Master Manipulators

Master Manipulators are a specific type of Mastermind, a highly intelligent adversary who often does not engage in direct conflict with a hero or rival villain unless they feel they have no choice or have already supposedly "won". They are manipulative by nature, inherently opportunistic and serve as Machiavellians that excel at driving wedges between former allies, breaking friendships, controlling/corrupting others, or even just causing unrest via manipulating the nature of society, individuals, or the system, which allows them to manipulate a situation or narrative. Many of them are capable of causing mass disruption and toppling entire civilizations before they are even seen as suspects and are often seen as heroes or "harmless" individuals through a false sense of safety and blind trust. Thus, they are among the most dangerous of villains, especially when combined with typically psychopathic tendencies.

Good examples include false heroes who convince others to fight for them, only to reveal in time that these fights were just for their own benefits, or rulers to usurp vast power and resources via having rival factions war with one another rather than against them. Palpatine, David Xanatos and some versions of Lex Luthor are examples of this, as are some versions of the Joker and the Riddler. However, do not add this to con-artists or simply "traitorous" individuals. This is for characters who excel at manipulating others (as well as tricking them) in-universe to either serve their cause or ignore their true threat until it is too late to stop them.

A Master Manipulator is often so perceptive they are good at having others fight and bicker or lacing their setting with discord that even when exposed, they can still amass a following of supporters, forming a secret group to plot with others, they can exploit others of their vulnerabilities and use it against them to make others bend to their will (which they otherwise often resort to psychological torment or even driving people to insanity with mind games), or fall back on alternative plans, like any good mastermind would.