History TheBigGuy / Literature

* Charlene from ''Literature/KingdomKeepers'' was selected to be a DHI because she was very athletic, making her a RareFemaleExample of this trope.

* Where else but ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''?
** In the Guards storylines, initially [[TheAce Carrot]] is a Class 2, verging on (in a very strange way) Class 5.
** Later, [[spoiler: [[MightyGlacier Detritus]] the troll]] gets in as a Class 1, [[spoiler: Class 5 if you get him cold enough]], followed up by [[spoiler: Reginald Shoe]] as a Class 4 and then the [[spoiler: golem, Dorfl]].
** In the Witches storyline it's either Jason Ogg or Greebo.
** For the Wizards it's the Librarian or Ridcully.
* [[RepetitiveName Golem Golem]] takes this role in book ''Orbital Conspiracy of ''Literature/FeliksNetAndNika'', after acting as SixthRanger in previous book. He's class 3 mixed with 5 - after all, he's a robot.
* ''Literature/FishInATree'': Albert is a very large boy who's friends with Ally and Keisha.
* Tazendra from Steven Brust's ''Literature/KhaavrenRomances''. She's considered [[AmazonianBeauty very attractive]]. In the trilogy's homage to ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'', she fills Porthos' role among the four Phoenix Guards.
* In "Literature/TheWindInTheWillows" we have Otter and overlooked example do to being AdaptedOut. His job for the climax is to keep the outside guards distracted.
** Badger also counts but he fits TheLeader much better.
* Bear from Genesis of Shannara ''Armageddon's Children''. He is described as the biggest and strongest member of the Ghosts.
* Ambassador Baindur from ''Literature/AHarvestOfWar'': heavier even than the gigantic [[TheBrute protagonist]] and kicks arse with the best of'em.
* Victor Cachat from ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' is a Class 2 with both subversions: he's a CuteBruiser ''and'' GeniusBruiser at the same time, his [[MartyStu Sue'ness]] notwithstanding.
** He's also the almost invariably the most physically unassuming man in any gathering. Which only serves to make him ''[[PersonOfMassDestruction more]]'' [[OneManArmy dangerous]].

* Brion Stoutarm in the novelization of ''Literature/MagicTheGathering'''s ''Lorwyn'' cycle, who is a literal 30-foot giant. He's also a BoisterousBruiser. His brother Kiel is even bigger, but [[GentleGiant doesn't fight as much]].
* Subversion: "Try Again" Bragg of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': ''Literature/GauntsGhosts''. Looks like a Class 2 at first to everyone who meets him, but actually quite intelligent. The plot point of one of the stories in the second novel revolves around Gaunt choosing him for a mission because everyone assumes that he must be dumb because he's big. Also played with in Ezrah, who is very tall but is lanky rather than brutish.
** The Ogryns (a HumanSubspecies that a basically just [[TheOgre Ogres]] [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace IN SPACE]]) generally fills this role for the Imperial Guard.
** Literature/CiaphasCain, '''THE HERO OF THE IMPERIUM''' [[FakeUltimateHero is believed to be]] a Class 4, but is really Class 5 who just wants to find a quiet place [[CowardlyLion far from the frontlines]], thank-you-very-much, but is too much of a SlaveToPR.
* Quincy Morris the trigger happy Texan from ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'' is the Class 4 Big Guy for Professor Van Hellsing's Vampire hunting [[TheTeam team]].
** Live action adaptations of Dracula tend to make Quincy a BoisterousBruiser as well.
* Bigwig from ''Literature/WatershipDown''.
** Also Silver, Holly, Blackavar and Buckthorn.

* Rachel of ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', despite having more feminine tastes than [[TheChick Cassie]], is most definitely this. She has to struggle to avoid becoming a full-on BloodKnight, and still ends up one of the chief dog-shooters and a borderline TokenEvilTeammate by the end of it.

* ''Literature/HackAlleyDoctor'': Ping, one of the White Leopards, is described as an “absolute unit” with a voice that rumbles like thunder. He wears a custom-made exoskeleton in his first appearance, and is big enough to wear a shield on each arm.

* In "Literature/{{The Wind In The Willows}}" we have Otter and overlooked example do to being AdaptedOut. His job for the climax is to keep the outside guards distracted.

* Subversion: "Try Again" Bragg of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'': ''Literature/GauntsGhosts''. Looks like a Class 2 at first to everyone who meets him, but actually quite intelligent. The plot point of one of the stories in the second novel revolves around Gaunt choosing him for a mission because everyone assumes that he must be dumb because he's big. Also played with in Ezrah, who is very tall but is lanky rather than brutish.
** The Ogryns (a HumanSubspecies that a basically just [[TheOgre Ogres]] [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE]]) generally fills this role for the Imperial Guard.

* Chumley from the ''Literature/MythAdventures'' series is a class 3, with a moderate dose of class 5 also. Moreover, as Trolls like him have long found that acting like DumbMuscle gets them more jobs, his ''entire race'' (or at least the [[BizarreSexualDimorphism male half]] of it) consists of class 3 [[BigGuy Big Guys]].

* Johanna is a Class 1 from [[Literature/TheHungerGames Catching Fire]] which [[GenderFlip tells you a lot about the team]]

* Frank from ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' is even called this in the text. He is a son of Mars and has [[spoiler: [[{{Shapeshifting}} shapeshifting]] powers]], as well as being the [[BigFun biggest]] [[HeroicBuild physically]].

* In the [[Literature/XWingSeries Wraith Squadron]] novels, "unit strongman" is one of the classical roles that Piggy insists keeps coming up, regardless of how the unit changes (he's right). He was one of the originals, along with Runt and Kell (Runt is the best at strongman-type displays, Piggy hits the hardest, but Kell leaves them both in the dust with his martial arts training). In ''Mercy Kill'', Trey Courser also fills this role. Curiously, all four are variations on the rare Type 5 -- Kell and Trey are both [[MrFixit mechanics]], Kell is [[StuffBlowingUp a demolitionist]], Runt was a comms tech, and Piggy is a certifiable genius in math and basically everything else.

** As a wild dragon, Purple-Green is bigger and stronger than his wingless peers, and despite receiving training in swordplay after joining the legions, he still relies more on his ferocity and brute strength rather than fighting technique.

* ''Literature/BazilBroketail'': Swane is the strongest and most physically imposing of all dragonboys, at least until [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Rakama comes along]].

* ''Literature/TheLastHuman2019'' has Ceeron, a large android that was designed to lift and carry large solar panels.

** The Ogryn race ([[TheOgre Ogres]] [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE]]) generally fills this role for the Imperial Guard.

* Also by Jim Butcher, Doroga from ''Literature/CodexAlera''. His ''[[BondCreatures chala]]'' is a giant badger, more or less; it goes with the territory. Tavi's uncle Bernard is also a big guy, but not so much TheBigGuy.

* [[BattleButler Butler]] from the ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' series. Definitely not dumb muscle, but he certainly qualifies for this trope by taking out a first class [=LEPrecon=] team on his own and bringing down a bull troll with not much more than his bare hands. He probably fall somewhere around Class 2 to 3.
** Juliet Butler, also from Literature/ArtemisFowl qualifies as well, as a Big Guy of the CuteBruiser variety.

* Tonk Fah from ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'' is this trope, especially in the literal sense. Returned gods also tend to have much bigger builds that also make them stronger.

* ''Literature/TheUnknownSoldier'': The platoon's TheBigGuy is actually its smallest member, [[PintSizedPowerhouse Määttä]]!