From left to right: The one who fires off glorious magic spells, the one who builds the best gadgets, and the one who punches things real hard.
Blossom, commander and the leader
Bubbles, she is the joy and the laughter
Buttercup, she is the toughest fighter
—
The Powerpuff Girls ending theme
Related to
Tomboy and Girly Girl, a type of female
Power Trio where
one is smart,
one is tough, and one is conventionally
pretty, popular or feminine. It's fairly common for the "Beauty" to act as the
Team Mom,
The Kirk, or
the mediator when the other two get into their frequent fights, so
they have something to do other than just be pretty. Often, to give "Beauty" a useful skill, she is the one who is
socially adept and empathetic, while "Brains" has technical skills but is nerdy and socially awkward.
The personalities might also be what the
Freudian Trio used to be described as: body or the impulsive, pleasure-seeking one (the brawn), mind or the academic, reasonable one (the brain) and heart or the one who ties them together, as the calming, healing influence (the beauty). In other words, the Brawn represents the
Id, the Brain represents the
Superego, and the Beauty represents the
Ego.
Often Color-Coded for Your Convenience as the
Brainy Brunette, the
Fiery Redhead and the
beautiful but Dumb Blonde. Although it can be switched around. Contrast though as the
Blonde, Brunette, Redhead tend to be portrayed as flaws while
Beauty, Brains and Brawn are good.
See also:
The Hecate Sisters,
The Three Faces of Eve, and
Four Girl Ensemble.
Examples
open/close all folders
Anime and Manga
- Magic Knight Rayearth
- Fuu - Brains
- Hikaru - Brawn
- Umi - Beauty
- Marmalade Boy
- Arimi Suzuki - Beauty
- Miki Koishikawa - Brawn
- Meiko Akizuki - Brains
- Ikki Tousen
- Gentoku Ryuubi - Beauty
- Kan'u Unchou - Brains
- Ekitoku Chouhi - Brawn
- Sailor Moon: First Two Arcs of the First Series
- Usagi/Moon - Beauty
- Ami/Mercury - Brains
- Rei/Mars - Brawn
- Sailor Moon: The Outer Senshi
- Michiru/Neptune - Beauty
- Setsuna/Pluto - Brains
- Haruka/Uranus - Brawn
- Sailor Moon: The Sailor Starlights
- Yaten/Star Healer - Beauty
- Taiki/Star Maker - Brains
- Seiya/Star Fighter - Brawn
- Saber Marionette J
- Bloodberry - Beauty
- Cherry - Brains
- Lime - Brawn
- The Daughter of Twenty Faces - According to Koito, the Detective Girls are as followed:
- Chiko - Brawn
- Tome - Beauty
- Koito - Brains
- Unfortunately, it doesn't completely work, because Chiko is probably more clever than Koito...
- Kaleido Star: Half-first season Power Trio
- Sora - Beauty
- Mia - Brains
- Anna - Brawn
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Misato - Brains
- Rei - Beauty
- Asuka - Brawn
- Et Cetera
- Mingchao - Beauty
- Fino - Brains
- Benkate - Brawn
- Ojamajo Doremi: At the start, at least.
- Doremi - Beauty
- Hazuki - Brains
- Aiko - Brawn
- Project A-ko
- C-ko - Beauty
- B-ko - Brains
- A-ko - Brawn
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid
- Vivio - Beauty (Attracts friends with ease in addition to being royalty)
- Corona - Brains (Bookworm type Squishy Wizard Marionette Master and the least brawny of the three)
- Rio - Brawn (Skilled martial artist who created her own style and the least bookish of the three)
- Similar dynamic with the original trio.
- Nanoha - Beauty (A Messiah by means of Defeat Means Friendship)
- Fate - Brawn (Does the most up close fighting of the trio and has the skillset to match)
- Hayate - Brains (Least able to go one on one according to Canon, gained magic by being plugged into a Magical Tome. Becomes a Commander and Big Good in the series following her debut)
- Futari Wa Pretty Cure Max Heart
- Hikari/Shiny Luminous - Beauty
- Honoka/Cure White - Brains
- Nagisa/Cure Black - Brawn
- Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
- Hanon - Beauty
- Lucia - Brains
- Rina - Brawn
- School Rumble: Tenma's three female friends.
- Eri - Beauty
- Akira - Brains
- Mikoto - Brawn
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica could decieve you into thinking this was the case. It doesn't last long.
- Mami - Beauty
- Madoka - Brains
- Sayaka - Brawn
- Sket Dance mixed things up a bit:
- Bossun - "Intuitive" Brains
- Himeko - Beauty and Brawn
- Switch - "Technological" Brains and Beauty
- Rocket Girls
- Beauty - Yukari
- Brains - Akane
- Brawn - Matsuri
- Digimon Xros Wars Good guys Mixed version.
- Beauty - Nene
- Brains - Taiki
- Brawn - Kiriha
- Digimon Xros Wars Bad guys Mixed version.
