[[StarWars http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/R2D2.jpg]]
[[caption-width:300:Beep beep bo boop.]]

->'''Aang:''' The question is, how are we gonna stop that thing?\\
'''Sokka:''' Why are you all looking at me?\\
'''Aang:''' You're The Idea Guy.\\
'''Sokka:''' So I'm the ''only'' one who can ''ever'' come up with a plan? That's a lot of pressure.\\
-- ''AvatarTheLastAirbender''

The Smart Guy is the guy in a FiveManBand whose focus is on intellectual pursuits. This is the team member who will always be prepared, sometimes CrazyPrepared. They will be at the computer doing RapidFireTyping. Expect some [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness fancy talk]] and TechnoBabble from this character. Because their role is about ideas, plans, and being MissionControl, they often [[NonActionGuy leave the action stuff]] to TheHero, TheLancer and TheBigGuy.

Physically they are usually [[ShorterMeansSmarter short]] [[TheShortGuyWithGlasses and wear glasses]]. They may even be a child. The Smart Guy is sometimes written as mousey and withdrawn. If not antisocial, at least non-social, sliding into TVGenius. Can be expected to [[SmartPeoplePlayChess play a mean game of chess.]]

Sometimes the Smart Guy is more street savvy then they appear. If this is the case it usually makes The Smart Guy physically as well as mentally capable. This can be done by making the Smart Guy and TheBigGuy one and the same, effectively defying the two stereotypes to the utmost extreme. (See GeniusBruiser.) Then there is the path of the BadassBookworm. They remain firmly planted as the Smart Guy, but are just as ready to fight as everyone else. The results are often impressive, and usually have the advantage of surprise. Who expects the little guy with glasses to be an asskicker?

In rare cases, the Smart Guy may also be a BoisterousBruiser.

Powers and skills common to the smart guy include:
* In modern or sci-fi settings, The Smart Guy often has great skill with technology and engineering, in order to build and repair devices for the band. The GadgeteerGenius, MadScientist, and TheProfessor will often fill this role. If they're the protagonist, they'll be a ScienceHero. In such cases, The Smart Guy will rarely have good tactical skills, and may lack in common sense as well. Quite often they're an alien, cyborg or robot.
* In settings where [[FantasyGunControl guns are rare]], he might be one of those few who uses one, considering a lack of combat skill.
* In fantasy settings, he'll usually be [[SquishyWizard skilled at magic]], particularly of the offensive variety, in which case he serves as the team's [[AnAdventurerIsYou "nuker"]]. His WeaponOfChoice tends to be a MagicWand, a SimpleStaff, or both in one package. Alternatively, he may prefer a [[KnifeNut easily manageable dagger]]. Or, if magic is the de facto power of the age, the Smart Guy will probably use a sword or a gun.
* If the team's [[TheLancer Lancer]] is not the sneaky type, sneaking will typically fall to The Smart Guy. This type of smart guy will rely on stealth, guile, and [[{{Trickster}} cunning plans]] to trip up his enemies. He may also be a bit more [[TheLancer Lancerish]] than others of his kind.
* In a {{Superhero}} setting, or any one with superpowers that don't quite fall under magic, The Smart Guy is often a BadassNormal, or has [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway relatively weak powers]] to offset their brilliance. (and increasingly often will find ways to utilise apparently useless powers to great effect) Or conversely, they'll be the ones in the PoweredArmor.

His knowledge will allow him to [[EnemyScan find enemy weaknesses]] and to serve as MrExposition in order to explain plot points to the less intelligent members of the band (and the audience).

The Smart Guy archetype is often unfairly vilified in shows where DumbIsGood. Other times, he's not so much the Smart Guy as the ''Smartass'' Guy. The Smartass Guy will occur in a team with a [[GeniusBruiser Big Smart Guy]]. The team doesn't need another brainy guy so much, and since Big Smart Guys tend to be {{Gentle Giant}}s, adding a DeadpanSnarker just seems natural. Appropriately, The Smartass Guy will probably be the "sneaky Lancer" type mentioned above.

