History GeniusBruiser / Literature

* Literature/ProfessorChallenger, protagonist of ''Literature/TheLostWorld'', among other things, is a pugnacious, crude, thickset man with a massive bushy beard who is compared in general attitude and temperament to a caveman. His introductory scene involves him giving the narrator a black eye. However, under that exterior, he's also an exceptionally clever OmnidisciplinaryScientist and an experienced adventurer.

* Butler from ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' speaks several languages, can cook well, is an amazing fighter trained in several martial arts, is a weapons expert, and has many other handy talents. Being constantly in the company of his charge [[InsufferableGenius Artemis Fowl]] does make him come across as above-average intelligence rather than proper genius, but the sheer range of complex disciplines and skills Butler has mastered certainly allow him to qualify. Plus just being able to consistently keep up with Artemis is a very impressive feat in it's own right. His little sister is similarly skilled and educated, but has too much compassion to become a bodyguard, [[spoiler:and leaves to become a professional wrestler.]]

** Doroga. He's a CoolOldGuy from the Gargant Clan of the Marat, a ProudWarriorRaceGuy so musclebound he [[SleevesAreForWimps has to rip the sleeves off to get shirts to fit him]]. He also learned to read extremely quickly, is a pretty good tactician, and has a talent for figuring out the emotions and motivations of others, and for [[ThePlan plans of many kinds.]].

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', "Cujo" Hendricks is actually one, though his status as TheBrute and tendency to not talk much causes Harry to think he's just DumbMuscle. In the short story ''Even Hand'', however, he's shown to be quite intelligent. He has a degree in Philosophy, is seen writing a thesis, and regularly quotes classic literature when he disagrees with his boss Johnny Marcone.

* Creator/MaryShelley's ''Literature/{{Frankenstein}}'': Far from the lumbering moron of the film adaptations, ''FrankensteinsMonster'' is a full Genius Bruiser. "The creature" educates himself very quickly by spying on a girl's lessons through a crack in a wall, growing into a remarkably intelligent, eloquent, and philosophical man. He is also an extremely powerful physical specimen, resistant to cold and injury as well as immensely strong, fast, and agile.

* Stephen King and Peter Straub's "Literature/BlackHouse", a sequel to "Literature/TheTalisman", features not one, but a group of examples for this trope. The "Hegelian Scum" are a small motorcycle club [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels just like any other]], except for two things. They manage a Brewing Factory for their favorite beer and are all, at the very leasy, graduates from areas like literature and medicine. Best example of this is Doc, who enjoys some poetry between the drugs and the bashing skulls.

* ''LightNovel/TheWeaknessOfBeatriceTheLevelCapHolySwordswoman'' has Boo Boo, an Iberian Orc. The "Bruiser" part is apparent from the beginning, given that he's four metres tall, nearly as wide, and can defeat a kilometre-long dragon singlehandedly. The "Genius" part is less apparent, especially since he's BookDumb (thanks to being orphaned at a young age). However, he is knowledgeable about the things he needs to survive in the wilderness, and as the series goes on, he demonstrates intelligence in other fields. A good example is when he manages to deceive [[spoiler:the Sage, a character who was initially presented as being a FutureBadass to Beatrice. He claimed that the real Beatrice has a mole on the back of her neck, normally hidden by her hair, and the Sage's lack of this means she must be an imposter. The Sage responded by revealing that she did have the mole... only for Boo Boo to reveal that he'd lied, hence confirming that the Sage was merely copying Beatrice's appearance]].

** Anastasius is a huge and ugly brute of a soldier, who wields an enormous longbow which only someone as hugely strong as him can pull, and yet is immensely fond of deep, philosophical musings.

* The titular Lieselotte Rifenstahl from ''LightNovel/EndoAndKobayashiLiveTheLatestOnTsundereVillainessLieselotte'' is from a warrior house who (not unfairly) has the reputation to be a family of muscleheads. Lieselotte herself is an exception, however, as she is completely capable of tactically apply appropriate types of magic alongside her physical attacks.

* Robert E. Howard's ''Literature/ConanTheBarbarian'': Conan himself is one of the smartest men in the world[[note]]{Unlike in the Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger movies, where he is a stoic lump of muscle, largely because the young Governator had trouble with his English lines so they gave him as few as possible)[[/note]] - not given to academic study before he became king and it became a necessity, but a very quick practical thinker with a vicious cunning, a prodigious gift for languages, and surprising depth of thought when called for. This aspect of the character is probably highlighted most clearly in ''Literature/TheBlackStranger'', a pirate yarn in which he single-handedly outfights and outwits Pictish warbands, viking raiders, cut-throat pirates, an exiled noble ''and'' a hunting demon... most (if not quite all) at once. He also apparently [[WarriorPoet wrote the poem]] ''Road of Kings'', used as chapter heads in ''Literature/ThePhoenixOnTheSword'', his debut story - and is introduced to the world as a king, drawing up a map of the Northern lands hitherto largely unknown to his Hyborian subjects. And he's a benevolent and extremely ''competent'' ruler, at that!

** Loial is a giant [[OurOgresAreHungrier Ogier]] who has also been reading books for almost a century. He's a shy scholar by nature, but a terrifying [[AnAxeToGrind axeman]] when he needs to [[LetsGetDangerous get dangerous]].

* ''Literature/ByronyAndRoses'': In this retelling of "Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast", the Beast is of course physically powerful, but he is also extremely well read and enjoys engineering.