History Main / IntelligentPrimate

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebVideo/NewLifeSMP'': {{Inverted|Trope}}. Players holding the Monkey origin are stated to have a "Monke Brain", meaning they cannot use bows, crossbows, or shields.
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* The villain of S1 and 2 of ''WesternAnimation/KipoAndTheAgeOfWonderbeasts'' is Scarlemagne, a clinically-enhanced mandrill king who runs his court on idolisation of 18th-century France and Britain and [[MoodSwinger unpredictably changes between self-aggrandising politeness and vengeful hooting wrath]].
* ''WesternAnimation/OctonautsAboveAndBeyond'': While Paani the Macaque isn't as intelligent as Shellington, he's a hydrologist who knows a lot about the science of water.

* ''WesternAnimation/Primal2019'' gives us a tribe of sapient monkeys, at least smart enough to use weapons and have a religion. They are also [[AlwaysChaoticEvil irredeemable bastards]] that run sadistic blood sports and capture animals to be slaughtered.

* ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl'': The titular character's sidekick is an intelligent [[ApesInSpace chimpanzee from space]], named Captain Huggyface / Bob. He's depicted as a CivilizedAnimal who is often more emotionally mature than Wordgirl / Becky herself.

** Maurice the aye-aye is shown to be by far the smartest of the lemurs, the only one to correctly decipher that Alex is a flesh-eater before he goes savage from hunger.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'': Mason and Phil are two sophisticated chimpanzees. Mason has a stereotypical British accent, and while Phil doesn't speak, he is shown to communicate very well in sign language. Unlike Mason, Phil can also read, but Mason can still decipher Phil's sign language. As a result, they are the penguins' go-to translators.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Primal}}'' gives us a tribe of sapient monkeys, at least smart enough to use weapons and have a religion. They are also [[AlwaysChaoticEvil irredeemable bastards]] that run sadistic blood sports and capture animals to be slaughtered.

* ''ComicBook/TheUmbrellaAcademy'': Dr. Phineas Pogo is a genetically enhanced chimp who is highly intelligent.

* ''LetsPlay/NewLifeSMP'': {{Inverted|Trope}}. Players holding the Monkey origin are stated to have a "Monke Brain", meaning they cannot use bows, crossbows, or shields.

* ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'': Kong, already established capable of tool use uniquely amongst giant monsters, is revealed to be even smarter than [=MONARCH=] was expecting. Not only if he capable of speaking via American Sign Language, having learned it through observation of a deaf girl; but he later acquires a weapon to help put him on more even footing with more powerful kaiju like Godzilla. It's implied his species were nearing a civilization level of technology in the past with a kong sized temple, throne, and weaponry discovered in the Hollow Earth.

** All the chimps sent into space came back super-intelligent. NASA has been keeping it a secret.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': "Chimps Ahoy" revolves around Sandy having to impress a group of beneficiaries in order to secure further funding for her science experiments and stay in Bikini Bottom. Said sponsors are a group of eloquent and sharply-dressed chimpanzees who speak in stereotypical British accents.

Supertrope to EruditeOrangutan (add any orangutan examples to that page, rather than here). Compare GentleGorilla and ApesInSpace. May overlap with MonkeysOnATypewriter, if the monkeys succeed at typing any coherent text. For other tropes about intelligent animals, see BrainyPig, WiseSerpent, CunningLikeAFox, ElephantsNeverForget, TheOwlKnowingOne, and CleverCrows.

** Invoked in one episode, where the Professor gives an adolescent monkey named Guenter a hat that gives him genius-level intelligence. Guenter [[FlowersForAlgernonSyndrome grows to resent being smarter than everyone else]], so he discards the hat and reverts to being a normal monkey. However, he then realizes that he ''also'' hates being that ''stupid''. Luckily, [[TakeAThirdOption the hat gets damaged]], causing it to only give its wearer an average human intellect, which he is happy with.
** Additionally, Guenter is later revisited having relocated to a literal Planet of the Apes, all functioning as a fully functional society. One of their number, [[EruditeOrangutan Dr. Banjo]], even serves as an antagonist for Dr. Farnsworth in a few additional episodes.

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'': As with its source, Gorilla City is a hidden hi-tech community of hyper-advanced primates who want to live in peace, assisting the Justice League. Its only exception is Gorilla Grodd, a fascist and no less capable supervillain who wants control of Gorilla City with an iron fist.

[[SillySimian Monkeys and other primates are usually seen as humorous animals in fiction]]. However, since primates are well-known as some of the most intelligent animals (after all, ''we'' are primates) another very common portrayal of non-human primates is to show them as intelligent and civilized.

* ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'', like the original cartoon, features Ape -- an extremely intellectual, well-read, erudite gorilla who has effectively raised George. He mentions being personally acquainted with Jane Goodall, helps George understand his complex emotions, and outwits the poachers who want to sell him to the circus. As a bonus, he has an upper-class British accent courtesy of his voice actor, Creator/JohnCleese.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko_(gorilla) Koko the gorilla]] was famous for learning to use sign language, and was nicknamed "The Gorilla that Talks" as a result of this. While she did not use syntax or grammar, she knew about one thousand different words in sign language. She could ask simple questions and even showed that she understood how to rhyme by naming a kitten "All Ball". Koko has also had a great influence on zoos all over America -- because of Koko, many zookeepers have taught their gorillas how to sign.
* Chimpanzees that have been taught sign language have gone on to teach other chimpanzees sign language, at which point they will use sign language to talk to each other. Like Koko, they don't use syntax or grammar but they will express hunger when watching another chimpanzee eating, or say things about the weather or things they can see near them.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanzi Kanzi]] is a bonobo who is known for his contributions to great ape language studies, including communicating with a lexigram system. He also learned how to use sign language from watching videos of the aforementioned Koko, and is able to understand spoken words and commands.

This is TruthInTelevision; as previously mentioned, primates are some of the most intelligent animals in the world. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate_cognition Primates have strong cognition skills]], and as a result are some of the few non-human animals known to use tools. Several primates in captivity have been able to solve complicated puzzles, and some have even been effectively taught how to use sign language to communicate, with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko_(gorilla) Koko the gorilla]] being the most famous case. Some primates have also been taught a keyboard-based language called [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerkish Yerkish]]. Capuchin monkeys in particular are noted for being the smartest type of New World monkey.

While intelligent monkeys may often be portrayed sympathetically, many are ManiacMonkeys -- it is common to represent an intelligent monkey as an EvilGenius or MadScientist. Less seriously, an intelligent primate could be an InsufferableGenius who takes pride in being considered "smarter" than other animals. Monkeys and chimpanzees are the most likely to be portrayed this way; great apes, especially [[EruditeOrangutan orangutans]], are generally more likely to be portrayed as level-headed individuals. Primates are also likely to be portrayed as {{Genius Bruiser}}s or {{Badass Bookworm}}s, since real primates tend to be quite capable in a fight.

Supertrope to EruditeOrangutan (add any orangutan examples to that page, rather than here). Compare GentleGorilla and ApesInSpace. May overlap with MonkeysOnATypewriter, if the monkeys succeed at typing any coherent text. For other tropes about intelligent animals, see BrainyPig, CunningLikeAFox, ElephantsNeverForget, TheOwlKnowingOne, and CleverCrows.