good measure.
77* The Harlot functions as this in ''ComicBook/FallOfCthulhu''. As one of the most powerful entities in the DreamLand, she can provide virtually any form of information; her asking price is generally a piece of the client's body, [[spoiler: though she will occasionally accept pieces of the client's mind -- especially in the case of Raymond Dirk.]]
78* Information is just another commodity in the world of ''ComicBook/{{Finder}}'', and Lynne Grosvenor is implied to be one of the best info traders in Anvard. Within an hour of his sisters' mugging, he's recovered their belongings and tipped off the police (if not something worse, considering how [[DisproportionateRetribution protective]] he is [[BerserkButton of Marcie]]).
79* Feetus from ''ComicBook/{{Grimjack}}''. Notable in that he and Grimjack were old war buddies and genuine friends. He plays a more important role in the plot than just a source of information for Grimjack.
80* Max Normal in early ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' comics.
81* Nomad, from Creator/MarvelComics, confronts the 'Favor Broker', who is also a BigBad, multiple times through his title series. The Broker claims not to like the position he is stuck in but is too piled up with favors to ever quit.
82* The Consultant from ''ComicBook/PS238''.
83* The Shingouz in ''ComicBook/{{Valerian}}'' are [[PlanetOfHats an entire race of creatures]] who specialize in spying and information trade. A trio of them often push their services on Valerian and Laureline and end up getting them involved in the main plot of the ongoing issue.
84[[/folder]]
85
86[[folder:Fan Works]]
87* ''Fanfic/ChasingDragons'' has the mysterious figure known as the Kindly Man, who controls the criminal underworld in Myr by trading in information. [[spoiler: It's very strongly implied that he's Varys.]]
88* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'':
89** Ivan Petrovich, a former Red Room Agent who served as a ParentalSubstitute to Natasha and joined her in defecting. Natasha inwardly considers him to be one of the best intel analysts on the planet and in Chapter 67, both the Red Room and HYDRA make a play for him. [[spoiler: Both are foiled by the Winter Soldier, who is nominally working for HYDRA, and manages to help Petrovich fake his death.]]
90** Doctor Strange is the ultimate example of this, overlapping with MisterExposition when he's feeling helpful. He knows almost everything you could possibly want to know and has dirt on everyone. It helps that he's exceptionally stealthy, and an immensely powerful {{Seer|s}} and [[TimeMaster time-traveler]]. He also never lies, which helps with trust... or it would, if he wasn't a master TruthTwister. Plus, he dispenses information on his schedule and no one else's.
91* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fics of Creator/AAPessimal, Conina's Barbarian Hairdressing Salon is a hub of information exchange that stands outside the usual network of Guilds. Conina Cohensdaughter-Harebut is a Thief and barbarian heroine who fulfilled her vocation to be a Hairdresser. And everyone needs a hairdo. And ''everyone'' -- Thief, Assassin, Heroine, Watchwoman, Seamstress, Teacher -- [[ChattyHairdresser talks to their hairdresser]]. Who if she is so inclined may pass interesting information back.
92* ''Fanfic/DungeonKeeperAmi'' features Keeper Midori, who fits this Trope to a T. She keeps close tabs on all the warring factions in the story, often popping up at opportune moments -- such as lulls in the fighting -- to offer information on their enemies, at a price.
93* Kunsel in ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' was a well-informed and vaguely gossipy Mr. Exposition. ''Fanfic/TheFifthAct'' upgrades him having a vast information network, being everyone's go-to guy for information and in the Omakes, being better informed than the Turks.
94* ''Fanfic/FutariWaPrettyCureBlueMoon'' has Omemi Emiru, a different sort of an AlphaBitch who uses this (something she calls a "talent" for coming upon other people's information) to keep her classmates in line. [[spoiler:Her Etherium powers reflect this, as she uses her illusion abilities to, in a sense, construct what others see of reality, made more convincing by what she's found out about them.]]
95* ''Fanfic/AGamerInSouthBlue'': Bill, the bartender of ''The Cracked Pearl'' in Caeba Kingdom, works as this, and he makes it clear at the outset that he doesn't pick any sides: he gives information to whoever can pay for it. This despite the fact that Jack's [Gamer] abilities inform him immediately that Bill is an undercover agent of [=CP5=]; this is just a side job while he accomplishes whatever his true objective is.
96* ''Fanfic/GuardiansWizardsAndKungFuFighters'' has Charles Ludmoore, who seems to know just about everything happening on both Earth and Meridian, and is willing to supply that information (as well as access to his vast black market resources) to anyone willing to pay the price. Somewhat different from most examples, in that he and his brothers are actively PlayingBothSides of the war on Meridian for the benefit of a much larger agenda.
97* The ''Fanfic/HalloweenUnspectacular'' series has Ovard Grim. Publicly, he's just the head of a scrap metal reclamation company. In reality, however, he runs numerous other businesses of varying levels of legality, one of which is trading information. In both the fourth and fifth editions, he sells information to heroes and villains alike, always putting his own interests first.
98* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997911/chapters/34874444 The Horsewomen Of Las Vegas]]'', Wrestling/DanaBrooke is this for crime boss Wrestling/CharlotteFlair. She's Charlotte's personal assistant, but she also spends a lot of her salary making contacts with other parts of the criminal underworld. She hypothesized that Wrestling/TheBellaTwins were responsible for the murder of [[Wrestling/CharlesWright The Godfather]] which kicked off the story, even when the police didn't have any idea who it was.
99** To a lesser extent, one of Wrestling/BeckyLynch's CoDragons, [[Wrestling/JessicaKresa ODB]], whose specialty is finding people who are hard to find.
100* Taylor Hebert in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11073277/14/Meh Information]]'' uses her powers to gather information to such an extent that she quickly gains a reputation as TheOmniscient, something helped by her employing both Tattletale and Dinah Alcott. But even on her own, she can within minutes to hours gain any intelligence someone wants so long as they pay her fee. Though for a number of things, she doesn't charge at all, such as when a little girl mentions her mother is late and Taylor passes on to CPS that said mother was murdered by Cricket.
101* In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8271684/1/Next-On Next On]]'', [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Gakupo]] is one.
102* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13892510/1/A-Person-Extremely-Wanted A Person Extremely Wanted]]'' revolves around this trope. The broker is the mysterious protagonist PEW who sells information to anyone but also trades information and payment in the background to balance out the harm caused by some of his worse clients. But what is he really after?
103* ''Fanfic/TheScorpionJar'': In order to bring [[SuckySchool Aldera]] down from the inside, Izuku sets himself up as one, offering to provide correct answers for homework assignments and tests in exchange for details on what kind of dirty deeds ''other'' students are getting up to. Since he asks his prospective clients to provide intel on their "rivals", they're more than happy to oblige, [[TallPoppySyndrome sabotaging their peers for their own gain]]. He's then able to use this information to {{Blackmail}} the bullies into backing off from their favorite victims, before ultimately [[spoiler:handing it all over to the Board of Education and getting the whole school shut down]].
104* In ''Fanfic/WhenReasonFails'', Hagakure Tooru is a student Candidate who is not part of a Cabal who keeps herself afloat by using her invisibility magic to spy on people and sell the information to other people. [[spoiler:Shoto goes to her at the end of Chapter 35 with a bargain.]]
105[[/folder]]
106
107[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
108* In ''Film/OsmosisJones'', this is the function of the Flu shot. Kinda justified, if by a long shot, by those who know a bit of biology.
109* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': Nick knows everyone in the titular city, making him an invaluable lead for Judy's case at several points.
110[[/folder]]
111
112[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
113* ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'': Doctor Know... is in the know. And is also an unreliable search engine that charges per question, but that's beside the point.
114* ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'': Dex, the owner and chef of Dex's Diner. Since his place is popular with merchants, smugglers, and other frequent travelers, and as he's traveled all over and done more jobs than can be counted on his four hands, he often overhears things that no one else does and is willing to sell the info. In the movie, Obi-Wan goes to him to find information on the Kamino cloning project; he identifies the reclusive race whose world is so obscure that nobody noticed it being missing from the Jedi archives from a simple metal dart.
115* The Brain in ''Film/{{Brick}}'' provides Brendan with intel on the situation at the school.
116* ''Film/GleahanAndTheKnavesOfIndustry:'' Madison, the bartender.
117-->'''Madison:''' With all the stuff I hear, you could incriminate half of Duluth.
118* In ''Film/{{Heat}}'', Neil [=McCauley=] consults such a figure for intelligence on potential heists and police opponents. When Neil asks him where he gets this stuff, he replies that it just comes to him through the air (his house is festooned with antennae and located on a hill above Los Angeles).
119* Skinny Pete from ''Film/TheItalianJob2003'' acts as this for Charlie and his crew when they pull their final heist in L. A.
120* From the ''Film/LethalWeapon'' series, Leo Getz. "Whatever you need, Leo Gets". (Unfortunately, he tends to '''get''' [[ButtMonkey himself in trouble a lot]].)
121* ''Franchise/TheMatrix'':
122** The Merovingian from the sequels. "I am a trafficker of information, I know everything I can."
123** Neo also qualifies, before his RedPillBluePill decision in the first minutes of [[Film/TheMatrix the original film]].
124* Louis, the French guy from ''Film/{{Munich}}'', along with the rest of his family.
125* Mr. Universe from ''Film/Serenity2005'', the self-proclaimed "eyes and ears of the 'verse".
126* ''Film/SoylentGreen'' gives us Sol Roth and his fellow "[[NewSpeak Books]]" -- people who read all things related to a case and hand over the data to their assigned detectives. They even convene in old libraries to exchange information.
127* ''Film/WelcomeToThePunch'': A criminal seeking to put out some information on the street as TheBait visits a tattoo parlour whose owner gives him the option of releasing the information "old school" (word of mouth) or "new school" (via Facebook and Twitter).
128* ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': Caliban is a broker and informant on mutant goings-on.
129[[/folder]]
130
131[[folder:Literature]]
132* The Daily Days, a newspaper from ''Literature/{{Baccano}}''.
133* In ''Literature/{{Bounders}}'', the Alkalinians, snake-like aliens, have a reputation for selling other species' secrets and technology on the black market.
134* After refusing to back down from a touchy case and losing her position, [[spoiler:Wolfe]] from the ''Burke'' books by Creator/AndrewVachss takes on this role, and is apparently the best at it.
135* ''Literature/CityOfNoEnd'': House Djevak specializes in this, collecting a legendary stockpile of blackmail that they strategically release in order to guide political events to their advantage.
136* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
137** "Done it" Duncan acts unwillingly as this, as he claims to have performed every crime that happens in the city, including a SuspiciouslySpecificDenial that can be very useful to the Watch.
138** Also, Fred Colon from ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'' forward, in a strange way. After being pulled off the streets, he is given an office, where he always keeps a kettle going and a box of free doughnuts. This is a favorite hang-out for ex-cops, old cons, and petty criminals, all of whom have an ear to the street and gossip like old washerwomen. Colon hands over the information gathered to Vimes, who gladly pays for the tea and doughnuts in return.
139* There is one common theme between many powerhouses in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Knowledge is power. The strongest know this and give their knowledge with a price, if at all.
140** The Fae, especially higher-level Sidhe members, love being this. Any fae could have the information the mortal seeks, but the mortal must make exactly clear what information the mortal wants. Any loophole or ambiguity, and the fae can, and most will, give muddled and broken information. The fae will also ask for a payment in return for equal value to the knowledge given.
141** Donnar Vadderung is the modern-day mask of [[spoiler:Odin, the King of Norse Gods, and Santa Claus, Winter King and beholden to Queen Mab]]. He runs a mercenary group but is always well-informed. He knows things about the hero Harry Dresden that not even Harry knew until just a days prior, namely: [[spoiler:Harry has a daughter and she was kidnapped by vampires. He also knows the vampires didn't kidnap her just for vengeance against Harry]]. Like the fae, he is willing to trade information for information, but there are two times when he asks no payment from Harry. The first is when [[spoiler:Harry came asking for help finding his daughter and saving her. Odin gives the knowledge freely, but Harry realizes later Odin, Mab, and others played him to help do serious damage to the Vampire Court that took his daughter by using his quest to their needs]]. Later on when Harry asks for more information in a different book [[spoiler:as Santa, he gives Harry crucial information in outgambitting another Spymaster and his human ally but states Harry was a good boy this past year and to consider it a belated Christmas present]].
