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13[[quoteright:349:[[ComicBook/ActionComics https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lex_luthor_hercules.png]]]]
14
15->''"I was a fool. I had been deceived that I had been working for a greater good. I was in fact an unknowing tool of a greater evil."''
16-->-- '''Shunjinko''''s biography, ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception''
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18%% One quote per page. Other quotes go on the Quotes page.
19
20This is the kind of person that the MagnificentBastard and BatmanGambit depend on. Not only does an Unwitting Pawn fail to stop the bad guy, but he actually furthers the villain's plan in the process. The ManipulativeBastard will take great delight in using them and then [[BreakingSpeech deconstructing]] their [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter naivete]] and [[DidYouActuallyBelieve blind faith]] as they [[EvilGloating gloat]] (in which case compare WhatHaveIDone). Not surprisingly, they also have a tendency to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness die ironically after inadvertently helping the villain]]. But if they survive... there's bound to be some nasty surprises in store for the Bastards.
21
22These guys are not always being manipulated by the villain; [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom sometimes they blunder their way into helping him of their own accord]]. Not that the villain's going to examine his gift horse for cavities...
23
24The WideEyedIdealist often becomes this, but sometimes the KnightTemplar and WellIntentionedExtremist can fall into this too. When the main character does this, and then has to ''fix'' it, it's NiceJobBreakingItHero.
25
26Sometimes the unwitting pawn is deserving of his fate. They may be a CorruptCorporateExecutive, Evil Businessman, or someone else who has achieved great success through questionable means. Sometimes, he owes his success to someone he screwed over. They will often fall victim to blackmail or the reminder of what could happen "if the truth should get out...". Sometimes, the pawn is allowed to remain a figurehead to keep up appearances while his strings are pulled behind the scenes. This often happens to {{Corrupt Politician}}s as well who come to realize that they probably had a lot of help to realize their ambitions and get to the top.
27
28Compare OutGambitted, UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom. Contrast the SpannerInTheWorks, who just as ignorantly harms these schemes.
29
30Tend to be played by TheChessmaster, logically enough. But also the ManipulativeBastard uses them too.
31
32'''Beware: many examples are by nature spoilers!'''
33----
34!!Examples:
35
36[[index]]
37* UnwittingPawn/VideoGames
38[[/index]]
39
40[[foldercontrol]]
41
42[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
43* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', [[spoiler:Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt]] are revealed to have been this all along. [[spoiler:As part of Marley's Warrior program, they were raised to believe the people living within the Walls were [[AlwaysChaoticEvil evil]] and a threat to the safety of the entire world. Grisha's backstory includes the creation of the modern program, with the Marleyan government announcing that King Fritz had sent a message threatening to use the Wall Titans to destroy the world. However, Grisha is later told by [[TheMole Kruger]] that there was no such message, because the ruler of the Walls is controlled by the First King's "Will" and cannot act to even defend their people. Marley is actually after the natural resources underneath the Walled territory and wants to exterminate everyone in their way. To this end, they invented the whole "threat" and manipulated children into doing their dirty work. Even worse, Kruger mentions that once Marley has obtained the Founding Titan, they will likely use it to exterminate '''all''' Eldians, including those serving them. As such, the Warriors were tricked into seeking out the Coordinate not to save their people, but to give Marley the means to carry out a FinalSolution]].
44* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'':
45** [[BigBad Griffith]] presents himself to the Pope of the Holy Church as God's prophesied messiah, inspiring the old man to essentially serve as his biggest hype machine, further easing his manipulative influence throughout Midland... and all the while remaining blissfully unaware of his true, vile nature.
46** A lesser example, but nonetheless one that creates long-lasting consequences, is Skull Knight's attempt to kill Griffith with a mystical attack, only for the latter to redirect said attack into accidentally destroying the gate that separates the physical and astral planes in the Berserk-verse. This allows Griffith to unleash hell on earth.
47* ''Manga/BlackClover'':
48** Rades Spirito, Valtos and Sally were this to Licht [[spoiler:aka Patolli]], who hated them for being humans as well as being backstabbing and traitorous, only keeping them around due to their magical prowess and [[spoiler:promptly sacrifices them once he had everything he needed.]]
49** In a bit of LaserGuidedKarma, [[spoiler:Patolli ''himself'' as well as the entire vengeful Elf Tribe, to resurrect which Patolli killed the Wizard King and his subordinates for, have been pawns to Zagred, the Devil who ''actually'' committed the Elf Massacre, and framed the First Wizard King as well by copying his magic and letting the Elves think the humans betrayed them, all so that Zagred can break Patolli with despair and possess him.]]
50** Literally ''every single character'' is being played by [[spoiler:Lucius Zogratis for him to steal his sibling's magic alongside the king of devils Lucifero's, so he gains god-like powers that allow him to start a holy war that would wipe out humanity and resurrect them as immortal, angelic superhumans, making it so the Kingdom's inequality and social prejudice will no longer exist.]]
51* Played with in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', where MagnificentBastard [[spoiler:Aizen]] is unable to manipulate Ichigo directly, so it is revealed that instead he [[GambitRoulette manipulates]] almost EVERYONE ELSE in the story (including everyone Ichigo has fought, as well as Orihime) since before the story started so [[PinballProtagonist Ichigo]] will do what he wants. He has in fact been keeping an eye on Ichigo since his birth due to being the instigator in his parents' meeting.
52* In ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'', seemingly '''everyone''' is a pawn of Aleister Crowley. A number of them are aware of this (so, not unwitting), but TheHero, Touma, is not. [[spoiler:There are even some hints that Aleister is trying to pull one over on ''Aiwass'', though until [[HiddenAgendaVillain we actually know what his plan is]] it's hard to say.]]
53* In the anime of ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'', nearly everything that the main characters do seem to play right into Aion's hands. [[spoiler:In the end, even though [[DownerEnding almost all of the main cast die]], they only seem to stop him temporarily.]]
54* Poor [[Characters/CodeGeassSuzakuKururugi Suzaku Kururugi]] from ''Anime/CodeGeass''. Being an emotional, impulsive, and naive mix of DeathSeeker and WideEyedIdealist in a series full of {{Chessmaster}}s and {{Manipulative Bastard}}s is ''definitely'' his perdition. On the other hand, his supernaturally effective combat abilities and tendency to run head first into dangerous situations without telling anybody means he's [[SpannerInTheWorks derailed almost as many schemes as he's aided.]]
55** Same for the [[Characters/CodeGeassBlackKnights Order of the Black Knights]], which was first manipulated by Lelouch before [[spoiler: becoming Schneizel's pawns]]. Lelouch actually ''is'' the hero who is trying to save the world. He has a lot of bad luck and some questionable methods, but the Black Knights generally benefited from his actions, manipulation aside. [[spoiler: Schneizel, not so much. He has decent luck, if not good, and his methods are not questionable -- they're definitely not good for the human race as a whole.]]
56* Alice of ''Manga/CodeGeassNightmareOfNunnally'', desperate to save Nunnally, accepts help from Anya and proceeds to Kamine Island. [[spoiler:It turns out that Anya was possessed by Empress Marianne, who needed Nunnally to complete her and Charles' AssimilationPlot. Thankfully, Alice telling Nunnally that she values her as an individual [[SpannerInTheWorks derails]] the plan]].
57* ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool'':
58** Downplayed for Izuru Kamukura. In his introduction in ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', he was supposedly the one responsible for starting The Tragedy (albeit manipulated by Junko) by killing the student council of Hope's Peak Academy. The anime shows the direct leadup to the event and [[spoiler:pretty much confirms that Alter Ego Junko was flat-out lying about Izuru being a willing collaborator]]. He ''did'' [[spoiler:willingly allow Junko to continue her evil plans because she told him the results might be interesting, but he actually just watched the Student Council kill each other, only killing one person in self-defense. Junko manipulated video of that kill to make it ''look'' like he'd massacred everyone in service of her plan. Izuru didn't really know the full extent of her plans, and eventually turns against her when Junko kills [[MoralityPet Chiaki]].]]
59** Kyosuke Munakata from the Future Arc is a straight example, as his extremist anti-despair views mean that he plays right into the Remnants of Despair's hands by going on a rampage murdering the Future Foundation leadership (when most of them were genuinely trying to help the world) and trying to kill [[BigGood Makoto Naegi]] ''because'' he was an AllLovingHero (Munakata thought that he was being too soft) instead of, y'know, ''working with people to get out of the latest killing game''. [[spoiler: It turns out that he was serving the Remnants of Despair more directly than anyone, including himself, thought- his girlfriend Chisa was actually a Remnant of Despair (having been brainwashed into it during the Despair Arc) and she was pushing him into extremism because she knew full well his heavy-handed ideology was going to harm his own cause more than that of Despair.]]
60** In general, unless your name is Izuru Kamakura, if you spoke to Junko or get involved with her at any point, she will play you like a fiddle and you'll have no idea what's actually going on. Look no further to the Reserve Course students who are outright manipulated to burn down Hope's Peak, kill most of the students and commit suicide. The only person who will genuinely and unconditionally do work for her is Monaca Towa and even then [[spoiler:she's still considered another victim rather than the Junko-like beast she tried to become and is intended to be.]]
61* In ''Manga/DeathNote'', ''nearly everybody'' falls victim to this trope at some point, {{Chessmaster}}s included. Misa is the only major character who does not, and that's likely because [[MadLove she makes it clear in their first conversation that she doesn't mind being used by Light]]. She certainly is a pawn, but not an unwitting one.
62** Every member of the Task Force ends up being suckered in by Light at some point, not only buying his innocence, but also [[spoiler: treating him as their actual leader and the new L.]]
63** DoubleSubverted by Rem, who [[spoiler: kills L for Light in order to save Misa from being arrested]]. She figures out ''exactly'' what Light is trying to get her to do, how he's getting her to do it, and what will happen if she goes through with it [[spoiler: (she dies)]]... And she does it anyway.
64** Perhaps the biggest Unwitting Pawn in the series is ''Light himself''. For all of his [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] pretensions, Xanatos-grade scheming, and proclamations of Godhood, he was never anything more than a plaything for Ryuk's personal amusement. The best part is that Ryuk actually spells that out to him -- along with [[HoistByHisOwnPetard what will ultimately happen to him]] -- within minutes of first meeting him [[spoiler:but Light never realizes the full implications until it is too late.]]
65*** Averted, and very much so. Light understands perfectly well what he is to Ryuk, which is why he makes sure to stay interesting in his clever ScheherezadeGambit, [[spoiler: which remains very effective until Light is cornered and captured, and thus no longer able to provide entertainment and apples for Ryuk.]]
66** L falls headfirst into this trope when he [[spoiler: decides to test the thirteen day rule]], which provokes Rem to [[spoiler: kill him]], [[CatchPhrase exactly as Light planned]]. In the manga, his thoughts before [[spoiler: his death]] leave it unambiguous that it wasn't the outcome he considered.
67* ''Manga/FairyTail'': [[spoiler:Jellal]] is victim of this ''twice''. [[spoiler:He spends eight years as Ultear's pawn, and then Brain uses him to awaken Nirvana.]] To a lesser extent [[spoiler:Reitei Lyon and his entire group, everyone working under Jellal in the Tower of Heaven, the first magic council. Basically, if you've spoken to Ultear, assume you're being used.]]
68* Oliver Cromwell, leader of the Reconquista movement and BigBad of the first arc of ''Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero'' is ultimately this for [[spoiler:King Joseph of Gallia, the ultimate BigBad of much of the series. Cromwell's rebellion would not have gotten anywhere without Gallian aid and the only reason why Joseph helped in the first place was so he could use the chaos of the war as a cover to slip his agents into Albion in order to find the Founder's Music Box as part of his plan to gather Brimir's Void relics and harness their power.]]
69* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', [[spoiler:Kimblee masses the Drachman army to attack Amestris from the north, in order to cause enough bloodshed to complete Father's giant Transmutation Circle. All the Drachmans are defeated except for the General, who calls Kimblee out. Kimblee then coolly states that he didn't care which side lost as long as lots of people died. The General is then hit by one last shot from the Amestrians, to add death to insult and injury]].
70** Hohenheim's backstory reveals that [[spoiler:the Emperor of Xerxes also fit this bill. Father lured him into creating a nation-wide transmutation circle, claiming it would grant the Emperor immortality. Instead, Father used it to give immortality to himself and Hohenheim, at the price of the ''entire nation'']].
71*** [[spoiler: Father [[ExactWords wasn't lying]] when he said he would grant the Emperor immortality, he just never said the Emperor would be immortal inside the stone.]]
72** [[spoiler: The upper echelon of Central's military]] were suckered into following the same scheme with similar promises.
73** In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'', the homunculi manipulate alchemists into trying to create the Philosopher's Stone so that their leader Dante can use it for her own immortality. Dante also falsely promises to make the homunculi human if they succeed.
74* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
75** Treize Khushrenada is such a MagnificentBastard he turns essentially the ENTIRE CAST of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' into Unwitting Pawns.
76** ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX'': Carris Nautilus is a talented [[spoiler:artificial]] Newtype pilot, who believes he's protecting the peace of Fort Severn, but really, his leader, [[MadScientist Nomoa Long]] is using him as a pawn in his revenge plot.
77** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'': Everyone -- but especially [[GeneralRipper Patrick Zala]] and [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Muruta Azrael]] -- serve as Unwitting Pawns to series' BigBad [[spoiler: Rau Le Creuset]].
78** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'', Shinn Asuka, and to a lesser extent, the rest of the ''Minerva'''s crew, are the Unwitting Pawns of Chairman Durandal.
79** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamTheWitchFromMercury'': [[TheHero Suletta Mercury]] is being manipulated by her mother Prospera as part of her agenda.
80* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
81** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'': In his EstablishingCharacterMoment, Hol Horse sees Nena as a gullible young woman he can exploit, as he later tells J. Geil that women who are devoted enough to sacrifice their lives for him are "useful". Ironically, Nena herself is using Hol Horse to get close to the Joestar group so she can kill them.
82** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Golden Wind]]'': Diavolo was using The Hitman Team to fight off the heroes, hoping they'd kill each other, rather than kill them all himself. This plan goes rather swimmingly for the most part, but turns out to be a mistake that almost gets him killed by the remaining member, Risotto, if not for a coincidental attack by Narancia on the latter.
83** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'': Jolyne gets used to lure her father, Jotaro, into a trap when she is [[FrameUp framed]] for a hit-and-run, which Pucci uses the opportunity to catch Jotaro off-guard and steal his memories and Stand.
84** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureJoJolion JoJolion]]'': Jobin didn't realize that the Rock Humans were willing to harm his family to get the Locacaca Fruit when he realized Poor Tom lied about Ozon Baby's powers. He survives their attempt to dispose of him and come out of it with the long end of the stick.
85* ''Franchise/KagerouProject'': [[BreakTheCutie Ayano]]. [[spoiler:After finding evidence that her father is under the DemonicPossession of the Wide-Open Eyes Snake and that he will kill her younger siblings and two thirds of her social circle to succeed in creating a new Medusa in our world. Understandably, she falls into despair, and after a long conversation with the snake himself, Ayano decides that the only way is to kill herself, enter the Daze to get possessed by a snake herself, and choose to stay behind -- ensuring the Medusa plan cannot come off. Except, that was what he wanted all along; by having his plan ruined, his host's wish cannot be fulfilled; the Snake has an excuse to reset time, thereby ensuring he will be able to continue existing]].
86* In ''Manga/MaidenRose'', by launching an offensive against a train invading his country without orders Taki ends up playing right into his ally Princess Theodora's hands (she having secretly murdered everyone on the train herself in a coup before he fired on it), and is placed under house arrest despite being the commander holding the front in a war against their mutual enemy.
87* ''Anime/MazingerZ'': [[BigBad Dr. Hell]] was [[DragonWithAnAgenda Archduke Gorgon]]'s unwitting pawn. Gorgon wanted to destroy both Dr. Hell and [[HumongousMecha Mazinger-Z]], so he helped Hell to fight [[TheHero Kouji Kabuto]] and his allies because the constant conflict weakened and wore the heroes down, and as soon as Hell stopped being useful, he abandoned him and let him die (or killed him personally in some versions) while his [[{{Robeast}} War Beasts]] finished Mazinger-Z off.
88* So many in ''Manga/{{Monster}}'' as the series' BigBad, Johan, plays everyone like a fiddle in order to get what he wants. At one point, he has a town of Unwitting Pawns as he moves them to the point where they all start massacring each other.
89* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
90** At the beginning of the series, we have the Sound Genin, used by Orochimaru in the Chunin Exams. Dosu actually realises this, but all three meet a premature demise before he can do anything about it.
91** The Akatsuki as a whole were this to their true leader, Tobi, who manipulated them into believing he was a clueless member of the organization but used them to further achieve his Eye of the Moon Plan. Besides Tobi, the only Akatsuki members who know their true goal are Kisame and Zetsu.
92** Then Sasuke which was the Unwitting Pawn of both [[AloofOlderBrother Itachi]] and [[BigBad Tobi]]. No wonder he developed ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
93*** [[WellIntentionedExtremist Itachi]] ultimately was one for Tobi. [[spoiler:Itachi believed, like almost everyone else who was confronted by him, that Tobi was Madara, and despite his efforts to act in defiance, all of his failsafes to protect Sasuke from Tobi failed and he only succeeded in making Sasuke into a more powerful and hateful pawn for Tobi to manipulate.]]
94*** [[WideEyedIdealist Yahiko]] also became a pawn to Tobi, since his suicide was Nagato's StartOfDarkness and made him join Tobi which in turn allowed Tobi to take Akatsuki under his control.
95*** Also [[KnightTemplar Danzo]], which in spite of all his motives also became this to Tobi. So nearly all his actions played into Tobi's hands: His union with Hanzo in the betrayal of Nagato allowed Tobi to take Akatsuki under his control. Also he manipulated Itachi into slaying his clan which allowed Tobi not only to acquire a large number of Sharingan, but also use Itachi to find a new pawn in the person of Sasuke. And Danzo is the one who reveals to the Kages that Tobi is Madara, [[spoiler:which is exactly what Tobi wants them to believe.]]
96*** Also [[BrokenAce Kakashi]] became one to Tobi [[spoiler:or rather Obito. The entire fight with Kakashi into the Kamui dimension was planned by Obito in order to remove Madara's seal as it prevented him from becoming the Ten Tails Jinchuuriki, and Kakashi did what Obito wanted: Hit him in the heart.]]
97** [[spoiler:Rin and Kakashi (although the latter's part was just a happy coincidence) were pawns in Madara's plan to create a successor by driving Obito to despair.]]
98** [[spoiler:The ''entire world'', but especially Indra, the Uchiha Clan, Madara, and Kabuto were this to [[TheDogWasTheMastermind Black Zetsu]] in his pursuit to revive Kaguya.]]
99* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': What Shinji Ikari appears to be this in whatever it is his, father, Gendo is planning. But there is a rather big twist. [[spoiler:In the end, it turns Shinji was only ever of minor importance to Gendo's plans; Gendo only ever really needed him to pilot Unit-01, truly nothing more and nothing less. In reality, it turns out Shinji's true crucial role that he never knew anything about or never saw coming, was as the lynchpin in his mother, Yui's, plan to derail SEELE's AssimilationPlot in the final minutes of the eleventh hour.]]
