The Smart Guy: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|'''Aang:''' The question is, how are we gonna stop that thing?
''[beat]''
'''Sokka:''' [[Why Are You Looking At Me Like That?|Why are you all looking at me?]]
'''Aang:''' You're The Idea Guy.
'''Sokka:''' So I'm the ''only'' one who can ''ever'' come up with a plan? That's a lot of pressure.
|''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]''}}
'''The Smart Guy''' is the guy in a [[Five-Man Band]] whose focus is on intellectual pursuits. This is the team member who will always be prepared, sometimes [[Crazy Prepared]]. They will be at the computer doing [[Rapid-Fire Typing]]. Expect some [[Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness|fancy talk]] and [[Techno Babble]] from this character. Because their role is about ideas, plans, and being [[Mission Control]], they often [[Non-Action Guy|leave the action stuff]] to [[The Hero]], [[The Lancer]] and [[The Big Guy]].▼
▲The Smart Guy is the guy in a [[Five-Man Band]] whose focus is on intellectual pursuits. This is the team member who will always be prepared, sometimes [[Crazy Prepared]]. They will be at the computer doing [[Rapid-Fire Typing]]. Expect some [[Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness|fancy talk]] and [[Techno Babble]] from this character. Because their role is about ideas, plans, and being [[Mission Control]], they often [[Non-Action Guy|leave the action stuff]] to [[The Hero]], [[The Lancer]] and [[The Big Guy]].
Physically they are usually [[Shorter Means Smarter|short]] [[The Short Guy with Glasses|and wear glasses]]. They may even be [[Teen Genius|a]] [[Child Prodigy]]. The Smart Guy is sometimes written as mousey and withdrawn. If not antisocial, at least non-social, sliding into [[TV Genius]]. Can be expected to [[Smart People Play Chess|play a mean game of chess.]]
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* In fantasy settings, he'll usually be [[Squishy Wizard|skilled at magic]], particularly of the offensive variety, in which case he serves as the team's [[An Adventurer Is You|"nuker"]]. His [[Weapon of Choice]] tends to be a [[Magic Wand]], a [[Simple Staff]], or [[Boom Stick|both in one package]]. Alternatively, he may prefer a [[Knife Nut|easily manageable dagger]]. Or, if magic is the de facto power of the age, the Smart Guy will probably use a sword or a gun.
* In a [[Superhero]] setting, or any one with superpowers that don't quite fall under magic, The Smart Guy is often a [[Badass Normal]] with [[Super Intelligence]], or has [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|relatively weak powers]] to offset their brilliance (and increasingly often will find [[Heart Is an Awesome Power|ways to utilise apparently useless powers to great effect]]). He could also achieve [[Psychic Powers]] after reaching [[Brain Critical Mass]]. Or conversely, they'll be the ones in the [[Powered Armor]] (in this case, if the armor lends enough muscle, they might be a [[Genius Bruiser]] or [[Badass Bookworm]] who doubles as [[The Big Guy]]).
* Some incarnations have
His knowledge will allow him to [[Enemy Scan|find enemy weaknesses]] and to serve as [[Mr. Exposition]] in order to explain plot points to the less intelligent members of the band (and the audience).
The Smart Guy archetype is often unfairly vilified in shows where [[Dumb Is Good]]. Other times, he's not so much the Smart Guy as the ''Smartass'' Guy. The Smartass Guy will occur in a team with a [[Genius Bruiser|Big Smart Guy]]. The team doesn't need another brainy guy so much, and since Big Smart Guys tend to be [[Gentle Giant
In recent years, as casts have become more gender-balanced, [[The Smart Girl]] is the one most likely to swap genders. Since the character type is outwardly sexless and non-masculine, turning them into The Smart Girl is not that big a stretch. Mousey, shy and withdrawn work equally well on female characters, and can sometimes be appealing (see [[Hot Librarian]] and [[Nerds Are Sexy]]). When used in this way, she's usually much less girly than [[The Chick]] (see [[Wrench Wench]]). In a fantasy setting, she's often the [[Black Mage]], or sometimes the [[White Mage]].