In recent years, as casts have become more gender-balanced, The Smart Guy is the one most likely to swap genders. Since the character type is outwardly sexless and non-masculine, turning him into The Smart Girl is not that big a stretch. Mousey, shy and withdrawn work equally well on female characters, and can sometimes be appealing (see HotLibrarian and NerdsAreSexy). When used in this way, she's usually much less girly than TheChick (see WrenchWench). In a fantasy setting, she's often the BlackMagicianGirl, or sometimes the StaffChick.

If there's a RobotBuddy on the team, he's usually The Smart Guy.

Not to be confused with the series ''Series/SmartGuy''.

----
[[foldercontrol]]

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* [[StraightArrow Rowen Hashiba]] is described by Dais to be the smartest and most cunning of the ''RoninWarriors''. He probably got his smarts from his MadScientist father and is said to have a really high IQ.
* Taranee Cook in ''{{WITCH}}'' is archetypical of this trope.
* "G-4" Jinpei the Swallow from ''ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman'' fills this role in the "smartass" variation of this trope. He's a TagAlongKid who is the most prone to clever trickster style behavior and wisecracking. Along with his sister [[TheChick Jun]], he often hangs out with and plays off of TheBigGuy Ryu the Owl for his hijinks.
* Yue of ''MahouSenseiNegima'', a {{Nakama}} regular and TeenGenius.
* Subverted in ''SuzumiyaHaruhi'', where Yuki Nagato is designated by Haruhi as The Smart Girl. The real smart guy is actually Koizumi.
** An alternate way of thinking about this is that Yuki is ''Haruhi's'' SmartGuy, but ''Kyon's'' [[TheLancer Lancer]]/BigGuy. Similarly, Koizumi is Haruhi's BigGuy, but Kyon's smart guy.
* Kurama in ''YuYuHakusho'' rarely fights hand-to-hand and never wins through brute strength; he always has to take his time to devise a strategy to beat his opponent. (This is Lampshaded several times and gets him in trouble more than once.)
* After Fate replaces him as TheLancer in the second season of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', Yuuno was handed this role, [[IsntItSad which meant that he spent most of his time in the background doing research on the]] ArtifactOfDoom [[MrExposition and telling the other characters what useful information he gathered]] from the [[TheLibraryOfBabel Infinity Library]].
** Teana fills this role in the third season, being recruited into [[HeroesRUs Riot Force 6]] for her skills as a tactician, a role that she eventually lives up to in spades.
* In several of the ''Sonic'' continuities (bar the animated ''[[Series/SonicTheHedgehog SATam]]'' series), Tails usually plays this role.
** Christopher Thorndyke plays this role in the ''SonicX'' series after his [[PlotRelevantAgeUp six year age up]] this caused a bit of conflict amongst fans, and Tails becomes more of a Captain for the crew (albeit one who is not always listened to, but he ''is'' trying to organize [[GenkiGirl Amy Rose]], Knuckles and Sonic) and a mechanic.
* Among [[AxisPowersHetalia The Allied]] [[FiveManBand Forces]], Francis Bonnefoy aka France takes up this role. He's one ''really'' atypical Smart Guy, though, often thinking with [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean the smaller head]] rather than the big one. But when he ''does'' use the latter rather than the former, he can be quite the ManipulativeBastard.
* ''{{Chobits}}''' Minoru Kokubunji.
* Ussop from OnePiece fills this role for the Strawhat Pirates.
** It is arguable that [[TheChick Nami]] is the smart guy and Ussop is the chick due to both of them being smart (in different areas), but Ussop edges her out due to being slightly more useful in battle.
* Ishida in ''Bleach''. Also doubles as one of Ichigo's [[TheLancer Lancers]].
* Qute surprisingly to all those who've known him for a short time, Gokudera from ''KatekyoHitmanReborn''. Why surprisingly? Because the guy is the essence of a bad boy, smoking [[NoSmoking at the age of 14]], ready to beat up a teacher if his [[HoYay boss]] say so, etc., while getting 100 on his tests all the time. [[spoiler: Not to mention his C.A.I system and making up his own alphabet in class out of boredom...]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Rarely acts like one though.]]
