[[quoteright:236:[[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yup-hulk-stuff-028_8110.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:236:[[HulkSpeak HULK SMASH EVIL SCIENCE!]]]]

->''"Mr. Goody Two-Shoes, on the other hand, had life handed to him on a silver platter. The power of flight, invulnerability, and great hair. But I had something far, far greater -- my amazing intellect, and knack for building objects of mayhem."''
-->-- '''Megamind''', ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}''

Heroes in fiction are held to higher standards of physical strength than villains, and villains are held to higher standards of intellect (or at least cunning) than heroes, (see also VillainsActHeroesReact) which suggests that evil uses brains while good uses brawn.

This often conveys the message that DumbIsGood: the heroes are straightforward men and women of action, while the bad guys are smarter yet [[SquishyWizard squishier]], as if to [[RuleOfSymbolism imply]] that physical strength represents [[MightMakesRight moral strength]]. Occasionally, the villain is FeigningIntelligence, the hero is [[ObfuscatingStupidity playing dumb]], or the hero just holds the IdiotBall until the climax, when he passes it directly to the villain.

In many cases, this can be a corollary of VillainsActHeroesReact, wherein the Villain has time to set up the evil scheme, after which a Hero, often caught on the back foot, must overcome the odds with superior combative capabilities, in order to foil the scheme before it's too late. As a result, Villains tend to be schemers and manipulators, while Heroes tend to be more individually combative types.

A more idealistic interpretation is that this trope is the aftereffect or pre-establishing of RightMakesMight, i.e. "Right has already made might."

Since it follows that qualifications in fighting/military leadership are therefore nobler than academic ones, see TheGoodCaptain and MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate.

The most common SubTrope of BrainsVersusBrawn. Often leads to ArmoredVillainsUnarmoredHeroes and/or PoliteVillainsRudeHeroes. This is the classic matchup in SwordAndSorcery and other forms of HeroicFantasy, where the sword will typically be wielded by a BarbarianHero (who, even if they're not outright stupid, will generally be at least BookDumb) and the sorcery will be in the withered hands of an EvilSorcerer marinated in forbidden lore. Contrast GuileHero and ScienceHero, who often overcome physically threatening foes with [[TheTrickster trickery]] or [[TheSmartGuy brainpower]] respectively; and EvilIsBigger, where the villain is physically superior to the hero.
----
!! Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'': Exemplified in the final battle of Part 1, where DumbMuscle main character Denji fights the BigBad EvilGenius [[spoiler:Makima, AKA the Control Devil, who has been elaborately manipulating his life to her own ends]]. Played with in that Denji can find ways to outsmart his foes, and this includes [[spoiler:Makima]].
* Played with in ''Anime/CodeGeass'', in that stereotypical heroic character with CharlesAtlasSuperpower [[Characters/CodeGeassSuzakuKururugi Suzaku Kururugi]] is actually an AntiVillain working for the BigBad, while SquishyWizard [[Characters/CodeGeassLelouchLamperouge Lelouch Lamperouge]] [[MagnificentBastard who behaves like a stereotypical villain]] is actually the show's WellIntentionedExtremist ByronicHero.
* Inverted in the ''Manga/DrStone'' anime and manga; the good guys are smart but most but not all of them are physically weak while the bad guys are physically stronger. This does not mean that the Bad Guys are stupid however, the bad guys are smart too, it is just that the good guys are just a little bit smarter, especially Senku. Examples include Senku vs Tsukasa and Chrome vs Magma. Senku's IQ is higher than Tsukasa's but only by a few points maybe even by only one. Senku is pretty much always one step ahead of Tsukasa, key phrase being "always one step ahead." One step ahead and no more meaning not two or three or ten steps ahead. Tsukasa always keeps Senku on the move and on his toes constantly. Senku can't stop thinking ahead because otherwise Tsukasa will catch up with him. And if that happens it is all over for Senku and his dream of bringing science back to the world.
* Played with in ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' in that both characters are technically "good guys." [[GentleGiant Kurita]] is enormous, strong, a bit dim, and one of the kindest characters in the series (just watch out for his hugs). [[ManipulativeBastard Hiruma]] on the other hand is the LeanAndMean TriggerHappy DrillSergeantNasty whose total lack of physical skills is more than made up for by his evil genius. Together, they play football.
* Inverted in ''Manga/ImGreatPriestImhotep''. TheHero is a TeenGenius (the teen part is [[FishOutOfTemporalWater a bit blurred]]), is ([[NotSoStoic usually]]) TheStoic and has a slim, yet athletic build which is still often overshadowed by other characters that specialize [[MagicKnight in more direct combat styles]]. The BigBad, on the other hand, is having the kind of [[HotBlooded personality traits]] [[BookDumb you would expect]] only from the StockShonenHero and/or an IdiotHero ''and'', as well as sporting [[MrFanservice a rather impressive muscular build for his age.]]
* ''Manga/InuYasha''. The eponymous protagonist is an unkempt, not particularly smart guy whose only strategy is to AttackAttackAttack with his {{BFS}}, while his archnemesis Naraku is a grade-A ManipulativeBastard who accomplished far more with his [[EvilGenius mind]] than he ever did with his CombatTentacles. Notably, the heroes gained the ability to all but pulverize Naraku pretty soon after he showed up, but he managed to remain a significant threat until the end by [[ThePlan careful plotting]], means of a [[HealingFactor more]] [[BarrierWarrior defensive]] [[AttackReflector skill]][[MasterOfIllusion set]] and knowing when to do a [[VillainExitStageLeft strategic withdrawal. ]]
* Inverted in ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency'', in which the Pillar Men, the main antagonists of the Part, have superhuman strength, whereas Joseph, the hero of this Part, is WeakButSkilled compared to his fellow Joestars and wins his battles by relying on his wits.