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Not to be confused with the series ''[[Smart Guy (TV series)|Smart Guy]]''.
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* [[The Archer|Rowen Hashiba]] is described by Dais to be the smartest and most cunning of the ''[[Ronin Warriors]]''. He probably got his smarts from his [[Mad Scientist]] father and is said to have a really high IQ.
*
** Seto Kaiba from the [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (anime)| original anime]] plays this trope [[Up to Eleven]].
* There are plenty of cases of smart women among the twelve [[Hi M Es]] of ''[[Mai-HiME]]'', but the standout is the [[Shrinking Violet]] computer genius Yukino Kikukawa. This is more or less reinforced by the fact that both her [[Empathic Weapon|Child]] and her [[Forgotten Superweapon|Element]] are only good for detection and spying.▼
** Daichi Misawa of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'', though [[Put on a Bus|not for too long]]. Season 3 introduces Amon Garam, who functions as the smart guy among [[Spotlight-Stealing Squad|the newly introduced characters]].▼
** Declan from ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V]]'' is similar to Kaiba, yet much more subtle, being a [[Chessmaster]] who employs both the [[Batman Gambit|Batman]] and [[Xanatos Gambit]] strategies in his plans.
▲* There are plenty of cases of smart women among the twelve [[Hi M Es]] of ''[[
* [[Jerkass Woobie|Zelgadis Graywords]] of the ''[[Slayers]]'' franchise is usually this alone or is also [[The Lancer]], depending on the adaptation. In addition to being book-smart and a strategist in battle, he also knows a good deal of scientific knowledge plausible for a fantasy setting, and can solve math problems and measure distances at near-breakneck speed.
** A more straightforward smart guy is [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder|Xellos]]; however, he subverts this trope by being the [[Token Evil Teammate]] that just so happens to be a part of an [[Exclusively Evil]] race of demons, so naturally, he rarely, if ever, explains anything.
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* Kabuto from ''[[Psyren]]'', of the street and [[Genre Savvy]] kind. {{spoiler|He also happens to be a [[Reality Warper]], so he's useful on the battlefield now, too}}.
* From ''[[Fairy Tail]]'', [[Talking Animal|Happy]] fills this role, usually as a [[Mr. Exposition]], though he also provides simple answers to complex questions. Sometimes he combines this with [[Team Pet]].
** Lucy pulls double duty as [[The Chick]] and
▲* Daichi Misawa of ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'', though [[Put on a Bus|not for too long]]. Season 3 introduces Amon Garam, who functions as the smart guy among [[Spotlight-Stealing Squad|the newly introduced characters]].
* Though a lot of people think he leads it, this is what Light's role is on {{spoiler|the Kira investigation taskforce}}, in the second half of ''[[Death Note]]''.
* Shin of ''[[Saint Beast]]'' is one of the physically weaker members of his [[Five-Man Band]] but is always carrying around a book and is the person to go to for information on the [[Monster of the Week]].
* From ''[[Zatch Bell]]'', Dr. Nazonazo (Dr. Riddles in the dub), a [[Mysterious Backer]] who claims he "knows everything". Obviously an exaggeration, but seeing as he knows the Answer Taker ability, he's clearly a genius.
== [[Comic Books]] ==
== Comics ==▼
* [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|Donatello]], he who does machines, pretty much defines this trope.
* Brainiac 5 fills this role in every version of the ''[[Legion of Super-Heroes]]''.
** ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'' lampshaded this:
{{quote|'''Supergirl:''' So what's your power? [[Super Strength]]? [[Super Speed|Speed]]?
'''Brainiac 5:''' I have a 12th level intellect...
'''Supergirl:''' Great. You can knock him out with your diploma. }}
* Though the Smart Guy in ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'' can vary depending on the current roster, generally speaking it's Hank McCoy/Beast.
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** The [[Martian Manhunter]] also fulfills this role in some incarnations.
* Similarly, the ''[[Justice Society of America]]'' has Mr. Terrific, the third smartest guy in the DCU.
