The Manipulators are mysterious evil beings who take joy in controlling and manipulating others.
They are the creators of the Nothing and major antagonistic group in The Neverending Story. They are just mentioned once as "the power behind the Nothing" by Gmork who is their servant.
Their goal is to destroy Fantastica (Fantasia) in order to drive the people of Earth mad by replacing fantasy with lies and delusions born out of Fantasticans (Fantasians) who have been erased by the Nothing, and to let them do what they want.
They never appeared themselves in the Neverending Story series and it is unknown if they are from Fantasia or the human world, however, they seem to be from a completely different and seperate dimension.
The Manipulators faded into nothingness with their ambition foiled after the young human boy Bastian Balthazar Bux used the power of his imagination and his bravery to restore the mystical realm of Fantasia by giving the Childlike Empress a new and true name, to end her illness and dispel the Nothing for good.