142** The Archive is the repository of all human knowledge. Anything written, typed, or printed, whether on stone, sand, paper, computer, or other medium by other means, is instantly entered into her mind. The mantle is past from mother to daughter since Ancient Greece. She can recall anything her predecessors knew with perfect clarity too. She is ''not'' a broker of knowledge. She is neutral in all venues and the mantle of the Archive even restricts the female host from giving it, even if the person is a friend on a good cause. She is there in case of a societal collapse and loss of knowledge.
143* ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'': Izaya Orihara, though it's hard to tell whether he's [[OnlyInItForTheMoney doing it for the money]] or simply because [[ItAmusedMe It Amuses Him]]. Considering his intelligence and [[{{Jerkass}} his]] [[ManipulativeBastard personality]], it's probably the latter with the former as a perk.
144-->'''Izaya:''' It's kinda scary how much people trust me.
145* ''Literature/{{Edgedancer}}'': Nigh-everyone in Yeddaw buys and sells information, as in their country, knowledge is a currency as good as -- and sometimes better than -- physical money.
146* Billy from the ''Final Friends'' series by Christopher Pike always knows where everyone is all the time. No one questions how he knows.
147* In ''Literature/GirlsKingdom'', the Kokonoe twins know everything about all the societal arts students and love gathering more information. They even have a giant stack of notebooks with information on all the societal arts students, each student taking up two pages. They mainly use this information for Kagura's benefit or their own amusement but have taken to teaching [[TheProtagonist Misaki]] and [[Determinator Kirara]] all this information as well, seemingly just because they like them.
148* Slughorn from the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' novels was one.
149* In ''Literature/TheIronTeeth'', the mysterious and beautiful woman Luphera aids Blacknail the hobgoblin by trading him information. She also appears to sell information, among other things.
150* ''Literature/KnownSpace'':
151** The Outsiders. Unusually, they don't care about getting the dirt on anybody; their business is in [[{{Precursors}} Slaver-era]] technical knowledge (they sold humans the hyperdrive, giving them a fighting chance in the Man-Kzin Wars) and treasure maps. It's almost impossible to acquire knowledge in these fields that you can sell ''them'', but if you can do it you'll pretty much be set for life.
152--->''It was well known that the reactionless drive the Outsiders used was for sale, and that the price was a full trillion stars. Though no individual, and no nation now extant, could afford such a sum, the price was not exorbitant.''
153** ''Literature/{{Ringworld}}'': The Night People range widely, enter all other species' settlements as they please, and pick over all corpses of the dead. As a result, they hear and see a very great deal, and derive most of their influence from buying and selling information, news, myths, and hearsay across the Ring.
154* Ginko from ''Literature/{{Kurenai}}'', for the romantic subtext version. Also Shinkurou's UnluckyChildhoodFriend.
155* ''Literature/TheLostRedeemer'': Casella Raider and Marabella Lawguard both fit this role. Each woman runs a spy network and always seems to know what the other characters are up to.
156* ''Literature/MaridAudran'': "Papa" Friedlander Bey deals exclusively in information on a global scale; governments operate, or not, based on the information bought, sold, and traded by him.
157* Danny Boy Bell, an albino black man, performs this role in the ''Literature/MatthewScudder'' series. A website providing information about the book series, [[http://pooganspub.com/ Poogan's Pub]], is named after one of the spots Bell frequents.
158* ''Literature/MaulLockdown'': Zero and Coyle are both long-serving prisoners with a lot of inside information about everyone, and Maul goes to them in his search for the elusive prisoner Iram Radique. [[spoiler:Maul's efforts are undermined by the fact that Zero and Coyle are both secretly members of Radique's inner circle and send him down several false trails.]]
159* In ''Literature/MindstarRising'' by Creator/PeterFHamilton, Greg Mandel visits a knowledge broker and does an InterrogationByVandalism, destroying a [[BigBrotherIsWatchingYou database containing seven million personnel files]]. It's actually a vital clue that he misses; the only person who would have the opportunity to copy such a database would be a [[TheRemnant high-ranking official in the recently-deposed dictatorship]].
160* Pahvulti, the renegade [[MachineWorship Tech Priest]] in the ''Literature/NightLords'' novel ''Lord of the Night''. He was exceptionally good at his job, becoming the information baron of a hive, due to his mentality of a cad combined with his thought processes being that of a computer.
161* ''Literature/{{Quiller}}'':
162** Subverted in ''Quiller's Run''. Quiller hopes to get information on the BigBad from a former intelligence officer who lives in the Cambodian jungle monitoring the electronic pathways including several bugging devices. Unfortunately, he's half-insane from the head injury that put him there. Quiller has to parachute in, get past several attack dogs, then talk the Knowledge Broker into not only giving him the information but not killing him during his fits of psychosis.
163** Also subverted in the second Quiller novel; the Thai underworld figure he consults as per this trope turns out to be running his own gambit. [[spoiler:The plot involved a kidnapping for a hostage exchange; he planned to help Quiller foil the kidnapping, only to kidnap Quiller as an alternate hostage.]]
164* ''Literature/RebuildWorld'':
165** Carol is a downplayed example, often accepting information as part of a ProBonoBarter when [[TheOldestProfession her clients]] can't pay her fully or when she wants the info more.
166** Viola has a career as this (with relic appraisal as her front). With Viola's ChronicBackstabbingDisorder, she often uses it for PlayingBothSides, as well as FlawExploitation-based gambits (usually both at the same time).
167** Sheryl eventually decides to StartMyOwn as this in competition with Viola both to make herself more valuable to Akira and to be able to get rid of her.
168* Charles Augustus Milverton of the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' tale that bears his name. He uses the information he receives to blackmail people and sometimes even ruin them just ForTheEvulz.
169* Gyoko from ''Literature/{{Shogun}}'' seems to know everything, and has a network of courtesans who supply her with information. In a society that values titles and military power, she manages to do much with the use of information only.
170* The former CIA from ''Literature/SnowCrash'' is a knowledge-brokering company. Among other things, it employs camera-laden guys who roam around recording everything, in case it'll come in handy later.
171* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
172** Varys "The Spider" is the Lord of Whispers for the Seven Kingdoms. Having no title or wealth (being referred to as Lord out of courtesy), and being a foreign eunuch, he only managed to survive the overthrow of the Targaryen dynasty because of his usefulness. However, Varys has his own agenda, so uses his position to manipulate others; for instance, playing Cersei and Tyrion against each other, or passing off Daenerys Targaryen's dragons as just another ridiculous rumor.
173** Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish is an extremely minor lord and an unabashed schemer who knows everyone's dirt. Turns out that owning several high-end brothels frequented by powerful nobles and merchants has other benefits beyond the obvious.
174** Qyburn, a former maester, becomes Lord of Whispers under Cersei's direction and claims that the job is easier than you'd think because there are always people who will seek you out to sell secrets.
175* In ''Literature/TheSpiritThief'', the brokers are a network of people famous for being able to find anything and any piece of information (they're a bit worse with people) within an hour or so of placing a query. They charge through the roof but given their almost-supernatural ([[spoiler:actually supernatural, as they're in league with wind spirits]]) capabilities, the main characters agree that they're worth every standard.
176* This is the [[PlanetOfHats Hat]] of the Agletsch, a ProudMerchantRace in the ''Literature/StarCarrier'' series. Any given inhabited star system has resources aplenty to manufacture goods, so instead the Agletsch buy and sell everything from intelligence to schematics and technical data, and even art.
177* The sheer scale of the ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' universe dictates a rather absurd number of these. By ''far'' the best, though, is smuggler-in-chief [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Talon Karrde]], whose organization, which took over after Jabba the Hutt's enterprises collapsed with his death, was built on information brokering. He ended up [[DefaultToGood defaulting to the New Republic's side]] [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal after]] Thrawn had him kidnapped to try and coax the location of a lost fleet out of him. In ''Literature/TheHandOfThrawn'', he took a certain crucial bit of intelligence to Supreme Commander Pellaeon in time for a BigDamnHeroes moment, and his organization sets up between the newly at peace New Republic and Imperial Remnant, making sure information flows freely to both sides so there won't be any nasty secrets. His old mentor knows everything but withdrew from galactic affairs. Around second place or so are the various other important smugglers, and government agents are somewhere around twentieth... unless they're ''Thrawn's'' agents, that is, or wherever and whatever he gets his intel from.
178* Jasper from ''Literature/SuperMinion''. He might not be quite as smart as he claims and he might overcharge, but the information he provides is frequently spot on.
179* Information Brokers in general in ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'', especially Argo. Argo once sold a piece of information, then sold the information about her selling that information, then offered to sell even that information of the sale of information about the information the original buyer of the actual information. Quite the knowledgeable knowledge broker.
180* In ''Literature/TanteiTeamKZJikenNote'', [[TheSocialExpert Kuroki's epithet]] doesn't only refer to his social skills, but also refers to his large social network which allows him to obtain information about ''everyone'' in the neighbourhood. Probably because this work is aimed at children, unlike most examples of this trope he's a recurring member of TheTeam and is seen to be morally upright.
181* The archivist Korobeinikov in ''Literature/TheTwelveChairs'' was a low-key version of a knowledge broker: he made money by selling decommissioned archive documents with sensitive information (such as the data on Bolshevik confiscations of property during the revolution that Ostap Bender wanted).
182* The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Remover of Inconvenient Obstacles]] from Creator/TadWilliams's ''Literature/WarOfTheFlowers''.
183* Chrysalis, the transparent-skinned owner of the Crystal Palace bar in the ''Literature/WildCards'' universe, uses a telepathic bartender and tiny spy-creatures spawned by a unique Joker to gather information -- along with the traditional bribes and espionage.
184* AmoralAttorney Kodringer in ''Literature/TheWitcher''.
185* Magician Humphrey from the ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' series is not ranked as a magician for being born with powerful magic, but rather for his ability to find information. He can answer any question, but because so many people have questions, they have to get past three obstacles to get to him and work for him for a year or provide some other kind of significant service for him in return. This way, only ''serious'' Questions come to him to keep things sane.
186* ''Literature/TheYiddishPolicemensUnion'': The Jewish metropolis of Sitka, Alaska, includes a number of information brokers among the gangsters and former spies of its underworld.
187* ''Literature/YoungWizards'': [[InexplicablyAwesome Chao the Transcendent Pig]] serves as one of these, although he's far more lighthearted than most examples on the list. As his name implies, he is quite literally everywhere and everywhen at once, so he knows every single thing happening across the multiverse at all times. The price for his information is a [[ChessWithDeath game]]--seekers must tell him three things he doesn't know (which, as you might expect, is damned hard to do) in exchange for having any one question answered. Chao also possesses the answer to ''the'' question of questions--"What is the meaning of life?"--and it's a wizard tradition to start off every conversation with him by asking it, just in case he accidentally slips up and tells the secret.
188[[/folder]]
189
190[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
191* Arvin Sloane from ''Series/{{Alias}}'' fulfilled the role for a season, when he wasn't being the BigBad.
192* [[TheMadHatter Hatter]] from the miniseries ''Series/{{Alice|2009}}''. Ratty describes him to Alice as "a man who knows," and he seems to be connected with everybody -- [[TheEmpire the Hearts]] and [[LaResistance the Resistance]]. His {{street smart}}s and knowledge of Wonderland are a help, and when he and Alice have run out of plans and resources, he lists an obscure woman he knows through about [[SixDegreesOfKevinBacon eight different people]] and suggests talking to her, although he admits it's rather a long shot.
193* Antique book dealer Felix Muholland fills this role in ''Series/{{Banacek}}''; tracking down whatever esoteric piece of information Banacek needs to crack a particular. Interestingly, he is the only character who ever refers to Banacek by his first name.
194* ''Series/{{Baretta}}'': Tony Baretta is always going to Rooster" to get the low-down.
195* ''Series/BreakingBad'': The AmoralAttorney Saul Goodman also has a network of connections for virtually any criminal enterprise. Whether you need help cleaning up a crime scene after [[spoiler: your girlfriend dies of overdose]], need an expert conman [[spoiler: to impersonate a water inspector]], or simply need a buyer for your large quantities of illicit drugs, Saul either knows who can get the job done, or he [[KnowsAGuyWhoKnowsAGuy knows who knows them]]. [[KitschyLocalCommercial Better call Saul]]!