* ''[[Knights of the Dinner Table]]'' has Brian, who has memorized all the [[Hackmaster]] books (their version of [[Dungeons
* Taranee Cook in ''[[W.I.T.C.H.|WITCH]]'' is archetypical of this trope.
* Reed Richards, aka Mr Fantastic, is a rare example combining this and [[The Hero]] as part of the ''[[Fantastic Four]]''. He's also one for the larger [[Marvel Universe]] in general, being regarded as the smartest man in the world. (which is no mean feat)
* [[Iron Man]] and Hank Pym usually share this role in ''[[The Avengers (Comic Book)|The Avengers]]'', with slightly different fields. (one being the [[Gadgeteer Genius]] in the [[Powered Armor]], the other being a more [[Comic Book Science|comic booky scientist]] with his [[Minovsky Physics|Pym Particles]])
== [[Film]] ==
▲== Films ==
* ''[[Star Wars]]'': There's a reason C-3PO refers to RD-D2 as his counterpart: They split the usual Smart Guy duties between them, with R2 handling the practical side and 3PO handling the exposition side.
* The [[Superhero]] spoof film ''[[The Specials]]'' from 2000 includes a brainy gadgeteer member of the titular superteam whose ''nom de guerre'' is simply "Mr. Smart".
* Kevin Sandusky of ''[[Tropic Thunder]]'' is the one who knows what is going on the most. He recognized the Heroin Processing plant, he can read the map, and {{spoiler|he's the only one of the actors who had actually read the script and the book.}}
== [[Literature]] ==▼
▲== Literature ==
* The Scarecrow from ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''.
* Blackberry, of the initial refugee band in ''[[Watership Down]]''. An amusing variant in that his skillset is basically that of an engineer, except downsized to a rabbit POV; his bright
* Deconstructed in the ''[[Warhammer
* Kirsty and sometimes Yo-less from ''[[Johnny Maxwell Trilogy]]''.
* ''[[Harry Potter]]'':
** Hermione.
** Dumbledore lampshades that since he's ''regarded'' as this, his mistakes are that much greater when he screws up (which isn't very often, but massively sucks when he does). He also admits he subverts this trope a lot, because a lot of his genius (in regards to the plot) is actually a bunch of lucky guesses (read ''[[Harry Potter and
** Severus Snape.
** Also, Remus Lupin is this to the Marauders
* Sostratos in [[Harry Turtledove]]'s ''Hellenic Traders'' series. He reads Thucydides and Herodotus for fun, always keeps the records of the ships cargo well and is curious about everything. He also [[Vitriolic Best Buds|fights with his cousin]] [[The Captain]], who's [[Dumb Is Good|the]] [[The Kirk|opposite.]].
* Mat from the ''[[Wheel of Time]]'' is an odd example of this because he's not very scholarly at all, maybe even [[Book Dumb]]. But put him in charge of an army or a tight spot you'll find out why he's one of [[The Chosen One|Rand's]] main [[The Strategist|advisors]] and why his name was [[The Trickster|practically a curse in his home town]]. But he is very much the sneaky [[The Lancer|lancer]] role.
* Philiby in ''[[Kingdom Keepers]]'', though Maybeck is noted as being good with computers in the first.
* More or less split in ''[[Animorphs]]'' between [[The Lancer]]-ish [[The Strategist|Marco]] and [[The Heart|Cassie]] who was their go to for information on new animal forms. Both are also [[Manipulative Bastard
* While there is no clear [[Five-Man Band]] at any point in ''[[The Heritage of Shannara]]'',
* ''[[The 39 Clues]]'' has several:
** The Ekaterina branch as a whole.
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* Harry Dresden of the [[Dresden Files]] seems to be this to his allies - not because he's much smarter than his friends, but because he's often the only guy who knows whats going on. He starts to share information with his allies after making a bunch of mistakes that still haunt him, and this effect decreases to some extent.