* [[TheHero Taiboubou]] of HoushinEngi is also The Smart Guy
* Many MagicalGirl teams have one of these.
**Ami / Sailor Mercury from ''SailorMoon''
**Noel from ''MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch''
**Fuu from ''MagicKnightRayearth''
**Kairi Sanjou from ''ShugoChara'' is a male example
**Honoka / Cure White from the orginal ''FutariWaPrettyCure'' series, Mai / Cure Egert and later Cure Windy from ''FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar'', and Komachi / Cure Mint from ''YesPrettyCure5''
**Haruna from ''CorrectorYui''
**Hazuki from ''OjamajoDoremi''
**Ink (also TheHero) from ''Moetan''
**Lettuce / Mew Lettuce from ''TokyoMewMew''
**Shizuku / Papillon Margarette from ''Lingerie Soldier Papillon Rose''
**Kiyomi / Venus Blue from ''Venus 5''
**Suzume / Diva Hestia from ''CyberTeamInAkihabara''
**Yuri / Angel Lily from ''WeddingPeach''
* Shikamaru from ''Naruto'' is certainly the series' smart guy in the sense that he has a brilliant strategic brain and improbably high IQ and a talent for utilising humiliatingly complex and cruel XanatosGambit's.
** When he's not around Kakashi usually fills this role.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comics]]
* Brainiac 5 fills this role in every version of the ''{{Legion of SuperHeroes}}''.
** ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' lampshaded this:
--->'''Supergirl:''' So what's your power? SuperStrength? [[SuperSpeed Speed]]?\\
'''Brainiac 5:''' I have a 12th level intellect...\\
'''Supergirl:''' Great. You can knock him out with your diploma.
* On most incarnations of the ''{{Justice League of America}}'', {{Batman}} is a mix of The Smart Guy and TheLancer.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films]]
* R2-D2 in ''StarWars''. He also neglects to bother anyone else with his plans, especially, god forbid, C-3PO, because there's no way anyone could be smart enough to be his backup.
* The SuperHero spoof film ''TheSpecials'' from 2000 includes a brainy gadgeteer member of the titular superteam whose ''nom de guerre'' is simply "Mr. Smart".
* ThisTroper once watched a disaster film, where [[TheHero our brave fireman/policeman/whoever]] and a bunch of other people were trapped in a collapsed tunnel, or something -- you get the trade. When the gang, on their way out, stumbles upon a puddle with live wire in it, it is the stereotypical nerdy {{Nerd}} who, thanks to his nerdy intellectual pursuits, saves them with improvised Faraday cage. As groups of survivors in such films are often given personality traits roughly amounting to FiveManBand, this guy can be described in terms of the lot's Smart Guy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The scarecrow from ''{{The Wizard of Oz}}''.
* Blackberry, of the initial refugee band in ''WatershipDown''. An amusing variant in that his skillset is basically that of an engineer, except downsized to a rabbit POV; his bright idea -- which becomes the key strategem in the climactic battle -- is that things which float on water can thus be used as transport out of reach of land-based enemies.
** It's strongly hinted that Fiver, the small seer who doesn't fight, is second smartest.
* Deconstructed in the ''{{Warhammer 40000}}: {{Eisenhorn}}'' novel trilogy, where the savant Ueber Aemos is the walking databank he is because of a "meme-virus" that makes him compulsively pursue knowledge, culminating in [[spoiler: memorising the [[TomeOfEldritchLore Malus Codicum]]]].
* Kirsty and sometimes Yo-less from ''JohnnyMaxwellTrilogy''.
* Hermione in ''HarryPotter''.
** ''[[TheDumbledore The]]'' [[TheDumbledore Dumbledore]] lampshades that since he's ''regarded'' as this, his mistakes are that much greater when he screws up (which isn't very often, but massively sucks when he does). He also admits he subverts this trope a lot, because a lot of his genius (in regards to the plot) is actually a bunch of lucky guesses (read ''[[HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Half Blood Prince]]'' for full details).
* Sostratos in HarryTurtledove's Hellenic Traders series. He reads Thucydides and Herodotus for fun, always keeps the records of the ships cargo well and is curious about everything. He also [[VitriolicBestBuds fights with his cousin]] TheCaptain, who's [[DumbIsGood the]] [[TheKirk opposite.]].
