History Main / MeatPuppet

* Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee and its sequels Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee have the titular character, Abe, possessing and controlling his enemies in his efforts to save his species from extinction and free them from slavery. Ironically, in Abe's Exoddus, secondary antagonist General Dripik refers to Abe as a 'Mudokon Meat-Puppet', without any correlation to the trope.

[[quoteright:298:[[WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/billy_mandy_meat_puppets.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:298: "And if at first they think it's strange, they won't think twice if they don't have a brain!"]]

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%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1630093488033742400
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
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[[quoteright:298:[[WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/billy_mandy_meat_puppets.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:298: "And if at first they think it's strange, they won't think twice if they don't have a brain!"]]
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->''"I'm not too fond of getting my hands dirty; instead, I take over the minds of others. They do everything I say, like good little puppets."''
-->-- '''Jov Leonov,''' ''VideoGame/PsiOpsTheMindgateConspiracy''

Not to be confused with [[PeoplePuppets People Puppets]] — or [[Music/MeatPuppets a certain rock band from Phoenix]] — a Meat Puppet is a biological and (usually) living [[BodyAndHost Host]] that has been taken control over by a PuppeteerParasite, [[BodySnatcher Body Snatcher]] or similar character, be it through science or occultic sorcery. The attempt to control a potential Meat Puppet in such a manner either results in [[PeoplePuppets Body Control]], [[MindControl Mind Control]] or [[DemonicPossession Demonic Possession]]. Compare to EmptyShell.

The purpose of a Meat Puppet is usually to act as a tool for the controller, ranging from basic slaves to intricately placed spies, sometimes also being used as a "Seeing Eye Dog" if the controller can remotely view through the puppet's senses. Generally, a Meat Puppet is a [[FacelessGoons Faceless Goon]], used as a [[HumanShield Meat Shield]], or simply becomes a brainwashed {{Mook|s}} that's expendable to a villain or antihero in control of it.

The following are special types of Meat Puppets chosen for specific purposes:

[[index]]
* BigDumbBody — A meat puppet that holds little intelligence, but is desirable for its physical prowess and durability.
* LivingBodysuit — when a host is chosen as a disguise for reasons of secrecy and espionage.
* WetwareBody — a biological body possessed by a computer.
* WillingChanneler — a Host who "wants" to be controlled, or at least isn't against having his/her body used by someone (or something) else.
[[/index]]

An entirely alternate meaning refers to TheInternet and NewMedia culture in social media: an online "entourage" or crowd of [[YesMan Yes People]] surrounding a particular Internet user and/or a "personal army" of Internet users recruited to attack or defend someone in a FlameWar or internet flare, or to promote them or their product. This is connected to AstroTurf except that AstroTurf is usually for a politician, product, company, or one side in a war or conflict, whereas a Meat Puppet can appear anywhere (and are often ''why'' a debate escalates to Flame War, Internet Backdraft, or appearing on Fandom Wank levels). These are usually called Meat Puppet as opposed to SockPuppet, because they ''are'' actually separate people, unlike a Sock Puppet, which is a different user identity (or collection of them) created by the same person. That said, good luck in telling them apart, especially in places that allow anonymity and don't ban proxies.