- Beauty - Lilithmon
- Brains - Tactimon
- Brawn - Blastmon
- Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel
- Beauty - Aoi
- Brains - Kurumi
- Brawn - Haruka
- Naruto - Team 10
- Beauty- Ino
- Brains- Shikamaru
- Brawn- Choji
- FLCL
- Beauty - Mamimi
- Brains - Ninamori
- Brawn - Haruko
- Outlaw Star
- Beauty - Melfina
- Brains - Suzuka
- Brawn - Aisha
- Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Beauty: Shizuka Katsuya/Serenity Wheeler
- Brains: Anzu Makazi/Tea Gardner
- Brawn: Mai Kujaku/Valentine
- Across Series:
- Zettai Karen Children, also combined with Blond Brunette Redhead
- Ranma ½: When you boil them down to the characteristics most people associate them with, the Tendo sisters fit this.
- Gakuen Alice: Both a Female version and a Male version
- For the Girls
- For the Guys
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Beauty: Winry
- Brains: Alphonse
- Brawn: Edward
- However YMMV on whether Alphonse and Winry should be switched.
Comic Books
- Birds of Prey
- Black Canary - Beauty
- Oracle - Brains
- Huntress - Brawn
- Josie and the Pussycats
- Josie - Brains
- Melody - Beauty
- Valerie - Brawn (It could be made out that Valerie could be both brains and brawn, while Josie is just the leader).
- SHIELD
- Maria Hill - Brawn
- Sharon Carter - Beauty
- Victoria Hand - Brains
Film
Literature
- Occurs in Noel Streatfield's Ballet Shoes.
- Pauline - Beauty
- Petrova - Brains
- Posy - Brawn (while not the stereoptypical Brawn, she is certainly the best dancer of the three)
- The Princess Series
- Snow - Beauty
- Danielle - Brains
- Talia - Brawn
- Avalon: Web of Magic
- Kara - Beauty
- Emily - Brains
- Adrianne - Brawn
- The Wheel of Time
- Elayne - Beauty
- Min - Brains
- Aviendha - Brawn
Live-Action TV
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Willow - Brains
- Buffy - Brawn
- Anya/Buffy/Cordelia - Beauty
- The Vampire Diaries
- Elena - Beauty
- Bonnie - Brains
- Caroline - Brawn
- Charlie's Angels (the original series)
- Sabrina - Brains
- Kelly - Brawn
- Jill - Beauty
- Firefly
- Kaylee - Brains
- Zoe - Brawn
- Inara - Beauty
- River - A bit hard to define, although she seems to have all three being a child prodigy/genius (enough to have Psychic Powers), expert at Waif-Fu, and not to mention played by Summer Glau
- Charmed
- Prue - Brains
- Piper - Brawn (She started using her brains more when she got promoted to eldest sister)
- Phoebe - Beauty (Became brawnier when she started using She-Fu)
- Paige - Beauty (She had the least experience)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (first season)
- Counselor Deanna Troi - Beauty
- Dr. Beverly Crusher - Brains
- Lt. Tasha Yar - Brawn
- Step by Step
- Dana- Brains
- Karen- Beauty
- Al- Brawn
- Wizards of Waverly Place - Only in the episodes where Juliet was present
- Juliet - Beauty
- Harper - Brains
- Alex - Brawn
- Degrassi
- Seasons 1-8
- Manny - Beauty
- Liberty - Brains
- Emma - Brawn (In the Feminist Save-the-Planet Independent Tomboy way, less so physical strength.)
- Season 7-11
- Mia (S7-8) then Fiona (S9-11) - Beauty (Model and Fashionista)
- Holly J - Brains (Student Council President going to Yale)
- Anya - Brawn (LAR Ping battle Princess turned Military recruit)
- H₂O: Just Add Water
- Season 1-2
- Cleo - Beauty (Fashion, Cleo is treated as Hollywood Homely)
- Emma - Brains
- Rikki - Brawn
- Season 3
- Bella - Beauty
- Cleo - Brains
- Rikki - Brawn
- The Nanny (The Sheffield household)
Music
- The song "Gangsta Bitch"
- Eve - Brains
- Da Brat - Brawn
- Trina - Beauty
Video Games
- Fire Emblem 6 - The Pegasus Knight sisters
- Yuuno - Beauty
- Thite - Brains
- Thany - Brawn
- Fire Emblem 7 - The other Peg Knight sisters
- Florina - Beauty
- Fiora - Brains
- Farina - Brawn
- Fire Emblem - The original Peg Knight sisters
- Palla - Beauty (Eldest and most level-headed.)
- Catria - Brains (Portrayed as fairly clever in her (limited) characterization.)
- Est - Brawn (Powered straight through enemy lines to bring the allies a Cool Sword.)
- Final Fantasy X 2
- Rikku - Beauty.
- Yuna - Brains.
- Paine - Brawn.
- Of course in the original Yuna was the beauty with Rikku as the brawn and Lulu as the brains. Rikku suffered some heavy Flanderization between games.
