A person who intentionally instigates, incites, or starts something, especially one that creates trouble.
Near-synonyms: see Thesaurus:troublemaker
In studies designed to arouse aggression, the instigator often not only threatens the subject, but also expresses an extremely high self-evaluation. Subjects are insulted about their intelligence, sexual attractiveness, and character, and, at the same time, the instigator implies or explicitly describes his own superiority in these respects.