* Beetle in ''[[Septimus Heap]]''. While lacking both Septimus's '''Magykal''' powers and Jenna's speed, he's quite versed in knowledge of '''Magyk''' and other arcane matters.
* In both [[The Winds of War and War and Remembrance|''The Winds of War'' and ''War and Remembrance'']], none of the main heroes is dumb (after all they have to deal with advanced naval equipment just to start with). But Leslie Slote is the one that looks like a stereotypical nerd, being a skinny guy with glasses as well as a Rhodes scholar and a diplomat who evolves into a spy, and then (for despair at the possibility of rescuing his ex-girlfriend) becoming an OSS commando -- making him something of a [[Badass Bookworm]].
▲== Live Action TV ==
* Lizzie Sutton from ''[[Lincoln Heights]]'' falls under [[The Smart Girl]] version
* McKay on ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'' is probably the most egregious example on modern TV; often, the other characters will just sit around and threaten him until he comes up with a plan.
** Samantha Carter is more [[Badass Bookworm]] than just The Smart Guy; Zelenka is McKay's much more reserved and polite second in command. The remaining scientists tend to fit a different trope, in no small part as they are not members of the [[Five-Man Band]].
* In ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'', Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson share the role of
* Early seasons of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' had the Doctor as The Smart Guy, with a male companion as the [[Action Guy]] and a female companion as the [[Damsel in Distress]]. He is still the smart guy, although since the Seventies he is always a combination of several archetypes.
* [[Doctor Who|Sarah]] [[The Sarah Jane Adventures|Jane]] is quite brilliant, although not exactly in the genius sort of way (that title goes to her [[Teen Genius|son]]).
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* ''[[Firefly]]'':
** As the only crewmember on ''Firefly'' with any formal education, [[The Medic|fugitive doctor]] Simon Tam fits this role to a T. This is most apparent in ''Ariel'', in which he plans the most lucrative heist the crew has ever pulled. Unfortunately, Simon's budding career as a criminal mastermind was cut short by the show's [[Screwed by the Network|untimely cancellation]], but presumably he would have gone on to plan many other lucrative ventures, especially as the crew warmed to him, and he lost his snobbish, intellectual veneer.
** Simon's sister, [[Tagalong Kid|River]], also showed a talent for coming up with well-thought out plans, when she's not communing with cows, waxing poetic about exsanguination, threatening to kill people with her brain, rewriting the Bible, or generally living up to her reputation as the patron saint of [[
* Harris of the Chosen Men [[Sharpe]] is a former teacher who joined the army to escape debts. He speaks at least three languages and is the one who usually quotes philosophers or is found reading.
* Sayid Jarrah from ''[[Lost]]'' is an expert in communications technology. In his time on the Island, he has built several radios and fixed a computer. Physicist Daniel Faraday also counts, besides his amnesia and moments where he isn't much clear while explaining.
** It's also taken [[Up to Eleven]] in season four when he takes a look at a chopper and states that it can fly and even more when he dismantle an H-Bomb, taking its core, later in season five.
* ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]''. Just... ''Merlin''.
** To those not familiar with the series, he fits into the third variety for the most
** Also Gaius
* Hardison is the computer hacker geek of ''[[Leverage]]'''s [[Five-Man Band|Three-Men-and-Two-Women Band]], and pinchhits as the [[Deadpan Snarker]] when needed.
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** Geordi LaForge and Dr. Crusher both have elements of this as well. As the ship's chief engineer, Geordi is the resident [[Gadgeteer Genius]] and the one who usually repairs Data. Dr. Crusher is obviously [[The Medic]] and is also the mother of [[Creator's Pet|Wesley]].
* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' has ''[[Trope Namer|The]]'' [[The Spock|Spock]].
* ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' does not have one clear cut
* Charlie Eppes in ''[[Numb3rs]]''.
* James May on ''[[Top Gear]]'', whose interest in detail and facts borders on obsession and alternately amuses and bores his [[Book Dumb|non-scholarly]] co-presenters.