* Mat from the WheelOfTime is an odd example of this because he's not very scholarly at all in fact I'd go so far as to say he's BookDumb. But put him in charge of an army or a tight spot you'll find out why he's one of [[TheChosenOne Rand's]] main [[TheStrategist advisors]]and why his name was [[Trickster practically a curse in his home town]]. But he is very much the sneaky [[TheLancer lancer]] role.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* [=McKay=] on ''StargateAtlantis'' is probably the most egregious example on modern TV; often, the other characters will just sit around and threaten him until he comes up with a plan.
** Samantha Carter is more BadassBookworm than just The Smart Guy; Zelenka is [=McKay=]'s much more reserved and polite second in command. The remaining scientists tend to fit a different trope, in no small part as they are not members of the FiveManBand.
* Early seasons of ''DoctorWho'' had the Doctor as The Smart Guy, with a male companion as the ActionGuy and a female companion as the DistressedDamsel. He is still the smart guy, although since the Seventies he is always a combination of several archetypes.
* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' had Giles, and ''{{Angel}}'' had Wesley. Watchers are pretty much Smart Guy incarnate. ''{{Angel}}'' also had Fred, a mixture of the Smart Guy and The Chick. In addition, Anya could be considered a Smart Guy when talking about demonic matters (with which she has personal experience), although less so in most other matters (such as "how to conduct myself in human society").
** Willow was also very smart, as well as magical. Giles was better educated but functioned more as their [[{{Mentors}} mentor]], whereas Willow was clever/good with computers.
* As the only crewmember on ''{{Firefly}}'' with any formal education, [[TheMedic fugitive doctor]] Simon Tam fits this role to a T. This is most apparent in ''Ariel'', in which he plans the most lucrative heist the crew has ever pulled. Unfortunately, Simon's budding career as an a criminal mastermind was cut short by the show's [[ScrewedByTheNetwork untimely cancellation]], but presumably he would have gone on to plan many other lucrative ventures, especially as the crew warmed to him, and he lost his snobbish, intellectual veneer.
** I rather hope he didn't become an "up and coming criminal mastermind" in some ways. He was an outlaw not by inclination but because the Alliance said so. He probably did prefer to be a doctor and keep his hands clean (metaphorically speaking) and regarded the Ariel operation as an exception. In fact when Mal wanted to take River along at the beginning of ''Serenity'', I think he was not just afraid of putting River in danger but of making her a thief. Nonetheless he did show talent as the Strategist that could have proved useful and also could have provided some interesting conflicts both with himself and with the other crewmembers.
** In any case, Simon never seemed snobbish to me. He seemed stiff, and uncomfortable in the new environment but he wasn't disdainful toward the others. He was snobbish toward Jayne but Jayne was a very easy person to be snobby toward, even discounting the fact that he was a bully, a traitor, and far more snobbish about Simon's supposed lack of masculinity then Simon was about Jayne's very real lack of refinement. Not to mention insulting Simon's disturbed sister which is not a thing to get on his good side.
** Simon's sister, [[TagAlongKid River]], also showed a talent for coming up with well-thought out plans, when she's not communing with cows, waxing poetic about exsanguination, threatening to kill people with her brain, rewriting the Bible, or generally living up to her reputation as the patron saint of [[CloudCuckoolander cloudcuckoolanders]], that is.
* Harris of the Chosen Men {{Sharpe}} is a former teacher who joined the army to escape debts. He speaks at least three languages and is the one who usually quotes philosophers or is found reading.
* Sayid Jarrah from ''{{Lost}}'' is an expert in communications technology. In his time on the Island, he has built several radios and fixed a computer.