* Broadly applies to ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''--the BigGood, All Might, is a super-muscular LightningBruiser who solves problems with brute force, and the BigBad is a [[TheManBehindTheMan mysterious type]] who hides out in his lair [[XanatosGambit concocting elaborate schemes]] to discredit and defeat the good guys. The details are less straightforward, though. The main villain was extremely powerful [[spoiler:thanks to extensive PowerCopying; he ruled the world with an iron fist for generations]] until a battle with All Might left him crippled, forcing him to adopt an evil mastermind strategy, though it's implied he will regain his full strength eventually. All Might himself was seriously injured in their battle, leading to his decision to pass his power on to the protagonist, Izuku. He has some IdiotHero characteristics, such as recklessness and a tendency to power through many of his problems, but also has a good head for [[AwesomenessByAnalysis tactics and analysis]]--due to his determination to be a hero despite [[UnSorcerer growing up without any powers]]--which helps him make use of his new super-strength even though his body can't fully handle it yet.
* PlayedWith in ''Anime/DeathNote'', which pits VillainProtagonist [[Characters/DeathNoteLightYagami Light Yagami]], whose strength comes from magical powers, against antagonist and GuileHero L.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsAIM M.O.D.O.K.]] and [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]] follow this trope as well. Although both are pretty smart, M.O.D.O.K. is essentially a living supercomputer. M.O.D.O.K. even mentions this trope in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''.
* ''ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse'': Zig-zagged in one Beagle Boys story, where being zapped with Gyro Gearloose's brain-ray ''initially'' turns one of the Boys into an EvilGenius... but repeated doses cause him to [[VictoryIsBoring get bored with perfect crimes]] and focus on a ''real'' challenge: ending all crime, poverty, and hunger forever. [[StatusQuoIsGod Naturally, his brothers immediately reverse the ray after that.]]
* ''WebVideo/DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'': The prequel comic reveals that this is the reason Billy decided to become a [[VillainProtagonist supervillain]] in the first place. Another one also reveals that [[DumbMuscle Captain Hammer]] has deeply anti-intellectual beliefs, telling kids that anyone who is "different", such as being good at math or science, is a potential supervillain and should be reported to the police.
* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner The Hulk]] and [[Characters/IncredibleHulkCentralRoguesGallery The Leader]]. Though some versions of the Hulk are smart. And Bruce Banner is a genius. Though more recent stories tend to play with Banner being a less than morally outstanding individual, himself.
** This particular usage of the trope has been called out: "You're making the argument that Strong is good and Smart is evil to a bunch of ''comic book nerds''? You don't really want to sell comics, do you?"
*** Memorably so in the Book of Ratings:
--->Kind of obvious, really. Hero: Big green dumb strong guy. Villain: Small green smart weak guy. It's not really dripping with creativity, and the moral ends up being "clever planning and logic can never win against the sheer physical brutality of a guy who barely even knows where he is." This is not a moral that your average comic book reader wants to hear.
* ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}'': This comes up a few times in contrast to Mark Grayson's FlyingBrick powers:
** D.A. Sinclair is a MadScientist who kidnapped homeless people to turn them into an army of cyborg zombie slaves. While his Reanimen are tough he shows no combat abilities whatsoever.
** Angstrom Levy is Invincible's ArchEnemy, a brilliant dimension traveler who merged his mind with all his alternate dimension minds and gained all their knowledge as well. He never needs to fight Invincible directly because he can draw on knowledge of unlimited alternate versions of Invincible to plan around him.
** [[spoiler: Robot]] averts it, but only [[spoiler: when he is in one of his robotic shells]].
* ''ComicBook/MarvelTwoInOne'': Annual #5 has the Hulk and the Thing foil a complicated, centuries-long plan by Pluto to destroy the universe, which even took out the Stranger, by smashing the ground underneath him really hard so he falls into his machine.
* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsThorOdinson Thor]] and his evil half-brother, [[Characters/MarvelComicsLoki Loki]]. Only in comparison to ''each other''. Loki is actually super-strong (even by Asgardian standards) and Thor is [[GuileHero not particularly slow on the uptake, either]], he's just surrounded by too many geniuses like Loki, [[Characters/MarvelComicsTonyStark Iron Man]], and Odin, for it to show. Loki on the other hand is also ''blessed'' with the inversion of the trope from his birth species' (read: father's) side, as in they believe true evil can only come from brute strength and hold more brainy solutions in sneering contempt, Loki really cannot win ever (except maybe if he managed to incarnate as a [[TheFairFolk Dark Elf]] somehow).
* ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'': Scott isn't very bright but he is the "best fighter in the province" according to Kim. Gideon, on the other hand, is a genius inventor who relies on his technology in a fight. Guess which one is the villain. Though calling Scott "good" isn't necessarily accurate until quite a bit in.
* ''ComicBook/{{Shazam}}'': Captain Marvel and Dr Sivana. While Captain Marvel is not stupid, he is still a child at heart and solves his problems through the application of physical force. Then again, he '''does''' have the Wisdom of Solomon...
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Somewhat inverted by [[Characters/MarvelComicsPeterParker Spider-Man]] who has a lot of villains stronger and less intelligent than him (e.g. Rhino, Sandman, [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarnage Carnage]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsVenom Venom]], Lizard).
** Played straight by some of his more prominent foes (the [[Characters/MarvelComicsNormanOsborn Green Goblin]] and [[Characters/MarvelComicsOttoOctavius Doc Ock]]) where they tend to edge him out in terms of brains and he edges them out in strength. Though Doc Ock's arms are actually stronger than Spider-Man overall, and actually made his debut by defeating Spider-Man in single combat. Though Doc Ock himself is indeed somewhat physically frail.