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* On ''[[The A-Team]]'', Face filled this role as the [[The Scrounger|scrounging]] [[Con Man]] who always had a financial scheme up his sleeve. There are episodes where he [[Nerdgasm|geeks out]] over the intricacies of his latest con, and he was shown to be great with doing math in his head quickly. Ironically, Face was also the team's [[Handsome Lech|handsome]] [[Casanova|womanizer]].
* [[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers|Billy Cranston]] was the first ''[[Power Rangers]]'' smart guy, and it's hard to find one since who's embodied the trope as much as him.
** Trip from ''[[Power Rangers Time Force|Time Force]]'' is also a good example.
* At first it looked like Artie would be
* [[Playful Hacker|Chloe Sullivan]] was ''[[Smallville]]''{{'}}s original Smart Guy. As the show progressed, the role was shifted to two people: [[Gadgeteer Genius]] [[Omnidisciplinary Scientist|Emil Hamilton]] (who was also [[The Medic]]) and [[The Baroness|Tess Mercer]], a [[The Atoner|reformed villain]] and [[Evil Genius]] who served as the team's [[Chessmaster]], [[The Cracker|computer hacker]], [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|backer]], and resident [[Manipulative Bitch]].
* Everyone on ''[[The West Wing]]'' was smart, but Toby was the only one who's intellect was regularly shown to rival the President's.
* Everyone on all the ''[[CSI]]'' franchise shows is smart, but each has a stand-out one or two.
** ''[[CSI]]'': Gil Grissom and Ray Langston. Now DB Russell is getting in on it too
** ''[[CSI: NY]]'': Hawkes and Mac. Sometimes Sid too.
* Also plenty to go around on ''[[Bones]]''. Brennan often fills the role, but Hodgins or Zack have as well, or one of the rotating 'squinterns'.
== [[Oral Tradition]], [[Folklore]], Myths and Legends ==
* In [[Classical Mythology]], Athena is this among the Olympians. Hermes sometimes fill this role in a trickster-ish sort of way.
* Among mortals, Odysseus is the "ideas man" for the <s>Greeks</s> Achaeans in the [[The Trojan Cycle|Trojan Cycle]] (including ''[[The Iliad]]'' and his very own story, ''[[
* The [[The Bible|Biblical prophet]] Daniel (aka Belteshazzar)]] was a brilliant scholar and a top-notch administrator.
== [[Toys]] ==▼
▲== Toys ==
* The [[Dishing Out Dirt|Toa of Earth]] (such as [[Genius Bruiser|Onua]] or [[Gadgeteer Genius|Nuparu]]) tend to fill this role on their respective Toa teams in ''[[Bionicle]]''.
== [[Video Games]] ==
* In ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'', [[Donald Duck]] is The Smart Guy of the team, being the Disney Court's royal magician, and good at his craft. However, he doubles as the bad kind of team [[The Lancer|Lancer]] as well, because of how self-centered, small-minded, and short-tempered he is; he's always trying to get his way, and doesn't consider the consequences of his bullish behavior. All of the wisdom is instead found in Goofy, [[The Big Guy]] of the team, making him something of a [[Genius Bruiser]]. This pretty solidly seems a case of [[Dumb Is Good]]. Actually, considering how many evil scientists there are in the series, it could seen as a double-whammy of [[Dumb Is Good]] and [[Science Is Bad]]. Even good-guy inventor Cid can't escape the fact that his gummi ships couldn't be built without breaking off material from the shells that protect each world from Darkness. Goofy's also the only one of the trio that knows how to properly use a computer (Sora only barely knew how to type and Donald had no idea) as well as caught on to Mulan's true nature.
* Jade from ''[[Tales of the Abyss]]''
* Jeff in ''[[
* Jennifer in the first ''[[Disgaea]]'' game, Hanako in the second, Raspberyl in the third.