** Physicist Daniel Faraday also counts, besides his amnesia and moments where he isn't much clear while explaining.
* Hardison is the computer hacker geek of ''{{Leverage}}'''s [[FiveManBand Three-Men-and-Two-Women Band]], and pinchhits as the DeadpanSnarker when needed.
** I think everyone pinch hits as the DeadpanSnarker on this show.
* ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'''s Data. Given that he's an android, with a super computer in his head, he can usually come up with solutions that would be at best impractical if they ''didn't'' have an android on the crew.
** ''StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' has ''[[TropeNamer The]]'' [[TheSpock Spock]].
* Charlie Eppes in Numbers.
* James May on ''TopGear'', whose interest in detail and facts borders on obsession and alternately amuses and bores his [[BookDumb non-scholarly]] co-presenters.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''KingdomHearts'', Donald is The Smart Guy of the team, being the Disney Court's royal magician, and good at his craft. However, he doubles as the bad kind of team [[TheLancer Lancer]] as well, because of how self-centered, small-minded, and short-tempered he is; he's always trying to get his way, and doesn't consider the consequences of his bullish behavior. All of the wisdom is instead found in Goofy, TheBigGuy of the team, making him something of a GeniusBruiser. This pretty solidly seems a case of DumbIsGood. Actually, considering how many evil scientists there are in the series, it could seen as a double-whammy of DumbIsGood and ScienceIsBad. Even good-guy inventor Cid can't escape the fact that his gummi ships couldn't be built without breaking off material from the shells that protect each world from Darkness.
* Jeff in ''{{Earthbound}}'' is also archetypical of this trope.
** With regard to fantasy settings, he partially subverts this trope, in that he is the only party member who doesn't use magic.
* Jennifer in the first ''{{Disgaea}}'' game, Hanako in the second, Raspberyl in the third.
* Vitali in ''{{Soul Nomad and the World Eaters}}''. [[spoiler:Lobo in the Demon Path.]]
* Tails fills his usual role in ''[[SonicTheHedgehog Sonic Chronicles]]'', but is joined and assisted by [[spoiler: [[EnemyMine Dr Eggman!]] ]]
* ''{{Persona 4}}'' has a few possible. Early in the game, the [[TheLancer Lancer]] Yosuke doubles as this, as the only guy with any plausible investigative theories. Yukiko might also qualify. Later in the game, Yosuke relinquishes this post for [[MrExposition Ms. Exposition]] Naoto.
* The Engineer, Medic, and Spy of ''TeamFortressTwo'' all fit the role. The first is a relatively goodhearted GadgeteerGenius, the second is a crazy MadScientist, and the third is a haughty MagnificentBastard. All utilize technology, and they neatly encapsulate all traditional SmartGuy skills -- machines, support, and subterfuge.
* Siblings [[TheHero Welkin]] and [[WrenchWench Isara]] Gunther from ''ValkyriaChronicles'' usually fill out the role of being smart for Squad 7. Coincidentally, they're both in the tank.
* Positron, a signature character in ''{{City of Heroes}}'' (and AuthorAvatar of the current lead developer, Matt Miller) is a {{mutant}} who built a suit of PoweredArmor to amplify his [[ILoveNuclearPower radiation abilities]], which after the [[AlienInvasion Rikti War]] became his seal to prevent him from [[SuperpowerMeltdown exploding]]. Citadel also may count, being a RidiculouslyHumanRobot.
* [[TwoWordsObviousTrope Two words]]: [[BackyardSports Dmitri Petrovich]].
* In the FiveManBand of the Resistance Group in ''TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', history enthusiast Shad is the official Smart Guy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''GirlGenius'', some of the Sparks are even identified by the Jagers as "da schmot guy".
* Haley Starshine of ''{{The Order of the Stick}}''. Though V may have her beat when it comes to raw knowledge, Haley is the most observant member of the team, generally the first to fully comprehend the situation, the best at coming up with plans on short notice, and is the most likely to rely on [[TheTrickster guile and deception]] rather than brute force.
** [[TheHero Roy]] [[GeniusBruiser isn't exactly dumb himself]] though, having the highest overall mental stats of the group.
* Hod, god of darkness and winter, is The Smart Guy to the Norse kids in ''Brat-halla'' tough he is CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass as well.