100** As part of the backstory, Misato's father, Dr. Katsuragi, was manipulated by [[AncientConspiracy SEELE]] into causing [[ApocalypseHow Second Impact]].
101** ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' has this really bad. Everyone is pawns to Gendo. In the series at least, it's eventually shown that Gendo isn't quite as slick as he thought he was [[spoiler:when Rei and Ritsuko turn on him and Seele sends troops to kill him. In the end ,he doesn't get what he wants, largely because Rei gives control to Shinji instead, who ends up killing him in Instrumentality.]] In ''Rebuild'', [[spoiler:he somehow manages to trick Seele into killing themselves (shutting themselves down thinking it would help the plan), and he manages to con Kaworu, who's an all-knowing Angel himself. Admittedly, Kaworu figures it out at the last minute, but because Shinji had already been sold on the idea that the spears would fix the problem, he didn't listen to him and pulled them anyway. He even allows Misato's team to show up to stop the Impact, because it wasn't time (he just wanted Unit 13 to obtain God mode)]].
102** Another interpretation is that ''everyone'' is a Unwitting Pawn for [[spoiler:[[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Yui]] [[EvilMatriarch Ikari]].]]
103* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
104** Whitebeard was a target for this. The World Government wanted to kill him and his whole crew with a barricade killzone trap and execute Ace, [[spoiler:the son of the Pirate King]] once they are stuck as a warning to all Pirates and cement their power. However, Whitebeard, [[spoiler: while he still dies, manages to re-ignite the Golden Age of Pirates, and most of his crew and allies survive. Also, technically Ace was saved, but still dies anyways.]] However, in the end, he, and technically the WG, is still fooled by the true mastermind and main cause of the war, [[spoiler: Blackbeard]]. His plan was that he knew Whitebeard would risk anything to save a single of his crew, and the WG would do anything to take him down. [[spoiler: While everyone is focusing on Marine HQ, Blackbeard slips into Impel Down, recruits the strongest prisoners of Level Six, which contains some of the worst criminals in the history of the world, sails back, kills Whitebeard, steals Whitebeard's destructive powers for his own means, and then makes a clean escape.]]
105** [[spoiler:Trafalgar Law [[TheChessmaster (of all people)]], thinks he's this to ''[[IdiotHero Luffy]]''. You would think that manipulating the Straw Hats would be a piece of cake thanks to their captain's unassuming nature. Unfortunately for Law, he didn't account for the antics or Luffy's "I do whatever the hell I want" attitude, and it becomes increasingly obvious to him and the audience that he was never in control of the alliance, especially when Luffy admits that his plan to take down Kaido works towards Luffy's goal of taking down ''all'' of the Four Emperors, and that he's ''using'' Law's plan for that goal.]]
106** [[spoiler:Shogun of Wano, Kurozumi Orochi never once thought that Kaido would ever betray him and that the two were equals, ignorant that Kaido hated him and was using him for his own plans (otherwise, a weakling and conniving snake like Orochi would not have become Shogun in the first place). Thus, when Kaido announces his plans to turn Wano into a "New Onigashima", Orochi protests, [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefullness only to be beheaded in the spot.]]]]
107* ''Anime/PeachGirl'': Toji and most of the {{Spear Carrier}}s in the first arc, and Gigoro in the second. Of special note is Gigoro's actions in "The Destruction of Pure Love"; he starts to realize that Sae's account of Momo isn't entirely accurate, so he tries to get Momo's side of the story... by ''chasing her through the warehouse district'', not saying anything less stalker-y than "I need to talk to you."
108* [[BloodKnight Alain]] from ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesXY'' is this to Team Flare, [[spoiler:until his [[GoMadFromTheRevelation breaking]] upon learning the team's true intentions when [[TheHero Ash]] gets captured, during the Team Flare Arc.]]
109* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': Poor [[spoiler:Homura]]. So you wanted to save your friend from certain death using your Faust powered wish? [[spoiler: Well you did technically save her by making it so as long she is not saved, the timeline repeat itself. Unfortunately, you also helped Kyuubey create what is the ultimate power source based on people suffering since Madoka is not only a juicy power source but since with every cycle Homura becomes more cynical, her suffering only gives even more power with each interval. And she can do nothing to get out of the loop.]]
110** Really, [[spoiler:ALL magical girls are this, since Kyubey tricks them into a MagicallyBindingContract [[MortonsFork that will result in either]] thier death or transformation into a [[EldritchAbomination witch]]]].
111** [[spoiler:Homura]] gets this even worse in [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion Rebellion]], wherein [[spoiler: she is turned into an "unborn" witch by Kyubey, then used to trap Madoka and the others inside her barrier.]]
112* Makoto Isshiki in ''Anime/RahXephon''. He takes down Tokyo Jupiter, but all he achieves by doing so is enabling the Mulians to invade the outside world en masse.
113* In ''Literature/RebuildWorld'', Alpha promises to let Akira sell the relic she's after for a huge amount of cash. But it becomes increasingly clear over the course of the story that she has big plans for this relic and gets him to thoughtlessly agree to parts of her contract to give herself more sway over him. Later subverted when Akira points out to someone who tries to turn him against Alpha, a long list of {{Manipulative B|astard}}itch things she's done to him, some of which haven't been pointed out in the narrative before. Akira says that he serves her because IGaveMyWord and IOweYouMyLife.
114* In ''Manga/TheSevenDeadlySins'', the entire Holy Knights order (especially Jericho and Vivian) were being used by [[BigBad Hendrickson]], who himself was being used by [[spoiler:Dreyfus]], in order to awake the Demon Clan, the remaining Ten Commandments, and reignite the holy war.
115* Maka ends up one of these in ''Manga/SoulEater'', when convinced by Medusa that the witch truly cares about her child (a reaction very heavily hinted to be down to her relationship with her father). She is used to defeat Arachne, which in turn gives Medusa's soul a new body to inhabit, while demonstrating to the witch that Maka has sufficient power to be a serious threat to witches. Medusa then tries, but fails, to kill Maka due to the timely appearance of ChekhovsGunman. Needless to say the ManipulativeBastard made another attempt.
116* [[spoiler:''Almost the entire cast'']] to [[BigBad Head]] in ''Anime/StarDriver''.
117* Lavinia Reberth of ''Anime/StrainStrategicArmoredInfantry'' is a {{Fangirl}} of epic proportions, who'd do anything to get some of Sara's attention. Dress up as a PlayboyBunny? Failed. Ambush her in the shower? Got the wrong girl. Steal her most precious possession? Dropped it in a garbage dump, which ended up with Sara's [[LukeIAmYourFather true identity]] revealed to the whole crew, the Libertad kicked out of port before it could complete repairs, and one of their teammates dead. [[ItsAllMyFault Oops.]]
118* In ''Manga/TokyoGhoul[=:Re=]'', it turns out that the ''entire'' [[HunterOfMonsters CCG]] has been this all along. Not only has the [[TheClan Washuu Clan]] been conspiring with a ghoul organization all along, but [[spoiler: they are ''themselves'' secretly a family of ghouls]]. The {{Knight Templar}}s and [[VanHelsingHateCrimes sadistic ghoul-haters]] of the organization have been fighting and dying on the orders of ghouls ''all along''. All to maintain an endless conflict between the two species, and keep these two groups in power.
119* ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'': The entire conflict between the good guys (IGO) and the original bad guys (Gourmet corp) was controlled by [[spoiler:the until-then unknown NEO organization]]. Tons of different characters (including [[spoiler:Midora]], both in his youth and in the present) were manipulated by [[spoiler: Acacia and the Blue Nitro]].
120* ''Anime/TransformersArmada'': Almost every major non-human character takes a turn being one of these, as would be expected when TheMole happens to be a ManipulativeBastard.
121* Who in ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' '''isn't''' playing into [[BigBad Fei Wong Reed's]] plans, again? [[spoiler:Kurogane]] might be the least manipulated of the group, but he's not exactly immune, either. He ''is'' the (positive kind of) pawn of [[Manga/XxxHolic Ichihara Yuuko]], though and thus serves as the counterpart to [[spoiler: [[BrokenBird poor]] [[TheMole Fai]]]].
122* ''Anime/VariableGeo'': This applies equally to the entrants of the VG tournament, regardless whether it's for the grand prize, [[SpiritedCompetitor the desire to compete]], or [[ItsPersonal to settle grudges]] against other participants. In the end, they're all being used as unwitting test subjects, by [[NebulousEvilOrganization The Jahana Group]], who secretly monitor the tournament to determine which of them will [[spoiler: make the ideal host body for [[BigBad Miranda's]] [[TheDisembodied disembodied spirit]]]].
123* ''Franchise/YuGiOh'':
124** ''Anime/YuGiOh'': Zorc manipulated Akhenaden into translating the spells that would create the Millennium Items, the plan being all along that the Items would revive Zorc.
125** Near the end of the first season of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', Sho assumes that [[spoiler:everybody in Duel Academy were the pawns of Kagemaru, the season's BigBad.]]
126** In the second season of ''Anime/YuGiOhZexal'', this is the standard MO of the Barians (especially Gilag); they brainwash one or more duelists, then give them a powerful Spell Card called "Rank-Up Magic -- Barian's Force" which can be used to summon powerful monsters called "Chaos Xyzs", which they also provide. This plan never worked (and in Gilag's case, almost got him killed when it went wrong), and it took a long time for it to sink in that they should try something different. (But in their defense, eventually they did.) [[spoiler: Except Vector who masqueraded as a student named "Rei Shingetsu" and [[BatmanGambit played Yuma like a fiddle. Giving him some card (Number 66 to lure him and several V cards and Rank Up Magic -- Limited Barian's Force to use against him with Vain -- Sneer of Betrayal).]]]]
127[[/folder]]
128
129[[folder:Comic Books]]
130* In Creator/IDWPublishing's ''[[ComicBook/TransformersBeastWars2021 Beast Wars]]'' comics, the Predacon Shokaract believes that he is the mastermind of a plot to elevate himself to godhood. He has no idea that his lieutenants are worshippers of Unicron, the Transformer GodOfEvil, and are manipulating him to bring about their master’s return.
131* ''ComicBook/{{DIE}}'': [[DimensionLord Sol]] and the various writers who became the [[DomainHolder Masters]] were ultimately all pawns of [[spoiler: [[GeniusLoci Die itself]], which reached through time to manipulate them all into [[StableTimeLoop creating the archetypes and game which led to its creation]].]]
132* When ComicBook/DoctorOctopus reformed the Sinister Six in the six-part story [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Return of the Sinister Six"]], he used the other five members this way. He told them that his plan was to launch a satellite armed with a deadly poison, and then blackmail the world into making them its rulers lest they use it. [[spoiler:This was a lie. The "poison" was something used to prevent people from using cocaine, and he planned to blackmail cartels and everyone else who benefitted from the drug trade, gaining incredible influence in the underworld on an international level -- alone.]]
133* In ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' story ''ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar'', the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps turn out to be these after Sinestro reveals that [[spoiler:he (Sinestro) won the war by making the Guardians override their own principles and disable the "no killing" function on the Lantern rings]].
134* ''ComicBook/{{Hound|2014}}'': Queen Maeve doesn't realise that she's being used as a pawn by Morrigan--who masquerades at her court of Connact as her Fomorian advisor, Calatin.
135%% Needs Context * The ''ComicBook/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' comic writer love these. Usually one or more of the main characters, but often the villain.
136* In ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity'', a number of characters unknowingly further The Gentry's invasion.
137** ''Ultra Comics #1'': Ultra Comics itself acts as vector of contagion to The Gentry in different worlds ([[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou including ours]]).
138%%** Darkseid to the Gentry and [[spoiler:the Empty Hand]].
139%%** ''Mastermen #1'': [[spoiler:Freedom Fighters and Overman]].
140* One of the more hated aspects of ''ComicBook/ThePunisherPurgatory'' was the retcon that Frank Costa was really a demon named Olivier put into the body of a stillborn baby and that he orchestrated the events that caused Frank Castle to become the Punisher so Castle could be one of these for him, building an army of those Castle killed.
141* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'':
142** [[IdolSinger Mina Mongoose]] was this to [[EvilSorcerer Ixis Naugus]] -- he used her musical protests against [[HeroWithBadPublicity NICOLE]] as a conduit for his magic, inflaming the public's distrust of NICOLE into [[HatePlague paranoia and hatred]], beginning a series of events that leads to [[spoiler: Naugus being appointed king of New Mobotropolis]].
143** Geoffrey St. John. It was pretty obvious that Naugus was taking advantage of the then recent death of Geoffrey's father Ian St. John to get the poor kid to help him. Any doubts were dropped when Naugus possessed Geoffrey to escape his mutations.
144* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
145** In the ''ComicBook/HelOnEarth'' arc, [[spoiler:H'El seduced ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} and talked her into helping him bring Krypton back, assuring that no Earthmen would suffer]]. She joined him... until [[spoiler:she found out that his plan involved blowing the Sun up and destroying Earth.]] Then she turned on him right away.
146** In ''ComicBook/ElseworldsFinestSupergirlAndBatgirl'', Supergirl and the whole Justice Society were Lex Luthor's pawns, who was using them to increase his power, popularity and fortune.
147** Subverted in ''ComicBook/SupergirlCosmicAdventuresInThe8thGrade'' when Linda needs to leave classroom and pretends she is being abducted by an invisible superhero and she is "just an unwitting pawn in a larger game". Played straight with Belinda Zee, who has no idea that she's Mr. Mxyzptlk's pawn.
148** In ''ComicBook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan'', ComicBook/DoctorOctopus to ComicBook/LexLuthor. Lex tricked Doc Ock into helping him destroy Superman. He pretended it was a partnership between equals, but Ock was kind of Lex's hired muscle, and Lex planned to betray Otto all along.
149** Subverted in ''ComicBook/TheComingOfAtlas''. Sam Lane goads Atlas into fighting Superman to study the Kryptonian's hero's capabilities. However, Atlas makes clear he knows Lane is using him with the intent of destroying him as soon as he has outlived his usefulness, but he is playing along for the time being.
150** ''ComicBook/StrangersAtTheHeartsCore'': Most of villains fought by Kara throughout the story -Shyla Kor-Onn, the Visitors, Klax-Ar, Gravitron Man, Gravity Lord- were all unknowingly telepathically influenced by [[BigBad Lesla-Lar]] into attacking Supergirl.
151** In ''ComicBook/SupermanVsShazam'', Superman and ComicBook/CaptainMarvel are fooled into fighting each other by the BigBad so they cannot interfere with his master plan. It is invoked by old wizard ComicBook/{{Shazam}} when he explains the situation to both heroes.
152--->'''Wizard Shazam:''' Only by engaging in mortal combat could you regain your sanity... For you have been unwitting pawns in a vicious plan!
153** In ''ComicBook/StarfiresRevenge'', the titular villain's soldiers are fooled into thinking they are helping a revolutionary leader change an unfair society for the better, when they are just making a self-serving, power-hungry upstart richer and more powerful.
154** In ''ComicBook/TheHuntForReactron'', Guardian, Perseus Hazard, the squads of Metropolis Science Police... are fooled into believing they are hunting dangerous terrorists by General Sam Lane, who has framed Supergirl, Nightwing and Flamebird and now seeks to destroy them. Hazard only realizes that they are being manipulated, and Lane foisted Reactron on him to not leave loose ends, shortly before Reactron burns him and his squad to ashes.
155** In ''ComicBook/EscapeFromThePhantomZone'', villain Xa-Du convinces young psychic Gayle Marsh that he can fix her mental issues if she goes into the Phantom Zone. Gayle manipulates Supergirl into coming to her, uses her body as a beacon signal to find the Zone, and finds out that Xa-Du's real goal is to use her inborn power to break out of his dimensional prison and cause mayhem in the physical world.
156** In ''ComicBook/ThePlagueOfTheAntibioticMan'', Amalak uses his alien pet Jevik to spread a plague across Central City, and then attack Superman. Jevik is a barely sapient beast who only does what he is told, so he does not know or understand his owner intends him to be killed by Superman in order to break the Man of Steel's spirit.
157** ''ComicBook/TheOtherSideOfDoomsday'': Villain T.O. Morrow uses a staff to control a living planet, and there is no indication that his slave is aware of or willing to harm the heroes.
158** ''ComicBook/TheUnknownLegionnaire'': Villain Norm Eldor tricks the Proteans into protecting him from the Legion and giving him a super-weapon by claiming he is a descendant of the Llorn -another alien race which befriended the Proteans in the long past- who is searching for his ancestors' old technology in order to protect the Protean world from their enemies.
159** ''ComicBook/SupermanAndSpiderMan'': Doctor Doom uses a screeching micro-drone to lead Hulk towards Metropolis and starts tearing the city up. Naturally, Hulk knows nothing about Doom or the drone, and he does not even notice his mad rampage has allowed the Parasite to break out of containment (which is exactly what Doom wanted).
160* ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'':
161** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': The Liberators and their backers are motivated by rejection of the American foreign policies, and intended to "Liberate" the US from what they saw as an evil government. They were manipuled by Loki, who organized all this to screw his brother Thor, member of the Ultimates, just for kicks.
162** ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'': Doctor Doom arranged the events of ''Ultimates 3'' to make Magneto go into an even more radical attempt to cause worldwide destruction. It worked. It worked ''[[GoneHorriblyRight too well]]''.
163* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': Dr. Manhattan and to a lesser degree all the other main characters become suckers for [[spoiler: Ozymandias.]]
164* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': When ComicBook/{{Artemis}} won ComicBook/TheContest and became the new Wonder Woman she was approached by agents of the White Magician as very quickly after she arrived in America, who ensured that her "heroics" were either completely ineffective affairs with paid "actors" as the villains or things which outright helped the White Magician and his extensive black market superweapon deals.
165* ''ComicBook/LaffALympics'': In "The Purple Pig Puzzle," a rich gambler named Lucky Starr won the money that the Laff-A-Lympics event raised for charity. Starr gives the teams the chance to win it back by locating a ceramic purple pig. The teams are given clues as to the pig's whereabouts, but Starr, who has wagered a bundle on the Really Rottens to find it first, hedges his bet by having his minions make sure the Rottens get the clues first. (They do but they're so dense they can't piece the clues together.)
166[[/folder]]
167
168[[folder:Fan Works]]
169!!!{{Crossover}}s
170* ''Fanfic/AvengerGoddess'': Over the course of the flashback/World War II arc, it becomes rapidly apparent (and is eventually outright confirmed in Chapter 23) that for all his delusions of grandeur, the Red Skull is just Ares' puppet in his plans to test and corrupt Diana.
171* ''Fanfic/TheBridge'':
172** The BigBad brings King Sombra BackFromTheDead, and sets him to try and retake control of the Crystal Empire, which somehow furthers the BigBad's own plans. For his part, Sombra doesn't know how he's alive, and doesn't particularly ''care''.
173** Later, [[spoiler:the Windigos use [[AlternateSelf Sci-Twi]] and Wallflower Blush as their pawns to destroy the human world by lying to them about being benevolent spirits trying to save their world from destruction]].
174* ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfAnElderGod'':
175** Megumi Kunzama is a reporter that believes she’s getting the scoop on NERV. In reality, Gendo and Fuyutsuki are using her, leaking harmless or false information to her. And she’s no idea.
176** All Children are [[spoiler:Gendo and Yui's]] unwitting pawns, since [[spoiler:they're using the pilots to fight [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos the Great Old Ones and the Outer Gods]] and steal their powers in order to carry their plans forward]].