*** [[Characters/MarvelComicsNormanOsborn Green Goblin]]'s raw strength in proportion to Spider-Man also varies, when originally it was equal to an ordinary man, then slightly weaker than Spider-Man, and sometimes noticeably stronger depending on the Goblin Serum used.
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
** Superman is far from stupid, but [[Characters/SupermanLexLuthor Lex Luthor]] ("a tenth level intellect") is the smartest man alive, and, unlike Superman, ''can't'' solve problems through brute force.
** Also the Ultra-Humanite, the first comic-book supervillain, was designed to be the opposite of Superman and was given "the most learned and agile brain on Earth" to contrast Superman's strength.
** [[Characters/SupermanBrainiacCharacter Brainiac]] zig-zags this. Pre-Crisis he was much weaker than Superman physically but much more powerful with the use of his technology, usually including a force-field belt that Superman couldn't scratch and beam weapons capable of killing him, so Superman always had to think smart to have a chance against his alien foe. Post-Crisis he was always smart but went back and forth in terms of physical ability before ''ComicBook/SupermanBrainiac'' settled on the "true" Brainiac[[note]]The other Post-Crisis Brainiac appearances were revealed to be ActuallyADoombot.[[/note]] being more than a match for the Man of Steel in a fistfight ''on top'' of his 12th-level intellect. When combined with technology at least on par with his Silver Age self, he becomes something of a StoryBreakerPower who Superman usually needs help to even the odds against.
** Zig-zagged with Superman's enemy Manchester Black. Black's powers are all mental in nature, being both psychic and telekinetic, while Superman's are still physical and he largely uses his super-strength. But in terms of behavior, Black is a violent thug whose psychic powers still get used for brute force and Superman eventually defeats him with intelligence; strategically beating him at his own game.
* ''ComicBook/TheTick'': Granted everyone seems to have a few screws loose, but The Tick himself is most definitely Brawn=Good.
--> '''The Tick:''' My brain has always been my AchillesHeel!
* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': Averted, as Ozymandias is reputed to be the smartest man in the world, but he's also more than a physical match for most other heroes. Dr. Manhattan, in turn, is the most powerful hero ''and'' a scientist too.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/{{Stray|Dahne}}'' inverts this with the main couple. Adamska, who has the muscles and the combat skills, is decidedly the more morally ambiguous of the two. Hal, the skinny nerd engineer, is the NiceGuy MoralityPet. Adamska isn't a completely straightforward Evil(ish) Brawn, however, since he's a GeniusBruiser who relies more on his ImprobableAimingSkills than raw power.
* This trope is zig-zagged in ''Fanfic/NeitherABirdNorAPlaneItsDeku''. Neither Izuku nor All Might are inherently stupid, but they both have SuperStrength and are inherently heroic when compared to the [[spoiler:super-genius Ultra-Humanite. But the Ultra-Humanite's Quirk, Over Man, lowers the physical abilities of any human within 100 meters of him by up to 75%. This allows him to manhandle both Izuku and All Might at the same time, forcing them to use their wits to gain any sort of advantage. The Villain is only defeated after Izuku discovers his ability to fly and takes him by surprise, deactivating the Ultra-Humanite's Quirk and playing this trope straight again]].
* In ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy'', Mysterio fashions himself as the foil to All Might: a Villain who dominates his foes through trickery and illusions versus All Might's overwhelming strength. Mysterio also has this relationship with Peter, being a non-powered old man to Peter's spider-powers, albeit the gap has been narrowed by Mysterio's new super-strong robot avatar.
* ''FanFic/ResidentEvilABrothersPromise'' has this to a degree between William "B.J." Birkin Jr. and his parents. William and Annette are {{Mad Scientist}}s working for Umbrella who created the G-virus, and expected B.J. to follow in their footsteps. Instead, B.J. elected to join the Marines.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
* This seems apparent in Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon movies, especially the later ones.
** Averted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', which pits a GuileHero against a ManipulativeBastard. (Aladdin does have ''some'' musculature, however.)
** Also inverted in ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', with scrawny but brainy Milo up against [[spoiler:muscley and only slightly less intelligent Rourke]].
** Sort-of inverted in ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', which has the smart Belle on the side of good and the dumb, muscle-bound Gaston as the main villain. Still, Gaston is defeated in a physical battle with the Beast, who is not particularly intelligent.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove''[='s=] villains include Yzma, the main villain, who is LeanAndMean but clearly cleverer than the physically stronger DumbMuscle AntiVillain Kronk. Its "heroes" include AntiHero Kuzko, also skinny, and [[ItsAllAboutMe profoundly self-centered]], and Pacha, a more unambiguously good character who is noticeably physically stronger and nowhere near as self-centered.
** Inverted with ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'' as well. Basil and Ratigan are evenly matched in wits. However, Ratigan far outweighs Basil in physical abilities.
** Disney's ''{{WesternAnimation/Hercules}}'' pits sleazy ManipulativeBastard Hades against naive farmboy-ish Hercules who trades almost solely on his superstrength.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'' has Quasimodo, who is freakishly strong, quite kind, and if not dumb, at least poorly educated and very naïve, vs. Judge Frollo, who is physically weak and elderly but makes up for it with good tactics and military forces (though the climax shows he's quite handy with a sword). Interestingly, [[TheLancer Phoebus]] occupies both a physical and moral intermediate spot between the two, possessing only average physical strength and generally well-meaning but also InnocentlyInsensitive.
