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* Literature/{{Sharpe}}'s friend Captain William Fredrickson. Fredrickson is a career officer, who lost an eye, eight teeth and half his ear when he was shot in the face. He is not quite as {{Badass}} as Sharpe or Harper, but can hold his own against them both, both as a leader of men and a fighter. He also loves art, poetry and architecture, has enough knowledge of law to get Sharpe out of trouble more than once, speaks French, Spanish and Latin, and spends his free time making pencil sketches of landscapes and discussing politics with captured opponents.
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* Literature/{{Sharpe}}'s friend Captain William Fredrickson. Fredrickson is a career officer, who lost an eye, eight teeth and half his ear when he was shot in the face. He is not quite as {{Badass}} badass as Sharpe or Harper, but can hold his own against them both, both as a leader of men and a fighter. He also loves art, poetry and architecture, has enough knowledge of law to get Sharpe out of trouble more than once, speaks French, Spanish and Latin, and spends his free time making pencil sketches of landscapes and discussing politics with captured opponents.
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** Bert, a member of the gaming group Russell and Tim form in ''Split the Party'', is a big man described as looking more likely to stiff ''SS&S'' players into trash cans than be one himself. However, his character is a gnome GadgeteerGenius and Bert puts a lot of effort in understanding the game rules to better plan for encounters.
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** Bert, a member of the gaming group Russell and Tim form in ''Split the Party'', is a big man described as looking more likely to stiff stuff ''SS&S'' players into trash cans than be one himself. However, his character is a gnome GadgeteerGenius and Bert puts a lot of effort in understanding the game rules to better plan for encounters.
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* In ''Literature/SpellsSwordsAndStealth'', Grumph is a half-orc bartender who tends to say as little as possible and mainly sticks to brewing ale and bartending. So when it comes time for four random characters to impersonate four hapless adventurers, the choice of who should play the role of a Barbarian seems obvious. During their first real fight, though, it quickly becomes clear that Grumph is much more suited for the role of Wizard, being able to quickly understand, memorize, and cast complex spells, while also possessing a keen intellect that allows him to pick up on things much quicker than his companions. Despite becoming a mage, he understands that he can't rely exclusively on his friends for protection from physical harm, so he also wields a blade.
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**Grumph is a half-orc bartender who tends to say as little as possible and mainly sticks to brewing ale and bartending. So when it comes time for four random characters to impersonate four hapless adventurers, the choice of who should play the role of a Barbarian seems obvious. During their first real fight, though, it quickly becomes clear that Grumph is much more suited for the role of Wizard, being able to quickly understand, memorize, and cast complex spells, while also possessing a keen intellect that allows him to pick up on things much quicker than his companions. Despite becoming a mage, he understands that he can't rely exclusively on his friends for protection from physical harm, so he also wields a
** Bert, a member of the gaming group Russell and Tim form in ''Split the Party'', is a big man described as looking more likely to stiff ''SS&S'' players into trash cans than be one himself. However, his character is a gnome GadgeteerGenius and Bert puts a lot of effort in understanding the game rules to better plan for encounters.
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Setting up the Spells Swords And Stealth page and didn't realize that was a double entry.
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* In ''Literature/{{NPCs}}'', Grumphs is a half-orc bartender, who tends to say as little as possible and mainly sticks to brewing ale and bartending. So, when it comes time for four random characters to impersonate four hapless adventurers, the choice of who should play the role of a Barbarian seems obvious. During their first real fight, though, it quickly becomes clear that Grumph is much more suited for the role of a Mage, being able to quickly understand, memorize, and cast complex spells, while also possessing a keen intellect that allows him to pick up on things much quicker than his companions. Despite becoming a mage, though, he understands that he can't rely exclusively on his friends for protection from physical harm, so he also wields a blade.
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* In ''Literature/{{NPCs}}'', Grumphs ''Literature/SpellsSwordsAndStealth'', Grumph is a half-orc bartender, bartender who tends to say as little as possible and mainly sticks to brewing ale and bartending. So, So when it comes time for four random characters to impersonate four hapless adventurers, the choice of who should play the role of a Barbarian seems obvious. During their first real fight, though, it quickly becomes clear that Grumph is much more suited for the role of a Mage, Wizard, being able to quickly understand, memorize, and cast complex spells, while also possessing a keen intellect that allows him to pick up on things much quicker than his companions. Despite becoming a mage, though, he understands that he can't rely exclusively on his friends for protection from physical harm, so he also wields a blade.
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* Grumph the half-orc in ''Literature/{{NPCs}}'' is initially made the barbarian when the protagonists find themselves forced to impersonate a group of adventurers because he's huge and strong. He is also the most intelligent member of the group, being the only one who can comprehend and use a wizard's spellbook. He still prefers to have a solid weapon he can wield for the times magic alone is not enough.
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* Literature/TheRadix: Edgar Wurm is cryptography genius, and a strong fighter. As he puts it, "It always surprises people when they get their ass kicked by a mathematician".
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* Literature/TheRadix: ''Literature/TheRadix'': Edgar Wurm is cryptography genius, and a strong fighter. As he puts it, "It always surprises people when they get their ass kicked by a mathematician".
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* Grumph the half-orc in ''Literature/{{NPCs}}'' is initially made the barbarian when the protagonists find themselves forced to impersonate a group of adventurers because he's huge and strong. He is also the most intelligent member of the group, being the only one who can comprehend and use a wizard's spellbook. He still prefers to have a solid weapon he can wield for the times magic alone is not enough.
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** Ulath, of its SpiritualSuccessor, ''Literature/TheElenium'' is seven feet tall, grim-looking and [[TheQuietOne quiet]]. He also possesses remarkable intellectual depth in the fields of religious study, history, and philosophy. Bhlokow, the Troll-Priest may be another example, being a Troll who cheerfully engages Ulath in philisophical debate.
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** Ulath, of its SpiritualSuccessor, ''Literature/TheElenium'' is seven feet tall, grim-looking and [[TheQuietOne quiet]]. He also possesses remarkable intellectual depth in the fields of religious study, history, and philosophy. Bhlokow, Bhlokw, the Troll-Priest may be another example, being a Troll who cheerfully engages Ulath in philisophical philosophical debate.
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* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' collects a few:
** Archmaester Marwyn. He's described as looking more like a dockside thug than one of the leaders of an order dedicated to scholarly knowledge, short and muscular with broad shoulders, an ale belly and a broken nose.
** Oberyn is a noted warrior but he is known to have spent years traveling the world, studied at the Citadel, and studied [[MasterPoisoner rare poisons]], which he applies to his weapons. He's in fact a very dangerous warrior, who soldiered in the Disputed Lands and once formed his own sellsword company.
** Jon Snow is a skilled swordsman at a very young age, and a noted to be very clever since book one. He is quite forward thinking in his approach as Lord Commander: he wants to build "glass gardens" to farm food in the winter (much like in Winterfell), he contemplates raising money to buy glasses in Myr and training apprentices to serve under them. He's also one of the few who submits captured wights to a scientific method and put them under observation to see if there's anything to be learned. He also manages to broker a favorable loan from the Iron Bank of Braavos after haggling with the Braavosi in a manner that impresses the latter.
** Archmaester Marwyn. He's described as looking more like a dockside thug than one of the leaders of an order dedicated to scholarly knowledge, short and muscular with broad shoulders, an ale belly and a broken nose.
** Oberyn is a noted warrior but he is known to have spent years traveling the world, studied at the Citadel, and studied [[MasterPoisoner rare poisons]], which he applies to his weapons. He's in fact a very dangerous warrior, who soldiered in the Disputed Lands and once formed his own sellsword company.
** Jon Snow is a skilled swordsman at a very young age, and a noted to be very clever since book one. He is quite forward thinking in his approach as Lord Commander: he wants to build "glass gardens" to farm food in the winter (much like in Winterfell), he contemplates raising money to buy glasses in Myr and training apprentices to serve under them. He's also one of the few who submits captured wights to a scientific method and put them under observation to see if there's anything to be learned. He also manages to broker a favorable loan from the Iron Bank of Braavos after haggling with the Braavosi in a manner that impresses the latter.
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* ''Literature/WolfHall'' has its protagonist, Thomas Cromwell. While he mainly uses words and manipulation in the present day, he was a brawler in his youth and spent several years as a mercenary in Italy and France and remains quite physically imposing. He might prefer not to use violence, but everyone knows that he still ''could'', and he's not above taking advantage of that.
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* ''Literature/WolfHall'' has its protagonist, Thomas Cromwell. While he mainly uses words and manipulation in the present day, he was a brawler in his youth and spent several years as a mercenary in Italy and France and remains quite physically imposing.imposing--at one point he drags the Duke of Suffolk, who is taller than him and half in armor, out of a room, and when startled in a dark courtyard has a knife to the man's throat in an instant. He might prefer not to use violence, but everyone knows that he still ''could'', and he's not above taking advantage of that.
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** Ulath, of it's SpiritualSuccessor, ''TheElenium'' is seven feet tall, grim-looking and [[TheQuietOne quiet]]. He also possesses remarkable intellectual depth in the fields of religious study, history, and philosophy. Bhlokow, the Troll-Priest may be another example, being a Troll who cheerfully engages Ulath in philisophical debate.
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** Ulath, of it's its SpiritualSuccessor, ''TheElenium'' ''Literature/TheElenium'' is seven feet tall, grim-looking and [[TheQuietOne quiet]]. He also possesses remarkable intellectual depth in the fields of religious study, history, and philosophy. Bhlokow, the Troll-Priest may be another example, being a Troll who cheerfully engages Ulath in philisophical debate.
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* Sgt. Taura, the eight foot tall genetically engineered super-soldier from LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' has an IQ of 135.
