Line #33 TheSmartGuy/Literature


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6	The resident [[TheSmartGuy Smart Guy or Girl]] in {{Literature}}.
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10	%% * ''Literature/The39Clues'' has several:
11	%% ** The Ekaterina branch as a whole.
12	%% ** Also the Lucians in their own scheming way.
13	%% ** And of course, let's not forget [[ShrinkingViolet Amy]] [[BadassBookworm Cahill]].
14	%% *** Plus her boyfriend, [[{{Geek}} Evan Tolliver]]. And one-shot love interest [[SmartPeoplePlayChess Kurt]]. Hell, even [[RichBitch Ian]] is said to have a ridiculously high IQ, he's just hampered by his own ego.
15	* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' arguably divides the role between a few different people, depending on what ''sort'' of knowledge you're looking for. TheLancer-ish, BrilliantButLazy [[TheStrategist Marco]] is more of a long-term strategist compared to Jake's field leader, while [[TheHeart Cassie]] is the team's go-to-girl for information on new animal forms. The quiet, reserved Tobias is the team's "eye in the sky" due to [[ShapeshifterModeLock taking the form of a hawk.]] Ax, as the only Andalite on the team, obviously knows more about advanced science and other planets than the rest of them...unless he was AsleepInClass on that particular day.
16	* ''Literature/BazilBroketail'': As a young man from a good family and a military academy graduate, Manuel is the best educated and most mature of all the dragonboys.
17	* Professor Abraham Van Helsing and Dr John Seward from ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'', easily the smartest and most educated in TheTeam, but they tend to take a back seat in the combat compared to TheHero Jonathan Harker and TheBigGuy Quincey Morris. Though arguably they overlap with GeniusBruiser at certain points in the novel.
18	* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
19	** Harry Dresden is basically this by default among his allies. Being a Wizard means he has much much more knowledge about magic and the supernatural, even compared to people like [[spoiler:Thomas and Michael]], who are more directly involved in supernatural affairs. Basically anytime something supernatural happens, everyones first instinct is to look to Harry for an explanation, although his friends do get more and more savvy as time goes on and they get more personal experience.
20	** Bob the Skull is actually this to Harry (most other people don't know he exists). He's a spirit of intellect and Harry's main resource when supernatural things he doesn't know anything about show up.
21	* Deconstructed in the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: {{Literature/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]]]].
22	* In ''Literature/FeliksNetAndNika'' both Feliks and Net are Smart Guys, although Feliks is GadgeteerGenius while Net is PlayfulHacker.
23	* Albert in ''Literature/FishInATree'' is a very intelligent person. He often knows rather obscure facts.
24	* In ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear'', [[RobotBuddy DV-9]] starts off in this kind of role, though all characters tend to know or be familiar with ''something'' that the others don't, and even BookDumb Zak is fairly intelligent. By the end of the series, while Uncle Hoole knows more in general this role is largely taken by Tash, who is studious and tends to think more and plan, compared to Zak who does more reacting.
25	* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
26	** Hermione Granger. It's a RunningGag that she's the only one of her friends (and one of few in the entire school) who actually read "Hogwarts: A History", making her [[MrExposition Ms Exposition]]. Harry and Ron have increasingly snarky responses to her exasperation at no-one else reading it. Regardless undeniably extremely intelligent and particularly book smart, and as time goes on displays a great deal of practical talent as well. Several teachers praise her as being "the brightest witch of her age." She's also generally the best at magic of the three, although Harry is generally regarded as being better at Defense against the Dark Arts.
27	** 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 educated guesses (read ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Half Blood Prince]]'' for full details).
28	** Remus Lupin is this to the Marauders, a slight variation being that he is book smart as opposed to the BrilliantButLazy James and Sirius.
29	* Sostratos in Creator/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.]].
30	* While there is no clear FiveManBand at any point in ''Literature/TheHeritageOfShannara'', TheSmartGuy is probably Morgan Leah. He seems to be the automatic go to for strategy and sneaky plans, regularly divising ideas to get the [[LaResistance Free-born]] in and out of [[TheEmpire Federation]] jails, cities, and fortresses. Walker Boh could also be said to fulfill this role, as the resident Druid. Both are far from weak or stereotypically geeky.
31	%% * Damian and Rephaim from ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight''.
32	* Beetee in ''[[Literature/TheHungerGames Catching Fire]]'' and ''Mockingjay'', especially because he's from District 3, which makes electronics and explosives.
33	%% * ''Literature/InDeath'': Feeney, Roarke, and Ian [=McNab=] belong in this category.
34	%% * Kirsty and sometimes Yo-less from ''Literature/JohnnyMaxwellTrilogy''.
35	* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': Nolien is the brains of the Team Four novices because he is TheMedic in a verse where HealingMagicIsTheHardest and also their tactian when [[TheLeader Basilard]] isn't around.
36	%% * Philiby in ''Literature/TheKingdomKeepers'', though Maybeck is noted as being good with computers in the first.
