History Main / DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent

** Revolver Ocelot has, at various points in the series, apparently been working for the CIA, NSA, KGB, GRU, FOXHOUND, rogue FOXHOUND, the Gurlukovich Mercenaries, Solidus Snake and the Patriots... while not really working for ''any'' of them. In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', we learn that his true allegiences lay with [[spoiler:Big Boss, and the entire ''Solid'' games was a plot by him to recover Big Boss's remains and fulfill his dream of Outer Heaven]]. He goes so far as to [[spoiler: brainwash himself into acting like Snake's deceased brother Liquid, whilst maintaining the pretence that he was being possessed by Liquid's spirit through his arm (grafted onto Ocelot after he lost his during the events of [=MGS1=]). The extent to which this was a true personality swap and not an act is left very ambiguous.]]

* ''Webcomic/TheCallOfWhatever'' has [[http://tcow.comicgenesis.com/d/20040817.html a throwaway gag involving one Russ McDonald]], who was working for six cults, two anti-cult organizations, the MenInBlack, and at least two unidentified groups. He was assassinated 11 different ways at once.

This is the trope for people who have erected layers upon layers of deception, normally as a massive GambitRoulette to satisfy their wishes or their true employers' wishes. It's quite often that the chain of deception ends with the person the spy loves. The effect on the viewer can be [[MindScrew very disorienting]] as they try to keep up.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': The Alpha Legion count as a Chaos Space Marine army under the rules, but in truth, they might still be loyal to the Imperium. Or they might actually be playing both sides while ''really'' working towards the Cabal's vision for the galaxy long after the organisation's death. Or they might just be loyal to their two Primarchs, who might both be loyal to Chaos, both loyal to the Imperium, or one brother might be scheming against the other and pulling part of the legion away. The most likely thing is that the decentralised organisation of the Legion backfired against them after the death of Horus during his rebellion against the Imperium and the (maybe happened, maybe not) death of Alpharius, or at least whatever legionary who was thinking they were Alpharius at the time and with Omegon (who himself believed Alpharius was dead and took his identity) probably faking his death immediately after the Horus Heresy in the Great Scouring, and now they're just a bunch of fractured warbands without an ideology or long-term strategy in common. There is no way to know the true loyalties of any given Alpha Legionnaire. Thanks to chemical and psychic brainwashing, the Legionnaire himself, or any of their serfs, may not be aware of it either.
* Agent Renko from ''TabletopGame/DeltaGreen'' [[spoiler:''might'' be this; in theory he is a GRU SV-8 agent spying on Delta Green, but at the same time he actively helps the [=PCs=] and he is shown to be dissatisfied with his work at GRU SV-8. In reality, he is whatever the Handler wants him to be: [[TheMole A Mole]] trying to infiltrate and spread disinformation inside Delta Green, or maybe he is trying to defect to Delta Green and gives intel slowly to not be targeted by GRU SV-8, or maybe he is really trying to infiltrate but is BecomingTheMask, or maybe he's TheChessmaster and Double Reverse Quadruple Agent, playing all sides at the same time.]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}} Impossible'' has the triple agent card. It allows you to claim allegiance to three nations (out of the four available) at the same time. There's also the {{sidekick}} [=Dusty McRonin=], the man of too many allegiances.
* Loyalties in ''TabletopGame/DemonTheFallen'' can get convoluted, as shown with Fell Knight Guanli in the ''City of Angels'' supplement. He's an LAPD officer... except he's secretly a demon and the Minister of Lions in the Infernal Court of Los Angeles... except he's actually TheMole for the Cryptic faction placed there to spy on the Court... except he's in the process of betraying them too by killing other demons alongside [[UnholyMatrimony his lover Ravana]] to consume their power... And then there's the fact that Ravana's loyalties are in turn somewhat convoluted...

* [[spoiler:Dietrich Troy/Nicklaus]] in ''VideoGame/SpyFiction''. [[spoiler:He's working for both Phantom and Enigma. He's committed several acts of terrorism, but also wants revenge on Scarface.]] [[FridgeBrilliance In hindsight]], it also appears that [[spoiler:he specifically arranged the destruction of the primary Lahder production facilities, the rescue of Doctor Coleman, and the defeat of Scarface, so he's at least against Enigma if not necessarily aligned with Phantom]].

There's TheMole, who pretends to be on your side, but is secretly working for your enemies. Then there's the DoubleAgent, who's pretends to be a mole for your enemies, but really ''is'' on your side. Then we have those who take this game of elaborate deception a step further. Or two. Or seventeen.

** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': The two-part episode "Gambit" had both Picard and Riker captured by a group of artifact smugglers, and they pretend to work for them to investigate what they're really up to. Furthermore, Picard and Riker have to pretend to hate each other for this to work (the group's boss dislikes Picard, so Picard disliking Riker would hopefully make the boss take Riker into his confidence). Throw in a half dozen other crew members, each with their own personal loyalties and it starts to get very confusing. This is even lampshaded in the episode by Picard:

-->'''Sydney:''' Dad!
-->'''Dad:''' There's no time. I'm a spy for [=SD6=].
-->'''Sydney:''' But [=SD6=] is a rogue faction for the CIA.
-->'''Dad:''' But I'm a double agent for the CIA.
-->'''Sydney:''' How do I know you're not a triple agent pretending to be a double agent who's pretending to be an agent for [=SD6=] when you're really not an agent at all?
-->'''Dad:''' ...Now I'm confused.

* Aidan Matthews in ''Series/{{Revenge}}''. Starts out as Emily's mole inside Grayson Global, planted with the help of their mentor Takeda, and somehow manages to not blow his cover even once Emily's marriage to Daniel is revealed to be a fraud, leading to a point where both Conrad and Victoria believe him to be their double agent in their feud with ''each other''.
* On ''Series/TheMusketeers'', Rochefort was originally the Cardinal's spy in Spain, who was kept hostage, tortured, and then sent back to France to spy on them, however he has his own plans to [[spoiler:usurp the king and marry Queen Anne]].