A puppeteer is a person who makes an inanimate object shaped like a human, wild animal, mythological creatures, or another object to create the illusion that the puppet is "alive". The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience.

A puppeteer can operate a puppet with rods, wires, strings, electronics or directly by his or her own hands placed inside the puppet or holding it externally or any other part of the body, such as the legs.