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* Sgt. Taura, the eight foot tall genetically engineered super-soldier from LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'', has an IQ of 135.
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* ''Literature/WolfHall'' has its protagonist, Thomas Cromwell. While he mainly uses words and manipulation in the present day, he was a brawler in his youth and spent several years as a mercenary in Italy and France and remains quite physically imposing. He might prefer not to use violence, but everyone knows that he still ''could'', and he's not above taking advantage of that.
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* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAncientDarkness'' provides a villainous example in the form of Thiazzi, the mage of the Oak Clan. He's so strong that he's regarded as the [[WorldsStrongestMan strongest man of the Forest]]. He's also a cunning mage, and he demonstrates in ''Oath Breaker'' the true extent of his ability to [[ManipulativeBastard manipulate]] and fool the masses. He drives the clans of the Deep Forest to war among each other by [[spoiler:murdering [[PlayingBothSides both sides']] mages and taking their places [[MasterOfDisguise with convincing disguises]]]]. He then [[spoiler:orates both sides to unite]] and would have [[spoiler:lead them into another war against the clans of the Open Forest]] had he not been stopped. He's also able to stay one step ahead of the heroes as they chase him throughout the Forest until the climax.
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* Joe Miller in Creator/PhilipJoseFarmer's ''Riverworld'' books is an 800-lb prehistoric "titanthrop" who is the most fearsome warrior in the series. He is also capable of matching wits with his best friend [[MarkTwain Samuel Clemens]] and with CyranoDeBergerac.
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* Joe Miller in Creator/PhilipJoseFarmer's ''Riverworld'' books is an 800-lb prehistoric "titanthrop" who is the most fearsome warrior in the series. He is also capable of matching wits with his best friend [[MarkTwain Samuel Clemens]] and with CyranoDeBergerac.Theatre/CyranoDeBergerac.
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* Literature/{{Sharpe}}'s friend Captain William Fredrickson. Fredrickson is a former ranker, who lost an eye, eight teeth and half his scalp when he was shot in the face. He is not quite as {{Badass}} as Sharpe or Harper, but can hold his own against them both, both as a leader of men and a fighter. He also loves art, poetry and architecture, has enough knowledge of law to get Sharpe out of trouble more than once, speaks French and Spanish and spends his free time making pencil sketches of landscapes and discussing politics with an American Lieutenant.
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* Literature/{{Sharpe}}'s friend Captain William Fredrickson. Fredrickson is a former ranker, career officer, who lost an eye, eight teeth and half his scalp ear when he was shot in the face. He is not quite as {{Badass}} as Sharpe or Harper, but can hold his own against them both, both as a leader of men and a fighter. He also loves art, poetry and architecture, has enough knowledge of law to get Sharpe out of trouble more than once, speaks French and French, Spanish and Latin, and spends his free time making pencil sketches of landscapes and discussing politics with an American Lieutenant.captured opponents.
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* Creator/MaryGentle's recurring character Baltazar Casaubon. [[TheBigGuy Very tall]], [[StoutStrength very fat but very strong]], [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} somewhat spacy]], and ''always'' an absolute prodigy in his field (which changes from book to book).
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* In Creator/MaryGentle's ''Literature/WhiteCrow'' stories, recurring character Baltazar Casaubon. [[TheBigGuy Very tall]], [[StoutStrength very fat but very strong]], [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} somewhat spacy]], and ''always'' an absolute prodigy in his field (which changes from book to book).
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* Alex Kilgour: the incomprehensibly Scottish heavy-worlder and right hand man to {{Sten}} is a genius tactician, communications and demolitions expert.
* In the second book of ''TheBlackCompany'' the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Lieutenant]] is shown wielding a mighty greatsword against the inhuman monsters of the Black Castle. A few scenes later, he's setting up elaborate, comprehensive siege works against the same castle with the finesse of an orchestra conductor.
* In the second book of ''TheBlackCompany'' the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Lieutenant]] is shown wielding a mighty greatsword against the inhuman monsters of the Black Castle. A few scenes later, he's setting up elaborate, comprehensive siege works against the same castle with the finesse of an orchestra conductor.
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* Alex Kilgour: the incomprehensibly Scottish heavy-worlder and right hand man to {{Sten}} Literature/{{Sten}} is a genius tactician, communications and demolitions expert.
* In the second book of''TheBlackCompany'' ''Literature/TheBlackCompany'' the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Lieutenant]] is shown wielding a mighty greatsword against the inhuman monsters of the Black Castle. A few scenes later, he's setting up elaborate, comprehensive siege works against the same castle with the finesse of an orchestra conductor.
* In the second book of
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* Creator/KarlEdwardWagner's hero Literature/{{Kane}}, described by Wagner as being one "who could master any situation intellectually, or rip heads off if push came to shove". Also something of a VillainProtagonist.
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* Creator/KarlEdwardWagner's hero Literature/{{Kane}}, described by Wagner as being one "who could master any situation intellectually, or rip heads off if push came to shove". Over 6ft tall, 300lb of muscle - and one of his former occupations included being a successful sorcerer. Also something of a VillainProtagonist.
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** Maithanet is a large and imposing man as well as the genius Shriah of the Inrithi, the fantasy equivalent to the Pope. When Inrilatas tries to assassinate him, [[spoiler:he crushes the man's skull with his bare hands]].
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* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': Thresh spends majority of the Game camped out in a wheat field that [[MuggingTheMonster not even the Careers want to risk trespassing.]] Katniss and Peeta notes that not only did it given Thresh the advantage of being the most nourished competitor, but because of all the potential hazards in the field, it would make going after him risky.
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* In ''Literature/{{NPCs}}'', Grumphs is a half-orc bartender, who tends to say as little as possible and mainly sticks to brewing ale and bartending. So, when it comes time for four random characters to impersonate four hapless adventurers, the choice of who should play the role of a Barbarian seems obvious. During their first real fight, though, it quickly becomes clear that Grumph is much more suited for the role of a Mage, being able to quickly understand, memorize, and cast complex spells, while also possessing a keen intellect that allows him to pick up on things much quicker than his companions. Despite becoming a mage, though, he understands that he can't rely exclusively on his friends for protection from physical harm, so he also wields a blade.
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** And in defence of Schwarzenegger's Conan, he ''is'' seen reading 'the philosophy of Sung and the poetry of Kitai' when he's still a slave. He just doesn't speak on what he learned.
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* Most of the male characters in R. Scott Bakker's ''SecondApocalypse'' series. Kellhus and Cnaiur best represent this as extremely powerful warriors with ridiculously penetrating, [[http://onemansblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/inconceivable.jpg Siscilianesque]] intellect.
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* Most of the male characters in R. Scott Bakker's ''SecondApocalypse'' series. ''Literature/SecondApocalypse'':
** Kellhus looks like a tall and strong warrior, but he's also an ImpossibleGenius.
** Cnaiurbest represent this as extremely powerful warriors urs Skiotha is a hulking barbarian warlord with ridiculously penetrating, [[http://onemansblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/inconceivable.jpg Siscilianesque]] intellect.a surprisingly penetrating insight and a very fine grasp of strategy.
** Kellhus looks like a tall and strong warrior, but he's also an ImpossibleGenius.
** Cnaiur
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* In ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsImASupervillain'', Reviled is the main physical brawler of the group owning to the SuperSerum, but even Penny admired his smarts before she got hers super-powered.
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* Most notably the Runners in ''Literature/TheMazeRunner'', who are quick thinking cartographers who make-maps while running marathons and have to stand a fighting chance against [[{{EldritchAbomination}} The Grievers]]. At a point before the main story, Thomas himself counted; he was a child prodigy [[spoiler: Leading WICKED]] and extraordinarily fit and during the series proves to be a decent fighter.
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* Most notably the The Runners in ''Literature/TheMazeRunner'', who are quick thinking cartographers who make-maps while running marathons and have to stand a fighting chance against [[{{EldritchAbomination}} The Grievers]]. At a point before the main story, Thomas himself counted; he was a child prodigy [[spoiler: Leading WICKED]] and extraordinarily fit and during the series proves to be a decent fighter.
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* Stephen King and Peter Straub's "Literature/BlackHouse", a sequel to "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.
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* Stephen King and Peter Straub's "Literature/BlackHouse", a sequel to "TheTalisman", "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.
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* In the ''CHERUBSeries'' it's a requirement for joining CHERUB , seeing as the kids are required to be highly-effective spies. They all have at least some proficiency in languages, martial arts and technology.
* In Robert Asprin's ''MythAdventures'', Chumley is a giant troll with the mind of a college professor. However, trolls generally play dumb so that they can get a mercenary work.
* In Robert Asprin's ''MythAdventures'', Chumley is a giant troll with the mind of a college professor. However, trolls generally play dumb so that they can get a mercenary work.
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* In the ''CHERUBSeries'' ''Literature/CHERUBSeries'' it's a requirement for joining CHERUB , seeing as the kids are required to be highly-effective spies. They all have at least some proficiency in languages, martial arts and technology.
* In Robert Asprin's''MythAdventures'', ''Literature/MythAdventures'', Chumley is a giant troll with the mind of a college professor. However, trolls generally play dumb so that they can get a mercenary work.
* In Robert Asprin's
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* Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt from ''GauntsGhosts''. Two meters twenty (That's 7' 4") of solid muscle and capable of going head to head with a Space Marine, but also a tactical genius with the undying support of his men.
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* Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt from ''GauntsGhosts''.''Literature/GauntsGhosts''. Two meters twenty (That's 7' 4") of solid muscle and capable of going head to head with a Space Marine, but also a tactical genius with the undying support of his men.
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* In ''{{Temeraire}}'', dragons in general can be bruisers, but Maximus -- possibly the biggest, strongest dragon seen yet in the series -- has little problem working out mathematical problems with Temeraire, who's smarter than almost any other character.