** Played with a good deal in ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook1967'': Mowgli is both puny and naïve, while Shere Khan is physically imposing (being a tiger, after all) as well as a WickedCultured villain fond of using big words. But Mowgli manages to defeat him by being a FearlessFool, while Khan turns out to be a shameful coward.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': ZigZaggingTrope with the strong and noble LargeAndInCharge Mufasa versus manipulative LeanAndMean Scar. Scar certainly is a great deal more fond of using manipulation and cunning to get what he wants, and he's very talented at both of these things. In addition, he admits that he is physically far weaker than Mufasa. When it comes to actually ''ruling'' a kingdom, however, he has ''[[TheCaligula no idea what he's doing]]'', and the Pride Lands goes from a lush savannah to a barren wasteland in a matter of a few years, all because of his incompetence. It eventually gets to the point where even his hyena minions recognize that Mufasa was a much better leader. Upon Simba's return, however, he shows himself to be no less adept at the cunning manipulation that got him into power...and this trope is played with again when Scar proves himself to indeed be a viciously competent (if [[CombatPragmatist dirty]]) fighter when he's got no other options.
** Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', which pits the clever and much smaller Mulan against the hulking Shan Yu. Though he's far from stupid (one does ''not'' get to be leader of a BadassArmy without some level of smarts), she still has to use her wits and not her fighting ability to come up with the plan to defeat him.
** Captain Hook in ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'' is a triple subversion: noticeably taller than Peter (and ''appearing'' larger due to the flamboyant costume he wears), but unnaturally skinny and no physically stronger in proportion. He is, however, the superior swordsman for much of the movie, and Peter usually relies on his wits to trounce him.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}'' has a [[ZigZaggingTrope zig-zagged]] example: Megamind is the brainy MadScientist villain who fights the muscular Superman-esque Metro Man, but he's the VillainProtagonist who's only a villain because he believes in a BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil. He would prefer to be the hero, but because he always came in second place to Metro Man, he [[ThenLetMeBeEvil chose to be the villain.]] [[spoiler:It's inverted at the end when he has to take on Titan, who was never particularly bright even before Megamind gave him powers to have a new ArchEnemy after the seeming loss of Metro Man, but Titan also has his smart moments, most notably when he catches on to Megamind's disguise by recognizing his mispronunciation of "Metro City."]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'', we have [[TheBigGuy brawny good guy]] Mr. Incredible who finds himself pitted against [[EvilGenius brainy bad guy]] Syndrome. It's [[PlayingWithATrope played with]] in that Mr. Incredible is still quite clever and has tactical intelligence (his infiltration of Syndrome's base is a great example- he only gets caught because [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom Helen activates the tracking device on his suit]]) that Syndrome notably lacks (note all the times he causes trouble because he fails to think through the consequences of some dramatic flourish). Continued in [[WesternAnimation/Incredibles2 the sequel]], where there are numerous heroes with superpowers, but the ''only'' true villain is a human inventor.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'', IdiotHero Po is up against the genius peacock Shen, who fights with the cannons he invented (and in personal combat with hidden knives). Though once again emotional intelligence helps save the day as it turns out that [[EnlightenmentSuperpowers coming to terms with your demons allows you to catch and throw back cannonballs]].
* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'', which pits BadassBookworm Jack Skellington against Oogie Boogie, a rare villainous example of a BoisterousBruiser. That being said, the way Oogie actually fights Jack is this trope played straight, using his lair and his traps to his advantage rather than face Jack directly. We never get to see much of Jack's power, but given that he's the lord of Halloween, he might very well be stronger than he appears. Also, Oogie is clearly a DirtyCoward and a FatBastard, and extremely vulnerable due to literally being [[spoiler: a sentient swarm of disgusting bugs very patchily sewn up inside a gunny sack that promptly disperses when the sack is torn off]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* ''Franchise/DieHard'': CowboyCop John [=McClane=] vs. criminal mastermind Hans Gruber. There's a reason it was [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes the former]] {{Trope Namer|s}} of VillainsActHeroesReact.
* In the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'', the cunning Loki frequently manipulates his powerful and hard-headed brother Thor.
-->'''Loki:''' Are you ever ''not'' going to fall for that?
** Subverted in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'': after two [[Film/{{Thor}} solo]] [[Film/ThorTheDarkWorld films]] and two CrisisCrossover [[Film/TheAvengers2012 mov]][[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron ies]], Thor's CharacterDevelopment has long since made him wise to his little brother's tricks; not only does Thor successfully outsmart Loki and others several times throughout the movie, he also gives him a poignant TheReasonYouSuckSpeech about how Loki keeps [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor falling back]] into the [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder same patterns]], while Thor has been learning as he goes ever since he was sent to Earth.
* ''Film/GreenLantern2011'' has lazy, irresponsible, and pretty vacant Hal Jordan fighting the shy, intelligent, hard-working, underappreciated Hector Hammond.
* ''Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies'' culminates in a battle between a well-coordinated army on one side and several bands of improvising, numerically inferior fighters whose strategy is essentially either "hold your ground" or "blindly charge the leader". Needless to say, the protagonists are part of the second group.