177* ''Fanfic/TheEquestrianWindMage'': Season 2 focuses on the heroes waging war with Ganondorf, who's trying to take control of Equestria. However, unknown to any of them (even Ganon himself) until late in the game, he was released in Equestria by the true villains, the [[ReligionOfEvil Church of Majora]], to serve as a diversion from their own plans for Equestria.
178* ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail'': Trip brings up this trope in regards to making sure Goh never finds out about the Infinity Train. Specifically, he points out Goh's tendency to ''fixate'' on things (such as Pokémon, Mew and Ash), expressing the concern that if he becomes obsessed with finding the Train, he'll wind up trying to ''board'' it the way Chloe did.
179* ''Fanfic/LastChildOfKrypton'': Shinji was meant to be Gendo’s unsuspecting puppet, but his inability to synch with an Evangelion prevented this. The remaining characters were the paws of Gendo and SEELE until Kaji blew the lid off their little conspiracy.
180* ''[[Fanfic/JusticeLeagueOfEquestria Mare of Steel]]'': ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} allies with [[GeneralRipper Steel Wing]], supposedly to help him capture and destroy Rainbow Dash/Supermare. However, Brainiac was only using him to study Supermare's strengths and weaknesses for his own purposes, ultimately declaring Steel Wing a liability and [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness throwing him under the bus]] to the Princesses [[spoiler: while wiping his memory of Brainiac]].
181* ''Fanfic/PercyJacksonSpirits'': Vaatu apparently manipulated Sozin into starting the War and wiping out the airbenders to eliminate their spiritual traditions and keep them from performing the rituals that kept the sky cleansed of his influence, Zhao into using Wan Shi Tong's knowledge to help kill Tui and cause the other spirit to withdraw from the human world with his library and the contained knowledge, and maybe even Amon into trying to eliminate bending so that the world would be less able to defend itself against him.
182* ''Fanfic/TheStarsWillAidTheirEscape'': ''The entire cast'' -- from Trixie (whom he himself [[DrivenToMadness drove insane]]) to the Princesses themselves -- end up manipulated by [[BigBad Herald]] as part of his plan to bring about the summoning of the [[SealedEvilInACan Outer Gods]].
183* ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji'':
184** {{Subverted}}. Gendo and SEELE turned everyone into their unwitting pawns… but Shinji and the other Children realized that they were being manipulated, and in turn they used Gendo.
185** It was played straight, too. Unbeknown to Gendo and SEELE, they were the puppets of [[spoiler:the Warhammer 4000 Gods]], who were using them to [[spoiler:create new gods]].
186* ''[[Fanfic/TheGodEmpressOfPonykind The Warmistress of Equestria]]'': The Traitor Legions trick rogue griffon General Blackwing into an alliance, and aiding in setting up a FalseFlagOperation to start a war between Equestria and the griffons in order to further the Traitor Legionnaires' goal of destroying Celestia. Meanwhile, within the Traitor Legionnaires' alliance, [[BigBadWannabe Lord Talon Hoof]] thinks that he's the supreme leader, but is being manipulated by [[TheDragon Scorpan]] as part of his plan to empower and release his [[BigBad master]] [[SealedEvilInACan Tirac]] from the Warp.
187
188!!!''Franchise/DanganRonpa''
189* ''Fanfic/OrDidItEatTheLittleGirl'': During the final trial, [[spoiler:Kokichi]] realizes that while they'd ''thought'' they were defying all expectations, they were actually playing right into [[spoiler:The Director]]'s hands and playing their role to the hilt.
190
191!!!''Franchise/TheDCU''
192* In ''Fanfic/AForceOfFour'', Franchise/WonderWoman's old enemy Badra frees three Kryptonian criminals emprisoned by Franchise/{{Superman}} and strikes up an alliance with them to destroy their enemies and then Earth. The trio believe they are equal partners until it's revealed [[WarGod Mars]] is Badra's real boss and the god was using them to further his goals.
193
194!!!''Franchise/{{Digimon}}''
195* The Digimon Emperor Ken from ''Fanfic/Zero2ARevision'' ends up being manipulated by the [[BigBadEnsemble three independent villains]] to benefit their own plans for world domination.
196** Devimon uses his Black Gears to manipulate Ken into constructing Chimeramon using the components of himself as well as the Digidestined's Digimons in order to use the Chimera to relocate him into the Digital World.
197** Demon manipulates Ken into becoming the Digimon Emperor by preaching a "statement" about order and chaos and gave a Dark Spore to Ken in hopes that the corruption factor will return Demon back to his former strength and amplify his own dark powers.
198** Myotismon manipulates Ken into constructing the Control Spires in order to weaken the barrier between the Digital World and the Digital Limbo in order to regain the rest of his data that is still trapped in the Limbo.
199
200!!!''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}''
201* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': This ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'' fanfiction indicates that Alan Jonah becomes the kind who helps on accident rather than being actively manipulated, by selling biological samples of Ghidorah's tissue from San's old head on to other parties on the Titan DNA market. It's later hinted that Bio-Major (one of Jonah's customers) in particular are unknowingly aiding [[spoiler:Ghidorah's long-term plans]] by using Ghidorah's DNA in new fertility treatments.
202
203!!!''Franchise/HarryPotter''
204* ''Fanfic/TheParselmouthOfGryffindor'': Cornelius Fudge is ridiculously easy to manipulate, be it by Dolores Umbridge, Lucius Malfoy or someone else. He's actually a good guy at heart, but only avoids causing a world catastrophe because Hermione (who has come to control him most usually, and, therefore [[TheManBehindTheMan rule Magical Britain from the shadows]]) keeps a tight leash on him.
205* ''Webcomic/DestinyIntertwined'': Vitreus is informed that he was one of these by his father after Hayze's "[[KangarooCourt trial]]". While he was told to keep an eye on Hayze because his family thought Hayze was dangerous, it turns out afterwards that the Frostspears didn't really care whether Hayze was dangerous or not, and were just looking for an excuse to discredit Lynerius and his clan, something that badly affects Vitreus's trust and confidence in his family.
206
207!!!''Manga/LoveHina''
208* ''Fanfic/EnteringTheLoveHinaWorld'': Naru becomes one for Masako and [=RubyCorp=]. She's so intent on getting revenge on everyone who's "wronged her" by calling her out on her [[ItsAllAboutMe selfish behavior]] that she fails to see that her "allies" are planning to demolish the Hinata Inn in order to make way for their property expansion project. All Masako has to do is claim that she'll have the manager replaced with a woman for Naru to fall hook, line and sinker.
209* ''Fanfic/ForHisOwnSake'':
210** Granny Hina merrily used Keitaro as one, right up until he decided enough was enough and left the Hinata Inn.
211** Mutsumi winds up as one to [[spoiler:Kagura and Chisato]]; while she believes they support her quest to [[ShipperOnDeck get Naru and Keitaro back together]], they have much ''nastier'' designs on the latter.
212
213!!!''Franchise/MarvelUniverse''
214* ''Fanfic/FireDarkMark'': Played straight with every villain recruited by Firebrand... and subverted with Doctor Doom who, when contacted, sees through his words and refuses to become a tool.
215-->"The answer is no."\
216"But, your excellency—"\
217"NO. Doom does not conspire. Doom is not used. Doom uses! This conversation is ended." He stabbed a button on his console that would not only break the contact, but prevent further contact from being made.\
218The gall. The insufferable, common-man gall of the representative. To think that he himself, Doctor Doom, would possibly—could possibly—be induced to participatory activity with a too-large band of costumed inferiors in a disruptory mission of ill-defined intent.
219
220!!!''Franchise/MassEffect''
221* In ''Fanfic/TheCouncilEra'', Krogan Overlord Tikrog Kurvok unknowingly becomes a pawn in his advisor Halak Marr's plot to start the Krogan Rebellions and turn the Krogan into a MasterRace.
222* ''Fanfic/MassEffect2AULanius'': No matter what the ''player'' learns about the true nature of Cerberus and what they're up to, ''Shepard'' never finds out. What's worse, bt the time ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' rolls around, Shepard has [[spoiler:been indoctrinated by the Reapers]] without realizing it.
223* ''Fanfic/MassEffectTheIronHeartOfMan'' makes this one of the favorite tactics of the Asari matriarchs. However, this works against them when they set up a BatmanGambit to manipulate the Quarians in this fashion, only for the Quarians to not do as they expected -- and, in the process, discover and make first contact with humanity.
224
225!!!''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug''
226* ''Fanfic/{{BURN THE WITCH|MiraculousLadybug}}'':
227** [[BitchInSheepsClothing Lila Rossi]] treats all of her 'friends' as such. When Rose/Witch Hunter tearfully declares that she just wanted to be friends, Lila insists that they ''were'' -- because in her mind, friend is just a fancy word for people who can do things for you.
228** When Hawkmoth informs her that [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness her services are no longer required]], he twists the knife by sadistically calling her "''[[IronicEcho Friend]]''," causing her to realize that he played her the exact same way that she's manipulated countless others.
229* ''Webcomic/DadVillainAU'': Emelie sees absolutely nothing wrong with using the Peacock Pin freely, despite how the magical jewelry is clearly broken; after all, she hasn't suffered any ill effects for it! What she doesn't realize is that this is because her husband [[RealityWarpingIsNotAToy made a Wish]] that redirects the magical backlash onto other people -- specifically targeting Ladybug and her loved ones [[EvilIsPetty out of sheer spitefulness]]. He is perfectly happy to let his wife unwittingly hurt others, turning her into a vehicle for his petty revenge.
230* ''Fanfic/TheKarmaOfLies'':
231** Lila [[PlayingTheVictimCard pretends to be this]] after Gabriel is exposed as Hawkmoth, spinning a sob story about how he got her into modeling in order to discreetly pump her for information about her classmates, using her to gauge their emotional states and determine who might be most vulnerable to akumatization. She takes this a step further by pretending that Adrien was in on it, acting unaware of the possibility that her 'beloved boyfriend' could have been involved even while planting the seeds of suspicion in her mother and Officer Roger's minds.
232** Adrien, meanwhile, is a straight example. Lila convinces him that she's remorseful about her past manipulations, getting him to agree to help her out in exchange for coming clean to their classmates. Not only is she setting him up as a scapegoat the whole time, she further exploits his trust by [[spoiler:memorizing the password to the Agrestes' emergency fund account]].
233* ''Fanfic/LeaveForMendeleiev'': Mme. Bustier serves as one for [[AlphaBitch Chloé]] due to being a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter who desperately wants to believe that the resident bully just needs to be surrounded by 'good examples' -- as in students who follow her ExtremeDoormat teachings. Thus, when Chloé claims that she just can't focus as well without Marinette (her favorite ''target'') around, Bustier starts badgering her to consider transferring ''back'' into the same class as her tormentor, or to consider mentoring her.
234* ''Fanfic/TruthAndConsequences'':
235** After making a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with Hawkmoth]], Ladybug manipulates Team Miraculous into helping her try to get her hands on the Black Cat Ring. {{Downplayed|Trope}} to some extent with Alya, Nino and Chloé, as they suspect that ''something's'' amiss, but Luka plays this straight.
236** Hawkmoth also turns [[spoiler:Luka into one when he becomes Mayura]]. Unbeknownst to them, Hawkmoth is able to [[spoiler:see through their eyes, enabling him to figure out the secret identities of most of Paris' heroes by the climax]].
237* ''Fanfic/VillainOfYourOwnStory'': The Alya who became Hawkmoth in the alternate reality serves as one to Adrien. While she thinks Adrien's helping her out as she ''pretends'' to be a supervillain in order to lure other Miraculous Holders out of hiding, he's actually using her to get revenge upon their classmates for how their testimony led to Chloé winding up in juvie.
238* In ''Fanfic/WeightOffYourShoulder'', Alya and most of the GirlPosse grow worried that the new Ladybug might be manipulating Marinette in some way. The truth of the matter is that [[TimeTravelingJerkass Future!Alix]] is the one manipulating all of ''them'', trying to MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight so she can keep abusing the Rabbit Pocketwatch.
239* ''Fanfic/{{What Goes Around Comes Around|MiraculousLadybug}}'':
240** Lila happily accepts Gabriel's suggestion that she invite all of her classmates (minus Marinette) to an exclusive party his company is holding in Versailles, especially since he asks her to pass it off as completely her idea. What she doesn't know is that Gabriel has recently discovered Ladybug's SecretIdentity, and is using her to ensure that Marinette is isolated while he launches his final assault.
241** Thanks to his DelusionsOfParentalLove, Adrien is easily manipulated by his mother into giving her [[spoiler:the Black Cat Ring]].
242** While Nathalie was further in the love than Chloé or Lila, she still wasn't aware of just how far her bosses intended to go. She also didn't know that she [[spoiler:wasn't the ''original'' Nathalie, being a sentimonster created to replace the real one after she learned too much]] -- something the police take considerable pleasure in revealing to her.
243
244!!!''Franchise/MyHeroAcademia''
245* ''Fanfic/ErasedPotential'': Principal Nedzu repeatedly manipulates Toshinori to his own ends; he points him towards Izuku as a potential successor for One For All despite knowing that Izuku is aiming to become a Quirkless Pro Hero, then uses Toshinori to [[InternalReveal reveal to the other students]] that Izuku is a sponsored student. Eventually, this spurs Toshinori to [[spoiler:join in on Aizawa and Hizashi's threat to quit U.A. Aizawa also revolves to get Toshinori in the loop so that he can't be tricked as easily anymore]].
246* ''Fanfic/MastermindRiseOfAnarchy'': Katsuki's destructive search for personal catharsis after the events of ''[[Fanfic/MastermindStrategistForHire Strategist For Hire]]'' plays right into the hands of [[spoiler:Principal Nedzu]]. He becomes the violent [[VigilanteMan vigilante 'King']], taking out his frustrations on petty criminals; unbeknownest to him, [[spoiler:Nedzu is fully aware of his nightly activities, and allows him to continue purely so that he can set Ochako against him, as part of his grander scheme to build Ochako up into the next Symbol of Peace]].
247* ''Fanfic/OneForAllAndEightForTheNinth'' has All for One having placed a tracking device in [[spoiler:Aoyama's belt]] so it will tell him where the U.A. students are, entirely without its owner's knowledge.
248* ''Fanfic/TheScorpionJar'' revolves around Izuku taking advantage of how petty, self-serving and back-biting his bullies at [[SuckySchool Aldera]] are by manipulating them into selling each other out for their own gain. He then submits all the evidence they've gathered of their peers' various misdeeds to the Board of Education, prompting a ''massive'' investigation.
249* ''Fanfic/{{Think Before You Speak|MHA}}'': Aizawa exploits Tensei's BigBrotherInstinct by falsely claiming that Izuku was responsible for Tenya being injured during a training exercise. He does this with the intent of having Tensei spread that MaliciousSlander to the media, destroying the innocent student's reputation by having him ConvictedByPublicOpinion. Tensei is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone aghast]] when he learns the truth, though the backlash hit [[HoistByHisOwnPetard both of them]] rather than Aizawa's intended target.
250* ''Fanfic/WhatItMeansToBeAHero'':
251** After Endeavor suffers an embarrassing defeat at the hands of [[spoiler:Re-Destro]], All For One suggests taking advantage of the situation and turning him into one of their tools. Later on, during the Tokyo Invasion arc, they make their move, [[spoiler:hitting him with a dose of Trigger to unleash the full force of his flames before revealing his darkest secrets to all of Japan. This heavily undermines the public's trust in Heroes]].
252** Nezu muses that this may be the ''real'' reason that Sir Nighteye gave Mirio an internship, and why he's so invested in setting him up as All Might's successor: not for "the greater good" as he claims, but because having the new Symbol of Peace as his apprentice would boost his agency's profile and image.
253
254!!!''Franchise/{{Naruto}}''
255* ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'' does this in a particularly cathartic way to ''Danzo'', of all people. During several arcs, he sabotages and undermines Konoha's efforts to protect the jinchuuriki by leaking intel to the Akatsuki, arrogantly believing that he can exploit the situation by letting the Akatsuki gather all the Tailed Beasts together, then swoop in and seize the lot in Konoha's name. Come Chapter 90, it's revealed that [[spoiler:''Obito Uchiha'' planted that idea in his head using Kotomatsukami years ago, as a way of monitoring Orochimaru while sabotaging Konoha from the inside out]]. To cap it off, [[spoiler:Obito planted a mental trigger to make Danzo completely obedient, using it to retrieve one of Pain's Rinnegan eyes before ordering him to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness commit suicide]] via Reverse Tetragram Sealing once he's done with him]].
256
257!!!''Franchise/NeonGenesisEvangelion''
258* Shinji and Asuka figuring out that they're unwitting pawns is an important subplot in ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust''. When they open up to each other and start talking about their childhoods and their piloting experiences, they figure out that Gendo and SEELE are keeping things from them and realize that they're being used to further some kind of sinister scheme. They even managed to completely ruin Gendo's plan by [[DefusingTheTykeBomb befriending Rei]], before they even realized that he ''had'' a plan. And he's none the wiser.
259* ''Manga/{{Evangelion 303}}'': Although Gendo seems to be less abusive than his canon self, he keeps a secret agenda and he’s using everyone –including his son and his son’s fiancée- to carry it out.
260* In ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionGenocide'', Misato and all pilots are unwitting pawns to Gendo to test a computer program known as the Emerald Tablet and destroy SEELE. When Misato finds out about it, she decides to turn on NERV.
261* ''Fanfic/OnceMoreWithFeeling'' subverted this. NERV's staff is Gendo's unwitting pawns, and the UN is SEELE's one. However, Shinji pretends to be also clueless, although he knows what they're exactly planning, and he warned the Japanese Government via Kaji.
262* ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'':
263** {{Subverted}}. Gendo and SEELE believe that everyone are their pawns… but due to time-travel shenanigans, Shinji and Asuka know exactly what they intend to do [[spoiler:and later they tell Misato]].
264** From a certain point of view, Shinji and Asuka are reluctantly using everybody in NERV as their pawns to avert the end of the world.
265
266!!!''Franchise/{{Persona}}''
267* ''Fanfic/WantedItToBeAGame'': In this RoleSwapAU, Seito manipulates [[spoiler:Kou Ichijou]] into believing that the TV World is actually a safe place, so that they'll put people in there in hopes of protecting them.
268
269!!!''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire''
270* ''Fanfic/RosarioVampireBrightestDarkness Act III'':
271** During the course of the fic, Kuyou attacks Yokai Academy with the intent to get revenge on Tsukune for his previous defeat. It's ultimately revealed that Hokuto personally manipulated Kuyou into doing so by exploiting his hatred of Tsukune, using the resulting chaos as a distraction so he could break into the secured levels of the academy and steal an ArtifactOfDoom for use in his EvilPlan. Hokuto gets what he wanted, and Kuyou is KilledOffForReal by Tsukune.
272** As revealed near the end of the act, Akua and Kahlua aided Kiria in his plan to rewrite history with the Chrono Displacement spell, intending to give their father Issa a top spot in the new world once humanity is subjugated. In the final chapter, it's revealed that Kiria's plan would ensure that ''he'' would be the sole dark lord, and part of said plan would have Akua and Kahlua, and possibly Moka and Kokoa as well, infected with [[PsychoSerum Blackheart]] and then sent back in time to kill Issa and destroy his empire from within, thus ensuring that Kiria would rule unopposed. The two promptly switch sides and spend the next act trying to atone for their mistake.
