History Main / ThePhilosopher

* Surprisingly, [[TerribleTrio Team Rocket's]] [[FunnyAnimal Meowth]] is one of these in the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime. It often involves him looking at a full moon, often alongside another Pokémon, and his words can often prove helpful or downright touching -- he gave a reflective and hopeful speech while facing his clone and making amends during ''[[Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie The First Movie]]'', and he gave some heartfelt encouragement to Ash's [[TheWoobie Chimchar]] during the ''Diamond and Pearl'' arc of the anime that seriously helped it start adjusting to the more friendly atmosphere after being traumatised by [[DarkAndTroubledPast its loveless and abusive training with Paul]]. This is one of the kitty's main qualities that shows in the moments that prove he's [[HiddenHeartofGold not as bad as he seems sometimes]].

* In ''{{Transformers}}: WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Dinobot]] spent the second season see-sawing between the Philosopher and the WarriorPoet, pondering heavy questions of honor, loyalty, and free will that have started hitting a little too close to home.

* Comicbook/AdamWarlock and Comicbook/TheSilverSurfer have both always been prone to waxing philosophical on the nature of their existences. Much of ''Silver Surfer #1'' is taken up with Norinn Radd (the Surfer's original identity) bemoaning the stagnation of life on his home planet, and after he's empowered, he likes to go on about the wonders of the universe; the Surfer tended to be quite angsty during the period when Galactus imprisoned him on Earth, but he cheered up after he finally broke free. Warlock, on the other hand, would scarcely be recognizable without his towering angst, and he will go on about it at great length, but we love him for it.

* [[TalkativeLoon Graham]] [[MotorMouth Specter]] of ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}''. He never stops talking, and while he's talking, he philosophizes. However, he will change his philosophies and contradict himself in the same few sentences(or ''sentence'') sometimes.

* Itsuki of ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya''. Not only effective as the Philosopher but nearly as difficult to follow as his ancient Greek forerunners. Just trying to make sense of what he's saying is a mental workout, for the audience as well as Kyon.

* Chidi Anagonye in ''Series/TheGoodPlace''. In fact, he is literally a moral philosophy professor who had a doctoral thesis in the thousands of pages, and part of the reason he is so well-respected by the rest of the cast is because he offers the perfect advice at the perfect time. However, his extensive knowledge of moral dilemmas and competing theories, coupled with an AmbiguousDisorder and his former ChildProdigy status, have led to him being [[ShrinkingViolet shy]] and extremely [[TheDitherer indecisive]]. Being a rare example of a philosopher as a sitcom lead, Chidi eventually undergoes tons of CharacterDevelopment to become more confident and assured, [[spoiler:enough to almost single-handedly reform a demon into an angel and redesign the entire afterlife]] even though he already starts out much more well-written than most comedic examples of this trope.
* Mohinder, in ''Series/{{Heroes}}''.

* Surprisingly, [[TerribleTrio Team Rocket's]] Meowth is one of these in the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime. It always involves him looking at a full moon, maybe with a Pokemon from Ash's team (and his advice is quite helpful -- Chimchar got used to being with the more friendly atmosphere after one of these moments). This makes the kitty [[HiddenHeartofGold not be as bad as he seems sometimes]].

->'''Comicus''': I coalesce the vapors of human experience into a viable and meaningful comprehension.\\

* In Marvel comics, the ComicBook/RedSkull is often found alluding more or less clearly to various fascist or reactionary German philosophers in the Nietzsche-Spengler-Juenger tradition, as well as offering his own philosophical observations on the [[NatureIsNotNice sad and heroic]] nature of the Universe. As we would expect, since he is essentially an exaggerated {{Expy}} of Hitler.
* Many, ''many'' examples in ''ComicBook/TheSandman''. Even the peripheral characters are apt to wax philosophical to some degree. For a specific case, try this remark by Destruction:
-->"They are using reason as a tool. Reason. [[PerfectSolutionFallacy It is no more reliable a tool than instinct, myth, or dream.]] But it has the potential to be far more dangerous, for them."

-->--''Film/HistoryOfTheWorldPartI''

* ThePhilosopher: Parodied with a man named [[PunnyName Filos O'Fiero]] that you encounter, who claims to your character that [[BreakingTheFourthWall they are all characters within a video game.]] Your character borders toward ExistentialHorror in great disbelief of such claims, believing Filos O'Fiero to be insane.

