Fan Casting The Man Behind the Man in Sort by Tropes

When a character previously positioned as a Big Bad is revealed in fact to be either the flunky, puppet, or spokesman for a higher authority. Note that gender of either is not relevant, so this trope could include The Woman Behind the Man, The Woman Behind the Woman, or The Man Behind the Woman. The Man has deeper motives, bigger designs, and more power than the hero(es) could ever hope to smash in one blow; they will usually have to go through another round of dungeon diving just to stand a chance. When they reveal their reasons for being evil, expect the theme of the plot to unfold quickly and dramatically.