----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk:'' [[spoiler:The Leader gains the ability to hijack people thanks to his stay in the Below Place, including Rick Jones, then the Green Scar Hulk. Though after three bodies he starts to get distracted from splitting his attention four ways.]]
* ''ComicBook/{{Nova}}'': The EldritchAbomination Nightmare Rich encounters on his first visit to Knowhere likes to turn people into these, starting with an entire team of heroes called the Luminals. Side-effect, they tend to explode if grazed with a gravimetric beam.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': For his final confrontation with ComicBook/{{Artemis}} and Diana the White, Magician uses magic to override and physically alter Cassie Arnold and ComicBook/{{Cheetah}} into his minions, who attack whomever he directs them at and seem to have no mental capacity of their own. Cassie is killed by the experience, though Cheetah survives.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films — Animated]]
* ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie''. Mewtwo takes control of [[spoiler:the local Nurse Joy]]'s mind and uses her as the interface between it and the trainers invited to the island before it reveals itself.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
* The avatar Na'vi bodies in ''Film/{{Avatar}}''.
* ''Film/BeingJohnMalkovich'': John Malkovich is under control of the protagonist for much of the movie when he is inside Malkovich's head.
* Done rather disturbingly by [[spoiler:TheDevil]] in ''Film/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' to the crew of a space ship.
* In ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' and ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'', Agent Smith overwrites Bane inside the Matrix and uses his body to escape into the real world.
* In ''Film/StarshipTroopers2HeroOfTheFederation'', [[PuppeteerParasite Control Bugs]] take over an entire outpost of [[RedshirtArmy Mobile Infantry]] soldiers and pit them against the main characters.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', people who have been infested by a [[PuppeteerParasite Yeerk]] are known as Controllers. The host is [[AndIMustScream fully conscious but unable to move]], save for a few seconds of FightingFromTheInside if they're lucky. The Yeerk can read all of the host's thoughts and memories, and communicate them through [[{{Telepathy}} thought-speak]].
* Two very creepy examples in ''Literature/TheCasterChronicles'' - [[spoiler:Sarafine inhabiting Mrs. Lincoln in ''Beautiful Creatures'', and Mrs. English being possessed by the Lilum in ''Beautiful Chaos'']].
* ''Literature/ImperialRadch'': The ancillaries from ''Literature/AncillaryJustice''. They're typically made using dissidents from conquered worlds, who have implants shoved into their brains that permanently render them extensions of a ship's AI, obliterating all previous identity. They're used as ground soldiers or anything else that needs a pair of hands. Most people call them [[FateWorseThanDeath corpse soldiers]].
* Creator/GeorgeRRMartin had a short story in which the corpses of executed criminals were implanted with control chips and sold as industrial equipment. They were only good for certain types of work, because they were somewhat clumsy and required human operators. Much of the plot revolved around the practical and financial issues facing the corpse-driver protagonists.
* ''Old Virginia'' by Laird Barron had a HumanoidAbomination sitting on the shoulders of various people and using them for transport (a case of being literally hagridden), controlling them through tendrils inserted into their spine. This ends up being the fate of the protagonist as well.
* In ''The Devils Of D-Day'' by Creator/GrahamMasterton, the demon Elmek possesses a local priest. When the protagonist demands to know what happened to the real Father Anton, Elmek points out he just stepped on his entrails. Turns out in this case DemonicPossession means ripping out the victim's insides and sitting inside the body, working it like a literal puppet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWho2019NYSResolution "Resolution"]], the villain controls archaeologist Lin in this fashion, forcing her to build it a new set of armour. [[spoiler:After its casing is destroyed, the Dalek recon scout takes over Aaron, Ryan's estranged father.]]
-->'''Lin:''' Who are...[[WhatTheHellAreYou what are you?]]\\
'''Creature:''' I am your pilot now.\\
''(Lin struggles to pull the creature off her back, only for her hand to be forced back down)''\\
'''Creature:''' Do not fight me. I have control of your body. All brain and motor functions are under my power.\\
'''Lin:''' Please, no...\\
'''Creature:''' Silence. See how I control you. Turn. ''(Lin jerks round to face the mirror)'' Look. ''(It speaks through her mouth.)'' You are my prisoner now. You are my...puppet.
* In ''Series/TheFlash2014'', Doctor Alchemy was created by [[spoiler:Savitar taking over Julian Albert's mind with the Philosopher's Stone]].
* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', demons and angels require vessels to walk the earth. The term meat puppet is often used.
-->'''Meg:''' ([[DemonicPossession possessing]] Sam) Sam's still my Meat Puppet. I'll make him bite his tongue off.
* ''Series/TheGhostAndMrsMuir'': In "Centennial", the captain takes over Claymore's body so he can dance with Mrs. Muir.
* In an episode of ''Series/DeadGorgeous'', Mr. Griffith is laid up with a kidney stone. To avoid having Miss Sinclaire expel the Ainsworth girls, their ghost guide Agatha possesses Mr. Griffith and forces him up out of bed.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/PsionicsTheNextStageInHumanEvolution'': Powerful psychokinetics can hijack people's bodies and remotely control them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* The [[FaceHugger Krana]] in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' can control a being once attached to his or her face. If they possess a [[LittlePeople Matoran]], it's a straight example of the trope, since Matoran lapse into unconciousness when separated from their MaskOfPower. However, if they possess a Toa, there will be a struggle for control between Krana and host. IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight ensues.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
