Illuminati in popular culture

References to the Illuminati in popular culture include the satirical, humorous, and fictional:

TV and movies

 * In Simon West's movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) a group of high-society villains call themselves Illuminati, developing a plan to rule the world. They and Lara Croft's father claim that the Illuminati have existed for millennia for this purpose.
 * The anime series Serial Experiments Lain contains some references to the Illuminati and the Majestic 12.
 * In a recent episode of The Dead Zone it was hinted that the Illuminati will play a large role in the apocalypse that the show's protagonist John Smith is supposed to prevent.
 * The German movie 23 has some references to Illuminati topics.
 * In Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, an episode revolved around Illuminati members who were revealed to be aliens
 * In several episodes of the Walt Disney animated series Gargoyles, one of the major antagonists of the series, David Xanatos, was revealed to be a member of the Illuminati. In one episode he travels back in time 1,000 years, flashes his Illuminati pin and it is acknowledged. The Gargoyles Illuminati was founded in 948 AD, eight centuries before the origins of the historical Bavarian Illuminati. The series ended before much was revealed about the order.  It is rumored that if it had continued, it would eventually been revealed that the Illuminati had been founded by the immortal Sir Percival of the Round Table.
 * In the original 1960 version of the film Ocean's Eleven at the church where the member of the who died is being cremated, at the front of the church on the wall the Illuminati symbol is clearly visible and the camera even, at one point looks directly at it.
 * In 24, the last half of Season 5 gave birth to a character known as Graham with a loyal cabal around him. His secrecy and manipulation of the leaders of the US government has made viewers believe that he controls a secret society, one much like the Illuminati.
 * In one episode in Justice League Unlimited, The Question was being tortured. During his torture, he said various things concerning conspiracies he investigated, one of which happened to be "There really was a magic bullet. It was forged by Illuminati mystics to prevent us from knowing the truth". Also, The Question in the TV series was obsessed with discovering a secret organization he assumed was behind the conspiracy, heavily hinted to be the Illuminati.
 * The secret organizations in The X-Files are very much like popular images of the Illuminati, though they are probably more based on Majestic 12
 * The anime series Noir centers around the conspiracies of a group known as the Soldats, with obvious references to the Illuminati

Games

 * Two games from Steve Jackson Games are based on the mythos: Illuminati and its trading card game reincarnation Illuminati: New World Order. "Secret conspiracies are everywhere, and where can you find the only truth? Certainly not in the game of Illuminati" states the advertising.
 * The video game Deus Ex is about Majestic 12, a splinter group of the Illuminati, which attempts to control the world by manufacturing a virus and it's cure. After the player defeats Majestic 12 at the end of the game, the Illuminati once again returns to power and plays a larger role in the games sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War, where it attempts to control the world by dividing the population into allegiance with either The Order or the WTO, but secretly controlling them both.
 * The Patriots who have become the focus of the Metal Gear Solid series are highly influenced by the Illuminati, and in fact are just another name for the same thing
 * The videogame Resident Evil 4 features its main plot as that of preventing a religious cult known as Los Illuminados, from ultimately ruling the world: using parasites &mdash; Las Plagas &mdash; to control and cleanse heathens.
 * The video game Area 51 contains multiple references to the Illuminati.
 * The story line of Street Fighter III revolves around an organization calling itself the Illuminati seeking to create a new utopia.
 * In early editions of the Warhammer 40,000 table top miniatures game, these were humans who were possessed by daemons of Chaos, but were able to escape their grasp.

Music and audio

 * The song "No Purpose No Design" by Meat Beat Manifesto has some references to Bavarian Illuminati.
 * Fat Boy Slim has a song called "Illuminati"
 * The Jurassic 5 song Concrete Schoolyard contains a passing illuminati reference.
 * In September 2001 Gamma Ray released the album No World Order. It has several references to the Illuminati including the songs "Induction" and "New World Order" (both lyrics and music by Kai Hansen), and the booklet design (by Henjo Richter).
 * The rap group Mobb Deep make many references to the Illuminati in their songs. 'The Illuminati wants my mind soul and my body, a secret society tryin' to keep their eye on me.'
 * The punk group Rancid makes references to both secret societies and the Illuminati in the song "Life Won't Wait." They make such references as "the eye atop the pyramid is open and awake" and "division is the new world order." The song featured Buju Banton and Vic Ruggario as guests.
 * The greatest of all time legendary late rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur2Pac was known for using the alias "The Don Killuminati". meaning kill -illuminati's anti-illiminati which probably lead to his young demise his murder is still unsolved and it might even be a conspiracy.
 * The rapper Immortal Technique mentions the illuminati in some of his songs e.g. the cause of death "You think illuminati's just a fuckin conspiracy theory?"
 * The Japanese rockband Malice Mizer has a song titled Illuminati, which combines the theme of sex with Biblical allusions and likens the experience to a religious ritual.
 * Myron Fagan released a 3 disc lp in the late 1960s which explained a lot of the history of the Illuminati. He died a few years later from natural causes.
 * Myron Fagan's recording has also been sampled on several records by rap artist, Cage Kennylz, who has referred to the Illuminati in lyrics an uncountable amount of times. "Mason's keep calling me about my application, cause I dropped it off and thought knock it off, you can start your own club to plot and stuff" and "Oops, I spilled beer on the board, come find me later, while I conspire this Illuminati paper" (from "Perfect World").
 * In 2003 US speed metal band Agent Steel released the album Order of the Illuminati. The band is well known for basing its lyrical concepts on conspiracy theories.
 * The underground punk band Killer Squirrel recorded a song called “The Cowboy Illuminati Get Their Revenge” in 2005. The song also mentions the group called Skull and Bones based at Yale University. In 2004, Killer Squirrel released an album featuring an eye at the top of a pyramid on the cover.
 * The 2006 release "Back to Base X" by (hed) p.e. is full of Illuminati and New World Order references in both the songs and the CD artwork.
 * Incubus' lead singer, Brandon Boyd, has a tattoo of the illuminati symbol with wings on his back.
 * Bill Drummond and Jimi Cauty of KLF fame drew heavily from the Illuminatus Trilogy in their late 80's / early 90's creative exploits, including notably their first joint project under the moniker The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, also known as 'The JAMMs'. Significant references throughout their work include the number 23 and specific lyrics, such as "Immanentise the Eschaton" (sic.) in "All you need is love" from their first album as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, 1987 (What the Fuck Is Going On?).
 * Bobby Conn's music refers often to the Illuminati and other suspects of global domination in a satirical fashion.
 * The rapper Necro references Michael Jackson as being part of the Illuminati, possibly for being powerful enough to be acquitted of child molestation charges twice, on the song, "Entertainment Tonight", from his album, "Street Villains, Vol. 2".
 * known celebrities joined the cult rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs first black rap mogul to join the illuminati other rappers soon followed Shawn "jay-z" Carter "being rich for black people is very different we can buy anything we wanted i feel like im in a team me diddy we ballers we in it to win" words from jay-z after roc-a-fella- was braught out by Def Jam. Busta Ryhmes also joined the illuminati with his boss and label executive Andre "Dr.Dre" Young. many belive all main stream rappers are connected to the elite team which has been proven.