273
274!!!''Franchise/ASongOfIceAndFire''
275* ''Asshai's Flames'' has Senira, who unknowingly helps her mother's plan, which more or less applies to the ''whole monastery'' too. She realizes this in the end and [[spoiler:kills Selye when Asshai falls, which means her own death as well]].
276
277!!!''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants''
278* ''Fanfic/ADashOfLogic'': Both "Truth or Square" and "Plankton's Regular" show that [[ManipulativeBastard Mr. Krabs]] is allowing his feud with [[DitzyGenius Plankton]] to continue purely for the sake of free marketing. Because having the town's most infamous villains constantly trying to steal the (nonexistent) Krabby Patty formula only further boosts the mystique and fame of Krabs' lucrative burger brand.
279[[/folder]]
280
281[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
282* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'': The gang as a whole are revealed to be this at the end of the second act, when they're arrested for a crime they didn't commit. [[spoiler:Professor Marmalade, who had been in charge of rehabilitating them,]] was really planning a master heist and setting up the Bad Guys to take the fall. Mr. Wolf got the worst of the manipulation, starting with [[spoiler:saving the "old lady" at the museum, which Marmalade gleefully rubs in his face]].
283* ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'': [[spoiler:[[TheEvilPrince Prince Hans]]]] dupes Anna by [[spoiler:faking his romance with her]] so she could unwittingly [[spoiler:hand over Arendelle to him on a silver platter after "[[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident staging a little accident]]" for Elsa.]]
284* ''Franchise/TheLittleMermaid'':
285** In ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'', Ariel was completely unaware that Ursula was using her as a pawn to become the ruler of Atlantica. As quoted by the 2004 Disney Princess storybook:
286-->'''Ursula:''' It's not you I'm after. You're merely the bait to catch your father.
287** In ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea'', Melody becomes an unwitting pawn as part of Morgana's plot to use King Triton's trident to control the seas at her command.
288* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'':
289** Naveen doesn't realize that Facilier and Lawrence were only using him to trick Charlotte into marrying Lawrence (disguised as Naveen) to get all Charlotte's money until the near end of the movie.
290** Lawrence also qualifies. He likely doesn't even know that Facilier's endgame is to sacrifice a good part of the city to his Loa patrons. On top of that it's implied Facilier was not going to hold up his own end of their deal and take all the fortune for himself or at the very least take the majority of the money for himself.
291* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Ming believes the LoveInterest of the character Siu-Jyu in the ''[[ShowWithinAShow Jade Palace Diaries]]'' is an unwitting pawn.
292-->'''Ming:''' She's just using him to get to the throne.
293* Everyone in ''Sugar Rush'' in ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' is an unwitting pawn to King Candy [[spoiler:(in reality Turbo in diguise)]].
294* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'', Judy Hopps was manipulated by the BigBad [[spoiler: Bellwether]] for most of the movie before catching on pre-climax.
295[[/folder]]
296
297[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
298* In ''Film/AM1200'', Sam Larson becomes aware that [[spoiler:he is an unwitting pawn to a cosmic entity lurking within a mysterious radio station]].
299* Michael in ''Film/ArlingtonRoad'' is trying to avoid a terrorist attack. What he doesn't realize is that [[spoiler:he's being played and his actions ultimately lead to the bombing of the FBI Headquarters]].
300* ''Film/AssassinsCreed2016'': Cal Lynch is used by the Templars-backed Abstergo Foundation to find the location of the Eden Apple of Granada by exploring the life of Aguilar in 1491. Sophie makes for an unusual Templar in that she wants Cal to be witting and therefore willing to help them. [[spoiler: He makes up for it by stealing the Apple back from her father, after killing him.]]
301* ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'': Batman ends up this to Lex Luthor, who exploits his jaded and violent vigilantism and the existing fears of Superman to manipulate Bats into trying to kill Supes. And it almost works.
302* Subverted in ''Film/BladeII''. The EvilOverlord's AffablyEvil daughter mocks the eponymous protagonist for agreeing to a meeting with his enemies too easily, but quickly shuts her trap when its revealed he was prepared to kill them all with a LOT of carry-on explosives at the first sign of treachery. Later in the movie, when TheMole reveals himself and gloats at the heroes' gullibility, Blade corrects him by stating that he knew of his duplicity from the beginning, a fact he illustrates in [[YourHeadASplode explosive fashion]].
303* Robert the Bruce becomes this at the end of ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'', when his father uses him to lure the hero William Wallace into a trap.
304* Subverted in ''Film/CollateralDamage''. The protagonist very nearly succeeds in helping the terrorists' EvilPlan come to fruition, but luckily becomes wise to his true situation just in time to foil it.
305* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', most characters involved in [[TheChessmaster the Joker's]] plots played right into his hands when they thought they were about to stop him. Even Batman, who had never faced a criminal like him before, is his pawn through much of the film.
306* ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'':
307** Blofeld kidnaps Willard Whyte and uses his industrial empire to build and launch a Kill Sat. Only one other person in Whyte's organization knows what's going on: the rest are kept ignorant.
308** A rocket scientist helped Blofeld to build the KillSat because he thought Blofeld would use it to help achieve world peace. Of course, this wasn't the case.
309* In ''Film/DieHard'', it's the police and the FBI. They face a major "terrorist" attack with standard procedures, unaware that Hans Gruber knows all about them and his EvilPlan ''depends'' on them operating in that matter so he can manipulate them into helping him open a super secure vault and then cover his escape.
310* In ''Film/{{Equilibrium}}'', John Preston turns over the entire leadership of LaResistance for a chance to see the BigBad face to face and assassinate him. Except [=DuPont=] knew about this plan all along and arrested Preston as well. [=DuPont=] would have succeeded, except he took the time to [[EvilGloating gloat]] before killing Preston, triggering Preston's UnstoppableRage.
311* Christopher Nolan's first film, ''Film/{{Following}}'' has two levels of Unwitting Pawns. A house burglar and a blonde femme fatale sucker a floundering writer into [[spoiler:framing himself for the burglar's murder charge.]] Then we learn that [[spoiler:the burglar is actually working for a gangster who the blonde is blackmailing, and he was setting the writer up for ''her'' murder.]]
312* Frank Pentangeli in ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII''. He's caught in Michael's war with Hyman Roth and is callously played by both sides. Michael encourages him to meet with the Rosatos to ascertain Roth's guilt in an assassination attempt. In turn, the Rosatos try to kill Pentangeli and pin it on Michael. Pentageli survives and informs against Michael to the FBI. [[spoiler:Michael intimidates Pentangeli into recanting his testimony and [[DrivenToSuicide ultimately into committing suicide]].]]
313* ''Film/TheHungerGames'': Katniss Everdeen. Present, lampshaded, and part of the symbolism. A mockingjay is a powerful symbol to the rebels, but it's also a bird that can't sing its own songs, relying on what others sing to it.
314%%* [[spoiler:Justin Hammer, to Vanko]] in ''Film/IronMan2''.
315* Everything that Morpheus does in ''Franchise/TheMatrix'', since The One, The Prophecy, and The Oracle are all further systems of control of the humans by the AI's.
316* ''Franchise/MonsterVerse'':
317** ''Film/KongSkullIsland'': Both the soldiers and the LANDSAT scientists. Only Randa (and, to a lesser extent, Brooks and possibly San) had any idea what they were walking into, and he deliberately withholds that information until all of Packard's helicopters have been swatted out of the sky and most of their crews and the LANDSAT team are dead. The airdropped seismic charges were intended to flush Kong out (which worked out just ''[[GoneHorriblyRight great]]''), and also awoke the Skullcrawlers. Brooks even protests before takeoff that they should warn Packard of what's really going on, only to be brushed off by Randa.
318** ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'': Monarch (Nathan Lind in particular) and by extension Kong are this to [[EvilInc Apex Cybernetics]], as during the joint mission to enter the HollowEarth with Kong, Apex are only using them so the corporation can harvest the HollowEarth[='s=] energy source for themselves and [[spoiler:power up Mechagodzilla]]. Apex in turn, with their sheer hubris, arrogance and stupidity, end up unwittingly [[spoiler:bringing the threat of [[OmnicidalManiac King Ghidorah]] back, reincarnated in Mechagodzilla, due to Apex integrating a power source they had absolutely no understanding of into the Mecha whilst using Ghidorah's still-telepathic skull as the core of the Mecha's '''brain''']], although it's a bit of an AmbiguousSituation whether Apex simply blundered into helping or were being actively manipulated by [[spoiler:Ghidorah]] the entire time (with the novelization providing hints towards both interpretations). Speaking of the novelization, it reveals that Walter Simmons' right hand Ren Serizawa is a DragonWithAnAgenda, who would've been in the perfect position to dispose of Simmons and become a DragonAscendant [[spoiler:if not for Ghidorah possessing Mechagodzilla at that moment]].
319* In ''Film/{{Mortdecai}}'', Charlie spends the first half of the movie as one, unwittingly smuggling the stolen painting to Krampf in his Rolls Royce after Krampf bribes his mechanic, Spinoza, into hiding it there without Charlie's knowledge.
320* Philip in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'', who rushes back to Syrena as soon as he regains consciousness... and thus rewards Blackbeard with Syrena's tear and gets her tied up to die.
321%%* [[spoiler:Vail]] from ''Film/PrimalFear''.
322* The Hovitos in ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' are manipulated by Belloq into believing that Indiana is stealing their fertility idol and that Belloq simply wants to protect it for them. They stop Indiana from escaping with the idol and then attempt to kill him, during which time Belloq makes off with the idol.
323* ''Everyone'' in the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' movies is like this. The entire franchise is one giant incomprehensible GambitRoulette, and all the characters are constantly walking right into Jigsaw's plans. Inverted, however, insofar as Jigsaw genuinely wants the suckers to live; he doesn't expect them to make the wrong choice and die but he wants them to make the right choice and live, therefore he doesn't do {{Evil Plan}}s. His successors and helpers, however, do seem to want everyone to die, and expect them to do dumb things -- which they do. All the time.
324* ''Film/{{Sleepers}}'': Danny Snyder/O'Connor, the official lawyer of Tommy and John, didn't know at first what was going on. From his point of view, King Benny threatens him one day to take on the defense of two of his hitmen in a trial that would usually be a can't-miss case for the prosecutor. He was handed a script with questions for him to ask in court and ordered to play along and put in the effort to be at least a tad competent. As the trial progressed, it's possible he figured out the defending position had help from the inside, but it's never shown nor implied anyone revealed the truth to him.
325%%* Kirk to [[spoiler:Admiral Marcus]] in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness''. He later worries that [[spoiler:he might be this for Khan as well]].
326* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Virtually ''everyone'' in the Prequel trilogy is played like a fiddle by Palpatine.
327** Mace Windu dies in an attempt first to arrest and then just kill Chancellor Palpatine, which is not only unsuccessful, but also provides Palpatine with ammunition for his claims that the Jedi are revolting against the Republic and SHOT FIRST. In a double irony, he also ends up making TheChosenOne, who he himself had doubts about already, switch his allegiance to the man he attempted to "assassinate".
328** In ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', Palpatine asks rhetorically what senator would be brave enough to propose the Republic create an army within earshot of the easily manipulated Jar Jar Binks, currently interim senator of Naboo. Always eager to please, and knowing that Padmé trusts Palpatine, Jar Jar does exactly that.
329** Queen Amidala in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' ends up getting Palpatine into power because Palpatine pretended to be on her side while openly criticizing senator Valorum, causing her to start a vote of no confidence and eventually get Palps elected.
330** The entire Confederacy of Independent Systems are manipulated into declaring independence from the Republic by Dooku, who's working for Palpatine. The goal being to start the Clone Wars and get Palpatine emergency powers.
331%%* [[spoiler: Tom Ludlow]] in ''Film/StreetKings''
332* In a rare example of a villain being this to the hero, [[spoiler:Lex Luthor]] finds himself being played by Supes himself during the climax of ''Film/SupermanII''. Specifically, [[spoiler:he believes he had depowered Supes when he had in fact unwittingly depowered General Zod and his co-conspirators.]]
333* It's strongly implied in ''Film/TheTerminator'' that John Connor deliberately manipulated Kyle Reese into falling in love with his mother by giving him the picture of her. Reese was just allowed to be unaware that his own son was sending him back in time (to his almost certain death) to ensure he could be conceived and grow up to save humanity. [[IDidWhatIHadToDo It must've been a heartbreaking decision for John]].
334* In the original ''Film/TotalRecall1990'', Quade is his own unwitting pawn. He had his own memory wiped as part of his cover to infiltrate LaResistance and identify its leader.
335* ''Film/TouchOfEvil'': Menzies is an honest cop who comes to the disheartening realization that his longtime partner and friend has spent years planting evidence and tricking Menzies into discovering it.
336* In ''Film/TwiceUponATime'', Synonimess Botch tricks our heroes Ralph and Mumford into bringing him the mainspring from the Cosmic Clock, giving him control over time and the chance to cover the land of Din in nightmare bombs as part of his plot to trap the Rushers in waking nightmares.
337* ''Film/VanHelsing'': [[Characters/VanHelsing Dr. Frankenstein]]. He thought Count Dracula was helping him create his Creature because Dracula believed in his work. But once the Monster is brought to life, Dracula reveals he was solely using Victor so he could use the Monster's artificial life to [[spoiler:bring his vampiric children to life]].
338* In ''Film/{{Wanted}}'', [[spoiler:the main character is played, especially through the charms of the hot chick. Who is played herself, along with everyone in the order. At the end, some of her "colleagues" decide going into business for themselves isn't such a bad idea, but she has the... balls to set things right.]]
339* In ''Film/WhiteNoise2005'', once John begins experimenting with EVP (a way of listening to/seeing spirits in the beyond) on his own, he starts receiving messages from his late wife, believing them ways to save people. [[spoiler:They're really trick visions sent by three very, very malicious spirits so that they can follow him and break into the realm of the living through the door he's opened up. And Anna's constant insistence that he 'Go now!'? Those were visions of when he arrived at the final location the messages showed him, where she was trying to warn him to get away and save himself.]] "Exactly as planned" indeed.
340* ''Film/WildThings2'': [[spoiler:Maya King, Julian Haynes, Detective Morrison, Niles Dunlap, and possibly even Brittney's mother]] were all hapless pawns in [[spoiler:Brittney's scheme]] to get rich. [[spoiler:Terence]] initially wasn't a part of the scheme and almost becomes a SpannerInTheWorks when he tries to blackmail them, [[spoiler:but ends up being framed for Maya's murder.]]
341* ''Film/WonderWoman2017'': Ludendorff and Doctor Poison are manipulated into creating their gas weapon by Ares, who wants to use it to extend the war indefinitely.
342* ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'':
343** The look on Wolverine's face when [[spoiler:Blob told him that Stryker was performing experiments on mutants]] and when he [[spoiler:realizes what led him to willingly get his brand spankin' new adamantium skeleton]]... priceless.
344** Emma Silverfox becomes Stryker's hostage -> [[spoiler:Kayla is forced to work for Stryker -> Kayla faked her death as a part of their plan]] -> Wolverine accepted Stryker's offer to coat his bones with adamantium to avenge Kayla's 'death' at the hands of Sabretooth.
345[[/folder]]
346
347[[folder:Literature]]
348* In ''Literature/AmericanGods'' [[spoiler:Wednesday uses Shadow to start a war between the gods so they can conquer the new gods, when in reality, Wednesday and Loki just want the power they'll gain from a field of dead gods]].
349* Creator/IsaacAsimov:
350** ''Literature/TheNakedSun'': Robots cannot be ordered to murder humans, but they can be accessories to murder, simply by ordering them to do highly specific tasks that they can't identify as being directly harmful. This happens with a robot that brings poisoned water to Hans Gruer (although Gruer doesn't die). [[spoiler:And then the robot that handed a poisoned arrow to Bik, and the robot whose arm was used to murder Rikaine Delmarre.]]
351** ''Literature/FoundationSeries'':
352*** "Literature/TheGeneralFoundation": General Bel Riose actually thought he would win and came close, but was inevitably called back to Trantor and executed on grounds of believed disloyalty. The pawn here is Emperor Cleon II, who could've trusted in his subordinate (although historical evidence said that he'd be betrayed sooner or later, and [[TallPoppySyndrome executing overly successful subordinates]] was the only way to survive).
353*** "Literature/TheMule": Ebling Mis begins searching for the Second Foundation in order to warn them before the Mule conquers their planet, too. Unfortunately, [[spoiler:the Mule is present, [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter calling himself Magnifico]].]] Bayta figures it out early enough to stop Ebling from telling the Mule where they are.
354*** ''Literature/FoundationsEdge'': Mayor Branno intentionally sends Trevize out to call attention to himself, hopefully acting as a lightning rod to distract the Second Foundation (which is one reason why she sent Compor to follow him in a less-effective ship).
355*** ''Literature/FoundationAndEarth'': Unaware of potential manipulations by [[spoiler:R. Daneel Olivaw]], the protagonists act as a MacguffinDeliveryService, bringing Fallom to him so that he can survive to see the creation of Galaxia.
356* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': Errand is brought up to be totally innocent so he can sneak into the Rivan throne room to steal the Orb, without knowing what will happen afterwards. It turns out [[spoiler:to be a subversion - Errand, or rather Eriond, is a GodInHumanForm who [[AngelUnaware doesn't know it]], which is why he can touch the Orb unharmed. He's guided by the Light Prophecy, who places him in Zedar's path at exactly the right moment as the start of a ''very'' long game.]]
357* ''Literature/BreakOfDark'': Creator/RobertWestall's ShortStory, "Fred, Alice and Aunty Lou", includes author Peter Wingfield, who plays into the hands of vengeful ghosts; giving them a conduit to the real world and the energy of his dislike for his old school-mate, Roger.
358* The Creator/DaleBrown book ''Act of War'' has many characters play into [[spoiler: National Security Adviser Robert Chamberlain]]'s hands.
359** ''Shadow Command'' sees US President Joseph Gardner playing right into the hands of Russian President Leonid Zevitin. The former's egoistic desperation to control the protagonists leads him to steadily feed information that should have stayed classified. Fortunately for Gardner, he does not end up outliving his usefulness.
360* In Creator/KurtVonnegut's novel ''Literature/CatsCradle'', Angela and Newt Hoenikker are suckered by agents of the American and Russian governments, respectively.
361* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'': In ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'', when the White Witch accidentally stumbles upon Edmund, she subtly goads him into revealing everything about who he is and how he got to Narnia.
362* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfThomasCovenant'' by Stephen Donaldson. Lord Foul is a ChessMaster and ManipulativeBastard extraordinaire, and his plan to destroy the Land involves not just conquering everything, but continually engineering situations where the protagonists become Unwitting Pawns. Thomas Covenant is saddled with the role of Unwitting Pawn for the entire duration of the first and second trilogies, knowing that Lord Foul's plan hinges on the destructive and harmful actions he takes, but helpless to do otherwise because there are no good alternatives.
363%%* In ''The Coffee Trader'' by David Liss, [[spoiler:Miguel Lienzo]] discovers he is the unwitting pawn of [[spoiler: Alonzo Alferonda]] rather than [[spoiler: Geertuid]] all along.
