History Main / BrainsAndBrawn

%% * EvilGenius Waclaw and DumbMuscle Bogdan from ''Machinima/WaterHuman'' are a pair of bandits.

%% ** ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' has the animalistic Gluttony and the manipulative Lust. [[spoiler: Gluttony fills this role with the levelheaded Wrath and then the clever Pride after Lust's death.]]

* ''ComicBook/IncredibleHulk'': Bruce Banner himself and his various alters also act as this to each other as an actual dynamic: when he's more cooperative with his alters, Bruce takes on the role of Brain to their Brawn, and a moral compass as well. At times, Bruce has even been suggested to be working in Hulk's mind to direct all his actions to ensure there are no casualties. Joe Fixit (while also a Hulk and bruiser in his own right) sometimes has this dynamic compared to the more powerful but less streetwise Hulks, since he's more willing to think smart and strategically.

%%* Rick Jones and the [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]].

* Another Creator/NeilGaiman example from ''ComicBook/TheSandman''. Brute and Glob are two 'Major Arcana' (the most powerful and significant of dreams) who go rogue during Sandman's imprisonment. Exploiting Dream's law against killing mortals, they manage to create a barrier [[PoweredByAForsakenChild inside the mind of an abused child]] even Morpheus can't easily penetrate.

** Bran to Osha. Bran is a cripple after an accident left him paralyzed but is very perceptive and is also a "warg" - meaning he has the ability to enter the mind of animals. Osha is his protector and is a wildling spearwife who is from the barbaric lands outside of Westeros, meaning that she is extremely capable in a fight.

* On ''Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls'', Blossom is the brains while Buttercup is the brawn. This is lampshaded in the episode "Three Girls And A Monster," where the two bicker on which element would best a giant lizard monster. (Subversion: Neither do. [[DumbBlonde Bubbles]]' sweet politeness bests the beast.)

* Mr Pin and Mr Tulip, a pair of villains in the Discworld novel ''Literature/TheTruth'', are {{exp|y}}ies of [[Literature/OfMiceAndMen Lenny and George]] (along with elements of [[Film/DiamondsAreForever Mr Wint and Mr Kidd]]). Pin is a sharp-dressed, skinny gangster who makes all their decisions, while Tulip is essentially a troll in human form.

* On ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', Blossom is the brains while Buttercup is the brawn. This is lampshaded in the episode "Three Girls And A Monster," where the two bicker on which element would best a giant lizard monster. (Subversion: Neither do. [[DumbBlonde Bubbles]]' sweet politeness bests the beast.)

* ''VideoGame/TheTwins'': Bob is the brawn, being the larger one who can turn large cogs with his bare hands and being DumbMuscle that can be tricked into drinking coffee laced with rat poison, while Buck is the brains, speaking in a less moronic voice and likely being the one who did most of the work reconfiguring an abandoned prison into their hideout.

* This is the exact name of a ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'' trainer duo, consisting of a [[BareFistedMonk Black Belt]] and a [[MindOverMatter Psychic]]. Such a duo also appeared in [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} the anime]] in a double battle against [[TheHero Ash]] [[TeethClenchedTeamwork and]] [[TheRival Paul]].

* ''Film/GreenStreet'': Matt and Pete fall into this dynamic quite nicely. Matt, the Harvard dropout brings the genius-level intellect, and Pete, the born street-brawler, the muscle and capacity for unflinching violence. Together, they turn the GSE from a has-been firm to a force to be reckoned with.

%% * ''WesternAnimation/{{Fangbone}}'' has Bill as the Brains and [[BarbarianHero Fangbone]] as the Brawn, and they combine their strengths to defeat the monsters that Drool sends their way.

* [[FanNickname Masky and Hoody]] take on an antagonistic role during ''WebVideo/MarbleHornets''. Hoody takes on the role of the brains, being the one to set up the totheark puzzles, whereas Masky is the one to take up the brawn role, often going out of his way to attack things. [[WordOfGod Troy Wagner]] has said in pannels that Masky is basically like 'I'm gonna tackle that with my face', able to [[spoiler: get Alex onto the ground, even with a bad leg]]. It should be noted that he often does this without thinking, leading to [[spoiler: his right leg being broken and his identity being revealed]].