The characterisation of the Philosopher is dependent on the nature of the show/book/comic they're appearing in. A straight fantasy tale will usually make the Philosopher sage-like, a valuable source of information for the characters. If it's a video game, this is probably the guy to talk to if you want a hint as to what to do next - though he'll probably tell you in a roundabout way. Instead of saying "Go to the harbour," he's likely to muse out loud that all life comes from the sea. Usually male, he's generally a mage, a sage, or a bookkeeper of some sort. In action series, though, the Philosopher might be surprising - in superhero teams ''anyone'' can fall into this category, as even the most vicious and seemingly cynical member of the team can suddenly start quoting Creator/{{Socrates}}.

* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'': And speaking of characters named Itsuki...[[spoiler: the Yu Yu version is somewhat of a subversion, as he is arguably [[PsychoSupporter unhinged]]. His personality is arguably a response to the {{Koan}}, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"]]
* Surprisingly, [[TerribleTrio Team Rocket's]] Meowth is one of these in the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' anime. It always involves him looking at a full moon, maybe with a Pokemon from Ash's team (and his advice is quite helpful -- Chimchar got used to being with the more friendly atmosphere after one of these moments). This makes the kitty [[HiddenHeartofGold not be as bad as he seems sometimes]].
* ''Almost all'' of the cast of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' are Philosophers to some degree, most notably Rei, Gendo, Fuyuski, Ritsuko and the SEELE members. Most of them also fall into the second category of "tragic philosopher" or "NietzscheWannabe", except for the fact that [[ThereAreNoTherapists everyone else is too psychologically messed up to save them]].
** Asuka [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this after Rei delivers her oft-quoted "mankind has always feared the darkness" line.
* Aion, the villain of ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'' has a tendency to go into long speeches about how demons need to "break free from the system". Chrono is presented as Aion's much more emotional (and less rational) counterpart, but when the plot calls for one of the heroes to be philosophical it's normally him. By the end of the manga they're trading speeches back and forth.
* In ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', Edel leads the heroine (and occasionally other main characters) through the plot with a series of riddles musing on emotions and fairytale tropes. Drosselmeyer, himself, can get rather philosophical when he wishes.

* Amon Garam of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' often quotes René Descartes and other famous philosophers. He later puts some of his own thoughts into [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans action]].

* [[TalkativeLoon Graham]] [[MotorMouth Specter]] of ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}''. He never stops talking, and while he's talking, he philosophizes. However, he will change his philosophies and contradict himself in the same few sentences(or ''sentence'') sometimes.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' plays with philosophy from time to time. Characters like Neji, Gaara, Rock Lee, Pain, Obito, Madara, Kakashi and Naruto himself amongst others will now and then exposit musings on war and peace, destiny and free will, hard work, bonds and other such topics.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has many characters muse on the meaning of life and what it means to be human. The most notable example, however, is probably MadBomber Solf J. Kimblee, who combines RousseauWasRight with a dose of SocialDarwinism for a [[MoralSociopathy truly unusual outlook on life]].
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' is fairly heavy on the philosophy of its conflict and setting. Several characters spend their time contemplating and commenting on it throughout the series and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny its sequel]]. Each one represents conflicting viewpoints:
** The most prolific is the original series BigBad [[spoiler: Rau Le Creuset]]. He presents many perspectives, from TheCynic, to TheFatalist , all the way to a complete StrawNihilist. His eloquence and conviction to his worldview can [[HeroicBSOD crush many people he shares it with]] and leave deep scars on the remainder.
** ZAFT Supreme Chairman Gilbert Durandal of the sequel takes up for [[spoiler: Rau]]. He ruminates on the nature of humans, fate, and how genetics plays into both. Like his predecessor, he is [[TheFatalist very fatalistic]], almost descending into StrawNihilist territory as well, but he differs in his belief that a "correct" path exists and that [[WellIntentionedExtremist he can lead humanity to it]].
** Contrasting both is the series BigGood Lacus Clyne. She believes that humans could potentially reach a state where they do not need to war but that the unilateralism of both sides is crushing any chance of reaching it. In the original series, she's also self-aware enough to see the contradictions in the heroes' [[AppealToForce need to resort to force]] and the potentially [[HeWhoFightsMonsters warping influences of power and violence]]. Her philosophy gets messy in the sequel.