%%* The zombie virus in ''VideoGame/DeadSpace''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Geist}}'' surrounds itself in having the player possess hosts both biological and machine to affect the living world and defeat the BigBad. There's even a minigame devoted to Ghosts vs Hosts.
* ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'': [[spoiler:Yomiel can possess and manipulate living creatures the way Sissel manipulates inanimate objects. Aside from his cat the hosts are either unknowing or unwilling, but he can also possess the EmptyShell of his own corpse.]]
* The ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series features various types of headcrab creatures that overlap with ZombieMooks. The headcrabs apparently latch onto the skull of the host, eat their way through it, and then control the new "corpse" while simultaneously mutating it to make it even nastier. The host remains [[TechnicallyLivingZombie alive]] and [[AndIMustScream conscious]] the whole time, of course.
* The Flood parasites of ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' insert their tendrils into the nervous systems of their host subjects. Afterwards, they control and mutate the host in the same way that headcrabs do.
* This is the implied case with Millennia from ''[[VideoGame/{{Deception}} Kagero: Deception II]]''. She never speaks in cutscenes aside from nodding or shaking her head, but exactly ''how much'' control the Timemoids are exhibiting over her is [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation up to the player]] via {{Dialogue Tree}}s.
* In ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'', [[spoiler:after defeating [[BigBad Cackletta]], her defeated spirit takes over the beaten-up body of Bowser and becomes... Bowletta.]]
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': '''[[VillainOverride ASSUMING]] [[DemonicPossession DIRECT]] [[BossInMooksClothing CONTROL]]''' Really, Reaper Indoctrination in the ''Mass Effect' series is a mass (no pun intended) version of this.
* ''VideoGame/MeatPuppet'': Yes, there is a game whose title is the same as this trope, and the game mostly follows the description at the top. Lotos/Lotus Abstraction answered a personal ad that said about "nocturnal missions". She is being controlled by The Puppet Master/Martinet. She is required to make {{Asshole Victim}}s out of six leaders of the most profitable corporations (also known as ambassadors), and do this in one night, or else the suit that was put on her against her will will self-destruct and kill her! This is what Martinet is trying to accomplish: [[spoiler:The Puppet Master wants to use Lotos to reassemble the fractured genetic key to universal entropy and shut down the universe. That would make Lotos accomplice to the biggest murder of all time a prospect that displeases her greatly. She'd rather save the world instead]]. You can find out more [[http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/previews/meatpuppet.htm here]].
* Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee and its sequels Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee have the titular character, Abe, possessing and controlling his enemies in his efforts to save his species from extinction and free them from slavery. Ironically, in Abe's Exoddus, secondary antagonist General Dripik refers to Abe as a 'Mudokon Meat-Puppet', without any correlation to the trope.
* ''VideoGame/PainKiller'' also contains a character who uses mind control to manipulate potential enemy hosts, (and sometimes including allies).
* ''VideoGame/PsiOpsTheMindgateConspiracy'' refers to mind controlled soldiers (under the terrorist group: The Movement) as Meat Puppets, and is the trope namer in this case.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In Chapter Two of ''Literature/AntlersColorado'', [[spoiler:Austin is possessed and used as a vessel by an evil entity that has been bound to a lake for centuries. There's a chapter from Lake-Austin's point of view where it's obvious that the lake has no idea what the limitations of a human body are, or just doesn't care.]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Fite}}'', [[spoiler:the Mutali turns out to be just puppets of Skerry.]]
* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'' gives us the unnerving possibility of this being the ultimate fate of victims of ThePlague that resulted in the current AfterTheEnd setting the characters find themselves in. Be they Beast (animal-based victims), Troll (human-based victims) or Giant (combo-platter critters). As if facing becoming a BodyOfBodies and/or MeatMoss BodyHorror wasn't enough, you could be trapped and watching yourself attack others for ''[[AndIMustScream decades]]''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': In the episode "Little Rock of Horrors", a [[MusicalEpisode singing meteor monster]] from outer space crashes in town. It feeds on brains, and convinces Billy to bring him his friends, family and neighbors to feed on. The monster feeds by taking out their brains from their ears, which instead of killing them turns the townspeople into green eyed, tongue-lolling zombies vulnerable to control to its psychic powers (as pictured above). The more brains it eats, the more backup dancers it can add to the throng.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': It's revealed in [[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E28ChangeYourMind "Change Your Mind"]] that [[spoiler:White Diamond]] has EyeBeams that can turn other Gems into these for her, [[spoiler:turning them monochrome in the process]]. She [[EntertaininglyWrong also]] happens to think that [[HalfHumanHybrid Steven]] himself [[spoiler:was [[RaisedAsAHost created]] to serve as one for his MissingMom Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond. White is proven wrong when pulling out Steven's [[HeartDrive gemstone]] creates a LiteralSplitPersonality of him instead of his mother.]]
* This is an integral part of Irken biology when you delve deeper into the lore of ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'', one that would have been explored in more detail had the show not been cancelled. The Irkens' bodies are just a vessel, their memories and personalities [[WetwareBody are all contained in the PAKS on their backs]]. In one episode where we see Zim's birth, at first he lays on the ground motionless, but the instant the PAK is placed on him he is able to move and speak. The cancelled episode "Ten Minutes to Doom" would have revealed that the body can only live ten minutes without their PAKS.
[[/folder]]