* Flug and Demencia from ''WesternAnimation/{{Villainous}}'' respectively. Demencia even says in the {{Crossover}} with ''WesternAnimation/VictorAndValentino'' that Flug's the one who actually makes their plans, and she just runs into things without thinking too far ahead.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', the races of Men display this dynamic. The [[HumansAreLeaders Imperials]] are the [[HumansAreDiplomats diplomatic]] brains while the [[UnevenHybrid Bretons]] are the [[WitchSpecies magical]] brains to the Nords' HornyVikings[=/=]BarbarianHero and Redguards' MasterSwordsman[=/=]ScaryBlackMan brawn. (Of course, they're only "heroic" from their own perspective...the [[OurElvesAreDifferent races of Mer/Elves]] very much believe that HumansAreBastards instead.)

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': Bokoblins and Moblins have a species-wide relationship of this sort. Neither is portrayed as especially bright -- they're at a Stone Age level at best -- but Bokoblins are portrayed as more technically skilled than Moblins; they're the only ones of the two to make ranged weaponry (Moblin will use other races' bows, but on their only make crude clubs and spears) and to tame and ride horses. Additionally, while both purely Bokoblin and Bokoblin-Moblin groups can be found inhabiting structured camps and forts, Moblins found by themselves simply live in the wilderness without even the simplest shelter, implying that only Bokoblins know how to build and maintain even crude buildings and structures. Moblins, however, are a lot bigger and a lot stronger than Bokoblins, and serve as the main combat muscle and damage sponges in mixed bands.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': In many games, [[TheHero Link]], a MasterSwordsman, is helped by [[TheWisePrince Wise Princess Zelda]].
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': Bokoblins and Moblins have a species-wide relationship of this sort. Neither is portrayed as especially bright -- they're at a Stone Age level at best -- but Bokoblins are portrayed as more technically skilled than Moblins; they're the only ones of the two to make and use ranged weaponry (Bokoblins use crude bows, and will adopt those of other enemy types and Hylians as well) and to tame and ride horses. Additionally, while both purely Bokoblin and Bokoblin-Moblin groups can be found inhabiting structured camps and forts, Moblins found by themselves simply live in the wilderness without even the simplest shelter, implying that only Bokoblins know how to build and maintain even crude buildings and structures. Moblins, however, are a lot bigger and a lot stronger than Bokoblins, and serve as the main combat muscle and damage sponges in mixed bands.

%% All Zero Context Examples are commented out. DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM WITHOUT ADDING CONTEXT OR FURTHER EXPLANATION ON THE CHARACTERS RELATIONSHIP AND HOW THEY FULFILL THE ROLES IN THE TROPE.

** The best known example in the lore is Tyrion and Teclis, High Elf brothers who are a physically gifted weapon master and a mystically powerful but physically weak mage. [[SiblingYinYang They're also brothers.]]

** In ''VideoGame/HalfLifeBlueShift'', [[PlayerCharacter Barney Calhoun]] is the Brawn to Dr. Rosenberg and his team's brains. It's Rosenberg and his companions who are able to build the functioning teleporter that allows the group to escape Black Mesa. However, without Calhoun there to act as their bodyguard and retrieve vital equipment for their progress while killing every alien and soldier in the way, they all would have died.

* Another Creator/NeilGaiman example from ''ComicBook/TheSandman''. Brute and Glob, two 'Major Arcana' (the most powerful and significant of dreams)that go rogue during his imprisonment. Exploiting Dream's law against killing mortals, they manage to create a barrier [[PoweredByAForsakenChild inside the mind of an abused child]] even Morpheus can't easily penetrate.
* Dwight [=McCarthy=] from ''ComicBook/SinCity'' is capable of handling himself in a fight but if he can help it, he likes to think his way through problems while his friends kill the bad guys. He often has Miho do all the dirty work but the story that introduced him, ''A Dame to Kill For'', involved him enlisting Marv's help to handle the ScaryBlackMan that handed him a painful asskicking.

* The webcomic ''Webcomic/Nerd and Jock'' has the eponymous pair. [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmGOsmTWsAEJ_dT.jpg:large this strip]].

* The webcomic ''Nerd and Jock'' has the eponymous pair. [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmGOsmTWsAEJ_dT.jpg:large this strip]].