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* In ''{{Temeraire}}'', ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'', dragons in general can be bruisers, but Maximus -- possibly the biggest, strongest dragon seen yet in the series -- has little problem working out mathematical problems with Temeraire, who's smarter than almost any other character.
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* Dr. Impossible, the VillainProtagonist of ''SoonIWillBeInvincible'', began his career in supervillainy after a FreakLabAccident gives him super strength and speed, to go along with his 300 IQ and mastery of technical things. He's not nearly as strong or fast as any of his heroic nemeses, but he's more than capable of ripping an ATM out of the wall or overturning a semi, he can move in BulletTime when he concentrates, and bullets simply bounce off his skin (although they do leave nasty bruises).
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* Dr. Impossible, the VillainProtagonist of ''SoonIWillBeInvincible'', ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'', began his career in supervillainy after a FreakLabAccident gives him super strength and speed, to go along with his 300 IQ and mastery of technical things. He's not nearly as strong or fast as any of his heroic nemeses, but he's more than capable of ripping an ATM out of the wall or overturning a semi, he can move in BulletTime when he concentrates, and bullets simply bounce off his skin (although they do leave nasty bruises).
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* In ''TheSquiresTales'', Gerald Morris writes Sir Gawain as one of these.
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* In ''TheSquiresTales'', ''Literature/TheSquiresTales'', Gerald Morris writes Sir Gawain as one of these.
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* Deconstructed and Reconstructed with Major O'Mara from ''SectorGeneral'': he always wanted to be a psychologist but was always assigned manual labor because of his enormous build. This drove him to become a foul-tempered DeadpanSnarker, which made him a better psychologist when he finally became one.
* Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson, husband of AmeliaPeabody, is described by his wife as "Herculean" and also as "the greatest archeologist of this or any other age." His daughter-in-law can do charity medical work safely in the worst slums partly because she is widely loved, but also because "I will tear out your liver" if a hair of her head is mussed.
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''[[ProsperosDaughter Prospero in Hell]]'', Calvin, Mephisto's "Bully Boy", [[HiddenDepths turns out to be]] a college professor.
* Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson, husband of AmeliaPeabody, is described by his wife as "Herculean" and also as "the greatest archeologist of this or any other age." His daughter-in-law can do charity medical work safely in the worst slums partly because she is widely loved, but also because "I will tear out your liver" if a hair of her head is mussed.
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''[[ProsperosDaughter Prospero in Hell]]'', Calvin, Mephisto's "Bully Boy", [[HiddenDepths turns out to be]] a college professor.
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* Deconstructed and Reconstructed with Major O'Mara from ''SectorGeneral'': ''Literature/SectorGeneral'': he always wanted to be a psychologist but was always assigned manual labor because of his enormous build. This drove him to become a foul-tempered DeadpanSnarker, which made him a better psychologist when he finally became one.
* Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson, husband ofAmeliaPeabody, Literature/AmeliaPeabody, is described by his wife as "Herculean" and also as "the greatest archeologist of this or any other age." His daughter-in-law can do charity medical work safely in the worst slums partly because she is widely loved, but also because "I will tear out your liver" if a hair of her head is mussed.
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's''[[ProsperosDaughter ''[[Literature/ProsperosDaughter Prospero in Hell]]'', Calvin, Mephisto's "Bully Boy", [[HiddenDepths turns out to be]] a college professor.
* Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson, husband of
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's
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* Roman in SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/{{Competitors}}'' looks like a heavyweight boxer and is not shy about punching people out when he has to. He is often seen beside Zinovy, the head of the Seekers, and most assume he is just dumb muscle. Then he gets back to their base and puts on his labcoat. Turns out Roman has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and specializes in AI research. He also barters well. Also Oleg, who is a sysadmin for a local newspaper but is in excellent physical condition and loves sports.
* Taran'atar in the StarTrekDeepSpaceNineRelaunch. Kira Nerys is used to seeing him in the holosuite, spending his spare time training himself for battle. Usually this consists of fighting hideous and powerful opponents; but on one occasion she finds him studying advanced mathematics - at a level far beyond her comprehension.
* ''XWingSeries'': Voort SaBinring, aka "[[PigMan Piggy]]". Able to calculate hyperspace coordinates ''mentally'' (generally, this task is handled by a navigation computer). Get into a fight with him, you'll almost certainly be incapable of coherent speech for the next half hour or so.
* Taran'atar in the StarTrekDeepSpaceNineRelaunch. Kira Nerys is used to seeing him in the holosuite, spending his spare time training himself for battle. Usually this consists of fighting hideous and powerful opponents; but on one occasion she finds him studying advanced mathematics - at a level far beyond her comprehension.
* ''XWingSeries'': Voort SaBinring, aka "[[PigMan Piggy]]". Able to calculate hyperspace coordinates ''mentally'' (generally, this task is handled by a navigation computer). Get into a fight with him, you'll almost certainly be incapable of coherent speech for the next half hour or so.
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* Roman in SergeyLukyanenko's Creator/SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/{{Competitors}}'' looks like a heavyweight boxer and is not shy about punching people out when he has to. He is often seen beside Zinovy, the head of the Seekers, and most assume he is just dumb muscle. Then he gets back to their base and puts on his labcoat. Turns out Roman has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and specializes in AI research. He also barters well. Also Oleg, who is a sysadmin for a local newspaper but is in excellent physical condition and loves sports.
* Taran'atar in theStarTrekDeepSpaceNineRelaunch.Literature/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineRelaunch. Kira Nerys is used to seeing him in the holosuite, spending his spare time training himself for battle. Usually this consists of fighting hideous and powerful opponents; but on one occasion she finds him studying advanced mathematics - at a level far beyond her comprehension.
*''XWingSeries'': ''Literature/XWingSeries'': Voort SaBinring, aka "[[PigMan Piggy]]". Able to calculate hyperspace coordinates ''mentally'' (generally, this task is handled by a navigation computer). Get into a fight with him, you'll almost certainly be incapable of coherent speech for the next half hour or so.
* Taran'atar in the
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* {{Sharpe}}'s friend Captain William Fredrickson. Fredrickson is a former ranker, who lost an eye, eight teeth and half his scalp when he was shot in the face. He is not quite as {{Badass}} as Sharpe or Harper, but can hold his own against them both, both as a leader of men and a fighter. He also loves art, poetry and architecture, has enough knowledge of law to get Sharpe out of trouble more than once, speaks French and Spanish and spends his free time making pencil sketches of landscapes and discussing politics with an American Lieutenant.
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* {{Sharpe}}'s Literature/{{Sharpe}}'s friend Captain William Fredrickson. Fredrickson is a former ranker, who lost an eye, eight teeth and half his scalp when he was shot in the face. He is not quite as {{Badass}} as Sharpe or Harper, but can hold his own against them both, both as a leader of men and a fighter. He also loves art, poetry and architecture, has enough knowledge of law to get Sharpe out of trouble more than once, speaks French and Spanish and spends his free time making pencil sketches of landscapes and discussing politics with an American Lieutenant.
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* To general surprise, Professor Hari Seldon turns out to be a skilled fighter in the prequel to the {{Foundation}} novels. A pair of thugs try to rough him up early in the book, and he nearly breaks one of their necks subduing them. As one character ruefully reflects, on his planet mathematics and martial arts are not mutually exclusive.
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* To general surprise, Professor Hari Seldon turns out to be a skilled fighter in the prequel to the {{Foundation}} Literature/{{Foundation}} novels. A pair of thugs try to rough him up early in the book, and he nearly breaks one of their necks subduing them. As one character ruefully reflects, on his planet mathematics and martial arts are not mutually exclusive.
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* PhilipMarlowe the HardboiledDetective in the stories by Creature/RaymondChandler. He's tall and as tough as they come as well as extremely StreetSmart and an insightful detective. He [[SmartPeoplePlayChess studies chess]] in his spare time and occasionally making references to very academic subjects that go right over the heads of the people around him.
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* PhilipMarlowe Literature/PhilipMarlowe the HardboiledDetective in the stories by Creature/RaymondChandler. He's tall and as tough as they come as well as extremely StreetSmart and an insightful detective. He [[SmartPeoplePlayChess studies chess]] in his spare time and occasionally making references to very academic subjects that go right over the heads of the people around him.
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* Jean, partner to GentlemanBastard Locke Lamora, is officially the brawn to his friend's brains, but is book-smart to Locke's cunning. Being the son of a merchant, he's also gifted with numbers.
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* Jean, partner to GentlemanBastard Literature/GentlemanBastard Locke Lamora, is officially the brawn to his friend's brains, but is book-smart to Locke's cunning. Being the son of a merchant, he's also gifted with numbers.
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* Both Tennyson and Brewster hold this role in ''Literature/{{Bruiser}}'', Brewster through his sheer size and eidetic memory and Tennyson through extensive training and having two professors for parents.
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* DocSavage is repeatedly described as a bronzed Adonis, and those Doctorates weren't honorary. Plus his brilliant but simian looking lieutenant 'Monk' Mayfair and the gigantic 'Renny' Renwick. The other three of the 'Fabulous Five' fit the BadassBookworm trope. (In fact, given information from three stories, there seemed to be only three skills where Doc fell short of being a genius: singing, cooking, and imitating a female voice.)
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* DocSavage Franchise/DocSavage is repeatedly described as a bronzed Adonis, and those Doctorates weren't honorary. Plus his brilliant but simian looking lieutenant 'Monk' Mayfair and the gigantic 'Renny' Renwick. The other three of the 'Fabulous Five' fit the BadassBookworm trope. (In fact, given information from three stories, there seemed to be only three skills where Doc fell short of being a genius: singing, cooking, and imitating a female voice.)