364* ''Literature/CounselorsAndKings'': Subverted in the last book. [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Kiva]] has released her former captor and EvilMentor [[EvilSorcerer Akhlaur]] from his [[SealedEvilInACan imprisonment]] with the intention of manipulating him into destroying TheMagocracy of Halruaa and its King [[BigGood Zalathorm]] for her. Said manipulations across most of the book go off without a hitch. Then Kiva tries to convince Akhlaur to destroy his and Zalathorm's shared SoulJar so they can fight it out evenly -- and he all but laughs in her face. Seems for most of the book, Kiva had been "manipulating" Akhlaur into doing things he wanted to do anyway, but he's not about to put his immortality on the line for ''anything'', even his own revenge and certainly not Kiva's, and he's far too powerful for her to do anything about it; Kiva has to go into a mad scramble to salvage something of her plans that ''doesn't'' end with Akhlaur on the throne, and she fails to do so. This, people, is why EvilIsNotAToy.
365* As [[spoiler:Malacoda]] says to [[spoiler:Shroud]] in ''Literature/DisAcedia'':
366-->A decent puppeteer can manipulate pawns, yes... but a true master pulls strings on string-pullers themselves.
367* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': In ''Literature/{{Thud}}'', the entire quest Vimes undertakes has been engineered by the very politicians whom he thinks he's going to stop, to give them an excuse to make peace with each other, which is what Vimes wanted all along, except that he's been their unwitting pawn...
368--> You can't [[IncorruptiblePurePureness bribe]] Sam Vimes, but why bother when you can just pull the wool over his eyes?
369* ''Literature/DoctrineOfLabyrinths'': Felix thinks he severed his [[MagicallyBindingContract tie]] to Malkar years ago, as he continued to climb the Mirador's political ladder. Turns out that Malkar still has enough of a tie to [[MindRape steal]] Felix's magic for the destruction of the [[MineralMacGuffin Virtu]].
370* In ''Literature/{{Dragonvarld}}'', the Sisterhood of Seth play this role. They think that their efforts are keeping Seth free of dragons, but they're actually only [[spoiler:repelling all dragons except the one they unknowingly serve and whose predations the "attacking" dragons are trying to end]].
371* [[spoiler: Spartacus Kilroy]] in the first ''Literature/ErecRex'' book. He thinks he's just trying to [[spoiler: help the sick King Piter get better.]] He doesn't realize that [[spoiler: the coffee he's giving the king actually contains the poison keeping him ill.]]
372* ''Literature/FloraSegunda'': In ''Flora's Dare'', Flora is sent off by Lord Axacaya to Bilskinir House to recover Georgiana Segunda's Diario so as to determine how to free the Loliga. Little does she suspect [[spoiler:that his primary reason for sending her was to confirm his suspicions that she's the last Hadraada, and thus have her killed]].
373* ''Literature/GoblinsInTheCastle'': Ishmael[[note]][[DoNotCallMePaul Don't call him that!]][[/note]] is eventually revealed to have tricked Igor into betraying the goblins, whom he thought of as friends, by having him be the one to invite them into a trap. This nearly gets Igor killed by the goblins after they're freed, but it's called off after the truth comes out.
374* In ''Hunger'', the second book of the ''Literature/{{Gone}}'' series, the Gaiaphage does this to Caine and Lana. Caine thinks he's messing with the nuclear power plant for revenge and power, and Lana thinks she's actually trying to destroy the Gaiaphage. It may also be doing this to Brittney in book 3. Drake is corrupt enough that he actually works for it willingly.
375* King James in ''Literature/{{Harald}}'', who makes war on [[PosthumousCharacter his father's]] allies on the advice of his EvilChancellor, who is in the pay of the real BigBad.
376* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
377** In the words of [[spoiler: the fake]] Mad-Eye Moody in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire Goblet of Fire]]'', after having tricked Harry into winning the Triwizard Tournament just to lure him into the whereabouts of Voldemort:
378--> Decent people are so easy to manipulate.
379** In the same book, we learn that Ludo Bagman was accused of spying for the Death Eaters during the First War; at his trial, he maintains that he was tricked into it and thought that his intel was going to the good guys. [[spoiler:He was apparently telling the truth, since [[RedHerring his suspicious actions in the present]] are unrelated to any of this]].
380** [[spoiler:Ginny Weasley]] in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'', though she eventually becomes suspicious and [[spoiler:tries unsuccessfully to destroy the diary.]]
381** Harry Potter himself in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'', when Voldemort tricks him into going to the Department of Mysteries by making him believe falsely that Sirius Black was in danger. Especially notable given that he tells Snape (who at this point he believes loyal to Dumbledore) that he'd had the vision of Sirius in danger there, [[IdiotBall and still rushes in to do the Dark Lord's dirty work for him]] (in fact, [[spoiler:Sirius dies ''because'' he goes there to aid Harry and is killed by Bellatrix]]).
382** Ultimately, [[spoiler: almost every major character in the series is revealed to be, to some extent, pawns for either Dumbledore or Voldemort (or ''both''). It's ultimately revealed that their decades-long game of wits to destroy each other is effectively the central keystone of the series. Harry himself is the ultimate piece in the game, being played by both sides at various points. Snape, however, is a willing pawn for Dumbledore]].
383** Horace Slughorn is the main reason [[spoiler:Dumbledore needed to come up with such a complex plan to defeat Voldemort in the first place.]] Voldemort, a student at the time, played up his "eager young star student" act to goad Slughorn into revealing some crucial knowledge of how Horcruxes are made. Horace actually realized later in life that he had been a pawn and that he was thus indirectly responsible for a great deal of harm, and edited his own memories out of shame.
384* ''Literature/AHoleInTheFence'': A benign example. Brigadier Beauras is the chief of the police squad tasked with keep people (usually just nosy teenagers) out of the Forbidden Zone. Nonetheless, Beauras does not know what lies beyond the Zone either, and after several years he is getting sick of watching over who-knows-what only because his superiors said so. One day, Beauras spots main character Grisón trying to (badly) crawl into the Zone, and he is about to drag him out of the shrubbery when he comes to a realization: He cannot run the risk of getting fired by snooping around, but the kid is risking barely anything. So, Beauras allows Grisón to sneak into the area, catches him when he is sneaking out, and lets him go with a scolding and a warning after subtly getting answers out of him.
385* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'':
386** The People's Republic of Haven under the Legislaturalists, who were secretly Mesan alpha lines. The Mesans set up the entire inefficient government, and before the coup effectively controlled the PRH's policies. It's hinted that the majority of the Legislaturalists were unaware of the Alignment's existence, by the way.
387** The entire Solarian League and its navy. The Mesan Alignment has several well placed naval officers in its pocket, up to and including the ''fleet admiral'', allowing them to basically send whoever they want wherever they want. They use this power to set up a war between the League and the Star Empire of Manticore. Standout among their pawns is Admiral Josef Byng. Where every other Solarian officer they used was at least being bribed and/or blackmailed, Byng was just useful as an anti-Manticore bigot. They put him into position and let his personality do the rest.
388%%* Aspen and (to a lesser extent) Snail in ''Literature/TheHostagePrince'' by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple.
389%%* At the end of Suzanne Collins's ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Catching Fire]]'', Katniss learns that she was central to an enormous plot that no one let her in on.
390* ''Literature/InDeath'': William from ''Rapture In Death'' doesn't even know that his wife, Reanna TheSociopath, has manipulated him in more ways than one to help her commit murder.
391* ''Literature/{{Jaws}}'': Three of the four selectmen helping Vaughn put pressure on Brody have no idea about how Vaughn in being driven by criminal connections and think they're just doing a favor for an old friend or protecting local jobs.
392* ''Literature/JoelSuzuki'': In ''Secret of the Songshell'', [[spoiler:Marshall tricks Joel and Felicity into thinking that they need to go on a quest for the Songshell to defeat the evil shaman Fourfoot. In fact, he wants to use the shell to steal all the Aura from Spectraland and return to Earth with godlike powers. Joel and Felicity don't learn the truth until they've helped him take the shell]].
393* In several works by Creator/StephenKing, Randall Flagg, aka the man in black, sets forth plans of conquest almost completely dependent on the efforts of Unwitting Pawns.
394* Amara in ''Literature/KnowledgeOfAngels''- even though the orchestrator of the plot is not the villain, the plan does end up causing the death of a main character, as Amara has technically proven his guilt in rejecting God.
395* In Creator/TadWilliams' ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn'' series, this role is amply filled by King Elias. From the start, EvilSorcerer Pryrates tricks and manipulates him via promises: first, to [[spoiler:communicate with his dead wife]], and later, to [[spoiler:grant him {{Immortality}}]], all while turning him into [[spoiler:a [[DemonicPossession vessel]] for the [[SealedEvilInACan return]] of the BigBad Storm King]].
396** Ironically enough, [[spoiler: Pryrates is an even bigger Sucker. The Storm King manipulated him with the promise that Pryrates would be the "first among men" when The Storm King returned. And he was the first...to die.]]
397** The entire cast of protagonists are suckers, by the classic definition, as the most basic element of the Storm King's EvilPlan is to trick them into [[spoiler:[[MacGuffinDeliveryService bringing him the Three Swords]]]]. It works perfectly.
398* ''Literature/TheMentalState'': [[SociopathicHero Zack]] enlists several of these over the course of the story. His most noteworthy examples are Charlie, who is used to threaten the inmates who have children, and the entire rapist population of the prison, who are tricked into doing hard labour and then have the crap beaten out of them for their efforts.
399* ''Franchise/{{Mistborn}}'': In the [[Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy original trilogy]], [[spoiler: everyone is an Unwitting Pawn for Ruin and its plan for complete... ruin.]] And in true ChessMaster spirit, that's not even the end of it it, since [[spoiler: Preservation made a Unwitting Pawn out of Ruin by making humans in ITS plan for offing Ruin.]] DANG. For the record, "everyone" includes the BigBad ''and'' TheChessmaster. No mind goes [[MindScrew unscrewed]].
400* A heroic case in ''Literature/{{Noob}}''. BigBad Tabris was initially created by scientists from the Empire, but rebelled against them. However, upon his creation, certain objectives were implanted into him. They includes fiding more rosaphir, the limited resource that the Empire needs to fuel its technology instead of the abundant but not completely reliable magic. In the fourth novel, his biggest move had the side effect of doing just that, indicating he's still guided by these objectives to an extent.
401* ''Literature/ThePendragonAdventure'': Poor Mark and Courtney. Every time they try to help out Bobby and his friends, they usually just end up playing into [[BigBad Saint Dane's]] hands.
402* Kronos does this to ''everyone'' in ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians''. Furthermore, especially in the second book of the new series, ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'', many characters, among which the BigBad herself, state that Percy will be Gaia's pawn, and that he'll bring about the destruction of the gods.
403* In the Creator/RobertLudlum novel ''The Prometheus Deception'', Nick Bryson is an operative for the Directorate, a top-secret division of the U.S. government. Five years after his forced retirement, he's tracked down by the FBI director who informs him of the truth: The Directorate was founded by the KGB, Bryson's parents were killed to set him on this path, his foster "uncle" an enemy operative and even his beloved girlfriend was in on it. Every single mission he risked his life for and felt proud of actually was working against U.S. interests and thus his entire life has been one grand lie to be used by the enemy.
404* In ''Literature/{{Rogue}}'', Chad asks Kiara to give him a bike tour of the town and pick up some things for his sick brother along the way. [[spoiler:He's actually using her to buy Sudafed from a bunch of different pharmacies so his parents can make meth.]]
405* In ''Literature/TheSagaOfBilly'', Vetherr, [[GodOfEvil the Betrayer]], god of Creatures and Necessity, [[CreatingLifeIsBad has created every race of monsters]], hoping that one of them will be able to topple mankind's dominion over the world. [[IAmNotAGun If his creations have a mind of their own]], even [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters those that decide to oppose him]] power him through their birth and existence. Similarly, any being who would undertake a difficult but necessary endeavour will inconsciously pray to Vetherr, including those who want nothing but protecting their loved ones from his schemes.
406* In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' and ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin'', Húrin ends up as one after he is released by Morgoth. Driven mad by 28 years of MindRape he ends up unwittingly leading the enemy to the Hidden City of Gondolin, causes a civil war and the ultimate destruction of the last free tribe of Men, and sets events in motion that lead to the fall of the largest kingdom of Elves, all in an attempt to avenge his family's deaths . He only stops when [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Melian]] ''tells'' him that he's not helping anyone, and effectively acting as a tool of Morgoth's malice. [[DrivenToSuicide Then he kills himself]].
407* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', EVERYONE is this to [[spoiler: Petyr Baelish. By various schemes and plots, he deepened the conflict between Stark and Lannister families, which escalated with Ned's execution. This got the North to take arms against the king, which started an entire war for the Seven Kingdoms. That's just in the first book. And he's not even ''nearly'' done. ]] Even [[spoiler:Tywin Lannister, Olenna Tyrell and Roose Bolton]], [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bastards]] through and through, are all just another piece in the game.
408** To Littlefinger, or to Varys. Varys [[spoiler: pushed [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Cersei]] towards paranoia so she would think every competent adviser who dared criticize her bad decisions to be a traitor and plot their demises. All so the Targaryen prince he hid away can reclaim the Iron Throne.]]
409* In Stephen Marley's book ''Literature/SpiritMirror'', Chia Black Dragon tries very hard to dodge [[MagnificentBastard Nyak's]] {{plan}} by [[TakeAThirdOption taking a third option]]. [[spoiler:She fails, and ends up [[SealedEvilInACan releasing Nyak from his can]]. Then in the next book, ''Mortal Mask'', she does it again.]]
410* Harry Harrison's ''Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat''. Jim diGriz discovers that the government of the planet Cittanuvo is building a Warlord class battleship under the pretense that it's just a transport ship. After investigating, he finds out that two elite criminals tricked the government into building the ship with the intent of stealing it and using it for interstellar piracy.
411* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
412** When Grand Admiral Thrawn from ''Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy'' is involved, characters become suckers by being so afraid that they play right into his hands through their caution, the best example being that when they need a certain device from one of two locations, they leak info that they will go to one, therefore showing him they are actually going to the other. Some characters in the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology are wary of doing ''anything'' lest they be doing what he wants.
413** The Rebel [[spoiler:clones]] in ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear''. They're friendly enough, if kind of vacant, and tell our heroes to stay around, their leader is out right now but he'll be back soon and they should meet him. Turns out their leader is [[spoiler: a Darth Vader Clone]]. But they have no idea that he should be their enemy--he's the one who gathered [[spoiler: the skin and hair samples they were created from, and they have no memories about what being a Rebel means or what the Empire is.]]
414** In ''Literature/DarkLordTheRiseOfDarthVader'', rather than capture the fugitive Jedi quietly, Moff Tarkin allows them to slip past an Imperial checkpoint in their disguised stolen shuttle, so that when they land on Kashyyyk he can accuse the Wookiees of harboring fugitives as a pretext to invade the planet and round up thousands of Wookiee captives -- perfect slaves for his Death Star project.
415** The ''Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy'' reveals that the lead scientist responsible for designing the [[EarthShatteringKaboom Death Star]] and [[StarKilling Sun Crusher]] has no idea that they were used to destroy inhabited planets and star systems, believing them to be intended for large-scale mining projects. {{Justified|Trope}} in that she was brutally conditioned as a child to take a ForScience view of her work and not think beyond it.
416* ''Literature/TheThreeWorldsCycle'': In the final book, Ian Irvine attempts to stop the main villain from using the most powerful magic in the world to take over said world by [[spoiler:destroying the power sources of all magic, thus preventing anybody from using it]]. Except it turns out that [[spoiler:the magic the MagnificentBastard was using was the only one powered by something else]], and what she had actually done was [[spoiler:destroyed any and every chance the heroes had of stopping him]]. Whoops.
417* ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'': Jean de Vrailly is trying to save the kingdom of Alba under the advice of his guardian angel. Predictably, the angel is not what it says it is, and it's playing de Vrailly like a fiddle for its own purposes.
418* ''Literature/TowerOfSomnus'': Anna Donnst didn't realize until the literal last minute that [[spoiler:she was just her mother's patsy. The whole time, when she thought her mother was "trusting her to get the job done," was just Belle distancing herself from a scapegoat]].
419%%* ''Literature/TrappedOnDraconica'': All of Team Evil is this for [[spoiler: Kazebar.]]
420* ''VideoGame/ViewFromBelow'': Iris believes [[spoiler:sending mortals to the Below is the only way to defeat the Crimson God, as per Peter's instructions. She doesn't realize that Peter is actually working for the Crimson God and that he witheld important information about how to actually weaken the mad deity. This means every mortal who fights the Crimson God is doomed to fail and die as yet another sacrifice to revive him]].
421* Under the advice of his dead wife's spirit and BigGood Kil'jaeden, the old orc shaman Ner'zhul in the ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'' novel ''Literature/RiseOfTheHorde'' [[TheAlliance convinces his people to put away their differences]] and [[TrainingThePeacefulVillagers prepare to defend themselves]] against the Draenei. Except his wife's ghost was an illusion, Kil'jaeden is TheDevil and this book is the StartOfDarkness of the orcs that explains how they became the AlwaysChaoticEvil [[TheHorde horde]] of the first two games. Oops.
422* Most of the Blood Angels in Creator/JamesSwallow's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} novels ''[[Literature/BloodAngels Deus Encarmine]]'' and ''[[Literature/BloodAngels Deus Sanguinius]]''. Sachiel in particular; [[spoiler: Inquisitor Stele]] thinks how easy he is to manipulate, and when he realizes at last the corruption, [[spoiler: Stele]] kills him, declares the loyal Blood Angels did it, and starts a battle.
423* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' novel ''The Forgotten Warrior'', [[MagnificentBastard Sol]] shows up in [=ThunderClan=] for a visit and [[BigGood Firestar]] decides to let him stay for a bit, despite his evil acts. Later, when [[TheBigGuy Lionblaze]] is on patrol, Onestar, leader of [=WindClan=] shows up and tells the [=ThunderClan=] cats to drive out Sol, which they had already been planning to do. However, since Onestar told them to do it, doing so would make [=ThunderClan=] look subserviant to [=WindClan=] and weaken it, so they are forced to ally with Sol against Onestar rather than driving Sol out.
424* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': The entire point of Elaida is to further the plans of the Forsaken by either doing what a servant says or just [[IdiotBall being an idiot]].
425[[/folder]]
426
427[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
428* In ''Series/TwentyFour'', '''everyone''' takes turns being the Unwitting Pawn, up to and including Jack Bauer. Somehow even the BigBad will end up a sucker either in his own scheme or be OutGambitted by the good guys. It's not a good idea to play Jack Bauer for a sucker though, 'cause that will only [[BerserkButton make him mad]].
429* The ''entire cast'' of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' in Season 4. [[spoiler:They spend a whole whack of time chasing down Jasmine, hoping to free the world from her version of lovey-dovey mind-control. At the end, their victory is entirely spoiled when evil law firm Wolfram and Hart contact them saying how happy they are that they've averted instant world peace.]] Nearly everything they had done in the past seasons had led to [[spoiler: Jasmine]]'s rise to power to begin with. Ironically, in the next season, the entire Wolfram and Hart becomes a sucker when Angel fools its higher-ups into thinking he is corrupted. And for giving him the means to do it, as a reward.