* Vitali in ''[[Soul Nomad and The World Eaters]]''. {{spoiler|Lobo in the Demon Path.}}
* Tails fills his usual role in ''[[Sonic Chronicles]]'', but is joined and assisted by {{spoiler|[[Enemy Mine|Dr Eggman!]] }}
* ''[[Persona 4]]'' has a few possible. Early in the game, the [[The Lancer|Lancer]] Yosuke doubles as this, as the only guy with any plausible investigative theories. Yukiko might also qualify. Later in the game, Yosuke relinquishes this post for [[Mr. Exposition|Ms. Exposition]] Naoto.
* The Engineer, Medic, and Spy of ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' all fit the role. The first is a relatively goodhearted [[Gadgeteer Genius]], the second is a crazy [[Mad Scientist]], and the third is a haughty [[Magnificent Bastard]]. All utilize technology, and they neatly encapsulate all traditional [[Smart Guy]]
* Siblings [[The Hero|Welkin]] and [[Wrench Wench|Isara]] Gunther from ''[[Valkyria Chronicles]]'' usually fill out the role of being smart for Squad 7. Coincidentally, they're both in the tank.
* Positron, a signature character in ''[[City of Heroes]]'' (and [[Author Avatar]] of the current lead developer, Matt Miller) is a [[Mutant]] who built a suit of [[Powered Armor]] to amplify his [[I Love Nuclear Power|radiation abilities]], which after the [[Alien Invasion|Rikti War]] became his seal to prevent him from [[Superpower Meltdown|exploding]]. Citadel also may count, being a [[Ridiculously Human Robot]].
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* In the [[Five-Man Band]] of the Resistance Group in ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]: [[Twilight Princess]]'', history enthusiast Shad is the official Smart Guy.
* Mechanical genius Slippy Toad of the ''[[Star Fox (series)|Star FOX]]'' franchise, and egregoriously so.
* In ''[[Mass Effect]]'', [[Wrench Wench|Tali]] and [[Adventure Archaeologist|Liara]] serve as both Smart Guys and Chicks, though they're also [[Badass Bookworm
* [[Ace Attorney]]: Ever since Miles Edgeworth's [[Heel Face Turn]], he will usually fullfil this role blissfully when playable or supporting the protagonist. In the [[Ace Attorney Investigations]] games, this is even a Glame Play Mechanic, called "Logic".
* [[Fear Effect]]. Rain Qin is in this role, combined with [[The Chick]].
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* ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'' gives us Hope Estheim, the youngest of the cast but with the highest magic stat.
▲== [[Web Comics]] ==
== Web Comics ==▼
* In ''[[Girl Genius]]'', some of the Sparks are even identified by the Jagers as "da schmot guy".
** In Gil's case,
* Vaarsuvius fills this role in ''[[The Order of the Stick]]''. Although Roy Greenhilt has more common sense and Haley Starshine is more observant, V's sheer 18 INT has them beat. Besides, Roy and Haley are [[The Hero]] and [[The Lancer]] respectively.
* Hod, god of darkness and winter, is The Smart Guy to the Norse kids in ''[[Brat Halla]]'', although he is a [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]] as well.
* Riff from ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' is both The Smart Guy and [[The Lancer]], being a [[Mad Scientist]] with a [[Tim Taylor Technology|penchant for]] [[More Dakka|destruction]].
* Sweden from ''[[Scandinavia and The World]]''. Especially compared to [[The Stoner|Denmark]] and [[Knife Nut|Finland]].
* Tedd of ''[[El Goonish Shive]]''.
* In ''[[Dubious Company]]'', Walter starts out as this to [[Brains and Brawn|Tiren]] and after they pick up [[Beauty, Brains, and Brawn|Elly]]. But when the team picks up Sal, she then becomes the [[The Smart Girl]] and Walter functionally shifts to [[The Leader]].
** This also occurs on the [[Anti-Villain|Imperial side]], with [[The Dragon|Izor]] shifting the responsibility to [[Hypercompetent Sidekick|Gary]] once he becomes a prominent character.
== [[Web Animation]] ==▼
▲== Web Animation ==
* While not part of a [[Five-Man Band]], computer programmer Raimi definitely fulfills this function in ''[[Broken Saints]]''.
