History Main / TheIlluminati

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': Dr. Venture is invited to join the Illuminati in "[[Recap/TheVentureBrosS7E7TheUnicornInCaptivity The Unicorn in Captivity]]". He spends the whole episode hemming and hawing about whether to join their ranks and play by their rules. [[spoiler:It turns out that the Illuminati are fake, and Venture has been hooked up to a VR simulator the whole time.]]

* And of course the [[Wrestling/NewWorldOrder nWo]] who ran Wrestling/{{WCW}} for the better part of four years both in storyline and behind the scenes.

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This name is bandied about a ''lot'' over in the WildMassGuess department. See also UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar. If you're looking for the Creator/MarvelComics group by this name, see [[ComicBook/TheIlluminati here]].

* They have appeared in ''Manga/BlueExorcist'' and look to becoming recurring villains...if not up there with Gehenna and Satan.
* ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'': They appear in the fourth season, ''AXZ'', as the bad guys. Far from being a secretive German nerd, ''this'' version of Adam Weishaupt is [[spoiler: an android manufactured by the ancient aliens who created the human race, and is hellbent on acquiring the powers of a god to show his creators up.]]

* In Creator/MarvelComics, this was the name of a [[ComicBook/TheIlluminati secret alliance]] between influential superheroes -- ComicBook/IronMan, [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]], [[ComicBook/XMen Professor X]], Namor the ComicBook/SubMariner, ComicBook/DoctorStrange, and [[ComicBook/TheInhumans Black Bolt]]. They're actually a subversion, however, as their goals were to protect the world, not rule it, and their secretiveness eventually came back to bite them repeatedly (see ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk'', ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', and even ''ComicBook/CivilWar'', all in which [[NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering the ideological differences between the members end up highlighted by measures taken on by at least the more prominent players]]). Notably, ComicBook/BlackPanther was invited to join but declined, because he ''knew'' that the group's extremely secretive nature left them doomed to fail if they ever disagreed on anything.
** And during the ''ComicBook/DarkReign'' StoryArc, [[Characters/MarvelComicsNormanOsborn Norman Osborn]] forms an evil version of the Illuminati called the Cabal, composed of himself, Characters/DoctorDoom, [[Characters/EmmaFrostWhiteQueen Emma Frost]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsLoki Loki]], ComicBook/TheHood, and the ComicBook/SubMariner -- who, as mentioned above, is also a member of the good Illuminati. ''At the same time''. [[TrueNeutral He doesn't see the difference]].
** It's important to note that the Marvel guys have given subtle nods that they know about the connotations of the name. Actions have been taken by some members, most often chiefly Iron Man, in certain storylines such as the three listed above, which were not only disagreed with by at least one fellow member on principle, but also would call into question for readers whether they were playing this trope straight. Also, Iron Man says once to Maria Hill when remarking on this group and referring to it by name that "at least that's what I self-deprecatingly call our little world-saving group," giving clear hint that only he uses the name. Put this in perspective. The only member of the "good guy Illuminati" that ever used the name was the snarky/humorous member of the team who's led questionable acts in the plots that developed after each of its meetings, and even he readily admits it's self-deprecating humor.
** In ''ComicBook/TheAvengersJonathanHickman'' storyline, [[GodzillaThreshold Black Panther of all people reconvenes the group]] in order to deal with [[ApocalypseHow an omniversal destruction]] situation. It wraps up the same way it always does with this group: [[ComicBook/SecretWars2015 utter failure]], and the rest of the superhero community [[WhatTheHellHero calling them out on how their secrecy made things worse]].
** In that same story, Namor founds a new Cabal, consisting of himself, Thanos, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Maximus the Mad, Black Swan and an alternate universe's Terrax. They assembled to deal with the the omniversal destruction problem, and were actually doing better than the Illuminati, though only because nobody on the team was bothered by murdering billions of people on a regular basis (in fact, most of the group liked it).
* In Creator/DCComics, the Illuminati hails from as far back as the days of Atlantis, has a covert hand in government affairs worldwide, and has been led by [[Characters/DCComicsVandalSavage Vandal Savage]] from its birth to the modern day.

* ''ComicBook/FromHell'': Along with a number of other secret societies, though the Masons take center stage.
* Creator/AlanMoore used a lot of Illuminati symbology in ''ComicBook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen''.
* There's Illuminati symbolism in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' too (Ozymandias anyone?).
* Mentioned in ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsUnite'' when ConspiracyTheorist Sticks gets talking with Xander Payne. He's convinced the Illuminati are just a front created by the Freemasons and the Knights Templar to throw people off their trail.

* In ''Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'', the Marvel version above makes its live-action debut as [[spoiler:a group existing in an AlternateUniverse. Similar to the comics, their roster consisted of ComicBook/MisterFantastic, [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX Professor X]], [[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 Captain Carter]], ComicBook/BlackBolt, Captain Marvel ([[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 Maria Rambeau]] in place of Carol Danvers), and Karl Mordo replacing the late ComicBook/DoctorStrange. Not unlike the comics Illuminati, this group was a bunch of haughty {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s who fixated on the supposed danger of the main universe's Doctor Strange while dismissing the actual threat (save [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor X]], who supported Strange).]]