* One of the most magnificent scenes in anime displays one of this in ''Anime/HellsingUltimate''. Captain Bernadotte's late grandfather displays not just a magnificently directed and executed speech in his brief scene of origin, but in the same time showers tropes with everything it touches on; Grandpa is a philosopher who probably [[TheMeaningOfLife set the entirety of Bernadotte's life expectations down]] in a GoldenMoment of many levels. Grandba is being [[CruelToBeKind painfully truthful]] with his grandson, and tells him [[ChronicVillainy why eight generations of their family were mercenaries, and also, why will he be one as well.]] With his speech Grandpa also turns out to be, and describes himself and the family, as the scum of society, while foreshadows the same for Bernadotte. Grandpa goes over a whole range of [[MoralDilemma moral dilemmas]] that could probably give him and the family an excuse, but then throws all of those out, deeming [[HumansAreBastards any people acting based on any of the mentioned morals as just a bunch of clueless folks who would be okay with chump change that could give them basic comfort, thus averting them from killing eachother]]. At this point, [[AtLeastIAdmitIt being honest about only fighting for money]] already seems like [[AboveGoodAndEvil an almost positive feat, but at least it elevates the mercenary family and company out of the clueless masses]]. But Grandpa tops everything off by stating, [[CodeOfHonour deliberately choosing their profession and sticking to it]], is understandably frowned upon by others, so Bernadotte is left alone to deal with the [[RousseauWasRight peer pressure in either direction]] but [[IAmWhatIAm calmly, and seemingly comfortably]] [[KnewItAllAlong claims the inevitable]].

* In Marvel comics, the ComicBook/RedSkull is often found alluding more or less clearly to various fascist or reactionary German philosophers in the Nietzsche-Spengler-Juenger tradition, as well as offering his own philosophical observations on the [[NatureIsNotNice sad and heroic]] nature of the Universe. As we would expect, since he is essentially an exaggerated {{Expy}} of Hitler.

* Pvt. Witt, [[MessianicArchetype the messianic character]] in ''Film/TheThinRedLine'', is responsible for raising most of the film's questions in his [[InnerMonologue Inner Monologues]].
* In the film ''Film/BlazingSaddles'', Mongo of all characters is surprisingly philosophical. When asked what "where the choo-choo go?" has to do with Rock Ridge, he responds, "Don't know. Mongo only pawn in game of life."

* ''Film/MyNameIsEmily'': Robert appears to have taught philosophy, advocating for people to enjoy their life by having more sex and swimming, along with epistemic relativism ("a fact is a point of view"). Emily later argues for the latter while talking to Arden, which annoys him, since he disagrees but can't rebut what she says.

* There's also the philosophy professor from ''Literature/DecisionOfFate'', who spends the first third or so of the short story giving a lecture on [[SlidingScaleOfFreeWillVsFate fate]].

* [[GeniusBruiser Ham]] in the ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' books is prone to annoying his friends by constantly musing about philosophical questions at them. His favorite victims are [[DeadpanSnarker Breeze]] and [[spoiler:Lord Cett]], because [[VitriolicBestBuds they always argue with him]]. It doesn't go unnoticed by the characters, though, that he is more fond of posing philosophical questions than actually trying to answer them, and it is implied at various points that he is not as genuinely philosophical as he first appears- most notably, when Vin gives a well-deserved TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Kelsier and the crew about how, since they are all wealthy and well-off [[GentlemanThief gentlemen thieves]], their lives and experiences are as far removed from the harsh realities of Skaa life as can be and their devotion to the cause of Skaa liberation is more than a little shallow; Ham, alone of the crew it appears, seems to act like she [[ComicallyMissingThePoint had just spoken in a foreign language]] and doesn't understand what she was talking about.