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* Fandarel of the ''DragonridersOfPern'' series. He is the Mastersmith, the highest-ranking Smith on the planet. He is described as being a giant of a man, tall, broad, and heavily muscled. But he is also a genius when it comes to machinery. In the first book he [[spoiler: rebuilds a LostTechnology, namely flamethrowers, after a very short period of studying one example.]] In later books he is shown [[spoiler: creating a telegraph system for Pern, as well as building a set of backup batteries for AIVAS]] and other feats of ingenuity and reverse engineering. [[spoiler: Though AIVAS did help him with the batteries, they were based on a design he had used in making the telegraphs.]]
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* Fandarel of the ''DragonridersOfPern'' ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' series. He is the Mastersmith, the highest-ranking Smith on the planet. He is described as being a giant of a man, tall, broad, and heavily muscled. But he is also a genius when it comes to machinery. In the first book he [[spoiler: rebuilds a LostTechnology, namely flamethrowers, after a very short period of studying one example.]] In later books he is shown [[spoiler: creating a telegraph system for Pern, as well as building a set of backup batteries for AIVAS]] and other feats of ingenuity and reverse engineering. [[spoiler: Though AIVAS did help him with the batteries, they were based on a design he had used in making the telegraphs.]]
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* Literature/TheRadix: Edgar Wurm is cryptography genius, and a strong fighter. As he puts it, "It always surprises people when they get their ass kicked by a mathematician".
* 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. On the other hand, can't find his way through theoretical physics very well. His intelligence is probably above-average, but it's hard to say for sure because almost everyone looks like an idiot next to [[InsufferableGenius Artemis Fowl]]. His little sister is also smart, but has too much compassion to become a bodyguard, [[spoiler:and leaves to become a professional wrestler.]]
* Most of the male characters in R. Scott Bakker's ''SecondApocalypse'' series. Kellhus and Cnaiur best represent this as extremely powerful warriors with ridiculously penetrating, [[http://onemansblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/inconceivable.jpg Siscilianesque]] intellect.
* Stephen King and Peter Straub's "Literature/BlackHouse", a sequel to "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.
* Loial in the ''[[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Wheel of Time]]'' series is a giant [[OurOgresAreHungrier Ogier]] who has also been reading books for almost a century.
** The Dragon Reborn eventually gets this when he accepts his past memories as part of his reincarnated self.
** Perrin thinks that he's [[RunningGag a simple blacksmith]], but is actually tremendously clever, tactical, and carries ''Mjolnir'' besides.
* ''Literature/BelisariusSeries'',
** 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.
** Also from that series, Ousanas (wields a ginormous spear, fond of debating philosophy with Anastasius, to everyone else's dismay), Eon (warrior-king...who has one of the largest libraries in the known world and has read most of it), Raghunath Rao (the best assassin in India, one of only two men in the world to have survived a fight with [[FourStarBadass Rana Sanga]], argues Ousanas's favourite Greek philosophers are full of it).
* In the ''CHERUBSeries'' it's a requirement for joining CHERUB , seeing as the kids are required to be highly-effective spies. They all have at least some proficiency in languages, martial arts and technology.
* In Robert Asprin's ''MythAdventures'', Chumley is a giant troll with the mind of a college professor. However, trolls generally play dumb so that they can get a mercenary work.
** Klahdish bodyguards Guido and Nunzio are also quite bright, despite appearing to be big dumb goons. From what was mentioned, they both got degrees in a college; specifically Guido got a master's type degree in financial college; Nunzio also was at least a schoolteacher and then an animal trainer ("seemed like a logical extension") before joining [[TheMafia the Mob]].
* Joe Miller in Creator/PhilipJoseFarmer's ''Riverworld'' books is an 800-lb prehistoric "titanthrop" who is the most fearsome warrior in the series. He is also capable of matching wits with his best friend [[MarkTwain Samuel Clemens]] and with CyranoDeBergerac.
* Trolls in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fit this trope if exposed to colder temperatures. Their brain is made of silicon, which operates more efficiently in colder temperatures than warmer ones. However, there is an absolute limit, because although being made mostly of rock, trolls can eventually die of exposure as well as any other life form.
** The scene where it's shown that trolls can die of cold exposure also has one discovering calculus.
** Diamond, King of the Trolls, a troll born completely composed of, well, diamond. The diamond refracts light and allows his brain exceptional cooling due to the high heat conductivity of diamond.
** Golems as well, although only the free ones show it.
** Yet another ''Discworld'' example is the Librarian of Unseen University, a wizard transformed into an orangutan who is one of the most intelligent and sensible wizards despite the fact he only communicates by saying Ook or Eek (and is usually understandable to other characters). As an ape he's got easily twice the upper body strength of most humans.
** Speaking of wizards, the Archchancellor, Mustrum Ridcully. The man can keep up with the resident equivalent of a rocket scientist without that much trouble, is an excellent wizard, as his position in the university would imply, and he's also strong enough that, while he can fireball things to death easily, it's even easier for him to just whack whatever's troubling him with his staff until it stops moving.
** Another, [[GeniusDitz very specialized]] ''Discworld'' example might be Mr. Tulip, who really is a big dumb bruiser who's not even smart enough to be a proper drug addict - except in the field of art history, where he proves to have both astonishing depth of knowledge and natural instinct...as well of glimmers of humanity and emotion beyond rage.
*** Similarly, Jason Ogg, immensely strong and despite an otherwise [[DumbMuscle limited intelligence]], a good blacksmith and the world's '''best''' farrier.
** ''Discworld'' [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orcs]] seem to have been [[SuperSoldier created]] to fulfill this trope, although [[spoiler: Mister Nutt himself is more of a BadassBookworm.]]
** Captain Carrot, he can punch out a troll if need be, knows ''at least'' three languages, and is quite devious. Most people miss this though due to his tendency towards open friendliness, and atrocious spelling.
** A creepy Discworld example is "Professor" Cranberry, Cosmo Lavish's personal Assassin in ''Discworld/MakingMoney''. He's quiet and constantly reading, except when he's killing people. Even Heretofore is unsettled and would rather Cosmo hired a "mindless thug." Cranberry also got into the Guild school [[ScholarshipStudent on scholarship]], which specifically means he showed the aptitude and disposition necessary to be a real Assassin even before he actually got in.
** A non-Discworld example from Creator/TerryPratchett: Silver the Shand from ''Literature/{{Strata}}'' is a tall, heavily muscled, bearlike being with huge claws. She's also a [[RenaissanceMan socialist, linguist, comparative historian and meat-animal herder]].
* DocSavage is repeatedly described as a bronzed Adonis, and those Doctorates weren't honorary. Plus his brilliant but simian looking lieutenant 'Monk' Mayfair and the gigantic 'Renny' Renwick. The other three of the 'Fabulous Five' fit the BadassBookworm trope. (In fact, given information from three stories, there seemed to be only three skills where Doc fell short of being a genius: singing, cooking, and imitating a female voice.)
* Leland ''Hobie'' Hobart from MichaelFlynn's ''[[Literature/FirestarSeries Firestar]]'' tetralogy.
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' is positively in love with this trope. The examples start just from its title character, Honor Harrington, who, in addition to her military genius, is also a ''very'' big and strong {{heavyworlder}} woman with a 7'th degree black belt in ''coup de vitesse''. There are also Anton Zilwicki (the genius hacker and intelligence officer built like a brick outhouse and a three times Greco-Roman wrestling champion in Manticoran Games) and Sir Horace Harkness, another brilliant hacker and engineer who fights with {{Space Marine}}s just for fun. A number of marines themselves qualify too -- like General Kevin Usher, the chief Havenite cop, who once [[ObfuscatingStupidity affected a persona of a drunkard]], or Brigadier Thomas Santiago Ramirez, who, being {{heavyworlder}}, is much bigger and stronger than most of the cast, or Major Thandi Palane, [[GodModeSue Victor Cachat's]] girlfriend... And [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters many, many others]].
* Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt from ''GauntsGhosts''. Two meters twenty (That's 7' 4") of solid muscle and capable of going head to head with a Space Marine, but also a tactical genius with the undying support of his men.
* Far from the lumbering moron of the film adaptations, ''FrankensteinsMonster'' is a full Genius Bruiser in Creator/MaryShelley's original novel. "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.
* Similarily, Edgar Rice Burroughs's Literature/{{Tarzan}} is not quite the muscular simpleton portrayed in the films. Raised by the (naturally) illiterate Great Apes, he ''teaches himself to read and write English from a bunch of books'' after finding his dead (human) parents' long-abandoned cabin, then rapidly learns half a dozen other spoken and written languages when introduced to civilization while also picking up the manner and social skills of a well-to-do gentleman, along with developing a witty, somewhat dark sense of humor.
* Robert E. Howard's [[ConanTheBarbarian Conan]]. Most people only know the [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger Ahnuld]] movies where he acts like just a big dumb lump of muscle, largely because the young Governator had trouble with his English lines so they gave him as few as possible, but in the original stories he's one of the smartest men in the world - not given to academic study before he became king and it became a necessity, but a very quick practical thinker (it's a big part of what makes him so incredibly dangerous) 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 ''The Dark Stranger'', 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 wrote the poem ''Road of Kings'', used as chapter heads in ''Phoenix on the Sword'', 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 quite ''competent'' ruler, at that!
--> Conan: "Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content."
** In fact, Howard hints Conan was actually ''the most competent ruler of the entire world at his time'', if you consider balance between taxes and quality of life a way to know how good a ruler can be:
-->Conan: "I found Aquilonia in the grip of a pig like you--one who traced his genealogy for a thousand years. The land was torn with the wars of the barons, and the people cried out under oppression and taxation. Today no Aquilonian noble dares maltreat the humblest of my subjects, and the taxes of the people are lighter than anywhere else in the world."