* ''Film/GSaviour'' features the Illuminati InNameOnly; instead of a secret society here they're the LaResistance opposing [[TheEmpire CONSENT]].

* ''Film/TicklesTheClown'': Humanity is stated to be at war with the Illuminati. [[spoiler:Also, the Illuminati are lead by Alistair Crowley in an alien's body.]]

* Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson's ''Literature/{{Illuminatus}}'' trilogy helped spread the name. The books are a MindScrew told by {{Unreliable Narrator}}s and infamous for giving complex explanations for the origins of the Illuminati, and then subverting them later on, sometimes with information that is equally wrong. It doesn't help that there have been several groups throughout history under that name. The original Illuminati, according to the book, are [[spoiler:Atlanteans who have been hiding under the Himalayas.]] Also there is a gigantic pyramid-squid.
* Creator/DanBrown uses the name in his various books, most prominently, in ''Literature/AngelsAndDemons''. Here, the Illuminati [[spoiler:are a secret society of scientists founded by Galileo Galilei to spread the Enlightenment (hence the name) and to oppose the reactionist Roman Catholic Church]]. Although they are thought to have been destroyed long ago, Langdon is drawn into a plot aiming to blow up the Vatican City, which he believes is the Illuminati's revenge. It turns out, [[spoiler:the Illuminati really ceased to exist and the whole crisis was orchestrated by a traitorous Church official (who had access to the seized Illuminati artifacts) to bring himself into power, and restore faith in Christianity to the world]].
* In ''Literature/{{Rainbow}}'', the World Hegemony began as one of these in the form of the "Atheistic State," which [[CurbstompBattle easily defeated]] the rest of the world's military forces when they [[WorldWarIII declared war against everyone else]]. However, unlike most examples of this trope, the Atheistic State [[RefugeInAudacity made no effort to hide themselves]] when they were founded, and they were created partially ''[[ThenLetMeBeEvil because]]'' atheists had been demonized by doomsday prophets and painted as secretly conspiring to destroy religion, making the World Hegemony a SelfFulfillingProphecy.
* The urban fantasy ''Literature/RedRoom'' series has the House being a clear {{Expy}} for the organization, which Derek {{Lampshades}} a couple of times. WordOfGod confirms, in-universe, the House is the source of the Illuminati "myth."

* Elliot from ''Series/MrRobot'' has a theory the 1% of the 1% secretly control all of humanity rather than governments. [[spoiler:He's proven to be, at least partially, right when season 1 ends with an informal gathering of these individuals doing exactly what he thinks they do.]]
* ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryApocalypse'' eventually reveals that the NebulousEvilOrganization known as the Cooperative is actually the Illuminati operating under a rebranded name. And the reason they've managed to gain so much wealth and power? They all [[DealWithTheDevil sold their souls to Satan]].
* ''Series/FatherBrown'' discovers that the murderer in "The Owl of Minerva" is a member of the Illuminati, which controls, among other things, much of [[DirtyCop the police]], which gives them the leverage to frame [[InspectorLestrade Inspector Sullivan]] for the murders. That said, they're not as all-powerful as they'd like to think, as Father Brown is able to [[ClearTheirName clear Sullivan's name]], and Sullivan is then PutOnABus to hunt the Illuminati and the {{Corrupt Cop}}s on their payroll all across England.

* {{Conspiracy Theorist}}s will have you believe that basically, any mainstream performer is either an Illuminati puppet or puppeteer.
** Particularly common targets for Illuminati accusations are Music/JayZ and Music/KanyeWest. Both of them [[AscendedMeme began playing it up in their music]] as a result.
* Music/GammaRay's ''No World Order'', particularly "Induction," "Dethrone Tyranny," and ''especially'' [[VillainSong "New World Order."]]
* A major theme of Music/TheKLF's work, especially [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeOlMBwtJ_g "Justified And Ancient."]]
* Music/ThatPoppy is supposedly an Illuminati creation.
* PlayedForLaughs in the Music/TomSmith song "The Illuminati Polka," which gets increasingly ridiculous about its web of conspiracies as the song goes on.