* [[TheDragon Ishamael]] from ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' is a very creepy villainous version. Once he was Elan Morin Tedronai, one of the most respected philosophical minds of the Age of Legends, but as he delved deeper into esoteric knowledge he became aware of [[EternalRecurrence the true nature of time]] and was driven into despair and madness, feeling that nothing anyone did could ever matter in such a world. He proceeded to ally with [[GodOfEvil the Dark One]], at first because if everything was meaningless he might as well grab power, but later as his evil began to weigh increasingly heavily on him, he decided it would be best to [[DeathSeeker end his own existence]]- and [[OmnicidalManiac all existence]] while he was at it. He remains prone to waxing philosophical and theological to the end; the other [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Forsaken]] think he's a madman as a result, though it's more a case of his interests being esoteric beyond their ability (or desire) to follow. Later in the series, [[TheChosenOne Rand]] also wrestles with nihilism in a very similar way, but comes to [[TheAntiNihilist the opposite conclusions]], showing that he has surpassed Ishamael at his own game.
%%* Professor Narayan Godbole from ''Literature/APassageToIndia''.
* [[Main/TheLancer Nicholas]] [[Main/TheSmartGuy Renzi]] is fond of talking about the philosophies of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hume David Hume]] and the like with {{Literature/Kydd}}, and in ''The Admiral's Daughter'', he begins doing research for his own book.
* ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'''s ex-military protagonist John Rumford makes constant references to philosophers ranging from Plato and Aristotle to Chesterton to John Boyd as he struggles to defend his embattled community, and wonders how the great thinkers of old would have applied their ideas to his problems.
* ''Literature/KnowledgeOfAngels'': Beneditx and Palinor. Also oft-mentioned is Thomas Aquinas, a real example.

* Lister, in ''Series/RedDwarf'', was surprisingly effective as the Philosopher, but his more intelligent insights and musings were often undermined by the plot - ''Series/RedDwarf'' is, after all, a comedy.
** One particularly memorable example of Lister's more thoughtful attributes can be found in "Justice"; after escaping a world where law-abiding behaviour is cleverly enforced by turning the effects of any misdeed back on the perpetrator (for example, hitting someone means ''you'' get hurt), Lister reflects on how the nature of reality has to be unfair in order to allow for free will...then promptly falls down a manhole mid-rant, much to his comrades' relief.

* Chidi Anagonye in ''Series/TheGoodPlace''. In fact, he is literally a moral philosophy professor who had a doctoral thesis in the thousands of pages, and part of the reason he is so well-respected by the rest of the cast is because he offers the perfect advice at the perfect time. However, his extensive knowledge of moral dilemmas and competing theories, coupled with an AmbiguousDisorder and his former ChildProdigy status, have led to him being [[ShrinkingViolet shy]] and extremely [[TheDitherer indecisive]]. Being a rare example of a philosopher as a sitcom lead, Chidi eventually undergoes tons of CharacterDevelopment to become more confident and assured, [[spoiler:enough to almost single-handedly reform a demon into an angel and redesign the entire afterlife]] even though he already starts out much more well-written than most comedic examples of this trope.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' kind of averts this with [[TheQuietOne Oz]], who apparently has an elaborately philosophical internal monologue, but one that only becomes apparent when Buffy gains the ability to read his thoughts.
* Delenn from ''Series/BabylonFive'' is a mystical philosopher, of an alien tradition that seems to be based on emanationist pantheism, mainly because she's a member of her people's religious caste.
** ''Series/BabylonFive'' in general likes to wax philosophical, and most of the characters get at least an occasional turn in the Philosopher's chair. At its best, the ideas it puts forward are genuinely thought-provoking and contribute to the great depth and richness of the show. At its worst, it devolves into ContemplateOurNavels and FauxlosophicNarration.

* Citan Uzuki from ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', doubtlessly. Of course, he is also TheProfessor, a DoubleAgent, [[ImplausibleFencingPowers the best swordsman in the world]], and rather the MagnificentBastard, and therefore a living reminder that one very well ought to BewareTheNiceOnes.
* There are a worrying amount of philosophers in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games -- every third person you meet will wax lyrical about the nature and origin of Pokemon and the right way to train them. Most of these musings are useless, but some provide a clue as to what you should do next, or hint at a secret location.
* A large variety of characters from the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series will wax philosophical, particularly allies. They vary from [[MotorMouth Mor]][[IDidWhatIHadToDo din]] to [[WarriorPoet Wr]][[DeadpanSnarker ex]]. Heck even [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] can get in on the action.
* Yusuke Kitagawa from ''VideoGame/Persona5'' could be seen as this, given that as a student of the artist Ichiryusai Madarame, the subject of the game's [[spoiler: second Palace]], he speaks eloquently and profoundly, even about such [[MundaneMadeAwesome mundane]] creatures as lobsters, which he believes are as beautiful as [[MsFanservice Ann.]]
* ''Tons'' of characters in ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' -- even random [=NPCs=]!