196* If Sam Axe isn't performing this function in ''Series/BurnNotice'', he knows someone who does. Another frequent source of information is Barry, the money launderer (currently the subject of the page quote), who knows at least something about everything slightly shady that happens in Miami, as all the crooks in South Florida seem to use him to clean their gains.
197* Dorium Maldovar, owner of the Maldovarium, who knows -- among MANY other things -- [[spoiler: what is The Question]] in ''Series/DoctorWho''.
198* The mysterious hacker group Everyone from ''Series/{{Elementary}}'' serves as this; while they initially serve as antagonists in an episode, they later befriend Sherlock and Joan, providing helpful information on cases in exchange for odd favors. [[spoiler:Joan calls on a few members of Everyone to serve as eyewitnesses (via Skype-like video services) to a villain threatening her and [[EngineeredPublicConfession describing his latest scheme.]]]]
199* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': This is Varys' job as Master of Whisperers, and he's terrifyingly good at it. If, for whatever reason, a character does not go to Varys, they go to Littlefinger.
200* Guerrero, on ''Series/HumanTarget''. How did he get that photo? "Dude, you don't want to know."
201* ''Series/{{Jeremiah}}'': Eddie from "To Sail Beyond the Stars" is an ally of the Thunder Mountain scouts who specializes in gathering information and profiting from it. He lets people use his pool hall for free to pick up gossip to investigate and pass on to other people who will pay for it or share his goals of seeing civilization restored (which will [[EnlightenedSelfInterest give him a place to spend]] all of the [[WorthlessYellowRocks money he's been accumulating]]) and stamping out dangerous people. He sometimes works with other people to actively explore information about dangerous and troubling rumors. He also takes money or supplies from people to record their locations and planned travels on a map so that any of their friends or relatives who are looking for them will know where to look if they ever visit the pool hall.
202* A lighthearted version (that borders on TheFamilyForTheWholeFamily) appears in Disney Channel's ''Series/{{Jessie}}''. Recurring character Tony, the doorman of the high-rise where the show takes place, is apparently the best-connected person in all of New York. Whenever the main characters need [[NoodleImplements strange objects]] for some ZanyScheme, it's a safe bet that "Tony knows a guy" who can get them.
203* Limehouse from ''Series/{{Justified}}'' has an extensive network of informants throughout Harlan County and the neighboring areas. If you are a client of his unofficial bank, he will share the information if you ask nicely. He is a leader of a black community in the mountains of Kentucky and his community survived since the Civil War by always knowing what its enemies and allies were up to and where the next threat was coming from. He also helps shelter battered women fleeing their abusive partners, which definitely endears him somewhat to Marshall Raylan Givens despite the distinctly shady nature of Limehouse's business.
204* Philip from ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'' has all of Earth's knowledge in his head.
205* JK from ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'' has information on every student in the school and it's his ''first-year'' in Amanogawa High.
206* ''Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'': Fin Tutuola. Much says of him, "Fin bolted a few hours ago, didn't say where. That usually means a covert meeting with one of his operatives in the Drug Netherworld." Munch himself has contacts he can call on for anything related to spying, black ops, national security, and three-letter agencies.
207* ''Series/TheLongestDayInChangAn'': Ge Lao collects information and sells it to people willing to pay enough for it.
208* Trick from ''Series/LostGirl''. Part of it comes from being the owner of a bar that's one of the few places open to both Light and Dark Fae, part of it from [[spoiler: having once been the Blood King]].
209* "Ice Pick" from ''Series/MagnumPI''. Definitely of the "dubious morality" sort.
210* The villainous [[FatBastard Dale "the Whale" Biederbeck]] of ''Series/{{Monk}}'' is one of these (it helps that he's also [[Fiction500 insanely rich]]). In his debut episode, it's revealed that he has dirt on everyone from politicians to professional baseball coaches, and can make them obey him with a single phone call; later, he somehow manages to learn about some shameful parts of Sharona's past within a day or two of her meeting him. In a later episode, he forms an EnemyMine pact with Monk by offering information on Trudy's death that even the cops never discovered in exchange for Monk's clearing him of murder. What makes this particularly impressive is that Dale weighs in at 800 pounds, and thus runs his information empire from a specially-made bed.
211* ''Series/NCISLosAngeles'':
212** The final two episodes of Season 1 center on a Knowledge Broker who had files on hundreds of people and sold that information to whoever paid more.
213** Hetty Lange, who's firmly on the side of the good guys -- she seems to have limitless knowledge of ''everything'' that goes on not just in her unit, but pretty much all over the planet. Hetty has a massive database of contacts and connections from her days in the Cold War and is fluent in at least eleven languages. She even lampshades the role in one episode when she's accused of being TheChessmaster; Hetty demurs and explains that she doesn't see individual pieces -- she sees, and moves, the ''whole board.''
214* Parodied in the shape of Johnny the Snitch on ''Series/PoliceSquad!'', the shoeshine guy who could give you information on absolutely ''everything'' -- at a price -- whether you're a cop looking for a fugitive, a surgeon needing advice on how to perform an operation, or [[http://www.poetv.com/video.php?vid=11645 just Dick Clark asking about musical trends (and youth cream)...]]
215* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}''.
216** Mycroft ''is'' the British Government (when he isn't being the CIA or MI-6).
217** Charles Augustus Magnussen is the updated version of Charles Augustus ''Milverton'' from the short stories.
218* ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'' were always going to Huggy Bear for the "word on the street" He's a [[PimpDuds sartorially resplendent]] [[JiveTurkey urban patois-fluent]] [[SoulBrotha streetwise African-American]].
219* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
220** For the franchise as a whole, this is the Yridian race's [[PlanetOfHats hat]], although they do turn to more generalized smuggling when the information business is running a bit thin. Possibly justified in that a) there aren't very many Yridians (they were believed ''extinct'' at one point) and they're scattered across known space, so they don't have an independent economy to worry about, and b) information is universally valuable, cheap to transport and can be sold to multiple buyers once you've got it, so as commodities go it's not a bad one to base your business on.
