Trickster

A trickster is one who acts without the rules of society, written and unwritten. In this way they are often a criminal, yet not all criminals are tricksters. What distinguishes them is not so much the possibility of gain; a trickster may well walk away enriched from events. Nor is it simply that their actions critique society and those in power. Relieving a Governor of their dignity while revealing their naked hypocrisy can be the actions of a trickster, and one reason to value them. Yet a journalist, a political opponent or simply an aware citizen might do as much.

A trickster must complicate the narrative, and they must do so with some style. The trickster might perform despicable deeds, yet not entirely lose our sympathy. If we dared, if we were a little quicker, a little cleverer, a little more dishonest, what tricks might we perform?

Types Of Trickster

Operating outside the rules, as soon as a taxonomy of tricksters is created you can be sure that a new type will emerge. This list, then, is inevitably incomplete. You can help by adding new tricksters to the article, or by playing tricks.

Human Tricksters

Salesmen can be tricksters, if they are artistic enough, though the line between sleazy conman and a true bravo of confabulation is shadow thin.

Musicians by nature are serious, and even when ironic are a little too sincere to make good tricksters. Still all performers have a little of the tricky spirit to them. A band might fool a whole stadium at once, transforming them into transcendental beings with simple noise.

Ghosts might be human or not. From this side of the veil of mortality it is impossible to tell. Ghosts are outside the laws of life, outside the mortal realm. That does not make them automatically tricksters. For those who are it's a headstart.

The Whitfield Strangler was not a trickster. Killing people and torturing animals has no finesse to it. Making a Netflix documentary about it, turning the horrors of crime into entertainment, that might be if done with flair.

Non Human Tricksters

Goblins naturally are tricksters; if three or more are gathered you can be sure that at least one will be playing tricks. Examples can be found in the Goblin fable For Sale, Creator's Throne, Never Used.

Fortune cookies are inherently tricky, as are all oracles.

California Sea Lions (Zalophus Californianus) certainly have tricksters amongst their colonies.

Tricks

Imitations (Likely To Be Divine)