* Wrestling/TheAscension's Titantron entrance video is Illuminati-associated symbolism, though it's not directly related to their characters. Ricardo Rodriguez, who was initially their manager in FCW before they gained their dark image, has stated that the "talent agency" gimmick was meant to be Illuminati.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': the Imperium has been seeded with a society of exorcists who call themselves Illuminati. Unlike most examples, these guys are actually good. They are also [[SummonBiggerFish effectively subservient to the Imperium]], even trying to buddy up with the Imperium's Inquisition, which is normally a good way to get yourself killed.
* Creator/SteveJacksonGames sells various conspiracy-themed card-games ([[TabletopGame/IlluminatiNewWorldOrder collectable]] and otherwise) under the blanket name ''TabletopGame/{{Illuminati}}'', while their line of ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' role-playing material have published a couple of Illuminati-related source-books. Some of it is obviously inspired by the ''{{Literature/Illuminatus}}'' book trilogy. The company has a trademark on a least one version of the "Eye in the Pyramid" design, and the other companies in this section often get official permission to use it. Particularly [[WildMassGuess WMG]]-worthy is the fact that several world-changing events in recent history seem to have been depicted on these cards in these games years before they happened.
%%* TabletopGame/D20Modern
* One of the secret societies in ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}''. [[spoiler:May or may not be a front for Ultraviolets, spies from another Alpha Complex, bots, aliens...[[note]]and may or may not actually exist.[[/note]]]]
* The hierarchical and secretive Tremere clan from ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' can function as a stand-in for the Illuminati.

* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'': [[spoiler:And they're debatably the good guys. Their rogue spin-off organization, the Majestic 12, on the other hand, are decidedly not.]]
** Also featured in the prequel ''[[VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution Human Revolution.]]'' [[spoiler:Taggart describes the Illuminati as "just a name used to get rich people to invest more money," and he's not far off; the organization's every attempt to assert more control over the world goes completely off the rails, often due to internal sabotage. It's no wonder the first game's BigBad was able to usurp nearly all of their resources for Majestic 12. Of course, Taggart ''is'' a [[ThatLiarLies lying liar who lies]], and the organization ''was'' able to transform Zhao and Taggart from small fry to global power brokers.]]
** The original game actually subverts the idea of the Illuminati being an AncientConspiracy, as one of their members notes that its current iteration essentially started from scratch -- albeit by adopting older ideals -- in the 18th century.
* ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'': The Illuminati is one of the three playable factions in the ConspiracyKitchenSink MMORPG , along with the Templars ([[InsistentTerminology who are not]], but have ties to, the historical UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar) and an Asian-themed "Dragon" society. Their defining trait is the CardCarryingVillain MegaCorp power structure, where employees will frequently backstab each other when they're not busy exploiting the masses, [[AtLeastIAdmitIt and constantly boast about it]].
* The resident ConspiracyTheorist Gomez in ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' has a particularly convoluted theory about the Illuminati. Of course, this being the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness, that theory has a good chance to be true...
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
** ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''[='s=] antagonist leads an interesting take on this. The Illuminati in these games have a lot of religious symbolism and are more akin to a psychotic cult than an oppressive secret society. Gill himself is a NietzscheWannabe dark savior with obscene doses of AGodAmI. Oh, and then there's the fact that he's red and blue skinned and clad in a thong... Although, they do have the whole AncientConspiracy thing going on.
** The Illuminati play a vital part in the plot of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', which is set few before ''III''. i.e., they're behind [[spoiler:Charlie Nash being BackFromTheDead (with Gill's SexySecretary Kolin as a sort-of monitor)]] and also [[spoiler:have Juri Han as their ally in exchange for a new eye that replaces her Feng Shui Engine]].
* One of the endings in ''VideoGame/PleaseDontTouchAnything'' results in an all-seeing eye appearing. This and the accompanying achievement strongly hints at their existence in the game's universe.

* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'': Los Iluminados, whose name in Spanish actually translates into this; their leader (Osmund Saddler) aims to take the world by infecting the world's most powerful leaders, beginning with the US President by infecting his daughter so she can infect him and have him serve as a new vector. Subverted by Albert Wesker being a more successful infiltrator behind the scenes than their entire organization.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'' introduces The Family, a conglomerate of old ruling families who have secretly influenced the United States from its first colonies up to nuking Raccoon City. They're basically the reason Umbrella chose to be so stupidly overt in erasing witnesses just to be sure nobody survived - the moment one of the family's high-level agents gains access to the C-Virus he tests it out on two cities and nukes one.
* In ''VideoGame/TheSims3: World Adventures'', some of the Egyptian locals are worried about the [[ParodyNames Illsiminati]].
* UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar in ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' function identically to the nominal description of the Illuminati: operating from the shadows as the AncientConspiracy, rewriting history, trying to TakeOverTheWorld in an effort to end TheEvilsOfFreeWill, and include a cadre of famous historical figures to claim membership amongst their ranks.
* The first ''{{VideoGame/inFAMOUS}}'' game features a group called the "First Sons", who are implied, if not outright stated, to have manipulated history quite a fair bit (particularly in the lives of [[spoiler:Cole, Zeke, and Trish]]). Their insignia also, of course, contains the iconic eye used in most Illuminati pictures.
* ''VideoGame/PonyIsland'': As you browse upon the profiles in the devil's computer, a strange eye starts to follow you around. [[spoiler:Log into the Guest account, and move an image file of a triangle over it, and the eye is finally content. The message "Illuminati Confirmed" displays, earning you a free ticket.]]

* ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin'' and ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin2'': Mobius are an influential organization that controls every system of government, having controlled everything behind the scenes for a very long time. Their Administrator funded Ruvik's [=STEM=] research as a means of bringing everyone into a single HiveMind under their OneWorldOrder. Every operative, from janitorial to the Administrator himself, has a chip implanted in their skull, making sure that any sign of disloyalty meant instant death (something that takes them down in the end).

* ''Franchise/{{Hitman}}'' has [[GreaterScopeVillain Providence]], a secret society founded by three old money families in the wake of World War 2 that controls the world from the shadows, and are the main antagonists of the franchise's ''VideoGame/WorldOfAssassinationTrilogy''. They're the ones behind the Sapienza virus (to make the ICA Obsolete), the Moroccan coup (to make the Moroccan government look inept while stealing money from the people via Strandberg), and are also responsible for [[spoiler:the super-soldier experiment that led to the creation of 47 and the Shadow Client]]. Their name originates from the Eye of Providence, the symbol typically associated with the Illuminati.
* In ''Videogame/XCOMEnemyUnknown's'' expansion ''Enemy Within'', EXALT is essentially the Illuminati, being an AncientConspiracy of shadowy agents working behind the scenes to dominate the world, taking advantage of the alien invasion to gather advanced alien technology and spread their influence. Their agents are generally white-collar businessmen and office workers, wearing dress shirts and ties, and their headquarters is a massive penthouse command center atop a skyscraper, [[WickedCultured filled with precious artwork and opulent furniture.]] However, being a shadowy conspiracy, they do not openly fight the aliens and thus never acquire higher-end technology, [[LensmanArmsRace meaning that they never advance beyond carapace armor and lasers]] and thus [[CurbstompBattle will be crushed utterly by XCOM in the late game, if XCOM survives that long.]]
* ''VideoGame/TheCloserGameOfTheYearEdition'': The Bavarian Illuminati serve as [[spoiler:a GreaterScopeVillain hoping to exploit a baseball-related prophecy in order to [[InTheirOwnImage remake the world]], having created the game's BigBad for this purpose]].

** In ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate'', {{Chuunibyou}} protagonist Okabe Rintarou believes that an Illuminati-style group he refers to as "The Organization" exists and controls all of human society. Everyone dismisses this as part of his delusional ramblings. As it turns out, there actually ''[[TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight is]]'' a secret organization, the aforementioned "Committee of 300", that is aiming to control the world through the research institution/front group [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN SERN]], though they aren't quite there yet and Okabe likely was not thinking of them when he made up his ramblings- he admits [[AccidentalTruth he thought it was nonsense]].

[[folder:Web Original]]

* The Sway is presented as the Website/{{Neopets}} version. They're upper-class nobles and are said to have influenced almost every major event in Neopian history, though it didn't get any more specific than that. However, they seem to have blown their cover once and for all during the War of the Obelisk ([[TheBadGuysWin which they ultimately won]]), and continue to war against the other five factions over the Obelisk's magical power in a user-driven MultiMookMelee to this day. Despite their being exposed, however, it's still unknown exactly what they're behind, or even whether or not they're still in power...
* ''Website/SCPFoundation'': The Illuminati is one of the 108 member organization of the Global Occult Coalition, an anti-anomalous organization under the [[FictionalUnitedNations United Nations]] and main rivals for the eponymous SCP Foundation.