221** In ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'', Garak, Odo and Quark all play this role. Garak's comes from the intelligence world and he has connections everywhere and in every facet of society. Odo's tend to be police, security, and politically based, and Quark's tend to be economic and black market.
222[[/folder]]
223
224[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
225* Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} has The Whisper, who was introduced during the "lost"[[note]]Season 16 ended at ''Supremacy'' on December 2, 2016. Later that month they taped several matches and released them in installments as the "lost" Season 17. All nine installments were titled after episodes of ''Series/{{Lost}}''.[[/note]] Season 17. He was essentially {{Blackmail}}ing [[Wrestling/{{Kimber Lee}} Princess Kimberlee]] into hurting her friends, leading to her leaving the promotion altogether.[[note]]Kimberly Frankele had signed with ''Wrestling/{{WWENXT}}'', where she was squandered and eventually released.[[/note]] It was never explained how he had obtained the information he claimed to have on people.
226[[/folder]]
227
228[[folder:Roleplay]]
229* Jonathan Patches of ''Roleplay/TheGunganCouncil'' can get information on ''anything'' as well as make sure no one gets certain information one doesn't want to let out.
230* Luke Anatoray, from v2 of ''Roleplay/OpenBlue''.
231[[/folder]]
232
233[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
234* From ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', we have [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Pillar of Skulls,]] a hideous landmark upon [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Baator]]. Composed of the heads of various beings, it can access their knowledge to answer many questions... but it won't be free. The Pillar will ask for sacrifice to be made as payment, but sometimes it will take valuable information it has not already known as well. Notably, the Pillar is not omniscient, asking a question it doesn't know the answer to will not levy any payment.
235* ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'': The Echoing One is an Abyssal spirit that can be {{summon|ingRitual}}ed by BlackMagic to grant ''any'' knowledge, no matter how obscure or long-lost, so long as it was not deliberately hidden. The price is the summoner's Wisdom, reducing their current ''and [[{{Cap}} maximum]]'' KarmaMeter by a point per question.
236* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}''. Having good contacts is key to survival if you don't wanna die or get arrested by Lone Star. Your contacts come in various ranks, which vary depending on the edition.
237* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': The entire Nosferatu clan serve this function. Their monstrous appearance forces them to stay in the shadows, making information and intrigue come naturally to them. Their supernatural stealth and propensity for animal spies don't hurt, either.
238* In ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'', this role belongs to the Mekhet clan, who have the added advantage of looking normal, and being able to acquire information directly through supernatural means (such as MindReading, {{Psychometry}}, or AstralProjection).
239* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has the Keeper of Secrets, the Greater Daemon of Slaanesh that knows every one of your dirty little secrets. It actively uses this information in combat to hamper you, ranging from bribing you with your heart's desires to revealing something that shatters its victim's minds.
240* In ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'', the Corax wereravens (and to a lesser extent, the Bone Gnawer Garou) serve as this to other supernatural beings.
241[[/folder]]
242
243[[folder:Theatre]]
244* Johnnypateenmike in ''The Cripple of Inishmaan'' by Creator/MartinMcDonagh -- his "choice pieces of information" range from YetAnotherBabyPanda to [[GossipyHens everyone else's secrets]], and he barters them for food and other products from local merchants in their small town.
245[[/folder]]
246
247[[folder:Video Games]]
248* This seems to be the in-story role of [[BadassInANiceSuit Sai]] in ''VideoGame/AkatsukiBlitzkampf''. He is said to be a person who, through illegal means, gathers all the information in the world. [[spoiler: Though it looks like he might actually be an undercover agent for the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Intelligence_Service MI6.]]]]
249* ''VideoGame/{{Anachronox}}'' has several mentioned or implied, but two stand out: K'Conrad Khk and Eddie the Chew. The former is merely an Aewa (a flying species) who takes advantage of the planet's subjective approach to gravity and the tendency for people to not look up very often, in order to find juicy info. He's also a literal broker, as he likes to trade secrets for other secrets. The latter is far more complex; Eddie is hyperintelligent and appears to for all intents and purposes absorb ''all'' info on the whole planet, but needs to process it properly in his mind in order to produce proper, cohesive data. (Chewing on stinky, chewy things seems to help him focus; petitioners have to bring him something that fits the bill as payment.)
250* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': Lin is an information broker and hacker in Noctis City with a vast intelligence network. He'll tell anyone just about anything under the radar, whether it is someone's whereabouts or whatever they're planning.
251* ComicBook/TheRiddler is depicted this way in the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries''.
252* ASCII in ''VideoGame/BurnCycle'', a mysterious entity that resides in the [[{{Cyberspace}} Televerse]] and speaks in rapid MachineMonotone, with kiosks in the real world offering their location in exchange for [[WeWillSpendCreditsInTheFuture credits]]. They become Sol Cutter's main source of intel for most of the game, sometimes giving out software to help Cutter.
253* Everyone you talk to in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes''. Seriously, how does Joe Shmoe know which warehouse the Trolls are selling firearms out of? Granted, many of your contacts have some relation to law enforcement or the criminal underworld, but it gets quite silly after a while. It becomes ''ridiculously'' literal in Praetoria, where the game's primary currency is labelled ''Information''. This hat will cost 30 information, sir.
254* The Oracle in ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' is an AI [[InstantAIJustAddWater born in cyberspace from the sheer information in it]], who trades what he knows for information he does not have (this doesn't have to be of any value, a "joke you heard recently" and your breakfast are both things he requests in exchange for information). However the Oracle only appears at three points in the game, all in emails that are entirely optional to read, and everything we know about him is WordOfGod.
255** This is a reference to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet_oracle Usenet Oracle.]]
256* ''VideoGame/DotHackR1Games'': Wiseman had this as his initial occupation, before joining the team for real.
257* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
258** The Dark Wolf does this in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening''.[[note]]Ironically, he's hired by the previous Dark Wolf, provided you do some side-quests in ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]''.[[/note]]
259** Varric does this when not writing or adventuring in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. This is all done in place of what should in theory be his actual job, namely running a business, which is in fact registered to a totally fictitious cousin.
260--->'''Varric:''' It means coins flow when I talk ''and'' when I shut up.
261* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'' has a guy like this named Brains.
262* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'' there is "Noah the Know-It-All", who often "overhears" juicy info and then passes it on further for a price. Saving him from capture by a monster, he repays the favor by revealing to the Hero the location of an item that would lead him to the WorldTree.
263* ''VideoGame/ExtrapowerAttackOfDarkforce'': Cindy Lau's role is as an especially reliable information broker, used especially by Fei Huang Rong but with other clients relying on her skills a few times throughout the game. She reappears in ''[[VideoGame/ExtrapowerGiantFist Giant Fist]]'' in a voice-only role, as a possible part of Professor Ace's information network and regularly selling information to Wolf in his route. Though unseen, she is easily identified by her trademark English "''See You''".
264* Jules in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''. Due to the way Archadian high society works, everyone in Archades is a Knowledge Broker to one degree or another.
265* ''VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII'': 8t88, a ruthless and unscrupulous information broker (supplemental material reveals he used to be an administrative droid when he came online 190 years before the Battle of Yavin) for hire, whom Kyle turns to in order to find out who killed his father, Morgan Katarn. Unfortunately, 8t88 hated humans and had already agreed to work for said killer, the Dark Jedi Jerec, so he chose to have Kyle killed at their meeting instead. It failed, and his affiliation with Jerec ultimately backfired on the droid.
266* Blad from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDarkWitch'' is one, which is why [[TheHero Zizou]] goes to her for information regarding the missing [[GreenRocks Syega]] in the first game, and again in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDarkWitch2'' for her ability to sow misinformation amongst [[TheEmpire Germa's]] ranks so that she can sneak into their HQ unnoticed.
267* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrails'':
268** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky Trails in the Sky]]'': Nial Burns tends to trade information with the heroes, although usually he's on the receiving end due to being desperate for a scoop.
269** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsFromZeroAndTrailsToAzure Trails from Zero]]'': Jona discovers all kinds of vital information, thanks to his hacking skills.
270** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel Trails of Cold Steel]]'': Micht's real profession is obtaining all information that comes by and goes so he could pass it around.
271* ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'': This series being what it is, they appear.
272** The most prominent one is the Florist of Sai, who has cameras covering most of Tokyo and works for the highest bidder. He got his name because when he was starting out, he always delivered his intel on cards attached to flower arrangements.
273** ''VideoGame/Yakuza1'' also has a more down-market version in Tamura, a journalist who has a sideline selling information he dug up but for various reasons can't print.
274** ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'' features the Geomijul, a Korean crime syndicate that gathers intel through its extensive surveillance network in Ijincho and both sells it and uses it to keep the peace between the other criminal factions.
275* ''Franchise/MassEffect'':
276** The Shadow Broker, the completely unknown head of a vast Information Brokering Empire. Even the highest ranking members of the organization communicate with their boss only through audio-only communications channels, in which the Shadow Broker uses a computer-generated voice.
277** The Illusive Man at the head of Cerberus is also in the same business, but he doesn't use it for profit but to always be ahead of his enemies and to use the information he has as bribes or for blackmail. He doesn't sell information but only shares it to make other people depend on him.
278** In the second game, Liara starts her own business on Illium, but for her, the profits are mostly to fund her own investigations into the identity and location of the Shadow Broker, who tried to find the dead body of Shepard and sell it to the Collectors and kidnapped her partner when she gave the body to Cerberus first. Her real goal is to kill the Shadow Broker and rescue Feron. [[TookALevelInBadass Not bad for the socially awkward archaeologist from the first game.]]
279** The ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' DLC takes Liara and Shepard to the secret base of the same. [[spoiler:Where it turns out that the current person behind the desk is a yahg, a huge gorilla-like alien who was kept as a slave and pet by the last Shadow Broker. After he killed his master in his own private chambers, he simply sat down at his computer and continued business as usual. And after he is killed in battle and the computers restart, Liara does the very same thing, instantly becoming one of the top ten most powerful people in the entire galaxy.]]
280* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
281** The rumormongers in ''VideoGame/Persona2'' inform you of, among other things, shops that secretly sell weapons/armor and those shop's prices, or of demons existing or knowing specific skills. For a fee, Detective Todoroki spreads those rumors and makes them come true.
282** In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', Yuuki Mishima runs the Phantom Aficionado Website (or Phan-site), which among other things is the source for most of the game's sidequests.
283* Redd White from ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney''. His company, Bluecorp, was an information-gathering corporation that specialized in obtaining blackmail material concerning big-name individuals such as celebrities, politicians as well as high-ranked people on the judicial system, effectively making White [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections a man above the law]].
284* In ''VideoGame/StarControl II'', this is the [[PlanetOfHats hat]] of the Melnorme, who accept "bio-data" from you in exchange for galactic history, current events, and technological specifications. [[ProudMerchantRace They also sell starship fuel]] and refuse to take anything for free. When they met the Slylandro, who were completely willing to give up their knowledge and history for free, they couldn't accept that and figured out a way to give them something they could use. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Unfortunately, that inadvertently caused them to get access to the Slylandro probes]], which [[AIIsACrapshoot wound up being badly programmed]] and [[GoddamnedBats attacked everything in sight]].
285* In ''VideoGame/StarTradersFrontiers'' you can find Intel (usually by [[SpiesInAVan Spying in the orbit of a system]], but there are other sources) that relates to ongoing conflicts, or simply relating to a specific faction. Some Contacts (such as [[TheSpymaster Spymasters]]) will buy Intel, although it's worth more in improving your [[AllianceMeter Personal Rep]] with, and increasing the Influence of, the buying Contact.
286* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'': The Curator Enclave sells information on uncharted stars, intel on certain Leviathans, access to their database which significantly boosts your research, and can assign one of their peerless scientists to work for you. All for a nominal sum of credits.
287* In ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5DuwoHpEa4 I Will: The Story of London]]'' for the Pioneer Laseractive, the man to see was Mr. Pound AKA "Antenna", who runs a Britain-wide information network. He's easily recognized as he's the only person in the entire game who carries two umbrellas in one hand.
288* Oskan in ''VideoGame/StyxMasterOfShadows'' is a blind old crook wanted by the Akenash human government. He has many connections tapped into the criminal underworld of Akenash and mainly serves as the contract provider for Styx, offering Styx directions and information to help him reach his goals in exchange for Styx stealing and killing for him.