* Zizek from ''VideoGame/TheCloserGameOfTheYearEdition''; not only is he based on the real-life Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, he's also a playable character whose combat is essentially holding impromptu debates against enemies and applying a couple types of critiques at them. To deal "damage", you have to pick the appropriate response to a certain dilemma according to the chosen philosophy. For that matter, his combat tutorial is not against any person or concrete thing, but rather the Concept Of {{Irony}}.

* A good chunk of the cast from ''VisualNovel/DiesIrae'' fall into this category one way or the other, but the [[BigBadDuumvirate two main]] BigBad's are by far the most prominent thinkers, often musing about their place in the universe and the underlying meaning of things or various other esoteric concepts.

%% * [[SmellySkunk Andy]] from ''Webcomic/HodgesPond''.
* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' -- Galatea uses alien tech to create a superhuman artificial intelligence -- and is then dismayed to find that he's more concerned with abstract philosophical questions than any of the tasks she wanted him to do.

* One of the most magnificent scenes in anime displays one of this in ''Anime/HellsingUltimate''. Captain Bernadotte's late grandfather displays not just a magnificently directed and executed speech in his brief scene of origin, but in the same time showers tropes with everything it touches on; Grandpa is a philosopher who probably [[TheMeaningOfLife set the entirety of Bernadotte's life expectations down]] in a GoldenMoment of many levels. Grandba is being [[CruelToBeKind painfully truthful]] with his grandson, and tells him [[ChronicVillainy why eight generations of their family were mercenaries, and also, why will he be one as well.]] With his speech grandpa also turns out to be, and describes himself and the family, as the scum of society, while foreshadows the same for Bernadotte. Grandpa goes over a whole range of [[MoralDilemma moral dillemmas]] that could probably give him and the family an excuse, but then throws all of those out, deeming [[HumansAreBastards any people acting based on any of the mentioned morals as just a bunch of clueless folks who would be okay with chump change that could give them basic comfort, thus averting them from killing eachother]]. At this point, [[AtLeastIAdmitIt being honest about only fighting for money]] already seems like [[AboveGoodAndEvil an almost positive feat, but at least it elevates the mercenary family and company out of the clueless masses]]. But Grandpa tops everything off by stating, [[CodeOfHonour deliberately choosing their profession and sticking to it]], is understandably frowned upon by others, so Bernadotte is left alone to deal with the [[RousseauWasRight peer pressure in either direction]] but [[IAmWhatIAm calmly, and seemingly comfortably]] [[KnewItAllAlong claims the inevitable]].

-->'''Conan:''' Ha! My God is Crom! He sits high on his mountain... Crom laughs at your puny air God.\\
'''Subotai:''' Heh, my God is the sky. Your God, he is beneath him!\\

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* One of the most magnificent scenes in anime displays one of this in ''Anime/HellsingUltimate''. Captain Bernadotte's late grandfather displays not just a magnificently directed and executed speech in his brief scene of origin, but in the same time showers tropes with everything it touches on; Grandpa is a philosopher who probably [[TheMeaningOfLife set the entirety of Bernadotte's life expectations down]] in a GoldenMoment of many levels. Grandba is being [[CruelToBeKind painfully truthful]] with his grandson, and tells him [[ChronicVillainy why eight generations of their family were mercenaries, and also, why will he be one as well.]] With his speech grandpa also turns out to be the, and describes himself, the family as the scum of society while foreshadows the same for Bernadotte. Grandpa goes over a whole range of [[MoralDilemma moral dillemmas]] that could probably give him and the family an excuse, but then throws all of those out, deeming [[HumansAreBastards any people acting based on any of the mentioned morals as just a bunch of clueless folks who would be okay with chump change that could give them basic comfort, thus averting them from killing eachother]]. At this point, [[AtLeastIAdmitIt being honest about only fighting for money]] already seems like [[AboveGoodAndEvil an almost positive feat, but at least it elevates the mercenary family and company out of the clueless masses]]. But Grandpa tops everything off by stating, [[CodeOfHonour deliberately choosing their profession and sticking to it]], is understandably frowned upon by others, so Bernadotte is left alone to deal with the [[RousseauWasRight peer pressure in either direction]] but [[IAmWhatIAm calmly, and seemingly comfortably]] [[KnewItAllAlong claims the inevitable]].