* In ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', Bill Cipher is considered to be this, who is a one-eyed triangle bent on world domination.
* In ''WesternAnimation/InsideJob2021'', the world is controlled by a council of shadowy inhuman figures. However, since they don't want to deal with any of the managerial business, they outsourced the heavy lifting of keeping the conspiracies under wraps. The show focuses on Cognito Inc., which is only one of the businesses that keep the ignorant masses ignorant. Their rival company is the actual Illuminati, which is lead by [[Creator/OprahWinfrey Oprah]]. The Illuminatti get a bit more focus on season 2 and are more developed, explaining that their ranks are filled with celebrities (their top brass is composed of Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Oprah, and they are connected with multiple actors) and specialize much more in controlling pop culture than Cognito, being considered the coolest and most hip among the secret groups that run the world. They also differ from Cognito in their preference for using magic and the occult in their plans when compared to the other company's preference for science based exploits.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Minoriteam}}'' had The White Shadow, who is a living Eye in a Pyramid.
%%* ''WesternAnimation/FreaknikTheMusical''
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'' has [[spoiler:the Church of the Black Klok, an ancient religious group that has foreseen all of the events surrounding Dethklok, brought Ofdensen back to life, and guarded the prophecy that details how Dethklok will save the world from the apocalypse brought on by Salacia/The Half Man.]]
* As quoted above, in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'', one of the facts that the Question reveals while [[UnreliableNarrator under torture]] concerns the Illuminati.
* The episode "Black Mystery Month" of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' features a group called the Illumi''nut''i, which guards the secret history of peanut butter... which is actually much more meaningful than it sounds. [[spoiler:Specifically, it was an accidental invention of Mary Todd Lincoln, and UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln plotted to credit it to an African-American man in order to ease post-Civil War race relations. When he was murdered, the plot stalled until it fell into the hands of UsefulNotes/GroverCleveland, who completed it by passing credit onto [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Carver George Washington Carver]][[note]]Contrary to popular belief, while Carver did develop hundreds of agricultural uses of peanuts, [[ArtisticLicenseHistory he didn't actually invent peanut butter in real life either]][[/note]]. Not only do the Illuminuti guard this secret, they're also searching for a legendary "jar of proof" -- the sole remaining evidence that proved it was not a black man's invention -- in order to destroy it, as they fear the truth getting out will send America into racial chaos and hatred not seen since the Civil War]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'':Dr. Venture is invited to join the Illuminati in "The Unicorn in Captivity". He spends the whole episode hemming and hawing about whether to join their ranks and play by their rules. [[spoiler:Turns out the Illuminati are fake and the whole time Venture has been hooked up to a VR simulator.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', the Light seems to have a lot of Illuminati-characteristics, down to the name ("The Light" being very similar to "the enlightened ones"). In addition, the first member of The Light is Vandal Savage, who formed the Illuminati in the comics.
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In the episode "The Ricklantis Mix-up", we find out that the Council of Ricks that Rick C-137 (the show's "main Rick") [[spoiler:killed off in "The Rickshank Redemption"]] were actually [[TheManBehindTheMan controlled from behind the scenes]] by the Shadow Council of Ricks, who plan to control the newly elected [[spoiler:President Morty in the same way. Unfortunately for them, this is subverted when President Morty turns out to actually be Evil Morty, and he promptly subjects the Shadow Council to the BoardToDeath trope by having all but two of them killed, with the remaining two forced to be subservient to him]].

"Illuminati" means "[[LightIsNotGood the enlightened ones]]" in GratuitousLatin. There ''was'' a Masonic-like organization of intellectuals which was [[TropeNamer given this name]] in RealLife Bavaria in the 1770s, but it was eventually disbanded by the Bavarian government.[[note]]At least, ''officially''. (Cue spooky music)[[/note]] There are [[ConspiracyTheorist people]] who fervently believe the Illuminati survived this purge, orchestrated UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution (as part of their OneWorldOrder efforts), and still exist, very much as described above; find more details under Real Life below, or go check out Website/{{Wikipedia}}'s [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati article.]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* There is some historical basis for the Illuminati. During 1776, a group of Bavarian Germans formed a secret society and used "Illuminati" as their name. The self-imposed mission of the Illuminati was to fight against abuses of state power, religion, and prejudice and was founded by Adam Weishaupt. The organization did get pretty popular, having members from many other parts of Germany, and earning the hatred of the Catholic Church. However, it was banned by the Bavarian government and disbanded in 1785. According to the conspiracy theories, this was just the beginning: the Illuminati actually left Bavaria for Scotland, infiltrated the Masons, founded America, and now control the entire world from a smoke-filled room. They achieved such a prominent place in conspiracy lore because the Illuminati's disbandment was followed shortly by UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. The book ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_Illustrating_the_History_of_Jacobinism Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism]]'' by Catholic priest Abbé Augustin Barruel alleged that the Revolution was an antimonarchist ploy concocted by the Illuminati, Freemason and Jacobins. This idea was later propogated by Scottish physicist [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Robison_(physicist) John Robison]] in his book ''Proofs of a Conspiracy'', where he claimed Freemasonry was infiltrated by the Illuminati when it supposedly disbanded, which then sparked the French Revolution. He got these ideas from Alexander Horn, a Benedictine monk and fellow Scotsman who worked as a spy in Europe.
* Throughout the nineteenth century, politically reactionary circles blamed every leftist movement and revolution on Illuminati subversion. The Illuminati theory was taken up by fascists in the early twentieth century and by the far-right John Birch Society during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar. At this point, the theory had clearly lost touch with its roots. Whatever else can be said about the John Birch Society, they're definitely not monarchists. Indeed, the John Birch Society changed the Illuminati from proponents of secular democracy to proponents of [[RedScare Soviet-style communism]]. Perhaps it's not surprising that subsequent mutation would change it from being an exclusively right-wing conspiracy theory to the apolitical one it seems to be now. In the current version of the conspiracy theory, the Illuminati is apparently in favor of some kind of generic totalitarian state, ''[[{{Irony}} the opposite of what the real Illuminati wanted]]''.
* Nazi Germany's ambassador to the UK, Joachim von Ribbentrop, was convinced that Britain was ruled by a secret society of hereditary nobles, and spent much of his time wooing members of the House of Lords and the alleged Nazi sympathizer King Edward VIII, hoping to be inducted into the cabal. Of course, it wasn't, and he more or less ignored the Cabinet and Commons, who held the vast majority of political power even by the 1930's.
* Around 2013 in UsefulNotes/SouthKorea there began a ConspiracyTheory regarding a [[{{Matriarchy}} feminist shadow government]] made up of the eight richest women in the country, colloquially referred to as the "Eight Goddesses", with the president merely being a PuppetKing. ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_South_Korean_political_scandal This ended up being partially true]]'', as it was revealed by whistleblowers and a confession from President Park herself in 2016 that she was being manipulated by a cult leader named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choi_Soon-sil Soon-sil Choi]] behind the scenes. The entire country fell into panic, Park was arrested and sentenced to over 30 years in prison before being pardoned by her successor President Moon in 2021, and Choi was arrested and sentenced to 23 years. Despite the nation recovering and electing the conservative Suk-yeol Yoon (the former Chief Prosecutor who played a key role in President Park's conviction) in 2022, rumors persist [[NothingIsScarier that the other seven goddesses are still at large]].
[[/folder]]