* On the group Team Kimba in the ''[[Whateley Universe]]'', Phase is probably the smart one, even if Chaka seems to be best at coming up with ideas in the middle of a fight. Phase is over-educated for a freshman in high school, is most likely to use the big words, and is a smart aleck too. The [[Smart Guy]] they go to for gadgets is Bugs, who is a [[Hot Scientist]].
* While not intelligent to a superlative degree, Chip from the web fiction serial ''[[Dimension Heroes]]'' proves on several occasions that his reservoir of book knowledge can prove beneficial in making it out of various tight spots the heroes get into.
* Open to debate, since none of the characters are all that bright, but in ''[[Red vs.
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Lisa Simpson in ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''. Marge as well, in a few cases, but she is just a bit too oblivious to what constitutes as normal human behavior to do any discrediting.
* Velma Dinkley in ''[[Scooby Doo]]''.
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* Kyle from ''[[South Park]]'' often gets this role when compared with the others boys, and even [[Word of God|Matt and Trey]] have called him the group's "smart kid".
* Walden from ''[[Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!|Wow Wow Wubbzy]]'' fills this role on the show. As the theme song says, "he knows about science and books and art."
* ''[[Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys|Captain Simian and The Space Monkeys]]'' has a unique example: Dr. Splitz/Splitzy suffers from a [[Split Personality]] disorder, and ''both'' of them are very intelligent and innovative in their own right. Dr. Splitz is a textbook
* Tanya of ''[[The Mighty Ducks (animation)|The Mighty Ducks]]'' is the resident [[Gadgeteer Genius]] and overall tech expert, although [[Badass Bookworm|she's no weakling on the battlefield or the hockey rink]]. She tends to stutter and lisp a bit, since her brain is moving faster than she can speak.
* Sam Dullard of ''[[Rocket Power]]'' is a huge computer whiz and uses that knowledge to help the others improve their sports skills every once in a while. He has also skipped a grade.
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* ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'':
** Cyborg, a [[Genius Bruiser]], fills this seat of the [[Five-Man Band]].
** Raven has elements of this too, despite primarily being [[The Lancer]]. Of course, Cyborg also sometimes fills the role of [[The Lancer]] despite primarily being
* Heloise on ''[[Jimmy Two-Shoes]]'', when [[Chaotic Neutral|she decides to help Jimmy out]].
* ''[[Winx Club]]'' made a half-hearted attempt to avert the "usually the techonlogically-minded character" aspect by having the girls mention that [[Informed Ability|Musa and Flora get the best grades]]; nevertheless, the show kept using Tecna in the role of [[The Smart Girl]].
* Sokka from ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' doubles as a [[Badass Bookworm]] as he accumulates [[Character Development]]. He also averts the 'no romance' part of the trope - he has at least two love interests and [[The Pollyanna|Ty]] [[Perky Female Minion|Lee]] says she thinks he's cute at least once.
* In ''[[Futurama]]'' super-tech is so common that the Smart Guy is actually the only character capable of running the Planet Express delivery company, in the form of Hermes Conrad, a Level 34 beauraucrat and the team's [[Only Sane Man]]. [[Absent-Minded Professor|Professor Farnsworth]] also counts, though more in a [[Genius Ditz]] / [[
* Flap Platypus in season 1 of ''[[Blinky Bill]]'', in season 2 Shifty Dingo takes over the role and Flap becomes [[The Lancer]]. In season 3, Ling Ling the panda qualifies.
* In ''[[The Penguins of Madagascar]]'', Kowalski is both [[The Lancer]] to Skipper, and the smart guy. While not short, he is notably the slimmest of all the penguins, and their [[Technical Pacifist]]. He's notably the [[Mad Scientist]] and [[Gadgeteer Genius]] types.
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[[Category:Tropes of Legend]]
[[Category:Indexed and Nerdy]]
[[Category:
[[Category:The Squad]]
[[Category:Intelligence Tropes]]
[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]
[[Category:The Smart Guy]]▼
[[Category:Five-Man Band]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smart Guy, The}}
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