** Howard's earlier character King Kull, often seen as a sort of proto-Conan given more to dizzying philosophical musings than the Cimmerians decidedly more Epicurean pursuits of wine, women and violence (in no particular order), is even more of this.
** In fact, a lot of Howard's larger-than-life pulp heroes - Conan, King Kull, SolomonKane, etc. - are not just Genius Bruisers, but Genius LightningBruiser [[TheBerserker Berserkers]]. The same also goes for many other pulp characters (notably Tarzan, as mentioned above). Seriously, these are ''very scary people'', folks; thank gods they all have ''scruples''...
* In ''{{Temeraire}}'', dragons in general can be bruisers, but Maximus -- possibly the biggest, strongest dragon seen yet in the series -- has little problem working out mathematical problems with Temeraire, who's smarter than almost any other character.
** To put things in perspective, Temeraire is a bit less than half Maximus' size... and Maximus is almost ''50 tonnes'' when healthy.
** Perspicia is a subversion of this, because although she's a dragon and therefore automatically a bruiser and is smart enough to have independently come up with logarithmic tables and the Pythagorean Theorem, she's also a self admitted coward.
* A not-uncommon component of books by Creator/JohnRingo.
** The main protagonist, Michael "Mighty Mite" O'Neal, in the ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'', is described as being almost as broad as he is tall, with none of it fat. O'Neal was also one of the primary designers of the PoweredArmor he and his troops later use.
** The SpaceMarines in particular in the ''Literature/IntoTheLookingGlass'' series are all powerfully built, and highly intelligent, having to grapple not only with hostile aliens but with particle physics.
* King Anheg of Cherek in Creator/DavidEddings' ''[[Literature/TheBelgariad Belgariad/Mallorean]]'' stories is a large, Viking-looking man, quite capable of wreaking havoc in battle, but is also considered clever and scholarly, spending many hours in his extensive library.
** Ulath, of it's SpiritualSuccessor, ''TheElenium'' is seven feet tall, grim-looking and [[TheQuietOne quiet]]. He also possesses remarkable intellectual depth in the fields of religious study, history, and philosophy. Bhlokow, the Troll-Priest may be another example, being a Troll who cheerfully engages Ulath in philisophical debate.
* Jean, partner to GentlemanBastard Locke Lamora, is officially the brawn to his friend's brains, but is book-smart to Locke's cunning. Being the son of a merchant, he's also gifted with numbers.
* The eponymous VillainProtagonist of ''Literature/SpaceVulture''.
* Captain Otto Harkaman of ''Space Viking'' is used at least once as a byword for TheBigGuy, but he's also an extremely well-read historian who rarely fails to grab a few new history books every time he loots a city. Justified, because there's absolutely frak-all to do on board a ship in Creator/HBeamPiper's Terrohuman Future History during a thousand or so hours in hyperspace before your arrival, leading all officers to adopt hobbies - his crew includes a gunnery officer who's a landscape painter, and an astrogator who's attempting to express physics in music.
* Sgt. Taura, the eight foot tall genetically engineered super-soldier from LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' has an IQ of 135.
* Most [[Literature/{{Animorphs}} Hork-Bajir]] are rather dim, but one in every ten thousand has intelligence on par with other more intelligent species. Oh yeah, and they are also seven-foot-tall behemoths covered in blades.
** There's also the odd examples from the main ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' themselves: Rachel and Jake. In early books Rachel is sold as a straight Genius Bruiser, with chapters lingering on her excellent grades and tendency to collect quotations from Sun Tzu, while Jake is presented as an academically mediocre everyman. As the books progress, however, Rachel's BloodKnight nature slowly begins to overwhelm any trace of strategy she might have had, while Jake's years of leading a guerilla force mold him into a brilliant commander.
** According to [[TokenNonhuman Ax]], Andalite warriors are supposed to be scientists and artists as well as soldiers. In practice the level of compliance with this ideal varies.
* Justicar Alaric from the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Literature/GreyKnights'' novels. As a Space Marine he can seriously kick ass, but when crunch time comes, it's his curiosity, intelligence and ability to think on his feet that pulls him through. It's explicitly noted at least once that his sharpness of mind is unusual and seen as a possible danger.
* Charles Beckendorf from ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' is not only a skilled craftsman, but also built like a gorilla.
* Henry, a college student from ''Literature/TheSecretHistory'', is a brilliant linguist and scholar, whose physical strength comes as a shock to most people. Including, sometimes, himself. [[spoiler: It's implied that he broke open a man's skull by punching him..]]
* [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Brendan Sealock]], in William Barton and Michael Capobianco's collab novel ''Iris'', is a hulking, craggy-faced amateur boxer... who just so happens to also be a technological genius.
* Dr. Impossible, the VillainProtagonist of ''SoonIWillBeInvincible'', began his career in supervillainy after a FreakLabAccident gives him super strength and speed, to go along with his 300 IQ and mastery of technical things. He's not nearly as strong or fast as any of his heroic nemeses, but he's more than capable of ripping an ATM out of the wall or overturning a semi, he can move in BulletTime when he concentrates, and bullets simply bounce off his skin (although they do leave nasty bruises).
* Uther Doul, the soldier/philosopher/historian/possibility theorist from ''[[PerdidoStreetStation The Scar]]'' embodies this trope so hard it's almost a StealthParody. Although his fighting style is so ruthlessly perfected and artful, you'd be better off calling him a Bookworm Badass than an anything-Bruiser.
* Shadow, the protagonist from Neil Gaiman's ''Literature/AmericanGods'', is definitely this trope. It's revealed as the book goes on that as a child he was a nerdy, bookish kid, but by adulthood most people tend to treat him as DumbMuscle and he actually comes out and says he ''likes'' being TheBigGuy -- people leave you alone and don't demand much of you.
* Creator/MaryGentle's recurring character Baltazar Casaubon. [[TheBigGuy Very tall]], [[StoutStrength very fat but very strong]], [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} somewhat spacy]], and ''always'' an absolute prodigy in his field (which changes from book to book).
* Derek Souza of the ''Literature/DarkestPowers'' trilogy. He's in grade 10, but is taking college-level courses in everything, and is a good strategist and tactician. As for the bruiser part, he's over 6 feet tall, built like a linebacker... and is a werewolf. As such, he has enhanced strength, to the point where he once [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength (accidentally)]] broke a kid's back and quite possibly paralyzed him by tossing him at a wall. ''Without looking''.
* In ''TheSquiresTales'', Gerald Morris writes Sir Gawain as one of these.
* ''Literature/CodexAlera''.
** 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.]].
** Ambassador/Warmaster Varg of the Canim from the same series also qualifies. Any Cane is an 8+ foot tall WolfMan ProudWarriorRaceGuy, but Varg is big, strong, and a skilled warrior even among his own people- and he's also a highly skilled Chessmaster (both metaphorically and [[SmartPeoplePlayChess literally]]), a shrewd tactician, and something of a student of military history as well. It's very telling that GuileHero Tavi picked up a fair bit of what he knows via interacting with Varg.
* Fandarel of the ''DragonridersOfPern'' series. He is the Mastersmith, the highest-ranking Smith on the planet. He is described as being a giant of a man, tall, broad, and heavily muscled. But he is also a genius when it comes to machinery. In the first book he [[spoiler: rebuilds a LostTechnology, namely flamethrowers, after a very short period of studying one example.]] In later books he is shown [[spoiler: creating a telegraph system for Pern, as well as building a set of backup batteries for AIVAS]] and other feats of ingenuity and reverse engineering. [[spoiler: Though AIVAS did help him with the batteries, they were based on a design he had used in making the telegraphs.]]
* Murtagh in the ''Literature/InheritanceCycle.'' He is a master warrior, possesses superhuman speed and strength, regularly goes toe-to-toe with Eragon himself, and is [[spoiler: the acting champion of the Empire, second in power and status only to King Galbatorix.]] At the same time, he's also a skilled tactician who enjoys reading and scholarship, and is complimented for his intelligence by several other characters.
* ''Literature/TheHobbit'': Smaug, which contrasted to popular characterizations of dragons at the time.
* Deconstructed and Reconstructed with Major O'Mara from ''SectorGeneral'': he always wanted to be a psychologist but was always assigned manual labor because of his enormous build. This drove him to become a foul-tempered DeadpanSnarker, which made him a better psychologist when he finally became one.
* Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson, husband of AmeliaPeabody, is described by his wife as "Herculean" and also as "the greatest archeologist of this or any other age." His daughter-in-law can do charity medical work safely in the worst slums partly because she is widely loved, but also because "I will tear out your liver" if a hair of her head is mussed.
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''[[ProsperosDaughter Prospero in Hell]]'', Calvin, Mephisto's "Bully Boy", [[HiddenDepths turns out to be]] a college professor.
* 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.
* Roman in SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/{{Competitors}}'' looks like a heavyweight boxer and is not shy about punching people out when he has to. He is often seen beside Zinovy, the head of the Seekers, and most assume he is just dumb muscle. Then he gets back to their base and puts on his labcoat. Turns out Roman has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and specializes in AI research. He also barters well. Also Oleg, who is a sysadmin for a local newspaper but is in excellent physical condition and loves sports.
* Taran'atar in the StarTrekDeepSpaceNineRelaunch. Kira Nerys is used to seeing him in the holosuite, spending his spare time training himself for battle. Usually this consists of fighting hideous and powerful opponents; but on one occasion she finds him studying advanced mathematics - at a level far beyond her comprehension.
* ''XWingSeries'': Voort SaBinring, aka "[[PigMan Piggy]]". Able to calculate hyperspace coordinates ''mentally'' (generally, this task is handled by a navigation computer). Get into a fight with him, you'll almost certainly be incapable of coherent speech for the next half hour or so.