289* Jay the Unseen in ''VideoGame/TalesOfLegendia''.
290* ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'': Clan Nosferatu is isolated from human society by its LooksLikeOrlok appearance, but compensates by being extraordinarily well-connected, even specifically recruiting {{Playful Hacker}}s (and [[TheCracker Crackers]]) to maintain their edge. They'll even pay the PlayerCharacter to help expand their [[SurveillanceAsThePlotDemands surveillance network]]. [[spoiler:Their leader's not above selling information on the MacGuffin's location to multiple factions, then selling information on its ''new'' location to the losing side.]]
291* In ''VideoGame/WingCommander'', Roman Lynch provides information to the protagonist to aid his quest in finding out about the mysterious artifact he's acquired, at the expense of performing missions for him.
292* In ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'', Info-chan. She's technically a student at Akademi High School, but she spends all her time in the locked Info Club room, and can only be contacted electronically. She knows a lot about everyone at school; she got her position and privileges by blackmailing the school's headmaster, and she has enough dirt to destroy the reputation of most of the school's students. She also doubles as a black market dealer, as she can get helpful items like cigarettes, fake [=IDs=], and poison for the right price. The price is measured in {{panty shot}}s (or, later on, gossip from planted bugs), which she accepts because some students will pay her for them. In-game, she acts as a MysteriousBacker to Yan-chan, knowing her true nature and intentions but not caring as long as it gets her business. She'll give out general information on the students for free; more direct aid will require payment.
293[[/folder]]
294
295[[folder:Web Animation]]
296* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': People approach Little Miss Malachite to find out information for them. However, she usually demands an up-front fee before she'll discuss business. She's also willing to delay giving information back to her clients just in case there are other people looking for information on those clients. [[spoiler:When Cinder escapes from the Vault of the Spring Maiden, she seeks out Little Miss to find out where Teams RWBY and JNPR have gone. Little Miss says it'll take her a week even though she already knows the answer, purely because she wants to know if there are any people searching for information on Cinder.]]
297[[/folder]]
298
299[[folder:Web Comics]]
300* Anabelle knows almost everything in ''Webcomic/{{APOC}}'', for a price. Sometimes she'll divulge information if she's feeling charitable, but that's a rare enough occurrence.
301* [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160328200538/http://amazingplasmaman.com/comics/62/ Ace Tanager]] from ''Webcomic/TheIncredibleAndAweInspiringSerialAdventureOfTheAmazingPlasmaMan'' holds a wealth of information about the citizens of Meridian City, which he gladly shares with Plasma-Man in exchange for patronage of his lounge.
302* ''Webcomic/AMiracleOfScience'': Benjamin spends four pages talking to a broker named [[http://project-apollo.net/mos/mos044.html Taro,]] who gives him a lead by consulting his OmniscientDatabase of black-market programmers to identify the author of code on a chip. He trades for this info with photos he took aboard a Martian ship -- the Martians have just rejoined the interplanetary scene, and Ben has a closer relationship with them than most. He and Taro evidently enjoy a friendly working relationship.
303* Lisa from ''Webcomic/{{Paranatural}}'' runs the school store at her middle school and acts as an information broker for gossip.
304* ''Webcomic/PlanescapeSurvivalGuide'' has the [[http://planescapecomic.com/7.html "info imp,"]] not that he is particularly helpful.
305* Bud/Laser Thrash in ''WebComic/SleeplessDomain'', who is ''very'' skilled at collecting information. Not even Harley, who spends the most time with her, knows how she does it.
306-->'''Cassidy:''' Are you sure gossip isn't your ''real'' power?
307* Landon from ''Webcomic/ThisIsNotFiction'' is introduced as one, being the self-titled "Godfather of Highschool".
308[[/folder]]
309
310[[folder:Web Original]]
311* Shadow of ''Literature/SuperStories'' makes her living this way. Whether she has a supernatural ability for getting information or is just very good at her job has not been answered.
312* ''Blog/SpaceshipsAndPsychics:'' In the ActualPlay ''TabletopGame/IronswornStarforged'' campaign, Vuldar Kai is the premier knowledge broker of the orbital settlement of Rust. He acts as the PlayerCharacter, Eren Finn's, starting connection in the game and prompts her to make her first non-background Iron Vow to help him out in exchange for information.
313[[/folder]]
314
315[[folder:Web Videos]]
316* Ash, the RealMoneyTrade guy from ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', seems to be a downplayed case. There is no explicit mention of any kind of extensive network, but any knowledge he ''does'' get his hands on is merchandise like any other to him. That aspect of his activities doesn't become relevant to the plot until late Season 5 of the webseries and the movies.
317[[/folder]]
318
319[[folder:Western Animation]]
320* Geezy the Pegelount is one of these in the WretchedHive of Tortuna in ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers''. A later episode reveals that his cousin is one of Her Majesty's victims (explaining why he's no fan of hers). {{Fanon}} also suspects Doc was one of these before being "reluctantly" recruited into the Rangers.
321* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Bonkers}}'' a bunch of cartoon grapes will often give Bonkers tips on his latest case. In other words, [[DontExplainTheJoke he hears about it]] [[VisualPun "through the grapevine"]].
322* ''WesternAnimation/{{Hilda}}'': The RatKing of Trollburg knows all secrets overheard by the city's rat population and is willing to trade them for new secrets, or sometimes for a rancid cod sandwich from the dumpster behind this one restaurant by the docks, they like those.
323* ''WesternAnimation/KipoAndTheAgeOfWonderbeasts'': Cappuccino runs a cafe where patrons preferably pay their bills in information; if they can't pay, [[WorkingOffTheDebt they wash dishes]]. She'll also trade the information she has for new info [[spoiler:or for help fighting off warlords with delusions of empire.]]
324* In the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short "China Jones", Daffy seeks info from one called Limey Louie. Unfortunately, this is a ruse by Louie himself, who bears a grudge against Daffy for sending him to jail.
325* Mr. Cairo from ''WesternAnimation/Phantom2040''. He only values knowledge and no amount of currency, which is probably why he hasn't told the BigBad who The Phantom is despite the hefty reward. He never appears in person, only communicating with his customers through holograms. [[spoiler: It turns out he's not a person at all, but rather a sentient computer program.]]
326[[/folder]]
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