The Smart Guy: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

{{quote|'''Aang:''' The question is, how are we gonna stop that thing?

* 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]]).

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).

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 Mousey, shy and withdrawn work equally well on female characters, and can sometimes be appealing (see [[Hot Librarian]] and [[Nerds Are Sexy]]).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]].

* 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]].

* 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]]''.

== Literature ==

* The Scarecrow from ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''.

* Deconstructed in the ''[[Warhammer 40000]]: [[Eisenhorn]]'' novel trilogy, where the savant Ueber Aemos is the walking databank he is because of a "meme-virus" that makes him compulsively pursue knowledge, culminating in {{spoiler|memorising the [[Tome of Eldritch Lore|Malus Codicum]]}}.

* Kirsty and sometimes Yo-less from ''[[Johnny Maxwell Trilogy]]''.

* 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.

* ''[[The 39 Clues]]'' has several:

** The Ekaterina branch as a whole.

* 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]].

* 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]]).

* ''[[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.

* 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''.

** 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.

** 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]].

* 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.

* [[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.

* [[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.

* 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.

* 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]].

* 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.

* [[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]].

* 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."

* 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.

* ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'':

** Cyborg, a [[Genius Bruiser]], fills this seat of the [[Five-Man Band]].

* 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]].