* Riff from ''SluggyFreelance'' is both The Smart Guy and TheLancer, being a MadScientist with a [[TimTaylorTechnology penchant for]] [[MoreDakka destruction]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* While not part of a FiveManBand, computer programmer Raimi definitely fulfills this function in ''BrokenSaints''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* On the group Team Kimba in the ''WhateleyUniverse'', Phase is probably the smart one, even if Chaka seems to be best at coming up with ideas in the middle of a fight. Phase is over-educated for a freshman in high school, is most likely to use the big words, and is a smart aleck too. The SmartGuy they go to for gadgets is Bugs, who is a HotScientist.
* While not intelligent to a superlative degree, Chip from the web fiction serial ''DimensionHeroes'' proves on several occasions that his reservoir of book knowledge can prove beneficial in making it out of various tight spots the heroes get into.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Lisa Simpson in TheSimpsons. Marge as well, in a few cases, but she is just a bit too oblivious to what constitutes as normal human behavior to do any discrediting.
* As implied by the page quote, Sokka of ''AvatarTheLastAirbender''. He set out with the goal of being the BigGuy and DeadpanSnarker, but for various reason never really succeeded (and Toph later filled [[CuteBruiser both]] [[LittleMissSnarker roles]] herself). By the third season, however, he could arguably qualify as a BadassBookworm, though he's a strategist and innovator rather than an academic.
** Sokka's role at as the smart guy often creates dissonance with his other role on the show, as the comic relief ButtMonkey.
* ''CodeLyoko'' has Jérémie Belpois, the team's NonActionGuy. He is also ''TheCaptain'' and team leader, as well as the only one who knows how to properly use the Supercomputer.
* In ''{{Transformers}}: BeastWars'', Dinobot TheLancer was a ProudWarriorRaceGuy with little respect for trickery. Rhinox TheBigGuy was a GeniusBruiser who dealt with equipment as a MrFixit. Rattrap The Smart Guy was more skilled in the realm of [[GuileHero infiltration, sabotage and underhanded tactics.]] In fact, you could break the three of them down into a triangle of hybrids: Dinobot = Lancer/Big Guy; Rhinox = [[GeniusBruiser Big Guy/Smart Guy]]; Rattrap = Smart Guy/Lancer.
* Walden from ''[[WowWowWubbzy Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!]]'' fills this role on the show. As the theme song says, "he knows about science and books and art."
* ''{{Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys}}'' has a unique example: Dr. Splitz/Splitzy suffers from a SplitPersonality disorder, and ''both'' of them are very intelligent and innovative in their own right. Dr. Splitz is a textbook example -- he is the ship's engineer and sometime medic, and has the true heart of a scientist. Splitzy is a GeniusDitz who is [[MrFixit extremely skilled in mechanics]] and acts as translator for Dr.Splitz's SesquipedalianLoquaciousness. Working together in combat, they make a BadAssBookworm.
* Tanya of ''TheMightyDucks'' is the resident GadgeteerGenius and overall tech expert, although [[BadassBookworm she's no weakling on the battlefield or the hockey rink]]. She tends to stutter and lisp a bit, since her brain is moving faster than she can speak.
* Sam Dullard of ''RocketPower'' is a huge computer whiz and uses that knowledge to help the others improve their sports skills every once in a while. He has also skipped a grade.
* {{Batman}} in ''JusticeLeague'' is, as in the comics, a mix of this and TheLancer. [[TheSpock J'onn J'onzz]] is a purer example.
* Numbuh Two in ''CodenameKidsNextDoor'' varies between TedBaxter, AcePilot and CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass. He's generally the most technically skilled of the team though.
* Tako, the unofficial leader of the ''Sushi Pack'', is the one usually called on to think of a plan to defeat the bad guys, and even has a standard "thinking routine". He also offers explanations of more complicated terms that come up in the show.
[[/folder]]

----
<<|BrainChain|>>
<<|FiveManBand|>>
<<|IntelligenceTropes|>>