* The ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' films from the 1980s and '90s followed this formula for the most part, with Batman being [[MadeOfIron inhumanly tough (he survives being blown up, set on fire, and shot multiple times)]] and most of the villains ([[Characters/BatmanTheJoker Joker]], [[Characters/BatmanThePenguin Penguin]], [[Characters/BatmanTheRiddler Riddler]]) being {{Evil Genius}}es but either pathetically short and chubby (Penguin) or [[SissyVillain so wimpy they can't effectively land a single punch]] (Joker, Riddler). However, Batman has plenty of intelligence in his own right. And ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'' plays with this in a number of ways: [[Characters/BatmanMrFreeze Mr. Freeze]] is both extremely intelligent ''and'' able to physically dominate Batman on occasion; however, it's shown that without his super-refrigerated suit and a subzero environment, he becomes very weak and even near death. Also double-subverted by [[Characters/BatmanBane Bane]], [[DumbMuscle who is so stupid that he can only repeat a few words he hears and has muscles on top of muscles]] - but all that physical strength is the result of a nasty steroid formula that was pumped into Bane's normally scrawny body. ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' has this in the first two movies-- while Batman is still the "World's Greatest Detective", he's more of a fighter than the League of Shadows and the Joker, who rely on [[GambitRoulette often complex]] evil schemes. Then ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' seems to subvert it with GeniusBruiser Bane, only to play it more straight as [[TheManBehindTheMan the woman behind the man]] is revealed.
* Inverted with Ajax and Swan in ''Film/TheWarriors''. Ajax is the strongest (or at least the second-strongest) Warrior among the gang's nine bruisers, and also stupidly pigheaded-- and he pays for that pigheadedness by being arrested after getting himself into a situation he easily could've avoided had he not been so stubborn. Swan, meanwhile, survives the night and becomes the gang's new leader through being a GuileHero.
* ''Film/{{Unbreakable}}'' discusses how the ArchEnemy is usually a villain who fights the hero with his mind, while TheHero of the film has SuperStrength. [[spoiler: This is {{Foreshadowing}} the reveal that Elijah is the BigBad.]]
* ''Film/NationalTreasure'' inverts this trope beautifully. The bad guys are stronger, more numerous, and better-armed than the good guys the entire way through the film, but the heroes manage to win by being smarter and better-informed about the subject matter.
* ''Film/Hustle2022'': Downplayed on the "evil" part. Kermit Wilts isn't quite evil, but he is a jerk and an antagonist to Bo. Bo is muscular and athletic, especially after his training with Stanley. Kermit Wilts, while still a talented player, is definitely skinnier, and he likes to use taunting words and insults to make his opponents lose their nerve.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The original ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' book series. Raistlin Majere was sickly and physically weak (his constitution score is ''3'', the lowest possible for an initial roll), highly intelligent, and gradually turned to evil. His brother Caramon is strong, slow-thinking, and a good guy.
* Inverted in Creator/JimButcher's ''Literature/CodexAlera''. [[MuggleBornOfMages Tavi]], our hero, is physically unimposing and the only person in his civilization outside of small children not to have elemental powers, meaning that his enemies tend to heavily outpower him in terms of brute strength, [[spoiler: and even after he gets military training and starts developing powers, his enemies scale accordingly]]. Consequently, he has to use his brain to get out of most of his problems and is a full-blown GuileHero by the second book.
* ''Literature/{{Devolution}}'': "Evil" might be overstating it, but Dr Reidenhart, an intellectual philosopher, is a spoiled know-it-all and StrawMisogynist who gets everything wrong and hides food from the others, and the therapist Carmen is clueless, while the most useful and heroic characters are the strong, active ones who can build and hunt, like Dan, Mostar, and Kate.
* A prime source of AlternativeCharacterInterpretation when it comes to [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Odysseus]], hero of ''Literature/TheOdyssey''. According to different sources, Odysseus' cleverness and wiliness were what set him among the greats of the Greek heroes, or else they were signs of a weak and cowardly nature too pathetic to fight like a real man.
* In ''Literature/ParadiseLost'', the rebellious angels use their brains and skill to invent guns and turn back the loyal angels for a moment. The loyal angels respond with brute force: ripping up mountains and throwing them at the rebels. Jesus ends the fight the next day just by charging at the rebels with his overwhelming power.
* ''Literature/{{The Incredible Worlds of Wally McDoogle}}'', played for laughs in Wally's superhero stories. The hero is normally too dumb to live and forgets he even has super strength. They will often mess with the villain's machine, and make it worse. The villain will then have to fix it.
* Zig-zagged in ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'', with the two POV characters being a MadScientist villain and a newbie superhero, who mostly relies on strength. However, said villain also has low-level SuperStrength himself. Additionally, the villain's arch-nemesis is a SupermanSubstitute (has Superman's abilities, not his intelligence). The SuperTeam, however, is made up of a mix of brains and brawn heroes. Black Wolf makes his money reverse-engineering and selling MadScientist inventions, while also being capable of beating pretty much any superpowered being, despite not having powers himself.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'' has this going on in the group dynamics. Gryffindor House's associated virtue is courage, while Slytherin's are cunning and {{ambition|IsEvil}}. Most of the heroes are in Gryffindor, while nearly every named Slytherin is at least an asshole and most are magic Nazis. Played with on an individual level: both sides have a mix of clever and stupid people, but [[TheHero Harry]] is a jock who relies on his friends for anything requiring thought, while [[BigBad Voldemort]] is a genius who excelled at school and mastered more of the Dark Arts than anyone else, even inventing a ritual to restore himself from being NotQuiteDead.
* Two of ''Literature/CaptainUnderpants'''s most badass antagonists, Professor Poopypants and [[DarkActionGirl Wedgie Woman]], are very intelligent, but other than the latter's hair with hands, neither has any superpowers. On the other hand, the captain himself is a bit dumb, but he ''does'' have superpowers.
* ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'': In ''The Long Patrol'', the BigBad is Damug Warfang, a cunning and CrazyPrepared warlord who constantly sends out soldiers to scout out new locations, and keeps his followers in check by having his spies keep close tabs on them. The BigGood is Lady Cregga Rose Eyes, leader of the heroic Salamandastron army, a [[LargeAndInCharge big and immensely powerful]] FrontlineGeneral who [[BloodKnight gets a thrill out of fighting head-on]], and earns the respect of her soldiers rather than enforcing it through fear.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Inverted with ''Series/DoctorWho''. As Creator/CraigFerguson put it, the one constant of the show is the triumph of "intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism".