* One of the most magnificent scenes in anime displays one of this in ''Anime/HellsingUltimate''. Captain Bernadotte's late grandfather displays not just a magnificently directed and executed speech in his brief scene of origin, but in the same time showers tropes with everithing it touches on; Grandpa is a philosopher who probably [[TheMeaningOfLife set the entirety of Bernadotte's life expectations down]] in a GoldenMoment of many levels. Grandba is being [[CruelToBeKind painfully truthful]] with his grandson, and tells him [[ChronicVillainy why eight generations of their family were mercenaries, and also, why will he be one as well.]] With his speech grandpa also turns out to be the, and describes himself, the family as the scum of society while foreshadows the same for Bernadotte. Grandpa goes over a whole range of [[MoralDilemma moral dillemmas]] that could probably give him and the family an excuse, but then throws all of those out, deeming [[HumansAreBastards any people acting based on any of the mentioned morals as just a bunch of clueless folks who would be okay with chump change that could give them basic comfort, thus averting them from killing eachother]]. At this point, [[AtLeastIAdmitIt being honest about only fighting for money]] already seems like [[AboveGoodAndEvil an almost positive feat, but at least it elevates the mercenary family and company out of the clueless masses]]. But Grandpa tops everything off by stating, [[CodeOfHonour deliberately choosing their profession and sticking to it]], is understandably frowned upon by others, so Bernadotte is left alone to deal with the [[RousseauWasRight peer pressure in either direction]] but [[IAmWhatIAm calmly, and seemingly comfortably]] [[KnewItAllAlong claims the inevitable]].

* [[GeniusBruiser Ham]] in the ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' books is prone to annoying his friends by constantly musing about philosophical questions at them. His favorite victims are [[DeadpanSnarker Breeze]] and [[spoiler:Lord Cett]], because [[VitriolicBestBuds they always argue with him]]. It doesn't go unnoticed by the characters, though, that he is more fond of posing philosophical questions than actually trying to answer them, and it is implied at various points that he is not as genuinely philosophical as he first appears- most notably, when Vin gives a well-deserved TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Kelsier and the crew about how, since they are all wealthy and well-off [[GentlemanThief gentlemen thieves]], their lives and experiences are as far removed from the harsh realities of Skaa life as can be and their devotion to the cause of Skaa liberation is more than a little shallow; Ham, alone of the crew it appears, seems to act like she [[CompletelyMissingThePoint had just spoken in a foreign language]] and doesn't understand what she was talking about.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' has Rau Le Creuset, a deranged NietzscheWannabe who isn't afraid to share his views on the meaninglessness of life with the rest of the cast. [[SocialDarwinist Gilbert Durandal]] of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' might count as well.

* Herakles aka Greece from ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' looks like a relaxed slacker, but if you read his lines carefully, you'll see that he can have quite the trains of thoughts under the CloudCuckooLander facade.
* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' has Yue doing this on occasion. She usually engages in WallsOfText only to find that everyone else is ignoring her.

