Teaming up The Smart Guy with The Big Guy (or the Evil Genius with The Brute). Sometimes, Brains and Brawn serve as heroes, but other times they're villains (forming an Evil Duo, often the Quirky Miniboss Squad or part of a Terrible Trio, sometimes being Bantering Baddie Buddies, and very frequently a Bumbling Henchmen Duo). Either way, there tends to be some element of comedy inherent in their natures. If the Brain is ever condescending or mean to Brawn, it's because Dumb Is Good.
Usually, in such a pair like this, The Smart Guy would usually communicate vital information to The Big Guy, so that The Big Guy would utilize this information to his advantage. Other times, The Smart Guy would provide items and equipment for The Big Guy to utilize. Regardless, while The Smart Guy provides resources and information, The Big Guy must protect The Smart Guy with his life, so that he could gain more information and resources from The Smart Guy.
Typically, since one person has brain but not brawn and the other brawn but not brains, the brawn half of this trope is also an example of Dumb Muscle.
When you have one character with both Brains and Brawn, you've got yourself a Genius Bruiser or a Badass Bookworm, depending on which element is dominant. Sometimes both characters form this dynamic.
If combined with Big Guy, Little Guy, the Little Guy is almost always the Brains and the Big Guy the Brawn. See also, Beauty, Brains, and Brawn, a feminine variation of the Trope with a third member — a Beauty — added, Strong Girl, Smart Guy, for when the Brawn is a girl and the Brains is a guy, and Smart Jerk and Nice Moron where the Brains is the Smart Jerk while the Brawn is the Nice Moron.
A Sub-Trope of Brains Versus Brawn.
Be sure, when adding examples, that the non-brainy one does have great strength. If he's not superior when it comes to physical activity then they're not an example.