* This is mentioned in ''ComicBook/FromHell'', along with a number of other secret societies, though the Masons take center stage.
** Creator/AlanMoore used a lot of Illuminati symbology in ''Comicbook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' too.
** There's Illuminati symbolism in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' too (Ozymandias anyone?); either Alan Moore is a conspiracy theorist himself or he... KNOWS SOMETHING!

* The Series/Millennium1996 Group became something of an {{expy}} for this in the last season, which was some distance from the original concept.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'': the Imperium has been seeded with a society of exorcists who call themselves Illuminati. Unlike most examples, these guys are actually good. They are also [[SummonBiggerFish effectively subservient to the Imperium]], even trying to buddy up with the Imperium's [[StateSec "holy Inquisition"]], which is normally a good way to get yourself killed.

* ''VideoGame/DeusEx''. [[spoiler:And they're debatably the '''good''' guys. Their rogue spin-off organization, the Majestic 12, on the other hand, are decidedly not.]]

* The Illuminati is one of the three playable factions in the ConspiracyKitchenSink MMORPG ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'', along with the Templars ([[InsistentTerminology who are not]], but have ties to, the historical UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar) and an Asian-themed "Dragon" society. Their defining trait is the CardCarryingVillain MegaCorp power structure, where employees will frequently backstab each other when they're not busy exploiting the masses, [[AtLeastIAdmitIt and constantly boast about it]].

* Mobius from ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin'' and ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin2'' are an influential organization that controls every system of government, having controlled everything behind the scenes for a very long time. Their Administrator funded Ruvik's [=STEM=] research as a means of bringing everyone into a single HiveMind under their OneWorldOrder. Every operative, from janitorial to the Administrator himself, has a chip implanted in their skull, making sure that any sign of disloyalty meant instant death (something that takes them down in the end).

* In ''WebVideo/BackwardsSongsWithLuke'', musicians are not only being controlled or threatened by The Illuminati, but they had also kidnapped Luke on at least two occasions due to his research.

%%* ''FreaknikTheMusical''

* Dr. Venture is invited to join the Illuminati in ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' episode "The Unicorn in Captivity". He spends the whole episode hemming and hawing about whether to join their ranks and play by their rules. [[spoiler:Turns out the Illuminati are fake and the whole time Venture has been hooked up to a VR simulator.]]

* As noted above, there is some historical basis for the Illuminati. During 1776, a group of Bavarian Germans formed a secret society and used "Illuminati" as their name. The self-imposed mission of the Illuminati was to fight against abuses of state power, superstition, religion, and prejudice (that's right, folks: the actual Illuminati were ''secular liberals'') and was founded by Adam Weishaupt. The organization did get pretty popular, having members from many other parts of Germany, and earning the hatred of the Catholic Church. However, it was banned by the Bavarian government and disbanded in 1785. According to the conspiracy theories, this was just the beginning: the Illuminati actually left Bavaria for Scotland, infiltrated the Masons, founded America, and now control the entire world from a smoke-filled room. [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife This includes TV Tropes.]]
* If you're wondering how the historical Illuminati achieved such a prominent place in conspiracy lore, it's largely because the Illuminati's disbandment was followed shortly by UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. The TropeCodifier is the book ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_Illustrating_the_History_of_Jacobinism Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism]]'' by right-wing Catholic priest Abbé Augustin Barruel. Barruel blamed UsefulNotes/TheEnlightenment as a malign and foreign influence on France, stating that the French people were content being subjects of their King and that evil secret socities under their Illuminati, Freemason and Jacobin fronts introduced foreign ideas like democracy and liberty. This idea was later propogated by Scottish physicist [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Robison_(physicist) John Robison]] in his book ''Proofs of a Conspiracy'', where he claimed Freemasonry was infiltrated by the Illuminati when it supposedly disbanded, which then sparked the French Revolution. He got these ideas from Alexander Horn, a Benedictine monk and fellow Scotsman who worked as a spy in Europe. Make no mistake, the Illuminati conspiracy theory was started by religious and constitutional monarchists who thought secular democracy was the most evil thing ever.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' featured a group by this name. Xanatos himself is merely a junior member. While not explored much in the actual show (it is a ''secret'' conspiracy, after all), the comic book sequel and WordOfGod go into more detail: it was founded by [[Myth/ArthurianLegend knights of Camelot]] after the kingdom fell, some of those knights are immortal and still running the organization, and they seem to be preparing for the return of Myth/KingArthur. There are also only [[NumberOfTheBeast 666]] members at any one time, though that may only be a side-effect of their ranking system (one guy at the top, two second-in-commands, three below them, all the way down to rank 36 members at the bottom).

Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?\\

* As noted above, there is some historical basis for the Illuminati. During 1776, a group of Bavarian Germans formed a secret society and used "Illuminati" as their name. The self-imposed mission of the Illuminati was to fight against abuses of state power, superstition, religion, and prejudice. (That's right, folks: the actual Illuminati were ''secular liberals'') and was founded by Adam Weishaupt. The organization did get pretty popular, having members from many other parts of Germany, and earning the hatred of the Catholic Church. However, it was banned by the Bavarian government and disbanded in 1785. According to the conspiracy theories, this was just the beginning: the Illuminati actually left Bavaria for Scotland, infiltrated the Masons, founded America, and now control the entire world from a smoke-filled room. [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife This includes TV Tropes.]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Hitman}}'' has [[GreaterScopeVillain Providence]], a secret society founded by three old money families in the wake of World War 2 that controls the world from the shadows, and are the main antagonists of the franchise's ''VideoGame/WorldOfAssassinationTrilogy''. They're the ones behind the Sapienza virus (to make the ICA Obsolete), the Moroccan coup (to make the Moroccan government look inept while stealing money from the people via Strandberg), and are also responsible for [[spoiler:the super-soldier experiment that led to the creation of 47 and the Shadow Client.]] Their name originates from the Eye of Providence, the symbol typically associated with the Illuminati.

'''The''' AncientConspiracy. '''The''' OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness. '''''The''''' OneWorldOrder. Founded at the dawn of human history, if not earlier, they gather influence and wealth, spinning their webs of lies and deceit in the shadowy heights of society. Or maybe they're just a bunch of rich old men with pretensions of grandeur. Either way, when a creator of popular culture needs a name for this group, they often turn to "The Illuminati" and their "[[EyeOfProvidence Eye in the Pyramid]]" symbol; both have percolated their way into semi-general use, come across as refined and ancient, and (mostly) [[HistoricalDomainCharacter aren't under copyright]].

* They were the main antagonists in ''Anime/{{Symphogear}} AXZ''

[[caption-width-right:350:Who controls the British crown? Who keeps the metric system down? [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons We do, we do!]]\\
Who keeps Atlantis off the maps? Who keeps the Martians under wraps? We do, we do!]]

* Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson's ''Literature/{{Illuminatus}}'' trilogy helped spread the name. The books are a MindScrew told by {{Unreliable Narrator}}s and infamous for giving complex explanations for the origins of the Illuminati, and then subverting them later on, sometimes with information that is equally wrong. It doesn't help that there have been several groups throughout history under that name. The original Illuminati, according to the book, are [[spoiler: Atlanteans who have been hiding under the Himalayas.]] Also there is a gigantic pyramid-squid.

* Elliot from ''Series/MrRobot'' has a theory the 1% of the 1% secretly control all of humanity rather than governments. [[spoiler: He's proven to be, at least partially, right when season 1 ends with an informal gathering of these individuals doing exactly what he thinks they do.]]

** Also featured in the prequel ''[[VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution Human Revolution.]]'' [[spoiler: Taggart describes the Illuminati as "just a name used to get rich people to invest more money," and he's not far off; the organization's every attempt to assert more control over the world goes completely off the rails, often due to internal sabotage. It's no wonder the first game's BigBad was able to usurp nearly all of their resources for Majestic 12. Of course, Taggart ''is'' a [[ThatLiarLies lying liar who lies]], and the organization ''was'' able to transform Zhao and Taggart from small fry to global power brokers.]]

** The Illuminati play a vital part in the plot of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', which is set few before ''III''. i.e., they're behind [[spoiler: Charlie Nash being BackFromTheDead (with Gill's SexySecretary Kolin as a sort-of monitor)]] and also [[spoiler: have Juri Han as their ally in exchange for a new eye that replaces her Feng Shui Engine]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'' has [[spoiler: the Church of the Black Klok, an ancient religious group that has foreseen all of the events surrounding Dethklok, brought Ofdensen back to life, and guarded the prophecy that details how Dethklok will save the world from the apocalypse brought on by Salacia/The Half Man.]]

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': The Illuminati is one of the 108 member organization of the Global Occult Coalition, an anti-anomalous organization under the [[FictionalUnitedNations United Nations]] and main rivals for the eponymous SCP Foundation.