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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/billy_mandy_meat_puppets_7.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350: "And if at first they think it's strange, they won't think twice if they don't have a brain!"]]

* ''Literature/ImperialRadch'': The ancillaries from ''Literature/AncillaryJustice''. They're typically made using dissidents from conquered worlds, who have implants shoved into their brains that permanently render them extensions of a ship’s AI, obliterating all previous identity. They’re used as ground soldiers or anything else that needs a pair of hands. Most people call them [[FateWorseThanDeath corpse soldiers]].

* ''TabletopGame/PsionicsTheNextStageInHumanEvolution'': Powerful psychokinetics can hijack people’s bodies and remotely control them.

* George R.R. Martin had a short story in which the corpses of executed criminals were implanted with control chips and sold as industrial equipment. They were only good for certain types of work, because they were somewhat clumsy and required human operators. Much of the plot revolved around the practical and financial issues facing the corpse-driver protagonists.

* In an episode of ''Series/DeadGorgeous'', Mr. Griffith is laid up with a kidney stone and Miss Sinclaire. To avoid having Miss Sinclaire expel the Ainsworth girls, their ghost guide Agatha possesses Mr. Griffith and forces him up out of bed.

'''Creature:''' I am your pilot now.
''(Lin struggles to pull the creature off her back, only for her hand to be forced back down)''

* This is an integral part of Irken biology when you delve deeper into the lore of ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'', one that would have been explored in more detail had the show not been cancelled. The Irkens' bodies are just a vessel, their memories and personalities are all contained in the PAKS on their backs. In one episode where we see Zim's birth, at first he lays on the ground motionless, but the instant the PAK is placed on him he is able to move and speak. The cancelled episode "Ten Minutes to Doom" would have revealed that the body can only live ten minutes without their PAKS.

%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1630093488033742400
%% Please see thread to discuss a new image.

An entirely alternate meaning refers to TheInternet and NewMedia culture in social media: an online "entourage" or crowd of [[YesMan Yes People]] surrounding a particular Internet user and/or a "personal army" of Internet users recruited to attack or defend someone in a FlameWar or flare of InternetBackdraft, or to promote them or their product. This is connected to AstroTurf except that AstroTurf is usually for a politician, product, company, or one side in a war or conflict, whereas a Meat Puppet can appear anywhere (and are often ''why'' a debate escalates to Flame War, Internet Backdraft, or appearing on Fandom Wank levels). These are usually called Meat Puppet as opposed to SockPuppet, because they ''are'' actually separate people, unlike a Sock Puppet, which is a different user identity (or collection of them) created by the same person. That said, good luck in telling them apart, especially in places that allow anonymity and don't ban proxies.