* ''Series/TheFlash2014'':
** The first season has [[TheHero Barry Allen]] battling metahumans with his SuperSpeed. The [[BigBad Reverse-Flash]] has speed surpassing that of the Flash, but it's in a constant state of flux and he's forced to spend most of his time charging his body with a futuristic wheelchair while monitoring his future ArchEnemy.
** Season 4 has Clifford [=DeVoe=], AKA The Thinker. He is a super-genius, who's power comes at the cost of his physical health. In his own words, he is "the fastest mind alive".
* The selection of the two tribes during ''[[Series/{{Survivor}} Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains']]'' pre-production was geared toward this. Before the merge, the Villains won 7 out of 8 challenges on the merit of their cleverness--the only challenge the Heroes won over this stretch was an [[FlawlessVictory unprecedented 8-0 sweep]] in a purely physical, one-on-one sumo wrestling challenge.
* In the MiniSeries ''Film/{{Beast}}'' (''Film/{{Jaws}}'' with a giant squid rather than a shark), hero Whip Darling is a brawny fisherman, while the villainous mayor is a classic bespectacled nerd--at one point, Darling even sneers at him about his "Harvard education" as though this is something to be ashamed of. Darling also sneers at him about how "you're still the same creepy little kid you always were", indicating that Darling bullied him back during their school days and has no remorse over doing so, or worse yet, protected him from bullies and now regrets doing so. All of which is presented as perfectly okay.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Buffy's not exactly an idiot, but her main advantages are her superhuman strength and durability. The {{Big Bad}}s were typically {{Evil Genius}}es or {{Diabolical Mastermind}}s who were nevertheless often physically weaker than Buffy (though [[DumbMuscle Glory]] in Season 5 is a notable exception). This is most pronounced with Warren Mears in Season 6.
* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'' compares a straight example and an inversion. [[EvilGenius Kuroto]] [[ManipulativeBastard Dan]] is more likely to use his wits than brute strength. [[TheHeart Emu]] [[TheHero Hojo]] is a [[TheStrategist capable]] [[TheSocialExpert manipulator]] himself and can only throw a punch to save someone's life.
* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'': The Piranha brothers. Dinsdale, the enforcer, is remembered with tremendous fondness and affection even by some of the victims of his ridiculously over-the-top violence. Doug, who used [[FauxHorrific sarcasm]], inspires only naked, haunted terror.
* ''[[Series/WonderWoman1975 Wonder Woman]]'': Wonder Woman faced very few foes who could physically match up to her, so many adventures were centered around her figuring out the diabolical plan and then stopping it. Bleaker in "The Girl from Ilandia" was a particularly notable example. He not merely only handled Wonder Woman through brains, but never even attempted to physically face off against her - [[spoiler: and succeeded]]! Gault's brain in "Gault's Brain" is a literal example as the BrainInAJar could only act through mental abilities.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Most face/heel rivalries in ProfessionalWrestling play out like this with most of the drama centered around the heel cheating and tricking his way to victory against a more powerful and/or skilled babyface. Whereas a heel who's legitimately skilled gets cheered a lot of the time, the heel gets booed because the fans know he doesn't "deserve" to keep winning and are waiting until he finally gets demolished.
** Prominent examples (as heels, of course):
*** Wrestling/RicFlair
*** Wrestling/ChrisJericho
*** Wrestling/TheMiz
*** Wrestling/JerryLawler was pretty much the Wrestling/RicFlair of Memphis.
*** Wrestling/TripleH is a perfect example of both. As a heel, he can't win a match clean to save his life (despite being ''for years'' the most physically dominating main-eventer on the roster not named Wrestling/{{Kane}} or Wrestling/TheUndertaker), yet as a face, all he needs are his fists and maybe a sledgehammer in order to take out the rest of the roster.
** The standard psychology of a tag team match suggests this trope. Typically, the heel team shows more skill at actual tag team wrestling, isolating [[RickyMorton one face]] and utilizing numerous tag team maneuvers. This builds tension for the Hot Tag, whereupon the fresh babyface finally tags in and demolishes the heels singlehandedly, usually until a pinfall is broken up, all parties end up in the ring, and anything goes from there.
* Professional Wrestling also has the "intellectual heel" persona, such as Wrestling/ChristopherNowinski, Wrestling/DavidOtunga (both RealLife Harvard graduates), Wrestling/MollyHolly for a female version, and Wrestling/DamienSandow, whereas there is no real "intellectual face," since the intellectual heel will usually be wrestling a big, powerful face.
* As a heel, Wrestling/AJLee was arguably a good example: outrageously insane (insanity often said to be a byproduct of genius) and fond of mind games, but so petite that the larger Divas could floor her with a single punch. However, AJ made up for it by being a superior mat wrestler, relying less on strength than on systematically breaking down opponents.
* Wrestling/{{Christian}}. As a heel, it seemed like he could ''never'' hold his own in the ring without cheating.
* Wrestling/EddieGuerrero ''usually'' was an inversion, winning matches by being a GuileHero - quite justified a lot of the time, since practically everyone he faced was more muscular or at least taller than he was.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* This is actually part of Lizardfolk religion in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. Their primary god, Semuanya, has a bestial mindset, driven solely by instinct and focused only on basic survival. Their creation myth, however, states that Semuanya once had a mate, Kecuala. Unlike Semuanya, Kecuala was a thinking creature and thought and pondered so much that its indecision split it into two creatures; the first male and female Lizardfolk. Lizardfolk thus demonize intelligence and believe that by casting off the burdens of thought, they will be spiritually purified and be reborn as Kecuala.