- A Dance with Rogues
- Norah - Brawn
- The Princess - Brains
- Pia - Beauty
- Neverwinter Nights 2
- Shandra - Brawn
- Elanee - Brains
- Neeshka - Beauty
- Neverwinter Nights 2 - Mask of the Betrayer
- Female player - Brawn
- Safiya - Brains
- Kaelyn - Beauty
- Project Justice - Seijyun Girls High School
- Akira - Brains
- Yurika - Beauty
- Zaki - Brawn
- Disgaea Hour Of Darkness
- Etna - Brawn
- Flonne - Beauty
- Jennifer - Brains
- Disgaea 2
- Rozalin - Beauty
- Hanako - Brains
- Etna - Brawn
- Soul Nomad & the World Eaters
- Revya - Brawn
- Danette - Beauty
- Layna - Brains
- Persona 4
- Chie - Brawn
- Yukiko - Brains
- Rise - Beauty
- Optionally replace Yukiko with Naoto.
- Chrono Trigger
- Ayla - Brawn
- Lucca - Brains
- Marle - Beauty
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky'' - Team Charm
- Lopunny - Beauty
- Gardevoir - Brains
- Medicham - Brawn
- Super Smash Bros.
- Peach - Beauty
- Zelda - Brains
- Samus - Brawn
- BlazBlue
- Noel Vermilion - Beauty
- Tsubaki Yayoi - Brains
- Makoto Nanaya - Brawn
- Lost Odyssey
- Ming - Beauty
- Sarah - Brains
- Seth - Brawn
- (though Ming, Seth and Cooke can also can be the Brains too)
- Tales Of Vesperia
- Estelle - Beauty
- Rita - Brains
- Judith - Brawn (also Beauty, but her role tends to be as Brawn instead)
- Jade Empire
- Dawn Star - Beauty (Brains before Silk Fox's arrival)
- Silk Fox - Brains (also Beauty)
- Wild Flower - Brawn (when Chai Ka/Ya Zhen is in control)
- Dragon Age: Origins
- Leliana - Beauty
- Wynne - Brains
- Morrigan - Brawn (at least personality-wise. She could technically fit all three)
- Alternatively, Shale as the brawn, who is an even better fit for that role.
- Planescape: Torment
- Deionarra - Beauty
- Hannah - Brawn
- Fall-from-Grace - Brains
Webcomics
- Angel Moxie:
- Riley - Brains
- Tristan - Brawn
- Alex - Beauty
- Last Res0rt:
- Jigsaw - Brawny Brunette
- Daisy - Brainy Redhead
- Adharia - Beautiful Blonde
- El Goonish Shive:
- Nanase - Brawn
- Grace - Brains (of the Genius Ditz variety)
- Ellen - Beauty
- Although all three of them would probably count as Brawn in any other setting.
- At Arm\'s Length
- Reece - Beauty
- Ally - Brains
- Sheila - Brawn
Web Original
- Sailor Nothing
- Himei/Sailor Nothing - Brawn
- Aki/Sailor Beauty - Beauty
- Shin/Sailor Truth - Brains
Western Animation
- Totally Spies!
- Sam - Brains
- Alex - Brawn
- Clover - Beauty
- The Powerpuff Girls
- Blossom - Brains
- Buttercup - Brawn
- Bubbles - Beauty
- Alvin and the Chipmunks
- Brittany- Beauty
- Jeannette- Brains
- Eleanor- Brawn
- My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic - Cutie Mark Crusaders
- Sweetie Belle- Beauty
- Apple Bloom- Brains
- Scootaloo- Brawns
- Avatar The Last Airbender *
Well, technically Azula fits all three, and the other two also fit at least one other category, but they have their specialties
- Azula: Brains. The second season finale and the Day of Black Sun are triumphant examples of this.
- Ty Lee: Brawn, by virtue of being able to beat down dozens of grown men. With her bare hands.
- Mai: Beauty, through her elegant design and the fact that she's the only one of the three to have a boyfriend.
- Alternately, it could also be:
- Azula: Brawn. She's one of the most powerful firebenders around.
- Ty Lee: Beauty. She's the girl everyone wanted to be with in the episode "The Beach".
- Mai: Brains: She's the oldest and wisest out of the three girls, including being smart enough to exploit Azula's weakness of being too overconfident in the end of the episode "The Boiling Rock Part 2".
- Can also apply to the three girls in the Gaang, though they are all well-rounded enough to have aspects of each category.
- Katara: Beauty, she's a powerful waterbender, and not unintelligent, but she's also the one who turns the most heads.
- Toph: Brawn, because of the three she relies the most on brute strength and guts when fighting.
- Suki: Brains, by virtue of being leader of the Kyoshi Warriors she has the best leadership skills and is good at planning strategy.
- Doug - the main three females
- Patti: Brains
- Beebe: Beauty
- Connie: Brawn (as seen in "Doug Throws a Party")
- Inch High Private Eye
- Inch: Brains
- Lori: Beauty
- Gator: Brawn
- X-Men: Evolution
- Kitty Pryde: Beauty
- Jean Grey: Brains
- Rogue: Brawn
Fan Works