* Ivor in ''Perseus Spur'' is a massive fitness trainer who can use a high-tech collar to enhance his already insane muscle development until he can lift a couple of hundred kilograms, and who is smart enough that he speaks in SesquipedalianLoquaciousness, such as referring to his job as "quotidian ennui". He's also a talented chef.
* Creator/JulesVerne's Literature/RoburTheConqueror, in the novel of the same name.
* The Boneys from ''Literature/XeeleeSequence'' novel ''Raft''. Despite their tribelike mannerisms, they play with orbital mechanics with an ease that rivals trained scientists.
* Honoria Glossop from the ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' series: "...in addition to enlarging her brain to the most frightful extent, she had gone in for every kind of sport and developed the physique of a middle-weight catch-as-catch-can wrestler." The same trope applies to her [[UncannyFamilyResemblance identical-looking cousin]] Heloise Pringle, who went to the same school as Honoria, but is even smarter.
* Geralt of Rivia, the main character of ''Literature/TheWitcher'' is one. He is a monster-hunter and curse-breaker for hire, and acknowledged as the finest swordsman alive. His teachers also gave him a thorough grounding in a wide variety of academic fields which are useful in his profession, including (but not limited to) magic, alchemy, anatomy, forensic science, zoology, ecology, history, folklore and political theory.
* {{Sharpe}}'s friend Captain William Fredrickson. Fredrickson is a former ranker, who lost an eye, eight teeth and half his scalp when he was shot in the face. He is not quite as {{Badass}} as Sharpe or Harper, but can hold his own against them both, both as a leader of men and a fighter. He also loves art, poetry and architecture, has enough knowledge of law to get Sharpe out of trouble more than once, speaks French and Spanish and spends his free time making pencil sketches of landscapes and discussing politics with an American Lieutenant.
* In the ''Literature/AubreyMaturin'' series, Jack Aubrey is a tall, burly, heavily scarred war hero and immensely successful naval commander, who always leads boarding actions from the front. He is also, along with his good friend Dr. Maturin, a Fellow of the Royal Society (Britain's most prestigious academic society). He has written a number of well-received papers on astronomy and geometry, and built his own observatory and telescopes.
* Creator/KarlEdwardWagner's hero Literature/{{Kane}}, described by Wagner as being one "who could master any situation intellectually, or rip heads off if push came to shove". Also something of a VillainProtagonist.
* Amanandrala "Grok" Grookonomonslf in ''Literature/StarRiskLtd'' is a [[BearsAreBadNews bear-like]] alien who is an absolutely terrifying combatant. He's also quite good with tech and cryptography, though not as much as Jasmine King.
* To general surprise, Professor Hari Seldon turns out to be a skilled fighter in the prequel to the {{Foundation}} novels. A pair of thugs try to rough him up early in the book, and he nearly breaks one of their necks subduing them. As one character ruefully reflects, on his planet mathematics and martial arts are not mutually exclusive.
* Prof. Alois Berg, better known as "Big Al", one of the Escapist's closest friends and allies in ''Literature/TheAmazingAdventuresOfKavalierAndClay'', as well as the spinoff ''Escapist'' comic. He met the Escapist when both were working at a circus -- Big Al was a freak, caged like an animal due to his monstrous size. As he's described in the novel, "He can rip open a steel drum like a can of tobacco, lift a train carriage by one corner, play the violin like Paganini, and calculate the velocity of asteroids and comets, one of which bears his name."
* Alex Kilgour: the incomprehensibly Scottish heavy-worlder and right hand man to {{Sten}} is a genius tactician, communications and demolitions expert.
* In the second book of ''TheBlackCompany'' the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Lieutenant]] is shown wielding a mighty greatsword against the inhuman monsters of the Black Castle. A few scenes later, he's setting up elaborate, comprehensive siege works against the same castle with the finesse of an orchestra conductor.
* Wächterechsen (Guardian Lizards) in the german e-novel "Magicalogen" are implied to all be SuperSoldiers. The one who actually appears is notably bigger than a human with natural armor, claws, ridiculous muscles and jaws full of really scary teeth. He's also a master wizard, a scientist and a spy.
* Ben in ''Literature/TheLeonardRegime''.
* Tsovinar of ''Literature/GloryInTheThunder'' is a tall, strong woman capable of generating earthquakes with her mind. She's also a published author and spends much of her time studying the nature of Aspects.
* PhilipMarlowe the HardboiledDetective in the stories by Creature/RaymondChandler. He's tall and as tough as they come as well as extremely StreetSmart and an insightful detective. He [[SmartPeoplePlayChess studies chess]] in his spare time and occasionally making references to very academic subjects that go right over the heads of the people around him.
* DimeNovel hero Literature/NickCarter is adept at all the arts and sciences, but is also a highly trained fighter; when that isn't enough, he also carries two spring-loaded revolvers concealed up his sleeves.
* In the ''Literature/{{Noob}}'' novels, Fantöm is explictly using AwesomenessByAnalysis while being TheBigGuy in his team.
* Most notably the Runners in ''Literature/TheMazeRunner'', who are quick thinking cartographers who make-maps while running marathons and have to stand a fighting chance against [[{{EldritchAbomination}} The Grievers]]. At a point before the main story, Thomas himself counted; he was a child prodigy [[spoiler: Leading WICKED]] and extraordinarily fit and during the series proves to be a decent fighter.
* Bear of ''Literature/FairyTaleNovels'' is big and strong enough to have been a football player in school, but preferred writing poetry (the best in class) and studying art, later becoming a stonemason.
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* 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. On the other hand, can't find his way through theoretical physics very well. His intelligence is probably above-average, but it's hard to say for sure because almost everyone looks like an idiot next to [[InsufferableGenius Artemis Fowl]]. His little sister is also smart, but has too much compassion to become a bodyguard, [[spoiler:and leaves to become a professional wrestler.]]
* Most of the male characters in R. Scott Bakker's ''SecondApocalypse'' series. Kellhus and Cnaiur best represent this as extremely powerful warriors with ridiculously penetrating, [[http://onemansblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/inconceivable.jpg Siscilianesque]] intellect.
* Stephen King and Peter Straub's "Literature/BlackHouse", a sequel to "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.
* Loial in the ''[[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Wheel of Time]]'' series is a giant [[OurOgresAreHungrier Ogier]] who has also been reading books for almost a century.
** The Dragon Reborn eventually gets this when he accepts his past memories as part of his reincarnated self.
** Perrin thinks that he's [[RunningGag a simple blacksmith]], but is actually tremendously clever, tactical, and carries ''Mjolnir'' besides.
* ''Literature/BelisariusSeries'',
** 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.
** Also from that series, Ousanas (wields a ginormous spear, fond of debating philosophy with Anastasius, to everyone else's dismay), Eon (warrior-king...who has one of the largest libraries in the known world and has read most of it), Raghunath Rao (the best assassin in India, one of only two men in the world to have survived a fight with [[FourStarBadass Rana Sanga]], argues Ousanas's favourite Greek philosophers are full of it).
* In the ''CHERUBSeries'' it's a requirement for joining CHERUB , seeing as the kids are required to be highly-effective spies. They all have at least some proficiency in languages, martial arts and technology.
* In Robert Asprin's ''MythAdventures'', Chumley is a giant troll with the mind of a college professor. However, trolls generally play dumb so that they can get a mercenary work.
** Klahdish bodyguards Guido and Nunzio are also quite bright, despite appearing to be big dumb goons. From what was mentioned, they both got degrees in a college; specifically Guido got a master's type degree in financial college; Nunzio also was at least a schoolteacher and then an animal trainer ("seemed like a logical extension") before joining [[TheMafia the Mob]].
* Joe Miller in Creator/PhilipJoseFarmer's ''Riverworld'' books is an 800-lb prehistoric "titanthrop" who is the most fearsome warrior in the series. He is also capable of matching wits with his best friend [[MarkTwain Samuel Clemens]] and with CyranoDeBergerac.
* Trolls in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fit this trope if exposed to colder temperatures. Their brain is made of silicon, which operates more efficiently in colder temperatures than warmer ones. However, there is an absolute limit, because although being made mostly of rock, trolls can eventually die of exposure as well as any other life form.
** The scene where it's shown that trolls can die of cold exposure also has one discovering calculus.
** Diamond, King of the Trolls, a troll born completely composed of, well, diamond. The diamond refracts light and allows his brain exceptional cooling due to the high heat conductivity of diamond.
** Golems as well, although only the free ones show it.
** Yet another ''Discworld'' example is the Librarian of Unseen University, a wizard transformed into an orangutan who is one of the most intelligent and sensible wizards despite the fact he only communicates by saying Ook or Eek (and is usually understandable to other characters). As an ape he's got easily twice the upper body strength of most humans.
** Speaking of wizards, the Archchancellor, Mustrum Ridcully. The man can keep up with the resident equivalent of a rocket scientist without that much trouble, is an excellent wizard, as his position in the university would imply, and he's also strong enough that, while he can fireball things to death easily, it's even easier for him to just whack whatever's troubling him with his staff until it stops moving.
** Another, [[GeniusDitz very specialized]] ''Discworld'' example might be Mr. Tulip, who really is a big dumb bruiser who's not even smart enough to be a proper drug addict - except in the field of art history, where he proves to have both astonishing depth of knowledge and natural instinct...as well of glimmers of humanity and emotion beyond rage.
*** Similarly, Jason Ogg, immensely strong and despite an otherwise [[DumbMuscle limited intelligence]], a good blacksmith and the world's '''best''' farrier.
** ''Discworld'' [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orcs]] seem to have been [[SuperSoldier created]] to fulfill this trope, although [[spoiler: Mister Nutt himself is more of a BadassBookworm.]]
