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Gordon Freeman - One Man Army. Holds a PhD in theoretical physics from MIT and a blood-stained crowbar.

"Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer, that means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?" because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems. For instance, how am I going to stop some big mean motherhubbard from tearing me a structurally superfluous new behind? The answer: use a gun. And if that don't work, use more gun...like this heavy-caliber tripod-mounted little ol' number designed by me, built by me, and you'd best hope not pointed at you."

This character is a quiet smart guy who is physically unimposing, naive and softspoken but with hidden depths of formidable physical and practical skills that no one except perhaps his closest friends suspect exist.

Typically, s/he is in an All Of The Other Reindeer and/or The So Called Coward situation where most everyone around the character sneers at the bookworm's unusually innovative ideas and his quietly thoughtful nature. To them, they are proof that the character is a muddle-headed egghead who is no match for them, so killing him and his friends should be a snap to further their plans.

However, when that's tried, the villains learn to their sorrow how gravely they've underestimated the character as he wipes the floor with them. For instance especially in fantasy settings, the bookworm reveals that his "all A's education" extends into combat skills like swordsmanship and archery. Coupled with the proper motivation such as The Power Of Friendship, he becomes a living buzzsaw when forced to fight and often has additional training in strategy and tactics that would make Hannibal proud. Even worse, he could know arcane fighting techniques like nerve strikes that can reduce the biggest bruiser into a fetal position of pain with one touch. In modern settings, they usually are ridiculously accurate with handguns, sometimes noting that working on electronics takes really steady hands.

Furthermore, his unusual ideas turn out to be brilliant weapons and/or tactics that make him all but invincible.

In short, he may be an "egghead", but it's his enemies who get egg in their faces.

Note this is a different trope from the typical Secret Identity superhero like early Peter Spider Man Parker as no one suspects the nerd to be the superhero.

Closely related to, and overlaps with, the Genius Bruiser. In general, a Badass Bookworm looks like your standard geek, but then displays a surprising amount of physical prowess, whereas a Genius Bruiser looks huge and powerfully muscled, then unexpectedly shows off an intellectual side.

May overlap with Hot Librarian. If the "egghead" seems sufficiently divorced from reality, it may lead to a Crouching Moron Hidden Badass. Strangely it rarely overlaps with The Chessmaster or other similar archetypes where being a bookworm allows them to be badass. Also compare the Adventurer Archaeologist — a bookworm in polite academic company and a badass for the other 99% of the plot. There may be so many Badass Bookworms because they lend themselves to being a Mary Sue for the typical writer. If they prefer not to fight, doing so only when they must, they are a Crouching Scholar Hidden Badass.

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