* One of the most magnificent scenes in anime displays one of this in ''Anime/HellsingUltimate''. Captain Bernadotte's late grandfather displays not just a magnificently directed and executed speech in his brief scene of origin, but in the same time showers tropes with everithing it touches on; Grandpa is a [[ThePhilosopher philosopher]] who probably [[TheMeaningOfLife set the entirety of Bernadotte's life expectations down]] in a GoldenMoment of many levels. Grandba is being [[CruelToBeKind painfully truthful]] with his grandson, and tells him [[ChronicVillainy why eight generations of their family were mercenaries, and also, why will he be one as well.]] With his speech grandpa also turns out to be the, and describes himself, the family as the scum of society while foreshadows the same for Bernadotte. Grandpa goes over a whole range of [[MoralDilemma moral dillemmas]] that could probably give him and the family an excuse, but then throws all of those out, deeming [[HumansAreBastards any people acting based on any of the mentioned morals as just a bunch of clueless folks who would be okay with chump change that could give them basic comfort, thus averting them from killing eachother]]. At this point, [[AtLeastIAdmitIt being honest about only fighting for money]] already seems like [[AboveGoodAndEvil an almost positive feat, but at least it elevates the mercenary family and company out of the clueless masses]]. But Grandpa tops everything off by stating, [[CodeOfHonour deliberately choosing their profession and sticking to it]], is understandably frowned upon by others, so Bernadotte is left alone to deal with the [[RousseauWasRight peer pressure in either direction]] but [[IAmWhatIAm calmly, and seemingly comfortably]] [[KnewItAllAlong claims the inevitable]].

* Chidi Anagonye in ''Series/TheGoodPlace''. In fact, his entire job is as moral philosophy professor, and part of the reason he is so well-respected is because he offers the perfect advice at the perfect time. However, his extensive knowledge of moral dilemmas and competing theories, coupled with grappling with the effects of an AmbiguousDisorder and his former ChildProdigy status, have led to him being extremely diffident and [[TheDitherer indecisive]]. Being a rare example of a philosopher as a sitcom lead, Chidi eventually undergoes tons of CharacterDevelopment to become more confident and assured [[spoiler:enough to almost single-handedly reform a demon into an angel and redesign the entire afterlife]] even though he already starts out extremely well-written and unlike most comedic examples of this trope.

* [[{{Satan}} Woland]] in ''Literature/TheMasterAndMargarita'' finds time between his [[MagnificentBastard impish pranks]] on Muscovites to wax philosophically about ignorance and totalitarianism.
-->'''Woland''': "Would you remove all trees and living things from the world to realize your fantasy of basking in naked light?"

--> '''Vetinari:''' (concluding long speech)...If there is any kind of supreme being, it is up to all of us to become his moral superior. ''(Discworld/UnseenAcademicals)''
** '''The ''Discworld/{{Unseen Academicals}}'' blurb:''' But the important thing about football -- the ''really'' important thing about football -- is that it is not just about football.

* Chidi Anangonye in ''Series/TheGoodPlace''. In fact, his occupation is a moral philosophy professor. However, his extensive knowledge of moral dilemmas and competing theories, coupled with grappling with the effects of his former ChildProdigy status has led to him being extremely diffident and indecisive. Being a rare example of a philosopher as a sitcom lead, Chidi eventually undergoes tons of CharacterDevelopment to become more confident and assured [[spoiler:enough to almost single-handedly redesign the entire afterlife]] even though he already starts out extremely well-written and unlike most comedic examples of this trope.

* Chidi Anangonye from ''Series/TheGoodPlace''. In fact, he’s a moral philosophy professor. However, his extensive knowledge of moral dilemmas and competing theories coupled with grappling with the effects of his former ChildProdigy status has led to him being extremely diffident and indecisive. He eventually undergoes tons of CharacterDevelopment to become more confident and assured, even though already he starts out extremely well-written and unlike most comedic examples of this trope.

* [[TheDragon Ishamael]] from ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' is a very creepy villainous version. Once he was Elan Morin Tedronai, one of the most respected philosophical minds of the Age of Legends, but as he delved deeper into esoteric knowledge he became aware of [[EternalRecurrance the true nature of time]] and was driven into despair and madness, feeling that nothing anyone did could ever matter in such a world. He proceeded to ally with [[GodOfEvil the Dark One]], at first because if everything was meaningless he might as well grab power, but later as his evil began to weigh increasingly heavily on him, he decided it would be best to [[DeathSeeker end his own existence]]- and [[OmnicidalManiac all existence]] while he was at it. He remains prone to waxing philosophical and theological to the end; the other [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Forsaken]] think he's a madman as a result, though it's more a case of his interests being esoteric beyond their ability (or desire) to follow. Later in the series, [[TheChosenOne Rand]] also wrestles with nihilism in a very similar way, but comes to [[TheAntiNihilist the opposite conclusions]], showing that he has surpassed Ishamael at his own game.