** Captain Carrot, he can punch out a troll if need be, knows ''at least'' three languages, and is quite devious. Most people miss this though due to his tendency towards open friendliness, and atrocious spelling.
** A creepy Discworld example is "Professor" Cranberry, Cosmo Lavish's personal Assassin in ''Discworld/MakingMoney''. He's quiet and constantly reading, except when he's killing people. Even Heretofore is unsettled and would rather Cosmo hired a "mindless thug." Cranberry also got into the Guild school [[ScholarshipStudent on scholarship]], which specifically means he showed the aptitude and disposition necessary to be a real Assassin even before he actually got in.
** A non-Discworld example from Creator/TerryPratchett: Silver the Shand from ''Literature/{{Strata}}'' is a tall, heavily muscled, bearlike being with huge claws. She's also a [[RenaissanceMan socialist, linguist, comparative historian and meat-animal herder]].
* DocSavage is repeatedly described as a bronzed Adonis, and those Doctorates weren't honorary. Plus his brilliant but simian looking lieutenant 'Monk' Mayfair and the gigantic 'Renny' Renwick. The other three of the 'Fabulous Five' fit the BadassBookworm trope. (In fact, given information from three stories, there seemed to be only three skills where Doc fell short of being a genius: singing, cooking, and imitating a female voice.)
* Leland ''Hobie'' Hobart from MichaelFlynn's ''[[Literature/FirestarSeries Firestar]]'' tetralogy.
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' is positively in love with this trope. The examples start just from its title character, Honor Harrington, who, in addition to her military genius, is also a ''very'' big and strong {{heavyworlder}} woman with a 7'th degree black belt in ''coup de vitesse''. There are also Anton Zilwicki (the genius hacker and intelligence officer built like a brick outhouse and a three times Greco-Roman wrestling champion in Manticoran Games) and Sir Horace Harkness, another brilliant hacker and engineer who fights with {{Space Marine}}s just for fun. A number of marines themselves qualify too -- like General Kevin Usher, the chief Havenite cop, who once [[ObfuscatingStupidity affected a persona of a drunkard]], or Brigadier Thomas Santiago Ramirez, who, being {{heavyworlder}}, is much bigger and stronger than most of the cast, or Major Thandi Palane, [[GodModeSue Victor Cachat's]] girlfriend... And [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters many, many others]].
* Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt from ''GauntsGhosts''. Two meters twenty (That's 7' 4") of solid muscle and capable of going head to head with a Space Marine, but also a tactical genius with the undying support of his men.
* Far from the lumbering moron of the film adaptations, ''FrankensteinsMonster'' is a full Genius Bruiser in Creator/MaryShelley's original novel. "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.
* Similarily, Edgar Rice Burroughs's Literature/{{Tarzan}} is not quite the muscular simpleton portrayed in the films. Raised by the (naturally) illiterate Great Apes, he ''teaches himself to read and write English from a bunch of books'' after finding his dead (human) parents' long-abandoned cabin, then rapidly learns half a dozen other spoken and written languages when introduced to civilization while also picking up the manner and social skills of a well-to-do gentleman, along with developing a witty, somewhat dark sense of humor.
* Robert E. Howard's [[ConanTheBarbarian Conan]]. Most people only know the [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger Ahnuld]] movies where he acts like just a big dumb lump of muscle, largely because the young Governator had trouble with his English lines so they gave him as few as possible, but in the original stories he's one of the smartest men in the world - not given to academic study before he became king and it became a necessity, but a very quick practical thinker (it's a big part of what makes him so incredibly dangerous) 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 ''The Dark Stranger'', 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 wrote the poem ''Road of Kings'', used as chapter heads in ''Phoenix on the Sword'', 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 quite ''competent'' ruler, at that!
--> Conan: "Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content."
** In fact, Howard hints Conan was actually ''the most competent ruler of the entire world at his time'', if you consider balance between taxes and quality of life a way to know how good a ruler can be:
-->Conan: "I found Aquilonia in the grip of a pig like you--one who traced his genealogy for a thousand years. The land was torn with the wars of the barons, and the people cried out under oppression and taxation. Today no Aquilonian noble dares maltreat the humblest of my subjects, and the taxes of the people are lighter than anywhere else in the world."
** Howard's earlier character King Kull, often seen as a sort of proto-Conan given more to dizzying philosophical musings than the Cimmerians decidedly more Epicurean pursuits of wine, women and violence (in no particular order), is even more of this.
** In fact, a lot of Howard's larger-than-life pulp heroes - Conan, King Kull, SolomonKane, etc. - are not just Genius Bruisers, but Genius LightningBruiser [[TheBerserker Berserkers]]. The same also goes for many other pulp characters (notably Tarzan, as mentioned above). Seriously, these are ''very scary people'', folks; thank gods they all have ''scruples''...
* In ''{{Temeraire}}'', dragons in general can be bruisers, but Maximus -- possibly the biggest, strongest dragon seen yet in the series -- has little problem working out mathematical problems with Temeraire, who's smarter than almost any other character.
** To put things in perspective, Temeraire is a bit less than half Maximus' size... and Maximus is almost ''50 tonnes'' when healthy.
** Perspicia is a subversion of this, because although she's a dragon and therefore automatically a bruiser and is smart enough to have independently come up with logarithmic tables and the Pythagorean Theorem, she's also a self admitted coward.
* A not-uncommon component of books by Creator/JohnRingo.
** The main protagonist, Michael "Mighty Mite" O'Neal, in the ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'', is described as being almost as broad as he is tall, with none of it fat. O'Neal was also one of the primary designers of the PoweredArmor he and his troops later use.
** The SpaceMarines in particular in the ''Literature/IntoTheLookingGlass'' series are all powerfully built, and highly intelligent, having to grapple not only with hostile aliens but with particle physics.
* King Anheg of Cherek in Creator/DavidEddings' ''[[Literature/TheBelgariad Belgariad/Mallorean]]'' stories is a large, Viking-looking man, quite capable of wreaking havoc in battle, but is also considered clever and scholarly, spending many hours in his extensive library.
** Ulath, of it's SpiritualSuccessor, ''TheElenium'' is seven feet tall, grim-looking and [[TheQuietOne quiet]]. He also possesses remarkable intellectual depth in the fields of religious study, history, and philosophy. Bhlokow, the Troll-Priest may be another example, being a Troll who cheerfully engages Ulath in philisophical debate.
* Jean, partner to GentlemanBastard Locke Lamora, is officially the brawn to his friend's brains, but is book-smart to Locke's cunning. Being the son of a merchant, he's also gifted with numbers.
* The eponymous VillainProtagonist of ''Literature/SpaceVulture''.
* Captain Otto Harkaman of ''Space Viking'' is used at least once as a byword for TheBigGuy, but he's also an extremely well-read historian who rarely fails to grab a few new history books every time he loots a city. Justified, because there's absolutely frak-all to do on board a ship in Creator/HBeamPiper's Terrohuman Future History during a thousand or so hours in hyperspace before your arrival, leading all officers to adopt hobbies - his crew includes a gunnery officer who's a landscape painter, and an astrogator who's attempting to express physics in music.
* Sgt. Taura, the eight foot tall genetically engineered super-soldier from LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' has an IQ of 135.
* Most [[Literature/{{Animorphs}} Hork-Bajir]] are rather dim, but one in every ten thousand has intelligence on par with other more intelligent species. Oh yeah, and they are also seven-foot-tall behemoths covered in blades.
** There's also the odd examples from the main ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' themselves: Rachel and Jake. In early books Rachel is sold as a straight Genius Bruiser, with chapters lingering on her excellent grades and tendency to collect quotations from Sun Tzu, while Jake is presented as an academically mediocre everyman. As the books progress, however, Rachel's BloodKnight nature slowly begins to overwhelm any trace of strategy she might have had, while Jake's years of leading a guerilla force mold him into a brilliant commander.
** According to [[TokenNonhuman Ax]], Andalite warriors are supposed to be scientists and artists as well as soldiers. In practice the level of compliance with this ideal varies.
* Justicar Alaric from the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Literature/GreyKnights'' novels. As a Space Marine he can seriously kick ass, but when crunch time comes, it's his curiosity, intelligence and ability to think on his feet that pulls him through. It's explicitly noted at least once that his sharpness of mind is unusual and seen as a possible danger.
* Charles Beckendorf from ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' is not only a skilled craftsman, but also built like a gorilla.
* Henry, a college student from ''Literature/TheSecretHistory'', is a brilliant linguist and scholar, whose physical strength comes as a shock to most people. Including, sometimes, himself. [[spoiler: It's implied that he broke open a man's skull by punching him..]]
* [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Brendan Sealock]], in William Barton and Michael Capobianco's collab novel ''Iris'', is a hulking, craggy-faced amateur boxer... who just so happens to also be a technological genius.
* Dr. Impossible, the VillainProtagonist of ''SoonIWillBeInvincible'', began his career in supervillainy after a FreakLabAccident gives him super strength and speed, to go along with his 300 IQ and mastery of technical things. He's not nearly as strong or fast as any of his heroic nemeses, but he's more than capable of ripping an ATM out of the wall or overturning a semi, he can move in BulletTime when he concentrates, and bullets simply bounce off his skin (although they do leave nasty bruises).
* Uther Doul, the soldier/philosopher/historian/possibility theorist from ''[[PerdidoStreetStation The Scar]]'' embodies this trope so hard it's almost a StealthParody. Although his fighting style is so ruthlessly perfected and artful, you'd be better off calling him a Bookworm Badass than an anything-Bruiser.
