“Illuminati” typically refers to various organizations claiming to have unsubstantiated links to the original (and very real) Bavarian Illuminati or similar secret societies. It is said that the Illuminati is one of the secret organizations that rule the world by masterminding events and planting agents in government and corporations to establish a New World Order and gain further political power and influence. Central to some of the most widely known and elaborate conspiracy theories, the secret society Illuminati have been depicted as lurking in the shadows and pulling the strings and levers of power in dozens of novels, movies, television shows, comics, video games, and music videos.