* Part of the reason Khorne gets the DracoInLeatherPants treatment in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' and ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': his followers are warriors one and all, seeking only to spill blood in his name (their foes', their allies', their own...), and hating above all betrayal and sorcery. His opposite number is Tzeentch, whose hat is backstabbing, and his (non-Astartes) followers tend to be on the squishy side. Averted in the case of SpaceMarine Librarians and Chaos Space Marine Sorcerers: sure, they have PsychicPowers that can tear apart armies, but they're seven feet tall wearing inch-thick PoweredArmor with a handgun that shoots rocket-propelled explosives or plasma.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* Mostly inverted throughout ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}''. The evil faction, Decepticons, are largely the ones with more brute force and power in contrast to the more peaceful Autobots, who naturally have many scientists among their ranks due to their more civilian origins. Case in point, some continuities have Orion Pax start out as a [[BadassBookworm librarian]] while Megatron rises to power as a fierce gladiator. Straight examples include the brutish Dinobots against EvilGenius Shockwave.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/MegaMan'':
** VideoGame/{{Mega Man|Classic}} is a naive little robot who can bench-press a small building. His greatest villain is the brilliant but maniacal Dr. Wily. Then again, Mega Man has at least two benevolent scientists backing him up (one of which is Dr. Light, being Wily's equal). This is arguably a subversion, as Mega Man frequently defeats his opponents by [[PowerCopying adapting to their tactics]] and [[ElementalRockPaperScissors using a more effective strategy as a counter]]. On the other side, Wily's robots usually attempt to destroy Mega Man through either overwhelming force or some extremely specialized tactics.
** This tends to be a common occurrence throughout the franchise. Who's the villain of ''VideoGame/MegaManX8''? The genius overseer of the Jakob project, Lumine. The villain behind everything in the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series is the erudite Dr. Weil. The man behind all the problems in ''VideoGame/MegaManZX Advent'' is the scientific mastermind Master Albert. While the people who fight these villains aren't generally stupid (Mega Man X is naive but has an overall good head on his shoulders, Zero has the benevolent Dr. Ciel to help him on his missions, and Ashe at least has street smarts), they're generally better known for their prodigious combat talents.
* Most ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' villains are [[EvilGenius cunning]], {{schem|er}}ing, {{manipulative|Bastard}} [[DiabolicalMastermind masterminds]] that rely on magic and trickery while the heroes are strong, courageous, stalwart warriors that charge into battle using [[HeroesPreferSwords swords]]. The CrisisCrossover ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' highlights this -- aside from [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Garland]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Jecht]], all of the villains fight using magic and have strategic DifficultButAwesome fighting styles, while the heroes aside from [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Terra]] are physical brawlers with BoringButPractical attacks.
** As more characters joined the series, the idea has been subverted in some specific cases, like with [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Yuna]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0 Ace]], both of which are Marksman-type magicians. Regardless, the heroes side still has very few characters that could be considered more strategic and cunning (lorewise), and specifically ones that do not rely on hand-to-hand combat, despite having several potential candidates in the main series.
** Additionally, there are a few smart characters who, while on Chaos' side, are legitimately good people. During all of the games, there's [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Golbez]], and, in ''Duodecim'', [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX Kuja]], who ends up being brainwashed by Kefka and becomes much stupider in the process]].
* In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' we have the [[DumbMuscle idiotic but strong]] Bowser as the VillainProtagonist versus the intelligent Fawful as the antagonist. That said, Bowser would have lost many times over in the first few ''hours'' of the game if not for the smarter Mario Brothers stimulating his muscles at key moments to save him.
* This is the main dynamic between Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog and BigBad Dr. Eggman. The latter is a super-genius who uses his intellect and technology to try and TakeOverTheWorld. Sonic is a laidback guy whose MO is [[SuperSpeed run as fast as possible]] towards any danger that confronts him and has foiled many of Eggman's plans for world domination.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'': [[spoiler:Gary Smith]] pits the School of Bullworth's many factions against protagonist Jimmy Hopkins, through manipulation. Jimmy solves this problem by beating up the factions back into submission with the help of his friend, an ImplacableMan who joins him because Jimmy beat him up first, and a group of insane buff psychotics who joined because Jimmy beat them into cooperation. Jimmy beats [[spoiler:Gary]] [[CurbStompBattle with ease]] because he wasn't nearly as Brawny as Jimmy.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] on multiple levels throughout the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series. On the one hand, most games are about a PlayerCharacter of average physical strength outsmarting hordes of literally brain-dead but physically powerful zombies through means of puzzle-solving and properly managing limited resources. On the other hand, the human villains who create these hordes of mindless zombies tend to be of the MadScientist and/or MagnificentBastard variety, against protagonists who often have backgrounds as former soldiers or similar fields that are more focused on physical strength. The most egregious example of the trope being [[PlayingWithATrope played straight]] is Chris vs. Wesker in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', in which Chris is [[MemeticMutation muscled up to the extent of absurdity]] verses Wesker who has a much thinner physique ([[MusclesAreMeaningless although enough science-based superpowers to overpower Chris anyway]]) and is [[MagnificentBastard way, way, way smarter than Chris]]. Easily the biggest [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] is ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'', which pits the highly intelligent but physically small Jill against the [[TheBrute huge hulking brainless monster]] [[BigBad Nemesis]].
* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', Master Smiling Hawk, the evil one of the two masters of the Black Leopard School, is described as a cunning bookworm who gained power through a DangerousForbiddenTechnique, despite not being as strong as Master Radiant, the good master.
* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', there's [[CainAndAbel the Wookie brothers Chuundar and Zaalbar]]. Chuundar was supposedly "the runt" of the two, according to Zaalbar, but he's a cunning ManipulativeBastard who was able to get his father and brother exiled to take over their tribe. Zaalbar, meanwhile, is stronger and less intelligent than Chuundar.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* Downplayed in ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework''. While the protagonist isn’t stupid, he’s still a jock, while Dennis is still a nerd. And the protagonist doesn’t understand why Dennis calls him “Esau” (a biblical reference) until Tamara explains it to him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/EverydayHeroes'', ''every'' supervillain seen on-screen (with the exception of the PunchClockVillain Hornswoggle) has been a MadScientist or a BadassNormal, and every MadScientist seen on-screen has been a supervillain.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Volume 7 has General Ironwood and Dr. Watts fight. Ironwood is clearly the superior fighter, but Watts' control of the environment by hacking the stage set-up keeps the General off-foot, and nearly kills him several times. Near the end of the duel, Watts comments, "I suppose in this instance my brains and your brawn are evenly matched." and traps Ironwood's flesh arm in a HardLight barrier. Ironwood only wins by being reckless enough to rip his arm out, flaying his skin, to achieve victory. [[spoiler: And it's strongly implied that Watts' true goal wasn't to win outright, but to destabilize Ironwood into SanitySlippage.]]
* Slightly inverted in ''WebVideo/DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' with the EvilGenius Dr. Horrible, who is actually, a nice guy when he's not doing evil things, and the superhero Captain Hammer, who is a dumb JerkJock. The prequel comic seems to indicate that brains and brawn are polar opposites here. When Dr. Horrible previously tries to inject himself with a SuperSerum made from Captain Hammer's DNA, he becomes as strong and tough as Hammer but also just as dumb. They just keep {{Megaton Punch}}ing each other until Dr. Horrible decides to go back to being smart. Averted with the other heroes and villains in the related comics. For example, Johnny Snow (mentioned in the show itself) is smart enough to build himself a FreezeRay, which he uses to stop the [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Evil League of Evil]] when Captain Hammer is out of town.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls'':
** Evil genius Mojo Jojo vs the girls and their superpowers. Chemical X is the cause of both; think about that. Downplayed in that the girls, ''especially'' Blossom are fairly clever themselves, not to mention the (largely) harmless and ReasonableAuthorityFigure Professor Utonium.
** Inverted with Fuzzy Lumpkins, who is about as dumb as they come, and as STRONG as they come.
* Played with on ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' with [[TheHero Goliath]] (a hulking ProudWarriorRaceGuy) and [[ArchEnemy Xanatos]] (a MagnificentBastard with no superpowers). Just to read the descriptions of the characters, one would assume this dynamic to be in place, but as the show goes on Goliath repeatedly shows off his GeniusBruiser and WarriorPoet sides, while Xanatos proves to be an expert martial artist who eventually has a suit of PoweredArmor made that lets him match Goliath's physical abilities. Both hero and villain are no slouches in the brain ''or'' brawn department.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'': While He-Man does possess SuperStrength (specifically he's the mightiest man in the universe), he's also quite intelligent and has to use his brains at least as much as his brawn. His nemesis, Skeletor, is a SorcerousOverlord but he's no weakling, either- he's nearly as strong as He-Man is.
* Thoroughly mocked in ''WesternAnimation/DanVs'' season 3 finale, "Summer Camp", by making this the stated philosophy of the episode's ''villain''. The summer camp in question is run by TheSocialDarwinist Mr. Tedesco, who, under the guise of "toughening up" the campers, divides them into two clans and makes them fight for a "spirit stick" which grants its clan privileges such as ''food''. Dan recognizes that his clan can't win a straight fight, so he gains the spirit stick by setting a trap with a hornet's nest. Mr. Tedesco punishes the whole clan for this, explaining that the entire point was to win through brute force--that taking the stick with cunning was "cheating". Dan ''does'' learn something in regards to standing up for yourself... and proceeds to lead the kids into destroying the camp and taking down Mr. Tedesco. Said philosophy was decided during the first year of the camp when the two groups competed for the stick. One managed to get through cunning before getting it taken at the last moment through brute force, so it could've gone the other way.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' played this straight quite often:
** Artie Ziff was the villain to Homer's DesignatedHero when they were rivals for Marge's hand in high school. Artie was a real {{Jerkass}} to Homer, even though Homer probably could have cleaned his clock with little trouble. Of course, Homer could be a jerk sometimes as well, but that was due to his being InnocentlyInsensitive, whereas Artie knew better and had no excuse.
** On a few occasions Abe Simpson and Monty Burns have squared off, usually in connection to their days together during the war. Abe was a brawny sergeant in the 1940s, while Monty was - and continues to be - so physically weak that a ''baby'' is stronger than him. Monty is also [[ManipulativeBastard scheming]], while Abe comes off as TheFool more often than not. And even though Abe has gotten pretty feeble himself in his old age, he's got [[HeroicResolve courage to spare]] - not to mention a powerful PapaWolf streak when Monty [[MoralEventHorizon almost kills his grandson]].
* ''WesternAnimation/WhereOnEarthIsCarmenSandiego'': As an ACME Detective, Carmen was an ActionGirl on par with series co-protagonist [[KickChick Ivy]]. [[FaceHeelTurn After becoming a thief]], she eschews violence entirely. {{Averted|Trope}} with [[spoiler:[[TheSociopath Lee Jordan]]]] in the finale, who uses FamilyFriendlyFirearms.
-->'''Carmen:''' What's the matter, [[spoiler:Lee]]? Afraid you can't defeat me with your wits?\\
'''[[spoiler:Lee Jordan]]:''' [[TheUnfettered I'll win any way I can!]]
[[/folder]]
----