Secret Society

The Illuminati (イルミナティ, Iruminati) is a secret organization in Street Fighter III, led by Gill. Very few of the people on Earth know of their existence and workings. They are portrayed as an antagonistic force who have manipulated many of the events throughout the world to achieve their own ends for world domination.

Info
Based off real-life rumors of an organization with the same name, the Illuminati in the Street Fighter series has existed for thousand of years in the regions of the world often renowned for their powerful and influential civilizations (most notably Egypt and Greece), manipulating world political, social, military, and even criminal events (Shadaloo included) in order to achieve an ancient apocalyptic prophecy that would lead to a new age dominated by them.

While the prophecy would not come until another two centuries, Gill, the appointed leader in the late 20th Century, would take it upon himself to create a nation comprised of the fittest and best that humanity had to offer in order to bring about the salvation of the human race after the prophecy had taken its course, feeling that the world's opposing forces have become unstable and imbalanced; Gill saw that through the world's state of rapid change, increasing modernization, and uncertainty to the 21st Century, the social, cultural, environmental, political and ethical issues had grown alongside it.

To achieve this, he set several plans into motion. One revolved around an organized fighting tournament to seek out the "worthy", and another included the conduction of illegal genetic experiments to create a race of super soldiers, called the G-Project, giving way to the prototype Necro and the soldier Twelve.

Despite their intentions, they are hypocritical in their methods and are no better than powerful criminal organizations such as Shadaloo themselves. The Illuminati stoops to kidnapping, coercion, DNA manipulation, brainwashing, extreme force, and funding themselves on criminal activity and the black market; their philosophies and ideas of thought border on elitist, and consist of brutal Darwinist and authoritarian principles they would build their new world order on.

Fate
The fate of the Illuminati after Chun-Li defeated Urien and Alex defeated his brother Gill is currently unknown, as there is no post-Street Fighter III game in terms of chronological placement as of yet.

Aspects and World Influence
Having existed since the early ages of human civilization, the Illuminati nonetheless have control over nearly every field of society, with members and their influence in the upper ranks and hierarchies of governments, corporations, and even the criminal underworld to carry out their bidding.

While also manipulating events and politics throughout the world, they are also seemingly in command over the flow and access of information and knowledge in the world, being shown and said to hold access to technological and scientific innovations at least generations ahead of what is known to humanity in their current period (cryogenics and cranial preservation was shown to be 2000 years accessible to the organization prior to the Information Age, after the BC era), and knowledge and proof of existence of the occult and metaphysical, such as the utilization of Qi, Chakra, elemental manipulation and harmonizing, and to a lesser extent, magic; through which all occult knowledge they have access to, they have also created and developed extremely powerful techniques unique only to its members, titled the 66 Secret Arts of the Illuminati.

Likely through the technological and scientific knowledge they possess, the Illuminati is likely responsible to have influenced and given society outside all previously kept innovations and discoveries to create what is now the modern day.

Structure

 * Emperor
 * President
 * Vice President
 * Council of Elders

Their ranks are said to only hold the most elite and near paragon examples of humanity; one female presidential candidate was said to have held a Ph.D in Sports Dynamics and was a olympic level athlete. They also do not just accept only the willing, but also brainwash and coerce those they find worthy yet unwilling to put their talents into their uses.

Their highest ranks, being Vice President, President, and Emperor/Messiah, are statuses that demand only the sheer best of the best without exception, and are only attainable by worthy birth-given traits. The Illuminati believes that after the death of each Emperor, their soul is eventually reincarnated within the world again.

Through that belief, over one thousand and twenty four children selected throughout the world are placed within an intensive and demanding development program to find their next leader.

The children involved are analyzed through extensive research in their individual lineages and genetics, and with divination in various astrology systems, from Bai Zi, Feng Shui, Natal Charting, and even various arcane and obscure occult methods unknown to most. After acceptance, they are separated from their birth parents and paired into twos, and are brought up in the society's teachings, from academics and occult philosophies, and the group's own noteworthy hand-to-hand training program, of where the ability to wield ki and elemental power is developed through such tutelage, and by genetic alterations to enhance the properties of the participants. The entire program lasts for all candidates until they are 22 years of age.

Upon the age of 22, only one of one thousand and twenty four children involved will be worthy of the title of presidency. Presidents who show exceptional acumen are promoted to the rank of Emperor, a secret rank which is known only to few presidents and the council of elders, and is held in the eyes also as Messiah. All high reigning titles last until the age of 46.

Upon their deaths, the brain of the previous leader is removed and then preserved for future guidance. It is unknown how many previous leaders have been preserved in such a way, but it has been stated that such practice has existed for 2000 years since.

Opposition

 * Yun and Yang - Out to halt them, as the Illuminati plans to take over the twin's hometown of Hong Kong through underworld influences.
 * Alex - Out for vengeance, as Emperor Gill personally gave father figure and mentor Tom a near fatal beating, and also plans to make Alex his disciple.
 * Chun-Li - The President of the Illuminati, Urien kidnaps a girl under Chun-Li's care to subject her to genetic modifications. Chun-Li defeats Urien and saves the child.
 * Necro - Mutated human created by failed genetic experiments of the Illuminati. On the run with his girlfriend, Effie.
 * Ibuki - Tasked to recover the G-Project files from the Illuminati by her village elders.
 * Dudley - Wants to recover his late father's priceless Jaguar sports car, which is also a family heirloom, from Gill.
 * Hugo - Wants to make Gill his tag team partner.
 * Akuma - Wants to test the strength of the Emperor, Gill.

Trivia

 * This is based on a real life historical organization which has a history of being adopted into many fictions.