"Illuminati" means "[[LightIsNotGood the enlightened ones]]" in GratuitousLatin. There ''was'' a Masonic-like organization of intellectuals which was [[TropeNamer given this name]] in RealLife Bavaria in the 1770s, but it was eventually disbanded by the Bavarian government.[[note]]At least, ''officially''. (Cue spooky music)[[/note]] There are [[ConspiracyTheorist people]] who fervently believe the Illuminati survived this purge, orchestrated UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution (as part of their OneWorldOrder efforts), and still exist, very much as described above; find more details under Real Life below, or go check out Wiki/{{Wikipedia}}'s [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati article.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/InsideJob2021'', the world is controlled by a council of shadowy inhuman figures. However, since they don't want to deal with any of the managerial business, they outsourced the heavy lifting of keeping the conspiracies under wraps. The show focuses on Cognito Inc., which is only one of the businesses that keep the ignorant masses ignorant. Their rival company is the actual Illuminati, which is lead by [[Creator/OprahWinfrey Oprah]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/InsideJob'', the world is controlled by a council of shadowy inhuman figures. However, since they don't want to deal with any of the managerial business, they outsourced the heavy lifting of keeping the conspiracies under wraps. The show focuses on Cognito Inc., which is only one of the businesses that keep the ignorant masses ignorant. Their rival company is the actual Illuminati, which is lead by [[Creator/OprahWinfrey Oprah]].

[[folder:Film]]

* Los Illuminados in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4''. Subverted by Albert Wesker being a more successful infiltrator behind the scenes than their entire organization.

* As noted above, there is some historical basis for the Illuminati. During 1776, a group of Bavarian Germans formed a secret society and used "Illuminati" as their name. The self-imposed mission of the Illuminati was to fight against abuses of state power, superstition, religion, and prejudice. (That's right, folks: the actual Illuminati were ''secular liberals''.) The organization did get pretty popular, having members from many other parts of Germany, and earning the hatred of the Catholic Church. However, it was banned by the Bavarian government and disbanded in 1785. According to the conspiracy theories, this was just the beginning: the Illuminati actually left Bavaria for Scotland, infiltrated the Masons, founded America, and now control the entire world from a smoke-filled room. This includes TV Tropes.

'''The''' AncientConspiracy. '''The''' OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness. '''''The''''' OneWorldOrder. Founded at the dawn of human history, if not earlier, they gather influence and wealth, spinning their webs of lies and deceit in the shadowy heights of society. Or maybe they're just a bunch of rich old men with pretensions of grandeur. Either way, when a creator of popular culture needs a name for this group, they often turn to "The Illuminati" and their "[[EyeMotifs Eye in]] [[PyramidPower the Pyramid]]" symbol; both have percolated their way into semi-general use, come across as refined and ancient, and (mostly) [[HistoricalDomainCharacter aren't under copyright]].

* If you're wondering how the historical Illuminati achieved such a prominent place in conspiracy lore, it's largely because the Illuminati's disbandment was followed shortly by UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. The TropeCodifier is the book ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_Illustrating_the_History_of_Jacobinism Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism]]'' by right-wing Catholic priest Abbé Augustin Barruel. Barruel blamed UsefulNotes/TheEnlightenment as a malign and foreign influence on France, stating that the French people were content being subjects of their King and that evil secret socities under their Illuminati, Freemason and Jacobin fronts introduced foreign ideas like democracy and liberty. Make no mistake, the Illuminati conspiracy theory was started by religious and constitutional monarchists who thought secular democracy was the most evil thing ever.

* If you're wondering how the historical Illuminati achieved such a prominent place in conspiracy lore, it's largely because the Illuminati's disbandment was followed shortly by UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution. The TropeCodifier is the book ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_Illustrating_the_History_of_Jacobinism Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism]]'' by right-wing Catholic priest Abbé Augustin Barruel. Barruel blamed UsefulNotes/TheEnlightenment as a malign and foreign influence on France, stating that the French people were content being subjects of their King and that evil secret socities under their Illuminati, Freemason and Jacobin fronts introduced foreign ideas like democracy and liberty. This book was supremely popular and was even picked up by English statesman Edmund Burke who also attributed the Revolution to the malign influence of "[[ValuesDissonance jew brokers]]" which sowed the seeds for the far more deadly anti-semitic conspiracy theory. Make no mistake, the Illuminati conspiracy theory was started by religious and constitutional monarchists who thought secular democracy was the most evil thing ever.

* In ''Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'', [[spoiler:the Marvel version above makes its live-action debut as an AlternateUniverse equivalent of ComicBook/TheAvengers. Similar to the comics their roster consisted of ComicBook/MisterFantastic, [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX Professor X]], [[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 Captain Carter]], ComicBook/BlackBolt, and AlternateUniverse Captain Marvel with Karl Mordo replacing the late ComicBook/DoctorStrange. Unlike the down-to-earth RagtagBunchOfMisfits that made up the Avengers, the Illuminati were a bunch of haughty {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s, save [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor X]].]]

* The resident ConspiracyTheorist Gomez in ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'' has a particularly convoluted theory about the Illuminati (read it [[Quotes/ConspiracyTheorist here]]). Of course, this being the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness, that theory has a good chance to be true...