37	* Thomas from ''{{Literature/Malevil}}''. He's a college educated student of science in a rural region of France. Skeptical and an atheist to boot.
38	* ''Literature/MichaelVey'' has Ostin, who is undoubtedly the smartest in the whole group. His VerbalTic is frequently espousing random trivia about a diverse range of subjects from Amazonian jungle wildlife to Chinese culture to electrical engineering. However he is more TheStrategist than a GuileHero as he usually needs time to think things out and plan ahead.
39	* Mention must be made of polymath, weapon-maker (and namer), PerkyGoth, occasional Amazon and all-around bright girl Dess (Desdsemona, in full) of the ''Literature/{{midnighters}}'' trilogy. You've never ''met'' anyone as good at maths - or at applying it - as Dess.
40	%% * Legolas of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' is within the Fellowship the Smart Guy and the Archer combined. Merry is the Smart Guy of the four Hobbits within the Fellowship.
41	%% ** There's Ori in ''Literature/TheHobbit''. Well, in the film adaptions anyway.
42	%% * Brenda from ''[[Literature/TheMazeRunner The Maze Runner Trilogy]]''.
43	* Annabeth Chase from ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' is without a doubt the smart girl of the group.
44	%% ** [[TeenGenius Annabeth]] and [[GadgeteerGenius Leo]] from ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus''.
45	* Laeshana, from Literature/TheQuestOfTheUnaligned is brilliant even for an [[MadScientist aesh]]. [[spoiler: At the beginning of the story, she suspects that the theory of magic everyone's followed for the past 800 years is missing some major parts. By the end of the story, she's proven right.]]
46	* Literature/RaceToTheSun'': Nizhoni's best friend Davery, who loves reading (no wonder, since his father is a librarian), has a great memory, is very Internet-savvy [[spoiler: and his magical weapon that he gets from the Sun is a book]]. Several characters comment that when he grows up, he will probably become a scholar or a medicine man.
47	* In ''Literature/TheRadiantDawn'', Rick Sylvan serves as this. He developed the laser Dawn uses, moved satellites into position by hacking non-maintained control systems, got the radio working and partially figured out the attack strategy to go after the undead royals.
48	* In the ''Literature/RainbowMagic'' movie, Sunny/Saffron is this; she's very smart and analytical.
49	* Literature/RamaII: All the scientist astronauts, which they get to prove when they variously become lost aboard the spaceship, and get to interact with other sentients in tense situations.
50	** Among them, Nicole figures out the mystery and Richard hacks into an alien computer to secure materials (and because he could).
51	* Adam Parrish in ''Literature/TheRavenCycle''. Gansey is also a smart guy in his own right but Adam attends the elite Aglionby Academy on scholarships while working two jobs and he is often described as being cold and calculating despite his softer look. He can also be TheChessmaster if the situation calls for it. In the sequel series The Dreamer Trilogy, it is revealed that he is attending [[spoiler:Harvard University]] and it wasn't even his first choice.
52	* Beetle in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap''. While lacking both Septimus's '''Magykal''' powers and Jenna's speed, he's quite versed in knowledge of '''Magyk''' and other arcane matters.
53	* Simon Lewis from ''Franchise/TheShadowhunterChronicles'' is the smartest member of the group from Shadowhunters.
54	* ''Literature/StickDog'': The titular character of the series is this for his group, who are prone to coming up with crazy ideas, never notice the obvious, and often forget what they're talking about.
55	* In the AmateurSleuth group that is ''Literature/TanteiTeamKZJikenNote'', Uesugi ([[GoodWithNumbers math]]) and Kozuka (Social and Natural sciences) take turns for this role.
56	* ''Literature/VampireAcademy'':
57	** Lissa Dragomir has excellent and consistently high grades. [[spoiler:She later uses her intellect to investigate a regicide and simultaneously work on the mental challenges presented to candidates in the running to become the Moroi monarch. She does well on both fronts]].
58	** Sydney Sage is multilingual, a car geek, interested in classical architecture, skilled in using computers. All as a teenager.
59	* Blackberry, of the initial refugee band in ''Literature/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.
60	* Mat from the ''[[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Wheel of Time]]'' is an odd example of this because he's not very scholarly at all, maybe even 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 [[TheTrickster practically a curse in his home town]]. Though he is very much the sneaky [[TheLancer lancer]] role.
61	%% * The Scarecrow from ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz''.
62	* ''Literature/XWingSeries'': While most members of Wraith Squadron are smart in their own way, Voort "Piggy" saBinring takes the cake in terms of sheer intellectual ability. He can calculate hyperspace routes in his head, coordinates dogfights while in the middle of them, and when [[spoiler: taking over command of the Wraiths, he came up with a perfect plan to bring down a corrupt general that impressed [[TheChessmaster Face Loran]] himself]]. The kicker? He's a ''[[DumbMuscle Gamorrean]]''.
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Context TheSmartGuy / Literature