Appearances can be deceiving. Just ask those who unwittingly serve the Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster. When the game of politics is played with daggers and poison (and worse), sometimes the most advantageous place to be is off the board entirely. Playing the part of the witless, raving lunatic is a useful (and life-extending) tactic when surrounded by murderous schemers: rather than waste their energies eliminating the idiot, they spend their time instead betraying and sabotaging their more obvious rivals, leaving the Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster free to turn the players into pieces in his own game. When he makes a move, everyone assumes it's one of the other players manipulating him. Once the deception is complete, he can act with impunity.
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| - Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster
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| rdfs:comment
| - Appearances can be deceiving. Just ask those who unwittingly serve the Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster. When the game of politics is played with daggers and poison (and worse), sometimes the most advantageous place to be is off the board entirely. Playing the part of the witless, raving lunatic is a useful (and life-extending) tactic when surrounded by murderous schemers: rather than waste their energies eliminating the idiot, they spend their time instead betraying and sabotaging their more obvious rivals, leaving the Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster free to turn the players into pieces in his own game. When he makes a move, everyone assumes it's one of the other players manipulating him. Once the deception is complete, he can act with impunity.
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| abstract
| - Appearances can be deceiving. Just ask those who unwittingly serve the Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster. When the game of politics is played with daggers and poison (and worse), sometimes the most advantageous place to be is off the board entirely. Playing the part of the witless, raving lunatic is a useful (and life-extending) tactic when surrounded by murderous schemers: rather than waste their energies eliminating the idiot, they spend their time instead betraying and sabotaging their more obvious rivals, leaving the Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster free to turn the players into pieces in his own game. When he makes a move, everyone assumes it's one of the other players manipulating him. Once the deception is complete, he can act with impunity. There are two main variations on this trope:
* 1. The character is in a position of authority, but plays dumb so that his "loyal underlings" believe he can be easily swayed in their favor.
* 2. The character is in a position of no obvious authority at all, but which allows him to exercise influence over others regardless. A subtrope of Manipulative Bastard. Compare Not-So-Harmless Villain. Examples of Apparently Powerless Puppetmaster include:
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