* Shadow, the protagonist from Neil Gaiman's ''Literature/AmericanGods'', is definitely this trope. It's revealed as the book goes on that as a child he was a nerdy, bookish kid, but by adulthood most people tend to treat him as DumbMuscle and he actually comes out and says he ''likes'' being TheBigGuy -- people leave you alone and don't demand much of you.
* Creator/MaryGentle's recurring character Baltazar Casaubon. [[TheBigGuy Very tall]], [[StoutStrength very fat but very strong]], [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} somewhat spacy]], and ''always'' an absolute prodigy in his field (which changes from book to book).
* Derek Souza of the ''Literature/DarkestPowers'' trilogy. He's in grade 10, but is taking college-level courses in everything, and is a good strategist and tactician. As for the bruiser part, he's over 6 feet tall, built like a linebacker... and is a werewolf. As such, he has enhanced strength, to the point where he once [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength (accidentally)]] broke a kid's back and quite possibly paralyzed him by tossing him at a wall. ''Without looking''.
* In ''TheSquiresTales'', Gerald Morris writes Sir Gawain as one of these.
* ''Literature/CodexAlera''.
** 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.]].
** Ambassador/Warmaster Varg of the Canim from the same series also qualifies. Any Cane is an 8+ foot tall WolfMan ProudWarriorRaceGuy, but Varg is big, strong, and a skilled warrior even among his own people- and he's also a highly skilled Chessmaster (both metaphorically and [[SmartPeoplePlayChess literally]]), a shrewd tactician, and something of a student of military history as well. It's very telling that GuileHero Tavi picked up a fair bit of what he knows via interacting with Varg.
* Fandarel of the ''DragonridersOfPern'' series. He is the Mastersmith, the highest-ranking Smith on the planet. He is described as being a giant of a man, tall, broad, and heavily muscled. But he is also a genius when it comes to machinery. In the first book he [[spoiler: rebuilds a LostTechnology, namely flamethrowers, after a very short period of studying one example.]] In later books he is shown [[spoiler: creating a telegraph system for Pern, as well as building a set of backup batteries for AIVAS]] and other feats of ingenuity and reverse engineering. [[spoiler: Though AIVAS did help him with the batteries, they were based on a design he had used in making the telegraphs.]]
* Murtagh in the ''Literature/InheritanceCycle.'' He is a master warrior, possesses superhuman speed and strength, regularly goes toe-to-toe with Eragon himself, and is [[spoiler: the acting champion of the Empire, second in power and status only to King Galbatorix.]] At the same time, he's also a skilled tactician who enjoys reading and scholarship, and is complimented for his intelligence by several other characters.
* ''Literature/TheHobbit'': Smaug, which contrasted to popular characterizations of dragons at the time.
* Deconstructed and Reconstructed with Major O'Mara from ''SectorGeneral'': he always wanted to be a psychologist but was always assigned manual labor because of his enormous build. This drove him to become a foul-tempered DeadpanSnarker, which made him a better psychologist when he finally became one.
* Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson, husband of AmeliaPeabody, is described by his wife as "Herculean" and also as "the greatest archeologist of this or any other age." His daughter-in-law can do charity medical work safely in the worst slums partly because she is widely loved, but also because "I will tear out your liver" if a hair of her head is mussed.
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''[[ProsperosDaughter Prospero in Hell]]'', Calvin, Mephisto's "Bully Boy", [[HiddenDepths turns out to be]] a college professor.
* 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.
* Roman in SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/{{Competitors}}'' looks like a heavyweight boxer and is not shy about punching people out when he has to. He is often seen beside Zinovy, the head of the Seekers, and most assume he is just dumb muscle. Then he gets back to their base and puts on his labcoat. Turns out Roman has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and specializes in AI research. He also barters well. Also Oleg, who is a sysadmin for a local newspaper but is in excellent physical condition and loves sports.
* Taran'atar in the StarTrekDeepSpaceNineRelaunch. Kira Nerys is used to seeing him in the holosuite, spending his spare time training himself for battle. Usually this consists of fighting hideous and powerful opponents; but on one occasion she finds him studying advanced mathematics - at a level far beyond her comprehension.
* ''XWingSeries'': Voort SaBinring, aka "[[PigMan Piggy]]". Able to calculate hyperspace coordinates ''mentally'' (generally, this task is handled by a navigation computer). Get into a fight with him, you'll almost certainly be incapable of coherent speech for the next half hour or so.
* Ivor in ''Perseus Spur'' is a massive fitness trainer who can use a high-tech collar to enhance his already insane muscle development until he can lift a couple of hundred kilograms, and who is smart enough that he speaks in SesquipedalianLoquaciousness, such as referring to his job as "quotidian ennui". He's also a talented chef.
* Creator/JulesVerne's Literature/RoburTheConqueror, in the novel of the same name.
* The Boneys from ''Literature/XeeleeSequence'' novel ''Raft''. Despite their tribelike mannerisms, they play with orbital mechanics with an ease that rivals trained scientists.
* Honoria Glossop from the ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster'' series: "...in addition to enlarging her brain to the most frightful extent, she had gone in for every kind of sport and developed the physique of a middle-weight catch-as-catch-can wrestler." The same trope applies to her [[UncannyFamilyResemblance identical-looking cousin]] Heloise Pringle, who went to the same school as Honoria, but is even smarter.
* Geralt of Rivia, the main character of ''Literature/TheWitcher'' is one. He is a monster-hunter and curse-breaker for hire, and acknowledged as the finest swordsman alive. His teachers also gave him a thorough grounding in a wide variety of academic fields which are useful in his profession, including (but not limited to) magic, alchemy, anatomy, forensic science, zoology, ecology, history, folklore and political theory.
* {{Sharpe}}'s friend Captain William Fredrickson. Fredrickson is a former ranker, who lost an eye, eight teeth and half his scalp when he was shot in the face. He is not quite as {{Badass}} as Sharpe or Harper, but can hold his own against them both, both as a leader of men and a fighter. He also loves art, poetry and architecture, has enough knowledge of law to get Sharpe out of trouble more than once, speaks French and Spanish and spends his free time making pencil sketches of landscapes and discussing politics with an American Lieutenant.
* In the ''Literature/AubreyMaturin'' series, Jack Aubrey is a tall, burly, heavily scarred war hero and immensely successful naval commander, who always leads boarding actions from the front. He is also, along with his good friend Dr. Maturin, a Fellow of the Royal Society (Britain's most prestigious academic society). He has written a number of well-received papers on astronomy and geometry, and built his own observatory and telescopes.
* Creator/KarlEdwardWagner's hero Literature/{{Kane}}, described by Wagner as being one "who could master any situation intellectually, or rip heads off if push came to shove". Also something of a VillainProtagonist.
* Amanandrala "Grok" Grookonomonslf in ''Literature/StarRiskLtd'' is a [[BearsAreBadNews bear-like]] alien who is an absolutely terrifying combatant. He's also quite good with tech and cryptography, though not as much as Jasmine King.
* To general surprise, Professor Hari Seldon turns out to be a skilled fighter in the prequel to the {{Foundation}} novels. A pair of thugs try to rough him up early in the book, and he nearly breaks one of their necks subduing them. As one character ruefully reflects, on his planet mathematics and martial arts are not mutually exclusive.
* Prof. Alois Berg, better known as "Big Al", one of the Escapist's closest friends and allies in ''Literature/TheAmazingAdventuresOfKavalierAndClay'', as well as the spinoff ''Escapist'' comic. He met the Escapist when both were working at a circus -- Big Al was a freak, caged like an animal due to his monstrous size. As he's described in the novel, "He can rip open a steel drum like a can of tobacco, lift a train carriage by one corner, play the violin like Paganini, and calculate the velocity of asteroids and comets, one of which bears his name."
* Alex Kilgour: the incomprehensibly Scottish heavy-worlder and right hand man to {{Sten}} is a genius tactician, communications and demolitions expert.
* In the second book of ''TheBlackCompany'' the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Lieutenant]] is shown wielding a mighty greatsword against the inhuman monsters of the Black Castle. A few scenes later, he's setting up elaborate, comprehensive siege works against the same castle with the finesse of an orchestra conductor.
* Wächterechsen (Guardian Lizards) in the german e-novel "Magicalogen" are implied to all be SuperSoldiers. The one who actually appears is notably bigger than a human with natural armor, claws, ridiculous muscles and jaws full of really scary teeth. He's also a master wizard, a scientist and a spy.
* Ben in ''Literature/TheLeonardRegime''.
* Tsovinar of ''Literature/GloryInTheThunder'' is a tall, strong woman capable of generating earthquakes with her mind. She's also a published author and spends much of her time studying the nature of Aspects.
* PhilipMarlowe the HardboiledDetective in the stories by Creature/RaymondChandler. He's tall and as tough as they come as well as extremely StreetSmart and an insightful detective. He [[SmartPeoplePlayChess studies chess]] in his spare time and occasionally making references to very academic subjects that go right over the heads of the people around him.
* DimeNovel hero Literature/NickCarter is adept at all the arts and sciences, but is also a highly trained fighter; when that isn't enough, he also carries two spring-loaded revolvers concealed up his sleeves.
* In the ''Literature/{{Noob}}'' novels, Fantöm is explictly using AwesomenessByAnalysis while being TheBigGuy in his team.
* Most notably the Runners in ''Literature/TheMazeRunner'', who are quick thinking cartographers who make-maps while running marathons and have to stand a fighting chance against [[{{EldritchAbomination}} The Grievers]]. At a point before the main story, Thomas himself counted; he was a child prodigy [[spoiler: Leading WICKED]] and extraordinarily fit and during the series proves to be a decent fighter.
* Bear of ''Literature/FairyTaleNovels'' is big and strong enough to have been a football player in school, but preferred writing poetry (the best in class) and studying art, later becoming a stonemason.
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