[[folder:Film — Animated]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': In the episode "Little Rock of Horrors", a [[MusicalEpisode singing meteor monster]] from outer space crashes in town. It feeds on brains, and convinces Billy to bring him his friends, family and neighbors to feed on. The monster feeds by taking out their brains from their ears, which instead of killing them turns the townspeople into green eyed, tongue-lolling zombies vulnerable to control to its psychic powers. The more brains it eats, the more backup dancers it can add to the throng.

[[quoteright:350:[[TabletopGame/YuGiOh https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mind_control_ygo.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/GlenOrGlenda Pull the string! PULL THE STRING!!]]]]

[[quoteright:300:[[TabletopGame/YuGiOh https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mind_Control_3255.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[Film/GlenOrGlenda Pull the string! PULL THE STRING!!]]]]

* Any controller in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''.

An entirely alternate meaning refers to TheInternet and NewMedia culture in social media: an online "entourage" or crowd of [[YesMan Yes People]] surrounding a particular Internet user and/or a "personal army" of Internet users recruited to attack or defend someone in a FlameWar or flare of InternetBackdraft, or to promote them or their product. This is connected to AstroTurf except that AstroTurf is usually for a politician, product, company, or one side in a war or conflict, whereas a Meat Puppet can appear anywhere (and are often ''why'' a debate escalates to Flame War, Internet Backdraft, or appearing on Fandom Wank levels). These are usually called Meat Puppet as opposed to SockPuppet, because they ''are'' actually separate people, unlike a Sock Puppet, which is a different user identity (or collection of them) created by the same person. That said, good luck in telling them apart, especially in [[{{GIFT}} places that allow anonymity and don't ban proxies]].

An entirely alternate meaning refers to TheInternet and NewMedia culture in social media: an online "entourage" or crowd of [[YesMan Yes People]] surrounding a particular Internet user and/or a "personal army" of Internet users recruited to attack or defend someone in a FlameWar or flare of InternetBackdraft, or to [[TheShill promote them or their product.]] This is connected to AstroTurf except that AstroTurf is usually for a politician, product, company, or one side in a war or conflict, whereas a Meat Puppet can appear anywhere (and are often ''why'' a debate escalates to Flame War, Internet Backdraft, or appearing on Fandom Wank levels). These are usually called Meat Puppet as opposed to SockPuppet, because they ''are'' actually separate people, unlike a Sock Puppet, which is a different user identity (or collection of them) created by the same person. That said, good luck in telling them apart, especially in [[{{GIFT}} places that allow anonymity and don't ban proxies]].

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': For his final confrontation with ComicBook/{{Artemis}} and Diana the White Magician uses magic to override and physically alter Cassie Arnold and ComicBook/{{Cheetah}} into his minions who attack whomever he directs them at and seem to have no mental capacity of their own. Cassie is killed by the experience though Cheetah survives.

* ''Literature/ImperialRadch'': The ancillaries from ''Literature/AncillaryJustice''. They're typically made using dissidents from conquered worlds, and act as ground soldiers and tools controlled by a ship's AI. Most people call them [[FateWorseThanDeath corpse soldiers]].

* The ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series features various types of headcrab creatures that overlap with ZombieMooks. The headcrabs apparently latch onto the skull of the host, eat their way through it, and then control the new "corpse" while simultaneously mutating it to make it even nastier.

* The Franchise/CthulhuMythos story ''Old Virginia'' had a HumanoidAbomination sitting on the shoulders of various people and using them for locomotion (a case of being literally hagridden), controlling them through tendrils inserted into their spine. This ends up being the fate of the protagonist as well.

* The CthulhuMythos story ''Old Virginia'' had a HumanoidAbomination sitting on the shoulders of the men sent to guard her and controlling them through tendrils inserted into their spine, a case of being literally hagridden. This ends up happening to the protagonist as well.