430** In Season 5, Gunn is manipulated by a W&H employee into signing off on allowing a sarcophagus to be delivered to the office, which allows on of [[EldritchAbomination Illyria]]'s worshippers to resurrect her [[spoiler: in Fred's body.]]
431* Bradford in Season 2 of ''Series/TheApprentice'' did the same, waiving his exemption, and was immediately fired SOLELY because he was an idiot. This is a rare example of someone becoming the victim of their ''own'' BatmanGambit. Bradford wanted to get rid of the terribly ineffective team leader, Ivana, but knew that he wouldn't be brought back into the boardroom since he had immunity; therefore he surrendered it so that she'd bring him back. Unfortunately, he didn't consider what the other possible outcome of that decision might be...
432* ''Series/{{Arrow}}'': As Season 6 carries on, it becomes clear that the apparent new BigBad, Cayden James, only went on his RoaringRampageOfRevenge against Team Arrow because someone else manipulated him into it by framing Oliver for killing James' son. Halfway through the season, this turns out to have been [[spoiler: James' own supposed underling, Ricardo Diaz]], who used James' rampage as a cover for eliminating key officials in Star City so that they can be replaced with bought off patsies, giving [[spoiler: Diaz]] control of the city. [[spoiler: [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Diaz kills James when he's no longer needed.]]]]
433* In ''Series/BabylonFive'', this is how Ambassador Londo Mollari gets revenge on [[spoiler:Lord Refa, his erstwhile ally]], for his deadly political maneuverings. Londo makes it appear as though he is laying a trap for G'Kar to leave sanctuary at Babylon 5 so he can arrest him and thus gain political favor, and makes sure that the information is leaked, knowing that [[spoiler:Lord Refa]] will try to undermine the plot by reaching G'Kar first so he can imprison and kill both G'Kar and Londo. However, the real trap is different: G'Kar was in on it the whole time and the guards were loyal to House Mollari, meaning that this Unwitting Pawn just walked into his own death trap, via NoHoldsBarredBeatdown from a group of angry Narns [[SoundtrackDissonance while a lively gospel song plays]].
434** Unfortunately, Londo's attaché and friend Vir is also something of an Unwitting Pawn during the scheme; even though he wasn't a victim, he had to believe the fake version of the plot because there were {{telepath}}s involved, and the information had to appear genuine. He wasn't happy to be made a fool of.
435* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
436** Pearl and Nash were pawns of Twilight. And they were none too happy when they found out.
437** Roden in Twilight's real grand scheme.
438** Genevieve to both Twilight and Roden.
439* In the fourth season finale of ''Series/{{Chuck}}'', [[spoiler: it's revealed that every major plot point that has happened since the pilot has been part of a bigger scheme, with Chuck and possibly everyone involved with those major plot points as the unwitting pawns. Whose pawns, exactly, and in what game, has yet to be revealed.]]
440* ''Series/DoctorWho'': Companions have unwittingly aided the villains before. In fact, the revived series sees the Doctor himself doing it. Examples of this include:
441** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E6Dalek "Dalek"]]: Henry van Statten and Rose Tyler are this to the Dalek, the latter more directly because neither of them has any way of knowing just what it is, and how dangerous. Van Statten's SmugSnake nature doesn't help either.
442** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E7TheLongGame "The Long Game"]], in which the Ninth Doctor leaves Satellite Five after defeating the MonsterOfTheWeek, without bothering to help guide humanity back onto a "proper" path. By the time he returns 100 years later in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E12BadWolf "Bad Wolf"]], things have actually gotten worse, since he was playing into the hands [[spoiler:or, more accurately, plungers]] of TheManBehindTheMan.
443** [[Recap/DoctorWho2005CSTheChristmasInvasion "The Christmas Invasion"]], in which the Tenth Doctor manages to cause the downfall of Harriet Jones by whispering "six little words" in her assistant's ear. It was stated during the Ninth Doctor's reign that she would be the "architect of Britain's Golden Age", but the power vacuum left in her wake seemingly allowed [[spoiler:the Master]] to gain power and eventually become Prime Minister. This indicates that the 10th Doctor ''did'' change history in "The Christmas Invasion", and worse, he changed a timeline he had previously talked about in glowing colors. There was supposedly a deleted scene explaining the entire concept. Creator/RussellTDavies, the writer of the episodes and then-{{showrunner}}, mentioned this in his ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' column as an idea he'd had, and that as far as he was concerned it was the case -- '''but''' also said he had never scripted it, let alone shot it.
444*** This was somewhat alluded to in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums "The Sound of Drums"]], where Vivien Rook tells Lucy Saxon that her husband first became "real" (and subsequently launched the Archangel network) around the time of Harriet Jones' fall. How much of it can be attributed to the actions of either [[spoiler:the Master]] or Tenth Doctor, however, is unknown. He does seem to blame himself for the Master's return by [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime "The End of Time"]], as when Wilfred Mott tries to console the Doctor by saying it wasn't his fault, he sadly replied, "Isn't it?"
445** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E12TheStolenEarth "The Stolen Earth"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd "Journey's End"]]: It turns out that ''everyone'' has been manipulated by [[spoiler:Dalek Caan, who, having become a MadOracle after being exposed to the Time Vortex, seemed to lack the ability to pull this off. This especially extends to the Supreme Dalek and Davros, who, while having different opinions of the usefulness of Caan's information, don't realize that he intends to destroy the Daleks until it is too late to stop him.]]
446** The Daleks are admittedly pretty good at suckering the Doctor. In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E3VictoryOfTheDaleks "Victory of the Daleks"]], the Daleks use the Doctor's hatred of the Daleks and love of Earth to not only create ''five'' retro-style Daleks (a net gain of two), but also [[spoiler:for once, survive the events of the episode]].
447** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens "The Pandorica Opens"]], the Doctor goes to the Pandorica when it opens to see what's inside... [[spoiler:only to realise he's been suckered by every alien in existence and it is in fact him that's meant to go inside the Pandorica in order to stop the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt TARDIS exploding]]. Needless to say, it does anyway.]] "[[PersonOfMassDestruction The most dangerous warrior in the world]]" indeed.
448** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E4TheDoctorsWife "The Doctor's Wife"]], it is revealed that the Doctor has been being manipulated for a very long time by [[spoiler:the TARDIS, who was waiting for a Time Lord crazy enough to try and steal her so she could see the universe. The Doctor protested that he chose her because someone had left the door unlocked. The TARDIS, briefly able to speak, replied that of course "someone" had.]]
449* ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'': Paul Ballard gets suckered into [[spoiler: finding a way into the Dollhouse to rescue Caroline, thereby distracting all the security measures, while Alpha puts his actual plan into play and cheerfully sacrifices Ballard to [=DeWitt=]'s not-so-tender mercies.]]
450** And at the end of Season 2, it's revealed that [[spoiler:Boyd Langton]] is secretly the head of Rossum and has been manipulating ''everyone'' at the Dollhouse all along.
451* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
452** [[Characters/GameOfThronesHouseStark House Stark's]] entire conflict with the Lannisters was instigated by Littlefinger, who used the values of both houses to move them against each other (The Starks' HonorBeforeReason and the Lannister's MightMakesRight ethos, though the Lannisters comprise of schemers and chessmasters). This war cost the Lannisters a lot of money and thus made them inherit a debt-ridden Kingdom, and then turn on each other when their PuppetKing dies and Tyrion is accused by his own sister with his father's acquiescence.
453** Catelyn Stark was a victim of Littlefinger's, which hit her hard, as her impulsive reactions to an assassination attempt against Bran with a dagger that belonged to Tyrion and her credulity to an engineered letter sent by Lysa Arryn are two of the major reasons why her house sparks the war with the Lannisters.
454** At various points, [[Characters/GameOfThronesSansaStark Sansa Stark]] is this to the Lannisters, the Tyrells, and Littlefinger across Season 3, where without her knowledge, leave alone consent, she is traded as a match, ultimately becoming Tyrion's wife. This is merely the pretext, it turns out that Littlefinger allied himself to the Tyrells and arranged for Joffrey's assassination. Sansa, through a Littlefinger stooge, Ser Dontos, carries a necklace which contains poison and as Tyrion's wife is close enough to be seated on the wedding dais that Olenna could reach her, collect the poison and pass it to Joffrey's cup at the opportune moment. She is "rescued" by Ser Dontos and Littlefinger from the wrath of Cersei, who has put a large bounty on her head.
455** The Three-Eyed Raven was aware of what created Hodor and brought Bran to the past Winterfell apparently to witness the child Ned departing to the Eyrie, but in reality brought him to cause Wylis' mind-loop into Hodor, which happened immediately after Ned left. Though this has cruel overtones, had it not happened, Hodor would not have brought Bran to North of the Wall in the first place safely, nor he would have ultimately saved his life, for the moment foiling the White Walkers. Had it not been for this point, it would have been an entirely SenselessSacrifice.
456** The Master Torturer clearly had no idea what kind of game Ramsay was playing, or what role he gave him.
457** For all his intelligence, experience and ruthlessness, [[Characters/GameOfThronesTywinLannister Tywin Lannister]] falls prey to the same mistake Ned Stark did; he trusted ''Littlefinger'' and raised him to a position of supremacy in the Riverlands and allowed him to marry the widowed lady of the Vale, making him arguably the second most powerful man in Westeros besides Tywin himself. In return, Littlefinger killed Joffrey with the Tyrells, in part because Tywin got Catelyn killed and partially because it would plunge the Seven Kingdoms into yet more chaos, which was a goal he stated aloud to Tywin and kidnapped Sansa Stark from Kings' Landing, giving Littlefinger an avenue for control of yet another of the Seven Kingdoms... and Tyrion discovers that his predecessor's supposed "magic" at financing the Iron Throne was really ''heavy'' borrowing from the Iron Bank of Braavos, an entity which even Tywin doesn't dare cross.
458** [[Characters/GameOfThronesCerseiLannister Cersei Lannister]]. After transforming the Sparrows into the Faith Militant and giving them free riegn to imprison any ''deviants'' towards the Gods, which ends up getting both Loras and Margaery captured, Cersei confidently assumes that she is controlling them like puppets. It never occurs to her until it's too late that the now all-powerful fundamentalist organization would imprison her for her own deviant lifestyle once they no longer needed her.
459* In ''Series/{{Glee}}'', Sue gets Brittany to give her the set list for New Directions, but Brittany has no clue about what she's going to do with it.
460%%* Much like ''24'', almost everyone in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' has taken a turn as an Unwitting Pawn.
461* ''Series/HouseOfAnubis'' has Eddie and KT. They were manipulated by the villain into believing that the Staff of Osiris would stop Ammit from being unleashed. They only learned too late that it did the opposite. Eddie's vision didn't help...
462* In ''Series/HouseOfCardsUK'', [[AntiHero Francis Urquhart]] uses as many people as he can for his own [[CorruptPolitician political gain]] -- be it [[IntrepidReporter reporters,]] [[FalseFriend colleagues]] or even [[TreacherousAdvisor the prime]] [[TheUsurper minister.]] He makes sure to have as many people in his pocket as possible so that they [[TheChessmaster can be made useful when needed.]] If anyone goes against him or can be of benefit when their public image is ruined -- [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness he will destroy them.]] [[spoiler: Murder is not out of the question.]]
463** This applies for ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'', the [[ForeignRemake American version]],[[note]] Or second adaptation of the books, if you prefer [[/note]] as well.
464* ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'': At the end of the series, EvilOverlord Rio goes down with a [[HeroicBSOD Villainous BSOD]] when he finds out that [[spoiler:his entire life has been masterminded by ManipulativeBastard Long]].
465* ''Franchise/KamenRider'':
466** Averted in Series/KamenRiderOOO, if it was played straight, Eiji would have just been used by Ankh as a means of farming Cell Medals. IF it was played straight that is... Instead, Ankh explains why he needs him, which [[NiceJobFixingItVillain was not a good move on his part]], as it leads to Eiji refusing to transform when Ankh needed him to in episode two, and in the next episode, the tables turn and Ankh is forced to do what Eiji says or else he will throw away his TransformationTrinket.
467** And in ''Series/KamenRiderWizard'', it gets played [[ExaggeratedTrope straighter than straight]]. [[spoiler:Yes, it's another instance of EvilMentor having a massive hand in this trope, though what sets said mentor apart from the others was that he's not only the BigBad, he was setting up not just Haruto himself, but the ''entire Phantom race''. See, his plan involves using Wizards to power a ritual, but in order for Wizards to be created, they need to hit their DespairEventHorizon, but come back before they fully cross it. He already had one Wizard in the form of Haruto, but he needed to get other Wizards. This is where the Phantoms come in, as they are able to get these people to cross the horizon with the intended goal to make even more Phantoms. Needless to say, once his commanders find out about this, their reactions ranged from [[ThisCannotBe being unable to comprehend the idea of being used]] to [[TheStarscream downright plotting against him]]]].
468** In ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'', Mitsuzane discovered this out the hard way when the villains he had been "manipulating" for his own plans are actually the ones manipulating him all along. [[spoiler:This was further [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Ryoma Sengoku/Kamen Rider Duke after he dissects the Golden Fruit from Mai, then came along the NoHoldsBarredBeatdown being dished out on Micchy.]]
469--->'''Ryoma:''' Hey, Kureshima rich boy! Didn't Takatora teach you? Why you shouldn't be [[SpoiledBrat a naughty boy?]] ''(grabs him and pushes Micchy against the wall while strangling him)'' [[ConsummateLiar Liars]]... [[DirtyCoward cowards]]... [[TooCleverByHalf It's because naughty boys fall prey to actually evil adults!]]
470** ''Everyone'' in ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'' to [[spoiler: Evolto.]] [[spoiler: He needs to purify and gather the 60 [[TransformationTrinket Fullbottles]], repair his Evol Driver, and get Ryuga to Hazard Level 5 so that his body becomes a suitable vessel for him in order to accomplish his plan of destroying the world. Thus, for ten years he sets up Japan's three divided states, with the help of Nanba Heavy Industries, to go to war with each other, so that they'll purify the Fullbottles for him as part of their military research, as well as gather them all together for him. When one of the researchers figures out too much, he has his memory wiped and starts directing his amnesiac identity, [[TheHero Sento]], to become a superhero, so that he'll still continue purifying Fullbottles. He also sends Banjou his way, allowing the two to bond together, thus giving Ryuga a motivation to raise his Hazard Level. Even when Sento figures out he's being manipulated, Evolto exploits the heroes' heroic tendencies so that they keep doing things that further his plans. By Episode 35, he's succeeded in accomplishing ''all'' of his above-stated goals and is just short of "destroy the world" on his to-do list.]]
471*** In an unexpected turn of events, [[spoiler: Sento manages to completely [[InvertedTrope invert this]] by taking all of the energy Evolto had managed to gather after doing all of the above and using that power to [[MergedReality combine two Earths]] that'll create a completely new world where neither the divided states ''nor'' Evolto himself exists at all.]]
472* The "rich and powerful" marks Nate Ford mentions during the opening credits for ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' are usually these. At some point along the way, their Mooks will often fall to this trope or Elliot, whichever one hits first.
473** The team usually ends up making their targets into unwitting pawns, but they themselves end up as the Suckers (briefly) in "The Ho-Ho-Ho Job." They quickly caught on to the fact that a hacker has set up a scam at a local mall that will net the credit card numbers of nearly everyone who makes a purchase, and realize the only way to stop it is to cut the trunk line. They do so... only said trunk line also enables the security measures as the local branch of the Treasury, which was the hacker's ''real'' target.
474* In ''Series/{{Lexx}}'', captain Stanley Tweedle's backstory, in which he was supposed to deliver what amounted to blueprints for the emperor's superweapon to the rebel forces, and instead ended up providing the emperor with the codes to deactivate the rebel's planetary defenses. [[spoiler:The rest of humanity in the Light Universe were pawns as well, to the point that they willingly fed themselves to the BigBad when he demanded it.]]
475* ''Series/{{Lost}}''
476** Poor John Locke is now the '''king''' of this trope. [[spoiler: In the course of the last seasons he has been a pawn used by a supernatural being who apparently planned Locke's whole ordeal, his reputation as someone "special" and then his final sacrifice so that he could take John's form and ultimately kill his own enemy, Jacob.]] The sheer number of episodes in which this GambitRoulette at his expense has unfolded makes him something of an Unwitting Pawn Marathon Man. Also, [[spoiler: Ben manipulated him into blowing up the submarine.]]
477** He also kept juggling [[IdiotBall Idiot Balls]], [[VillainBall Villain Balls]] and [[ConflictBall Conflict Balls]] all throughout the series, while every single flashback has portrayed him as a gullible loser. It's a testament to Terry O'Quinn's acting that, in spite of that, he has consistently been one of the most interesting, popular and badass characters of the show.
478** For a devilish ManipulativeBastard and a supposedly wise ageless man, Ben and Richard too came across as total dupes; Locke, Ben and Richard, Film/TheThreeStooges?
479* In the ''Series/{{Merlin 1998}}'' series, multiple characters (Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere) end up as Mab's suckers at one point or another.
480* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'': In 6.21, "Toxic", Abby builds a biological weapon without knowing what it is.
481* ''Series/Next2020'':
482** Next buys [[spoiler:Ted's]] cooperation using various new technologies and blackmail material, [[spoiler:but ultimately was only using him to get itself captured by the NSA and taken to a server farm compatible with its software]].
483** [[spoiler:After the bombing at the task force headquarters, Ben reaches out to his dad, who happens to be the Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, for advice. Unfortunately for him, his dad's advice is geared towards acquiring Next for the government, rather than destroying it, and thus Ben ends up at cross purposes with the rest of the team.]]
484* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]] was completely manipulated by [[ManipulativeBastard Regina/The Evil Queen]] into trying to depower Rumplestiltskin with TrueLovesKiss. Rumplestiltskin [[VillainousBreakdown flips]] when he realizes that she can take away his powers, assumes that Belle is working for Regina, and tells her to leave. Poor Belle honestly wasn't working for Regina, but the Queen wins either way -- either Rumple is depowered, or she can abduct Belle and use her as a trump card against Rumple at a later date. (She instead [[BlatantLies tells Rumple]] that Belle [[DrivenToSuicide is dead]] ''and'' abducts her, so she not only has a trump card but has one that Rumple would never expect.)
485* ''Series/OrphanBlack'': DYAD is good for setting these up. One of the biggest ones is [[spoiler: their former [[TheMole mole]], Delphine]], who Rachel manipulates into unknowingly helping with the abduction of [[spoiler: Kira]].
486* In the last episode of Season 3 in ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' [[spoiler:it is revealed that the entire group of Vigilance was this for Decima. Decima created the group solely so Vigilance would out Northern Lights to remove the competition for their Samaritan project, then Decima framed Vigilance for a terrorist bombing to get the US Government to hand over the feeds to make Samaritan operational. After that, Decima then uses this to wipe out Vigilance when they have [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived their usefulness]]]].
487%% * ''Series/TheShield:'' Ronnie and Olivia...
488%%* Any given ''Franchise/StarTrek'' crew will become this at one point or another
489* Though she was fairly bad to begin with, Kai Winn in the final episode of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' certainly seems to fulfill this role to Gul Dukat's {{Chessmaster}}.
490* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''
491** Both Sam and Dean Winchester have played right into the villains' hands, [[spoiler:making the [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt apocalypse]] possible.]] [[DrivenToSuicide Grief]]-[[HeroicBSOD stricken]] Dean's DealWithTheDevil leads to him [[spoiler:going to hell where he finally gives in to the offer to torture others to spare himself, breaking the first seal holding back [[SealedEvilInACan Lucifer]]]]. Similarly screwed in the head, Sam [[spoiler:is seduced to the TheDarkSide by [[TheMole Ruby]] just enough to get him to kill Lilith, which they all expected to prevent the last seal from being shattered; in reality, she ''was'' the last seal.]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero What neat little bookends, guys]].
492** Castiel's extremely straightforward nature, unfortunately, leaves him rather easily manipulated by other characters, [[GoodCannotComprehendEvil as he doesn't usually anticipate that someone will lie to him]]. [[spoiler:Metatron]] takes full advantage of this in Season 8 and manages to trick Cas into [[spoiler:helping him with a spell to cast all of the angels out of Heaven]]. Castiel is horrified when he finds out the truth.
493** It's also implied that Castiel was this for much of Season 4. Despite his personal doubts, it seems he just trusted that Heaven was giving him the right orders until he somehow found out that [[spoiler:Heaven had been planning the Apocalypse all along.]] And it's never stated whether his superiors eventually revealed it to him, expecting him to go along with it, or if he figured it out himself.
494** Sam becomes this again in Season 11, when he prays to God for help and receives visions that he believes are God trying to give him hints. It turns out he ''is'' receiving supernatural visions (not just having weird dreams), but that [[spoiler:they're actually from ''Lucifer'', as a ploy to get him to come back to the Cage in search of a way to defeat the Darkness.]] Sam initially performs [[BatmanGambit exactly as expected]], but then [[spoiler:point-blank refuses to become Lucifer's vessel again, even though it could help defeat the Darkness. Unfortunately, Sam is no longer the only suitable vessel...]]
495* ''Series/{{Survivor}}''
496** A lot of Suckers have come and gone, but Erik Reichenbach from Micronesia stands out. In what many considered to be the dumbest move in the show's history, Erik gives away his Individual Immunity and is promptly voted off by the [[FemmeFatale conniving female alliance]], after being conned in a transparent ploy for redemption.
497** The ''Samoa'' season was '''full''' of Unwitting Pawns. Most of Foa Foa and almost ''every'' member of Galu, ''except'' Brett and possibly Kelly and Monica, fell into this trope. Knowing that Kelly was just brilliantly blindsided, Monica saw the writing on the wall and just decided to antagonize Russell in the end, and Brett was ''fully aware'' that he couldn't have won because he lost the final immunity challenge. Is it any wonder Russell did so well, what with all the suckers who were practically lining up for the slaughter? (Players would have voted him out ''way'' sooner... or dragged his [[ImNotHeretoMakeFriends arrogant ass]] to the end and made him take all the nasty shots from the angry jury as Natalie did.)
498** Russell pulls this off ''again'' in ''Heroes vs. Villains'', this time using [[JerkJock Tyson]] to break up what should have been a foolproof plan to get either Russell or Parvati out of the game by tricking him into switching his vote to Parvati, which broke up the even distribution of votes that Boston Rob's alliance would have used to get either Russell or Parvati out depending on who Russell used his Hidden Immunity Idol on. Instead, with Tyson's vote switched to Parvati, she now has four votes to Russell's two... and Tyson's three. Russell gave the immunity idol to Parvati, and [[RealityShowGenreBlindness bye bye Tyson]].
499* Chris, Victoria and Allison Argent in ''Series/TeenWolf'', along with the rest of the hunters, have no idea that they are just enabling Gerard's plot to become a werewolf in order to survive terminal cancer. The ultimate however is Jackson, who does not even remember transforming into the Kanima, much less the murders that it commits at the direction of Matt.
500** Throughout Season 3B the Nogitsune plays the rest of the cast like a fiddle, using its possession of Stiles to win their trust. The best example comes in "Letharia Vulparia", where the Nogitsune spends an entire episode impersonating Stiles, with Scott not doubting him for a second.
501* Nick Hanway in ''Series/TheThickOfIt''. The spin doctor is convinced that the appointment of a new Prime Minister will also require a new chief spin doctor, but he ''seriously'' underestimates [[MagnificentBastard Malcolm Tucker]]...
502* ''Series/VanHelsing2016'': [[spoiler: Sam is manipulated by the Oracle into becoming the Fourth Elder under the belief that he'll become the new Dark One. Instead, he's used as a portal to free her, which kills him.]]
503* ''Series/TheVillainsOfValleyView'': In Season 1, Hartley is this to Oculon, who poses as a student named Declan to use her crush on him to get closer to Amy and the Maddens to turn them in to Onyx.
504[[/folder]]
505
506[[folder:Manhwa]]
507* ''Manhwa/HesDedicatedToRoses'': Hak-Yoon ends up being one to Mi-Mi, who manipulated him by pretending to like him, then had him and his gang rape her maid and film it in front of two of said maid's best friends, all because she was jealous that the maid had gotten the boy she was ''really'' in love with, and when said plan fell through, abandoned him to his fate and told him he was nothing more than a pawn for her revenge. [[TheDogBitesBack He isn't too happy about this.]]
508[[/folder]]
509
510[[folder:Podcasts]]
511* [[CharacterNarrator Cecil]] of ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'' cheerfully reports the obviously bogus coverup stories concocted by the City Council with little to no indication that he doesn't believe every word. Also, choosing not to question what one is told seems to be the only way to survive living in Night Vale.
512--> "Ignorance may not actually be bliss, but it certainly is less work."
513[[/folder]]
514
515[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
516* ''TabletopGame/HunterTheVigil'': This is a constant danger. It can be pretty hard for Hunters to tell the difference between the [[BlackAndGrayMorality good-ish supernaturals and the true villains]], and they often get suckered into working for the latter. For example: Division Six is a group of mage-hunters being used by a [[TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening Seer of the Throne]] as his private hit squad, the Knights of Saint George are serving the agenda of an Abyssal entity, the Inquisition is run by a ghoul, Les Mysteres are run by [[TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken the Pure]], and so forth.
517* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': Lim-Dûl the Necromancer was a powerful sorcerer that terrorized Ice Age Terisiare with his magic and undead armies, but was ultimately a tool for the wills of the beings he gained his power from -- the spirit of Mairsil the Pretender, who inhabited Lim-Dûl's RingOfPower and slowly poisoned his mind in order to use him for his own plans of vengeance, and the planeswalker Leshrac, who saw Lim-Dûl as a valuable minion and intended to use his undead army for his purposes. Eventually, Leshrac asserted full control and made sure than Lim-Dûl had no delusions about who precisely he served.
518* ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' runs on ParanoiaFuel, so this is so common in adventures it's almost more of a PlotTwist when it ''doesn't'' happen.
519* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': It's strongly implied that Bretonnia's whole "Cult of the Lady" religion (and accompanying rejection of firearms and steam technology) is a complete sham, set up by the Wood Elves who dwell in the forest in the south of the country so they have a nice, easily-manipulated buffer zone to protect them from the world. [[spoiler:''The End Times'' reveals that, yes, the Lady is actually the Elven goddess Lileath.]]
520* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
521** The Adeptus Mechanicus is all but stated to (knowingly, in the case of the higher-ups) worship the Void Dragon as the Omnissiah (rather than an aspect of the Emperor). The C'tan being on par with the Chaos Gods in terms of BigBad and the Mechanicus being responsible for humanity being able to travel the stars and defend themselves, this is as bad as it sounds. This also leads to a lot of enthusiastic Mechanicus dropping in on tomb worlds, waking up the Necrons as they poke around, and the next thing you know there's yet ''another'' system or two lost to the Imperium.
522** Read the introduction to any Imperium-centric story carefully for a nice bit of horror: ''It is the 41st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor of Mankind has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind'' '''''by the will of the gods'''''. What Gods do they mean by that? It could just be a figure of speech, but...
523[[/folder]]
524
525[[folder:Theatre]]
526* Fittingly, many characters wind up as pawns in ''Theatre/{{Chess}}''. It all culminates in “The Deal (No Deal)”, a song that’s essentially just ten minutes of Walter and Molokov manipulating the entire cast.
527* ''Theatre/JesusChristSuperstar'' [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation portrays]] Judas as a man who unwillingly advanced the agenda of Caiaphus and the Council, as well as fulfilling prophecy.
528* ''Theatre/{{Othello}}'': Iago manipulates everyone in his vengeful goals, leading to, as is the case with a Shakespeare tragedy, multiple deaths.
529* ''Theatre/ThrillMe'' has the moment where [[spoiler:Richard]] finds out that [[spoiler:Nathan]] has been lying to him about basically everything since the murder, including when [[spoiler:Richard]] thought he had the upper hand. In fact, [[spoiler:Nathan]]'s masterminding is the reason they got caught. [[spoiler:Yes, getting caught was part of Nathan's plan.]]
530[[/folder]]
531
532[[folder:Toys]]
533* In ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', Makuta Teridax used the entire universe as his pawns. The goal of the Toa Mata was to reawaken [[BigGood Mata Nui]], put into a deadly coma by Makuta himself. [[YouCantFightFate Knowing that they will succeed]] because it was their destiny (and since Mata Nui's death would cause the end of the world), [[TheChessmaster he manipulated]] nearly everyone he came across and lead his BrotherhoodOfEvil with an EvilPlan whose exact details he kept to himself. Long story short: his manipulating ensured that he would have enough time and be in the right place to commit a GrandTheftMe on Mata Nui when the heroes awakened him, thereby becoming the ruler of the universe.
534[[/folder]]
535
536[[folder:Visual Novels]]
537* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'':
538** ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'' has the third case where Franziska performs a surprise search on [[spoiler:Acro]]'s room, which forces him to hide the murder weapon on his person. Franziska only did the search because of Gumshoe, who in turn brought the idea of the search due to [[spoiler:Edgeworth]] suggesting it to him and knowing Phoenix would be the defense attorney on the case. This turn of events causes Phoenix to correctly guess that the murderer [[spoiler:hid the weapon at the bottom of his wheelchair and under the blanket he wears over his legs]]. Franziska loses and is flabbergasted that she, a perfectionist, made a mistake and curses herself for conducting the surprise search. In actuality, she was just the unwitting pawn to [[spoiler:Edgeworth, who helped Phoenix catch the true killer without him even knowing it]].
539** ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations'':
540*** [[spoiler:Pearl Fey]], who is manipulated into triggering the events of the final case by [[spoiler:her mother, Morgan Fey]]. While [[spoiler:Pearl]] thinks she's just following her mother's orders for Maya's sake, her actions are actually [[spoiler:the means to ''kill'' Maya]]. Luckily, the plan isn't fulfilled thanks to a third party who knew about it beforehand.
541*** In ''Trials and Tribulations''' flashback cases, [[spoiler:Dahlia Hawthorne]] uses several. 3-4's defendant was their fall guy in a fake kidnapping scheme (and later for the murder of their other accomplice), the victim of case 3-1 was someone they got close to because he was a chemistry student and could get them access to poison, and [[spoiler:Phoenix Wright]] himself was to unwittingly carry a decisive piece of evidence away from the courtroom, disguised as a present.
542** In ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'', poor Klavier Gavin gets used as an unwitting accomplice ''twice'' by people he trusts. [[spoiler:His friend Daryan used him as a drug mule for a smuggled Borginian cocoon, and his brother Kristoph used him to frame Phoenix Wright for forged evidence that Kristoph himself had actually commissioned]], much to Klavier's horror when Apollo reveals the plots in court.
543** ''VisualNovel/GyakutenKenji2'':
544*** Edgeworth himself gets a taste of this when it turns out that the reason he's had to solve so many murders in such a short timeframe is because [[spoiler:Simon Keyes]] had goaded their personal enemies into committing murder, and then pointed Edgeworth in the right direction to [[FoundTheKillerLostTheMurderer catch the immediate culprits without realizing who was the ultimate instigator]].
545*** Sebastian Debeste gets a particularly painful version. He's a good kid, if a little dense and not quite up for his job, but he trusts [[spoiler:his father, Blaise Debeste]], and that person uses that trust to gain access to important evidence (which he then destroys) and to obfuscate investigations via Sebastian's incompetence. [[spoiler:Blaise]] even refers to him as a "pawn that isn't user-friendly" when trying to break him mentally just to get him to leave the room.
546* Several in the ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' series:
547** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'':
548*** Makoto in Chapter 1. The whole point of the trial is Naegi trying to [[ClearMyName clear his name]] in [[spoiler:Sayaka]]'s death, as she was killed in his shower. They'd switched rooms for the night, but nobody else is inclined to take him at his word for it. What's interesting is that [[spoiler:he was framed by the victim in her own failed attempt to murder someone else -- Makoto is only cleared because even the ''murderer'' fell for Sayaka's trick and thought he was in Sayaka's room, hence thinking the shower was locked (girls' showers have locks, boys' don't) instead of faulty and jammed shut]].
549*** The murder plot in the third chapter depends on the killer tricking someone into becoming their accomplice by proposing a plan where both parties kill someone and each act as an accomplice for the other's murder, thus allowing them to graduate together. Unfortunately for the accomplice, the ''actual'' plan had the accomplice being lured into a secluded room and murdered after they'd done their job. [[spoiler:Celestia even admits that it was pretty obvious that she was planning to dispose of Hifumi from the start, but he trusted her and after she told him Kiyotaka had raped her and stolen Alter Ego, he was too blinded by rage to think clearly.]]
550** ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'': [[spoiler:Teruteru and "Byakuya" (actually the Ultimate Imposter)]] are the Unwitting Pawns of [[spoiler:Nagito. Nagito sent a note warning "Byakuya" of his murder plot to get "Byakuya" to host a party in the [[ClosedCircle old dining hall]] then got himself assigned cleaning duty so he could set up a murder plot. Then he allowed Teruteru to discover what he's doing, confesses and [[RefugeInAudacity tells him his entire motive]]. He managed to entice "Byakuya" to set up the LockedRoomMystery Nagito needed in a room which goes completely dark in a blackout and gets Teruteru to try and [[SuicideByCop murder him]], starting the Killing Game. He didn't intend for "Byakuya" to die, however; the Ultimate Impostor proved quicker on the uptake than Nagito expected]].
551** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'': The fourth trial sees [[FoundTheKillerLostTheMurderer the true murderer]] get away scot-free even after their plot is uncovered because they used a pawn to do the actual dirty work (which would of course make the person unable to graduate, but they weren't planning on graduating with this plot), so the official Blackened was the pawn. [[spoiler:Kokichi Oma used a Flashback Light in the virtual reality to get Gonta to fall into despair, and then convinced him to kill Miu Iruma (who was planning on killing Kokichi) and graduate so the other students would be killed (telling Gonta it was a MercyKill because the outside world was so terrible). The other students are furious with Kokichi for forcing them to execute Gonta, but they can't really do anything to him.]]
552* ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'': Unlike the protagonist, whom Dennis enlists for the same purpose, Henry is completely unaware that Dennis is using his voice recordings in order to catfish unsuspecting girls and women over the internet.
553* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' has Shirou and Rin being pawns in the schemes of [[spoiler:Gilgamesh and Kotomine]] in all three routes, with Shinji joining them in Unlimited Blade Works.
554* ''VisualNovel/MonsterProm'': The REVENGE ending. [[spoiler:Miranda will ask you to do a series of seemingly random tasks to help her out, with very flimsy reasons for it. It turns out that this is her plan to kill the water polo team for kicking her out by feeding them eggs from a sea monster and them telling said sea monster they ate her eggs, she reveals that this was her plan if invited to prom after the events are completed.]]
555* Mary in ''VisualNovel/ShikkokuNoSharnoth'' is obviously the pawn of multiple competing factions, but doesn't realize it fully until well into the story.
556* In the ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'' trilogy, everyone who isn't [[MagnificentBastard Zero]] or willingly working for Zero is an unwitting pawn to some extent. Special mentions:
557** [[spoiler:Ace a.k.a. Gentarou Hongou]] from ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'' [[spoiler:ends up being used by Zero to mop up the other {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s who ran the Nonary Game 9 years ago]].
558** [[spoiler:Dio, a Free The Soul agent]] from ''VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward'', [[spoiler:sent to sabotage the Nonary Game. What he didn't realize was that not only the organizers anticipate his infiltration of the game, it was actually necessary]]. If that's not enough, revelations in ''VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma'' show [[spoiler:he was also Brother's unwitting pawn as well, sent in to deliberately fail without Dio's knowledge]].
559[[/folder]]
560
561[[folder:Web Animation]]
562* Vegeta ends up being this for Commander Daiko in ''WebAnimation/DragonBallDeliverance'', as he was being used by him to weaken the out of control Broly enough that the Legendary Super Saiyan could be retrieved and put under Daiko's control.
563* In the ''WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail'' "[[Recap/StrongBadEmailE98StupidStuff stupid stuff]]", Strong Bad makes a bet with Kevin Grumbles that he can make Homestar say something intelligent. In desperation, he tries saying something nonsensical (''[[WordSaladHumor "I say there, Homestar... butt's twelve by pies?"]]''); as it turns out, Homestar apparently made his ''own'' bet with Kevin Grumbles that he could make Strong Bad say something stupid, and Strong Bad just won it for him. The real kicker is that Kevin actually wanted Strong Bad to make Homestar say something ''stupid'', but Strong Bad thought that was too little of a challenge. Perhaps he should've asked an insultingly simple math question. He could have at least gotten Coulomb's law out of it. He also gets suckered in the game ''[[VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople Strong Badia the Free]]''. [[spoiler: He spends the entire game trying to become the new king, only to find out that it was all a ploy by the King of Town to get Strong Bad stuck in the castle and the King in Strong Bad's position.]]
564* In ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'', the Emperor makes [[spoiler: Magnus]] realize that both his supposed savior, Tzeentch, and his supposed CoolBigBro Horus manipulated him so that he'd fall to Chaos and doom his people and Imperium. This plays crucial role in [[spoiler: Magnus' HeelFaceTurn]].
565* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'':
566** In Volume 3, Yang's predictable fighting style becomes a useful tool for the villains to exploit during the Vytal Festival tournament. [[spoiler:She is tricked into attacking Mercury unprovoked after defeating him in the finals. This results in a huge negative public backlash against Beacon which attracts vast hordes of Grimm that the military struggles to contain. This is the beginning of Cinder's plan to turn people against their governments, kingdoms against each other and start the process of destroying the Huntsmen Academies.]]
567** Discussed. It is apparent to characters that General Ironwood's militancy, paranoia, and domineering, uncooperative and controlling nature are easily exploited by the villains. Tyrian comments that Salem's plans depend on Ironwood maintaining a mistrustful attitude, while Cinder observes that Ironwood's extremism makes him predictable. [[spoiler:In Volume 7, the heroes repeatedly warn him that squeezing Mantle so hard to achieve his goals is playing into Salem's hands by turning Mantle against Atlas. After [[KickTheMoralityPet shooting Oscar]] for warning him that he's becoming as dangerous as Salem, Ironwood's descent into villainy climaxes when he holds Mantle hostage, threatening to bomb the city if the heroes don't surrender. Stating that he's doing Salem's job for her, Marrow abandons Ironwood, and Winter joins him. By the end of the volume, the kingdom is destroyed and the villains obtain two Relics.]]
