History Main / TheConspiracy

The Conspiracy is generally a great antagonist in any story, but two genres make a particularly extensive use of it:

* '''ConspiracyTheory''' is a ScrapbookStory detailing the progress of their plan at different times and places from different perspectives in FauxDocumentary style.
* '''ConspiracyThriller''' is a more traditional {{Thriller}} narrative [[RuleOfDrama centering on the conflict]] between TheHero and The Conspiracy.

* ''{{Hellsing}}'' has the Millennium Organization, a group of Nazi scientists that was thought to be wiped out by Hellsing but some of whom escaped out of Europe into Brazil in the aftermath of [[WorldWarII WWII]]. Their purpose was to develop a means of [[BioAugmentation engineering vampires]] and build an army of them. To what end? Why, [[TakeOverTheWorld world domination]] of course. A large portion of their funding came from the Vatican, although we're not quite sure why. In the years leading up to the main plot of the story, they periodically released groups of [[OurZombiesAreDifferent ghouls]] as a covert way of testing the defences of the Hellsing Organization and the world in general, as well as keeping them occupied until the moment came to unleash their undead army on the world.

* ''{{Series/TheHandmaidsTale}}'': Fred was part of one that led to Gilead's creation. It's a group, while their exact size is unknown. He proposed they commit false flag attacks on the Congress, President and Supreme Court. This was agreed to, and they succeeded.

* ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'': [[spoiler: The reason why predators are going savage is because a group of racist sheep led by [[BitchInSheepsClothing Assistant Mayor Dawn Bellwether]] created a PsychoSerum and sniped innocent predators with it. The ultimate goal is for [[FantasticRacism the prey vs. predator tensions]] in Zootopia to be stoked up to such a high level that the prey species (who collectively make up 90% of the population) will unite against the predator species and ensure that Bellwether stays in power.]]

* In ''HHB''-era ''[[TheChroniclesOfNarnia Narnia]]'' fanfiction In ''FanFic/TheFledglingYear'', the prince’s entourage gets caught up in a conspiracy by a group called the Finii, whose goal seems to be to systematically [[{{Assassin}} kill off]] the royal line of Archenland in order to put a distant cousin on the throne. (The fic is still a WIP, so it’s not yet fully developed.)

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* The less known thing about BeeTrain's ''GirlsWithGuns'' trilogy is that in addition to playing into three distinct action movie genres (see {{Trivia.BeeTrain}}), they also each center on a different type of conspiracy:

* The less known thing about BeeTrain's ''GirlsWithGuns'' trilogy is that in addition to playing into three distinct action movie genres (see {{Trivia.BeeTrain}}), they also each center on a different type of conspiracies:

* In '''Fanfic/{{Marionettes}}'' there's [[TheMenInBlack S.M.I.L.E., also known as the Stallions in Black]] who [[spoiler:seek to enforce the fate that they believe should happen, building the Marionettes]] and performing brainwashing innocent civilians to accomplish that goal. [[spoiler:It turns out they were originally a BenevolentConspiracy founded by Celestia to safeguard Equestria, especially from ''her'' in the event she fell to darkness like her sister had, and be a HeroesSecretService for Equestria's heroes. Unfortunately, since then they've become more and more corrupt until they became what they are now.]]

* ''EclipsePhase'' has Firewall, a "heroic" (well, anti-heroic) conspiracy that does not work for any government or criminal organization, and is devoted to the survival of transhumanity at all costs. Though there's also Project Ozma, [[spoiler: SETI turned MIB]].

* ''{{GURPS}} Illuminati'' is an invaluable resource for conspiracy-related games in general.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Sexual Healing", there is a vast conspiracy between all men in the world to keep a secret from all women in the world. That secret is... that AllMenArePerverts. All those rich and famous men who sleep with lots of women, possibly cheating on their girlfriend/wife in the process? They're suffering from the horrible disease of sex addiction, which was caused by [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot an alien who is also a wizard]] casting a spell on them. [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial It's totally]] ''[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial not]]'' [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial because guys are horndogs and would screw any and all willing women if they had the sheer number of opportunities that rich and famous men have]]. Honest. Whenever any man claims that ''they'' would never do such a thing even if they were rich and famous, all the men's eyes briefly glance at the closest woman in the room, checking to see if she believed the lie.

* ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'': Those who believe the chain of murders in Hinamizawa are not supernatural in nature generally believe there's a conspiracy of some kind in Hinamizawa pulling them off. Detective Ooishi, one of the most prominent police characters, suspects the Sonozaki family of being the masterminds but has no proof. [[spoiler:The truth is there ''is'' a conspiracy... but the Sonozakis are innocent and are as in the dark about it as anyone else. It's actually an outside GovernmentConspiracy that's studying the mysterious Hinamizawa Syndrome, though they are only directly behind some of the serial murders... a few of them are genuine coincidences that just happened to fall on the day of Watanagashi.]]

* The Masons in DancingOnTheEdge are presumably involved with all sorts of conspiracies but they're efforts to frame [[spoiler: Louie]] for [[spoiler: Jessie's murder]] deserve particular notice as they are able to do things like fake passport stamps thanks to their government ties.

* '''AncientConspiracy''': A secret society consisting of otherwise unrelated individuals who pursue some (possibly esoteric) goals that, as the name implies, is pretty old (likely going back to TheKnightsTemplar, TheIlluminati, etc.), and very, ''very'' well-hidden. Their power comes either from long-term [[TheChessmaster strategic planning]] or mystical sources.

* The [[BigBad Institute]] of ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' indirectly controls most of the Commonwealth through proxies and Synth agents who operate behind the scenes. They don't take a direct hand in running the place, but any time someone starts getting too technologically advanced and/or organised, the Institute will smother them in the pillow before they can grow to become a threat to their power. [[spoiler:As was the case with the original Minutemen. The Institute also have a nasty habit of destroying any pre-war technology by sending an army of Synths to destroy it and massacre anybody around to prevent them ever finding out what it is.]]

There are three basic kinds of conspiracies, though the borders between them are fluid:

* '''AncientConspiracy'''. A secret society consisting of otherwise unrelated individuals who pursue some (possibly esoteric) goals that, as the name implies, is pretty old (likely going back to TheKnightsTemplar, TheIlluminati, etc.), and very, ''very'' well-hidden. Their power comes either from long-term [[TheChessmaster strategic planning]] or mystical sources.
* '''GovernmentConspiracy'''. A secret project uniting a small number of members of a powerful but otherwise benevolent organization, usually but not necessarily TheGovernment (hence the name). The project can hardly be older than the government itself. Their power comes from their FrontOrganization's resources and the trust that NormalPeople put into it.
* '''NebulousCriminalConspiracy'''. An informal alliance between [[VillainWithGoodPublicity seemingly benevolent organizations or individuals]] and/or obviously [[NebulousEvilOrganisation evil/criminal/obscure ones]]. It's likely to be very recent. Their power comes from [[PlayingBothSides controlling everything from both sides]], though they may be too loosely organized to take full advantage of this. TheSyndicate isn't a conspiracy in itself because it's ObviouslyEvil, but it's almost always a member.

'''BenevolentConspiracy''' is a variation that lies slightly off the charts--an organization that acts like a conspiracy in many ways, but works for the benefit of the non-conspirators.

Slightly off the charts lies the '''BenevolentConspiracy'''--an organization that acts like a conspiracy in many ways, but works for the benefit of the non-conspirators.

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* TheWanderersLibrary has a [[http://wanderers-library.wikidot.com/a-brief-history-of-stairs hilariously petty one]]. For a long time in the world of Elrich, elevators were the only method of going up. When stairs were invented, they posed a threat to the livelihood of the Elra Architectural Sub-Union, which made elevators. In order to discredit stairs, they loosen one step that the king will be going up. He falls to his death, thus making sure no one will use stairs again.

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