568** Discussed. Jacques's obsession with winning makes him a perfect dupe for Watts. [[spoiler:When Watts offers to help rig the election so he can lay off his Mantle workers to cut costs, he happily agrees to give the doctor his log-in credentials to do so. Not only do the lay-offs and Jacques's victory increase tensions, draw more Grimm to the city, and gives Jacques the foothold to interfere with Ironwood, his upgraded access allows Watts to not only hack into more of Atlas' systems but also begin to lock the rest of the council out. Watts then uses this access to turn off the highly secure heating grid, causing riots and a full-on Grimm invasion.]]
569** Councilman Sleet has legitimate reasons to denounce Ironwood for abusing his power and keeping secrets from the Council. However, being LockedOutOfTheLoop makes him vulnerable to exploitation, allowing Jacques to manipulate him into supporting an attempt to remove Ironwood from the council. [[spoiler:Once he's brought into the loop about Salem's existence, and Jacques' deal with Watts is exposed, he becomes cooperative.]]
570** In Volume 9, Neo's obsession with obtaining revenge against Ruby ends up accidentally furthering a different villain's plans by given them the perfect weapon to achieve their aim. [[spoiler:The Curious Cat is Team RWBY's friend and guide through the Ever After, innocently asking all sorts of questions to satiate its curiosity that have the unfortunate effect of emphasising how dire Remnant's situation is, contributing to Ruby's slow mental breakdown. When Neo breaks down Ruby for her own revenge, the Cat intervenes and reveals that it wanted Ruby broken because it needs an despairing soul to possess in order to travel to Remnant to try and locate the Creators of the Ever After; it's been driven insane by the unsolvable question of why their Creators the brother gods abandoned the Ever After and will go to any lengths to find the answer. However, Neo's revenge robs them of Ruby, but leaves Neo an EmptyShell upon realising that VengeanceFeelsEmpty. The Cat is thrilled by this because it means it can possess the super-powerful Neo, who turns out to be a far more useful host for the Cat than Ruby.]]
571[[/folder]]
572
573[[folder:Webcomics]]
574* ''Webcomic/BadMoonRising'' recently showed that Terry was originally sent to Sokolov Academy to act as a spy for his mother, but was unaware of the real reason he was sent to the school at the time.
575* Sillice of ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' when Kalki tells her that the Nidraa'chal she's just fighting are just a diversion for the enemies that are currently most probably killing the Val'Sharess. Sillice then barges into the ravaged tower, confronts one of her sisters ([[spoiler:[[GuiltByAssociationGag the only one NOT included in this plot]]]]) and then gets accused of having killed all the guards in an attempt to overthrow her mother, and has to run away to exile with their mortal enemies. No one suspects the ones that are truly pulling the strings: [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune, Sarv'swati and Zala'ess, who get off scot free and take control of the clan while pretending their mother is still alive.]]
576* Fighter of ''WebComic/EightBitTheater'' is an example of this. The other Light Warriors often get him to do things by convincing him it is for the greater good. There's also the fact that he still believes they're heroes after all the untold damage they've caused.
577* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Tara is manipulated into attempting to kill Elliot by the Immortal named Voltaire who she believes is forbidden from lying like the Ancients of her world.
578* Nick in the "Surreptitious Machinations" arc of ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault''. The entire plan hinges on him being isolated from his friends and building the "Project Velociraptor" to power Trudy's energy weapons, enabling her and C.R.U.D.E. to take over the world. He's also [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter one of the only ones who still trusts Trudy]], so the heroes have to try to convince him to see the truth.
579* Terezi of ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' is usually AwesomeByAnalysis, but she's recently fallen into this at the hands of [[spoiler:Gamzee, who she has no idea turned evil]].
580** Absolutely everyone to [[color:#2ED73A:D]][[color:white:o]][[color:#2ED73A:c Scratch]]. There's a ''reason'' he calls people who aren't [[TheOmniscient omniscient]] "suckers." Which is taken beyond the impossible in [[WhamEpisode [S] Cascade]], where its revealed that he [[spoiler: manipulated the entire main cast into creating the Green Sun. Note that the main cast has been doing everything in their power to destroy the thing. Scratch's last word, said to Gamzee, is even "S u c k e r s", a succinct summary of just how much he played everyone.]]
581* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob:'' In an uncharacteristically manipulative moment, in her second appearance, Voluptua lets Bob fly off on what he thinks is a very simple mission, while she suspects an alien supercriminal ''[[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/93/ just might]]'' be waiting for him.
582* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''
583** Miko Miyazaki [[spoiler:leads the villains to Azure City and allows them to discover the location of [[McGuffin Soon's Gate]]. She kills Lord Shojo, leaving the city more vulnerable to attack. Then she ''destroys Soon's gate'' when the villains are on the verge of losing, giving them a chance to escape certain death]]. And all the while, she believes that she's following the will of the (LawfulGood) gods. Although she was only being manipulated into the first one of these, the least important error really. The other two she she accomplished on her own.
584** Vaarsuvius turned into one when [[spoiler: they attacked Xykon with their newfound power, knocking him [[OrcusOnHisThrone off his throne]], exactly as the fiends who granted Vaarsuvius that power planned.]]
585** As it turns out, [[spoiler: ''Xykon himself'' is an unwitting pawn to Redcloak, who's been playing humble servant all these years in order to get Xykon to aid in completing the Plan (which, it seems, doesn't aid Xykon's own goals ''at all'').]] But he doesn't mind being a pawn, because he has better things to do with his time than deal with a backstabber who already has a self-destruct button tied to the back of their head: [[spoiler:The Monster In The Darkness is brainwashed to kill Redcloak the moment he betrays Xykon openly]].
586* Kat Vance from ''Webcomic/SequentialArt'' finds herself in the Quinten Research Laboratory, where she learns the human staff has succumbed to deadly gas that permeated most of the facility. The AIIsACrapshoot prototype computer [=OZ-BASIC=] explains that the fault that caused the tragedy exists in other Quinten facilities, and asks Kat's help in creating an uplink in panel #474, so that others can be forewarned in time. In reality, [=OZ-BASIC=] seeks to take control of the Pipingrad DeathRay satellite, with which to expunge all those that would oppose its EvilOverlord status.
587* [[spoiler:Riff]] of ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' was eventually revealed to be this, having worked for the NebulousEvilOrganisation Hereti-Corp producing inventions in return for funding, and not realizing the purposes they were being put to.
588* ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'': Rachel, Khun, and Bam all play into [[spoiler: Yu Hansung's and Headon]]'s hands in their plot against the ruling system.
589* ''Webcomic/Trevor2020'': {{Downplayed|Trope}}. The new members of the medical team have no idea that [[PunchClockVillain they are part of a military-funded]] [[spoiler:SuperSoldier]] project with ColdBloodedTorture-style experiments, but they are at least somewhat aware of how dark the work they've been doing is.
590* Played with in ''Webcomic/WeAreTheWyrecats''. K.A. certainly was this, but the rest of her team, as it turns out, is more than aware that the BigBad is using them. They just aren't equipped with a lot of options on fighting back at the moment. By letting her remain unaware of this, K.A. effectively becomes her own team's UnwittingPawn, and she does [[WhatTheHellHero not take it well when she finds out]].
591[[/folder]]
592
593[[folder:Web Originals]]
594* ''Website/TheCrewOfTheCopperColoredCupids'': In the short story [[https://thecrewofthecoppercoloredcupids.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/the-resurrection-of-the-wellsians/ "The Resurrection of the Wellsians"]], all of the schemes and counter-schemes of the characters turn out to have been furthering the aims of the Wellsians themselves.
595* Only just before the final battle of WebGame ''Webcomic/DemonThesis'' do the main characters realize that they've been pawns for the ManipulativeBastard EldritchAbomination Mesmerus that they hate. After a strange stone totem was brought to the library of their university, the main characters suddenly found themselves gifted with ElementalPowers and other spells, and fighting off various monsters while Mesmerus encourages the violence. [[spoiler:At the end they learn this is because them using his power to cast spells is necessary to weaken the barrier between dimensions and allow Mesmermus to cross over into our world. By the time they do learn this, it's too late to do anything, and Mesmerus appears]].
596* In ''The Normal Innocent Bystander's Survival Guide'', point 17 is:
597-->''"If the Evil Overlord offers you immortality, superpowers, or infinite wealth, and all you have to do is something that seems terribly trivial, don't. It's a trick. You will be used as a pawn in a larger game, and then [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness crushed like a bug]]."''
598* In ''Literature/TheRuinsOfAnAmericanPartySystem'', it's eventually revealed that Floyd Olson (otherwise presented as a President Mary Sue), has for most of his administration been manipulated by his Attorney General, [[SleazyPolitician Huey Long]], who has been exploiting his influence over Olson to build his own political empire within the government, effectively turning Olson into his puppet. [[spoiler: Once Olson realizes this, however, he spends the last months of his life before succumbing to cancer building up resources that his Vice-President and successor Fiorello [=LaGuardia=] is later able to use to dismantle most of Long's power base.]]
599* ''WebVideo/UnwantedHouseguest'': So far there is no evidence that [[spoiler: Doctor Litchfield]] is even aware of the GreaterScopeVillain [[spoiler: who purposefully sent the Houseguest to him.]]
600[[/folder]]
601
602[[folder:Western Animation]]
603* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': [[spoiler:Marcy was lied to by King Andrias about his true intentions to use the Calamity Box to conquer the multiverse, instead playing on her desperation to stay with her friends by telling her that they would use the box to simply explore the multiverse with her friends forever]].
604* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', [[EvilChancellor Long Feng]] thought he was using Fire Nation [[TheDragon Princess Azula]] to regain control of the Earth Kingdom capital, Ba Sing Se. In reality, she was using ''him'' to take control of it for the Fire Nation. By the time he realized she was playing him, she had already turned his own men against him. When he admits defeat, [[WorthyOpponent obviously impressed at her]], she rubs salt in the wound by indicating this was all he was to her.
605-->'''Long Feng:''' [[OutGambitted You've beaten at my own game.]]\
606'''Azula:''' Don't flatter yourself. [[MagnificentBastard You were never even a player]].
607* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', a businessman builds a casino... themed after ComicBook/TheJoker. Joker is understandably incensed, a breaks out of Arkham to punish this act of image-theft by blowing up the joint. As Batman discovers, the businessman had spent too much on his building, and gave it a Joker-theme so the Joker would do just that, and then cash in on the insurance. Joker gets more incensed when Batman reveals this to him.
608* ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6TheSeries'': In the [[Recap/BigHero6TheSeriesS1E21CountdownToCatastrophe Season 1 finale]], [[BigBad Obake]] sends his minions after a case containing a failed prototype of an energy amplifier. It's actually worthless; the real reason is that he knew [[TeenGenius Hiro]] [[BatmanGambit would become interested in making a real one]], [[MacguffinDeliveryService which he could then steal]].
609* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'': Numbah 1 (Nigel Uno) in ''WesternAnimation/OperationZERO''. Father steals the "supposedly" inactive recommissioning module in an attempt to recommission [[BigBad Grandfather]]. All that was needed was a DNA sample from an active KND member, and knowing which KND operative would be so quick to come after him for the theft and to stop whatever plan that involves it, guess who suddenly became a key part of the plan?
610* Danny from ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' becomes one of these almost every time he encounters Vlad Masters. Usually Vlad hints at what he's going to do right away, and Danny fails to understand and plays right into his hands anyway. Surprisingly, Valerie was an even ''bigger'' sucker than Danny -- her entire ghost hunting 'career' was started by Vlad as part of a gambit and just became the gift that kept on giving for him and all his plans. She was NOT happy when she found out the truth.
611* In Episode 7 of ''WesternAnimation/TheEpicTalesOfCaptainUnderpants'', it's stated that Krupp and Melvin were using resident MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold Bo as a scare tactic to keep the other students in line, which in turn makes everyone in school fear him. This later backfires after a comic book made by George and Harold completely flips the script and turns Bo from a threat to a hero.
612* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'':
613** Timmy is an unwitting pawn sometimes, most noticeably in "WesternAnimation/SchoolsOutTheMusical", where he, along with Flappy Bob, are pawns in the pixie's GambitRoulette.
614** Chester becomes this in "Fairy Idol" when [[JackAssGenie Norm]] uses his friendship with Timmy to trick Cosmo and Wanda into quitting their jobs so he can steal their position and become ''his'' fairy godparent in their place.
615* Where Sinedd from ''WesternAnimation/GalactikFootball'' goes, intergalactic conspiracy is sure to follow.
616* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', Xanatos was accustomed to using this trope: almost every major character was his pawn at one point or another. In one memorable episode, however, Xanatos is outsmarted and used as a pawn by one of his creations.
617--> '''Xanatos:''' Owen, I think [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone I've created a monster.]]
618* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has almost every character that interacts with BigBad Bill Cipher become this, furthering his plans for [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Weirdmageddon]] with every trick he pulls. This culminates with him [[spoiler:possessing Blendin Blandin to trick Mabel into giving him the space-time rift that was the final key to his plan]], causing the aforementioned event.
619* WesternAnimation/KimPossible found herself in this position in ''[[WesternAnimation/KimPossibleMovieSoTheDrama So The Drama]]'', when it was revealed that [[RomanticFalseLead Erik]] was really [[TheMole a "synthodrone"]] working for Drakken. As Ron observed, "Drakken hasn't won, he played you." An even more direct case was in the episode "Hidden Talents", where Drakken created fake messages from [[MissionControl Wade]] (as well as sending a virus to the real Wade) to get Kim to [[MacGuffinDeliveryService bring him]] one of Dementor's inventions. He also attempted to do it a second time after he forgot to tell Kim to get the adaptor plug, but the second time didn't work as well due to Wade debugging his computer.
620* In ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall,'' the Woodsman is tricked by the Beast into [[spoiler:maintaining the Beast's SoulJar, which he believes contains his daughter's soul instead]]. He was also initially unaware that the eidelwood trees he was using [[ForcedTransformation used to be human children]].
621* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryInc'':
622** In episode 16, Pericles used Scooby's need to save the town to further his own plan to find the Cursed Treasure of Crystal Cove.
623** It's revealed that the entire cast has been this for [[spoiler:the evil Nibiru Entity]] in order to [[SealedEvilInACan release him from his prison]].
624* ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'': Sofia is often this to Cedric in his attempts to take the [[MacGuffin Amulet of Avalor]] from her and use its power to [[TakeOverTheCity take over Enchancia]]. Even her sister Amber is susceptible to this as shown in Season 1's "Princess Butterfly".
625* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
626** Both the Good and Evil characters in the Imaginationland trilogy, [[PretextForWar manipulated into war for a terrorist cell's plot to destroy collective imagination by getting both sides to kill each other,]] despite the narrative's full support for the Good characters starting in Part 2 as if the Evil characters were the [[BigBadEnsemble Big Bads]] instead of the already-dead terrorists, when they weren't, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin despite what they literally are.]] [[spoiler: However, the plot fails because the Good characters win the war and [[CruelMercy the Evil characters are imprisoned.]]]]
627** Stan, Kyle, and Scott Tenorman in "Scott Tenorman Must Die". To a lesser extent, the rest of the town was this to Cartman in that episode. The only thing he hadn't planned on was Chef actually taking the Chili Contest seriously and submitting an entry, though this simply means Cartman has delicious chili to eat while he explains his master plan.
628** This happens to Kyle again when Leslie tells him that Pc Principal killed Jimmy and that Randy is helping him to kill any objectors to his policies but in reality she'ss a ads who wants to get rid of Pc Principal so she can turn South Park against each so ads can take over the world.
629* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': [=SpongeBob=] becomes one to Plankton in "Evil Spatula", by speaking through the Sizzlemaster spatula he gave him so he can trust him enough to tell the krabby patty formula.
630* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', the Kaminoans were this. They knew about Order 66 as they were the ones who implanted the [[MindControlDevice control chips]] in the clones, but were told that it was a secret trump card against [[TheParagonAlwaysRebels Dark Jedi]] that needed to be kept under wraps. As such, they sabotage Fives' attempt to reveal the truth and indirectly get him killed, and the Film/RevengeOfTheSith goes on without a hitch despite the best efforts of Master Shaak Ti.
631* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' has an interesting variation in that a villain is used as a pawn for another: that being Ludo being used as a tool and puppet by [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Toffee of Septarsis]]. Also later reveals that Toffee was being used as a tool and puppet by Glossaryck. Toffee was unaware that Glossaryck was using him and Glossaryck was also using Toffee's plans to release Ecplisa and made Toffee a sacrifice in order for Ecplisa to be released.]]
632* ''Challenge Of the {{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}}'': In one of the more [[SoBadItsGood infamous]] plots from the series, the Legion of Doom collaborates with a group of Venusians to rework Earth's climate into something more tropical. To this end -- in what may be ''the'' single most contrived GambitRoulette in history -- they enact a series of disasters, and the Superfriends play right into their hands when their attempts to stop them result in ''filling the atmosphere with steam, flooding the western hemisphere, and moving the Earth out of its orbit''.
633* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'':
634** In Season 4 of ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'', both the turtles and the WellIntentionedExtremist Agent Bishop are suckered ''royally'' by the Foot Mystics/Shredder's Heralds, resulting in the ''entire plot'' to Season 5.
635** ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': In early Season 5, Tiger Claw summons the [[DragonsAreDemonic demodragon]] Kavaxas to Earth in order to bring the Shredder, who was killed by Leo in the Season 4 finale, BackFromTheDead, using a mystical talisman, the Seal of the Ancients, to keep him under control. By the fourth episode, "End Times," Kavaxas successfully resurrects Shredder... but Shredder is little more than a [[CameBackWrong shambling corpse]] under Kavaxas' control, and destroys the Seal of the Ancients; as it turns out, Shredder's resurrection was one of [[RuleOfThree three tasks]] Kavaxas needed to accomplish in order to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, and he was using Tiger Claw all along in order to accomplish those three tasks.
636* Harold in ''[[WesternAnimation/TotalDrama Total Drama Action]]'', when choosing to listen to ''Courtney and Duncan'' of all people, in order to vote off [[spoiler:[=LeShawna=], ''his love interest'']].
637* In the Season 3 finale and Season 4 premiere of ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'', Brock Samson is an unwitting pawn to Molotov, and Molotov herself is an unwitting pawn to Gathers. Molotov puts a hit out on Brock for three of the top OSI assassins and pins it on the OSI, getting him to kill them so that her own assassin organization, the Blackhearts, would have no competition. However, she doesn't realize that that's exactly what Gathers wants her to do, as it would later lure Brock right into a trap set by Gathers to coerce him into joining the reformed SPHINX.
638* In ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'', Omi ends up playing right into Chase Young's hands in the second season, [[spoiler: temporarily becoming his apprentice]].
639* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'': Qilby is very good at making Unwitting Pawns out of everyone.
640** Anathar becomes one to Qilby. He's one of the Shushu and is only fighting on Qilby's side because of his alliance with Rushu, but Qilby baits Anathar into entering the fray so he isn't present for Qilby and Rushu betraying each-other, and therefore continues fighting for Qilby against Yugo and Phaeris long after Qilby's pact with the Shushus has expired.
641** The Mechasms and their prince Orgonax in the {{Backstory}} are ultimately this. They went to war against the Eliatropes and forced the latter into a HomeworldEvacuation because Qilby ripped out Orgonax's heart -- this was Qilby's plan all along, to manipulate his people into being ''forced'' to become SpaceNomads since Qilby wanted to traverse the stars.
642[[/folder]]

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